Book editor Caroline Holt is feeling burnt out and a little bit down. It's her first holiday without her mother. And she's lost the drive for the job that she loved. With the holidays approaching, she heads to her late mother's cabin hoping for some quiet time and something that just might recharge her missing spark.

At the cabin, Caroline finds a letter addressed to her mother from a man declaring his love for her mother. The return address is Santa's Little Red Mailbox in Aspen. He says he'll be waiting for her mother at the Mailbox on New Year's Eve.

Feeling a bit of excitement for the first time in a long time, Caroline decides to head to Aspen to meet her mother's mystery man. While there she meets another man in town, one who she is continually running into. Perhaps this trip is just what she needed to recenter herself.

Unlike most of the reviews I've seen, I liked the change of pace this "non Christmas" Christmas story provided. It was still filled with plenty of holiday spirit, I can only read so many sickly sweet Hallmark type romances before I need something with a bit more substance. Being a bit burnt out myself, I could identify with some of what Caroline was experiencing. The idea of heading to Aspen provided that first step in her efforts to reclaim the parts of herself she felt she had lost. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I like to see a character grow and conquer their fears, even in a holiday story.

If you’re looking for a holiday romance to cozy up with this season, Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes delivers all the festive vibes you could want. Think Hallmark Christmas movie meets a heartfelt exploration of family, love, and second chances.

The story follows Caroline Holt, a burnt-out book editor grieving the recent loss of her mother. Instead of her planned trip to London, she retreats to her mom’s cabin in upstate New York, hoping for some peace. But when Caroline stumbles upon a mysterious love letter addressed to her mother from someone in Aspen, curiosity takes hold. She finds herself flying to the snowy town to uncover the truth about her mom’s secret admirer. What she doesn’t expect is to meet Max, a charming local who’s not only trying to build a zero-waste rye whiskey distillery but also reigniting Caroline’s belief in love.

Aspen is beautifully described, practically leaping off the page as a Christmas wonderland filled with festive decorations, snow, and holiday cheer. It’s the perfect backdrop for the story’s romance and mystery, making you want to pack your bags and head there yourself. Caroline is a relatable protagonist, navigating grief and burnout with a sense of vulnerability that feels authentic. While her hesitancy about love could have been explored a bit more deeply, it’s easy to root for her as she begins to open her heart again.

Max is a classic Hallmark-style love interest, but with refreshing touches that set him apart—his passion for sustainability and his close bond with his family add depth to his character. The romance is sweet and clean, perfect for readers who enjoy wholesome love stories.

The story is also enriched by several engaging subplots, including Caroline’s sister Daphne planning an elopement, a missing feminist author from the 1970s resurfacing through letters, and Caroline’s professional struggles as she tries to save her job by helping an indie author get published. While there aren’t shocking twists, the steady unfolding of these threads keeps the story compelling.

Overall, Christmas in Aspen is a charming, heartwarming read that balances romance, family drama, and a touch of mystery. It’s perfect for readers who want more depth than your typical holiday rom-com but still crave that festive magic.

I didn’t connect at all with the writing or story here. Some reasons:

-Characters felt childish, not realistic
-Awkward dialogue
-Too many coincidences (How many cancellations does a fully-booked, fancy hotel get in one weekend? The answer: Exactly enough, at exactly the right time.)

DNF

*I received an eARC from the publisher, provided via NetGalley.*

This was another cute holiday read, with most of the story set in the time between Christmas and New Year. Overall, this was a good story, but the characters weren't my favorite and I was hoping for more of that cozy Christmas feeling. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for this honest opinion.

Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes was a book I was all in on and it held my attention from start to finish. I loved the relationship of the sisters and how they looked out for each other, even when they weren't sure that what the other was doing was the best idea. And I loved the setting of the story, as I've always wanted to visit Aspen in the winter and Anita Hughes cemented that wishlist locale for me. The story was a bit of a mystery too and it was such a sweet one, this Christmas story hit all the feels and was the perfect read to get me further into the holiday spirit.

