This book was pure holiday magic! It’s cozy, heartwarming, and full of all the festive charm you’d want in a Christmas read. The small-town inn setting is so inviting, and the characters feel like people you’d love to spend the holidays with. There’s romance, a little bit of drama, and plenty of feel-good moments that made me smile the whole way through. If you’re looking for a book that feels like a cup of hot cocoa on a snowy night, this one is perfect!

Pamela Kelley does it again! The Christmas Inn is a new novel that can read as a stand-alone or along with a few other of her books that have shared characters. Riley works in marketing in NYC and loses her job a few weeks before Christmas. Feeling a little down, she calls her mom and finds out that her mom has broken her ankle. Her mom runs an inn in Chatham, MA on Cape Cod and could really use the help while she recovers. Riley heads home and runs into her HS boyfriend who happens to be staying at the inn with his 9-year-old son. Riley soon finds herself with a new job opportunity, a new love interest, and a second chance in her hometown. This was a lovely Christmas themed novel.

The Christmas Inn by Pamela M. Kelley is a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form and I absolutely loved it! I think going in with those expectations really set the tone for me, and it was exactly what I was hoping it would be. There is humor, second chance romance, Christmas cheer, single dad, and delicious food all wrapped up into this emotional story. I loved having the three viewpoints between Riley, her mom, and Franny and really enjoyed each storyline. This was the perfect read for wintertime, the holidays, or just any time you want to read a cozy hug in a book.

I listened to the audiobook, and it made this short read speed by even faster. I loved Stephanie Németh-Parker as the narrator, but I do wish she had been the narrator for only Riley with at least one other narrator for the older women. She didn’t try to change her voice at all, and I do think that was detrimental here. She sounded more Riley’s age than anyone else’s and it left me wanting more from the audio itself. The food in this book made me hungry and I loved the Cape Code setting in the cute inn. The writing is straightforward while still having heart, so I would keep that mind along with this being completely closed door and sweet.

Read this if you are looking for a light holiday read, love Hallmark movies, and enjoy multiple viewpoints each with their own romance.

Not my first Pamela Kelley novel and won't be my last! This was the perfect light & cozy holiday read. Pamela always brings you right into her stories and settings which I love.

I was in the Christmas mood early this year so I decided to read this arc that I had from October. This book was a lot of fun. It was heartwarming and definitely brought the holiday vibes. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies then this is the book for you.

While I did enjoy it, there were some small elements that I didn’t love. I don’t want to give them away so that’s all you are getting for now.

It may not be a super memorable read but it certainly brings just the right amount of holiday joy.

This was such a cute and sweet read. I loved followijg along with all the different characters and what they were dealing / going thru. First time reading something but this author but I would pick up another one of her books in the future!

What type of books are your cozy reads? Christmas books are some of my coziest reads.

Riley Sanders loses her job right before Christmas when her job is made redundant by AI. Her mother has recently broken her leg and needs help at the Inn she owns, so Riley returns to the Inn to help. She meets and gets to know a variety of guests that are all going through issues of their own. Will there be a merry Christmas for everyone? Her ex-boyfriend Aiden and his son are also staying at the Inn. Seeing Aiden makes her think about her relationship with her current boyfriend Jack. He is a workaholic and does not have much time for her or their relationship. Will Aiden and Riley find romance?

My thoughts on this novel:
• This was a very enjoyable Christmas audiobook and enjoyable read. Stephanie Németh-Parker was a great narrator. There are multiple point of views and narrators in the story. It did take me a bit at times to remember where I was in the story and with who when I would start it up again.
• Riley and Aiden were the main characters, but the other characters were also well developed and had interesting storylines.
• I liked that there were people all different age groups involved in the story.
• I also liked the sub story of how Riley helped her mother with marketing to try to save the Inn.
• Second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes and I loved it in this novel.
• This is a clean and cozy read.

Overall, The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley is a sweet contemporary romance that is perfect for lover of Christmas Hallmark movies.

This was a perfect holiday read; a feel good novel of second chances. Riley lost her job right before Christmas. She calls her sister only to learn her mother has broken her leg and needs help running the inn. She returns home to find a sense of family that she didn't know she was missing. Aiden, her high school sweetheart is staying at the inn with his daughter. They short stay ends up becoming much longer and much more.

Low reading level. Zero spice. Main characters are all ages 30s to retired.
I had a hard time reading this one. There was no flow. Every detail was included to the point I found myself scanning over paragraphs of wine names and step by step cooking details. Such a pet peeve.
Although there were some typos as an ARC, I was surprised by the other errors. A character’s name changed from Phoebe to Heather mid paragraph. The writing was very matter of fact, no feeling. I do not feel this was as final a copy as it should have been. Riley was a bit robotic while her mother seemed more natural.
I was happy for the characters’ happy endings and I appreciated that the characters came from different generations. The inn created a perfect temporary moment in time to connect these characters forever even after their stays.
I do not recommend this book.

This book was given to me for review by NetGalley.

I wanted to love this one but it was just a little too cheesy for me to get into. I think it’s definitely a great option for those looking for a cheesy holiday read, but it didn't grab me at the beginning like I needed it to.

The Christmas Inn by Pamela M. Kelley was published on September 24th 2024.

Riley Sanders losses her marketing job in New York right before Christmas. She travels home to Cape Cod to help when she finds out her mother has broken her leg and is struggling to keep up with the work at the B&B, the Chatham Coastal Inn. Riley can also use her marketing experience to boost demand which has been slowing.
Franny loses her sister at seventy-eight. She's already arranged everything and paid for the gathering to be a celebration rather than a sad event. She's also left Franny four letters that's she is to open each week as she stays at the Inn.
Riley, her sister Amy and their mother Beth, reconnect more than they would have if Riley was in town just a couple of days for the holiday. Franny, Aiden, and Luke, guests at the Inn all benefit from the additional family and holiday celebrations.
Cape Cod is special to all of them and it's going to be an enriching holiday season.


I highly recommend this cute heartwarming story of love and the holidays.

The Christmas Inn by Pamela M. Kelley is a great holiday story of family, old friends, new friends, old loves and new loves. It is the perfect book to read in front of a fire, wrapped in a blanket with a cat on your lap. I was invested in all the different characters and their separate stories. I would highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy. I wish I could share it with all of my friends.

DNF at 19%. It was a cute story but I felt like there was way too much emphasis on unimportant details. There was one scene where the author described every ingredient going in a dish the FMC was making, and I felt like I was reading a cookbook and not a fiction book. I may finish it one day when I want a cozy story but the vibes weren't there.

This is a beautifully written book. It's a sweet Christmas romance that has a cast of wonderful characters and the setting is beautiful. The author brings the story to life with her words and you feel like you are there.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Riley is a a content marketing manager, or at least she was until she loses her job right before Christmas. Riley calls her sister to vent and finds out her mother has fallen and broken her leg. Her mother runs an Inn and needs help. So