This is a sweet holiday read that focuses on family as well as taking chances on love.

I loved the atmospheric setting- the author did a great job with all the descriptions. And I loved the addition of the letters from Nina and that additional storyline- I seemed to fly through those sections.

The character development could’ve been better and I do wish this one had dual POVs here that could’ve led to a bit more on the romance plot. And I felt it did have a lot of different storylines and some filler that wasn’t all needed.

It was a good story and I was satisfied with the ending, but also wasn’t your typical Hallmark-cheesy/cozy holiday read like I was thinking it would be going into it, so just depends what you are in the mood for.

"A heartwarming story of holiday magic and love scaling new heights."
Christmas in Aspen is a sweet holiday romance read. The author wrote this well and all of the characters in it were good. I liked the setting of the book. This was one I enjoyed reading and would recommend to any reader who reads romance. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this holiday read in exchange of my honest review of Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes.

What a charming Christmas romance! It was like reading a Hallmark movie. I found myself getting lost in the story especially while reading the letters from Nina. I loved the characters! I was happy when Caroline finally opened her heart to love and that Claudia wanted to write a book about the letters. It was a great book to snuggle up on the couch with!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This one was a hit and a miss for me. I didn’t connect well with any of the characters and actually disliked most of them. The book was very unrealistic- from Daphne marrying someone she just met to Caroline falling for someone super quick. I also felt like Max was pushy towards Caroline- almost pressuring her to spend the night with him. It didn’t feel like “love”. The only aspect of this book I enjoyed were the letters.

Anita Hughes is a gem of an author. I adore each location that she writes about, as I feel truly submersed in the environment.

This book had a little bit of everything: romance, family struggles, and self discovery. I loved how Caroline and her sister redefined their relationship, and worked through their differences with such grace. A winter romance added the right amount of happiness.

Truly a delightful read.

A Christmas story about family and having the courage to love. Caroline and Daphne are mourning the loss of their mother and trying to figure out Christmas with just the two of them. When Daphne surprises Caroline with a fiancé Caroline feels alone and protective. Mail for her mother sends Caroline to Aspen for the holidays and Daphne and Luke follow. In this winter wonderland the sisters try to figure out their futures. Will Caroline take a chance and open her heart to love?

The book took a little bit to warm up into but once you got invested in the characters it was great. It wasn’t a traditional steamy Christmas hallmark romance. But instead was a story of sisters finding their way after a mom’s death, dealing with employment, and finding romance. Jack’s easy going mindset had golden retriever energy that was great to see develop.

I enjoyed Anita' Hughes' previous work, "A Magical New York Christmas," and so I was excited to get a copy of her latest Christmas story. The synopsis caught my attention as soon as I heard NYC publishing editor rushes to Aspen to meet her recently deceased mother's mystery man at the red mailbox. A bookish romantic mystery? Heck yes! The first half of the book met my expectations, but I found myself falling out of love with this story as the book wore on. I couldn't connect with the characters insta-love situations, and I found the main and side characters annoying in a moony whiny sort of way. Unfortunately, this one fizzled for me.

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

No depth to the characters or their relationships, awkward dialogue, zero chemistry for people we were supposed to believe were falling in love.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 10/8
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Caroline Holt, an editor in NY, heads to Aspen after finding a mysterious love letter at her late mother's cabin. It's from a man telling her he would meet her at Santa's Red Mailbox on NYE. It's there that Caroline finds not only a man to make the holiday interesting, but herself again.
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This book has Hallmark Christmas Movie written all over it. And let me just tell you - if it becomes one, I will be the first person to sit there with my eyes glued to the screen. I thought this was the cutest book. I fell in love with Caroline and her sister Daphne and Luke and Max. I loved the honesty in how deeply they loved and the lengths they would go for one another. And don't even get me started on Lily, such a smart and funny little girl who is very wise beyond her age.
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While this story is a romance, there is also a little bit of mystery as well. Throughout the book Caroline reads letters from a writer named Nina that were addressed to her mother. I had no idea what the meaning behind the letters from Nina were until the very end and I loved where Hughes went with that aspect of the story. Don't get me wrong, I definitely was interested in Nina's story as well, I just wasn't sure how it would tie in (and again it does). I also really liked the mystery and the anticipation of finding out who the mysterious lover is; though I did figure that one out very early on, it didn't stop me from jumping up and down with joy when I was correct. This just warmed my heart and really got me into the Christmas spirit.
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Overall, this is the perfect holiday read. I loved it. I am recommending it to all of my holiday romance readers and to all my Hallmark Holiday Movie watchers!! You will not be let down by this story! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Anita Huges, and St. Martins Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

After the death of her mother, book editor Caroline has gone into a funk. She hasn't felt like herself, and her boss is threatening her position with the company if she doesn't find a new book project to present to the Editorial Board by Spring. She heads up to her mother's cabin in upstate New York, only to be surprised by her younger sister that she's engaged to be married - to a man she just met! While cleaning her mother's paperwork, she comes across a letter from "Santa," or at least mailed from Santa's Mailbox in Aspen, Colorado. The letter is from a man that Caroline has never heard about, but he's declaring his true love for her late mother - he want's to meet her on New Year's Eve at Santa's Mailbox in Aspen.

Caroline changes her plans and flies off to Aspen to find her mother's lover - and to explain that her mother has died. Caroline soon meets a man who may change her view of love and her entire view of the world.

A fun Christmas read that's available now in bookstores. Special thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the Advance Reader's Copy of this book!

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced copy of Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes.

Christmas in Aspen was okay. Caroline is an editor and her mother has recently passed away. She decides to spend the holidays at her mother's cabin in upstate NY when she finds a letter addressed to her mom, saying he loves her and will meet her in Aspen, Colorado on New Year's Eve. So she flies to Aspen to meet her mom's lover.

This is definitely more women's fiction than romance, as it was about Caroline's mid-life crisis and grief. I struggled to connect with Caroline and her sister, and honestly found Caroline to be not very nice. The Aspen setting was the only redeeming quality of this book.

This was a DNF for me.

I made it through the first six chapters and had so many highlights and notes about things that didn't make sense or were implausible. Starting with the entire premise of the book. If your deceased mom's secret boyfriend plans to meet her on New Year's Eve, why do you need to go on December 22? Why are you bailing on your sister on the first Christmas without your mother? This is after cancelling plans with a guy in London the day before.

This junior book editor has a lot of disposable cash for last minute plane tickets (maybe she had a credit from ditching the London guy?) and 10 days at a luxury resort in Aspen at Christmas. She also thinks a hotel desk clerk will know her mom spent time with in JUNE at that resort. There is a lot of telling and not showing and so many plot holes and things that made me roll my eyes. I just couldn't any more. I didn't care enough to find out who the mom's beau was or the resolution of the mystery subplot.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this. #ChristmasInAspen #NetGalley

I felt that this book did a fantastic job at setting the scene and making me feel like I was really there. However, I found it hard to stay connected to because of the characters. Caroline was hard to relate to and I didn't really like Daphne... don't even get me started on manipulative Teddy.

Overall, this book was not as 'feel-good Christmas' as it was marketed. It was okay but I think it could have benefitted from a re-work of the characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes in exchange for an honest review. It published October 8, 2024.
As always, Anita Hughes writes a wonderful Christmas book. It truly has become a tradition that I look forward to every year. I just love everything about these books. Somehow, every book I read by her makes me need to travel to the destination, and Christmas in Aspen is no exception. Now I need to go to Aspen. The way that everything was described made me long to be there!
One thing that I especially loved about this book is that there were several stories going on within this. I loved the letters, the manuscript, and the story with Caroline. Everything was beautifully threaded together to be such an engaging story that elevates this book from your run-of-the-mill Christmas story, to a wonderful novel that you could really read any part of the year!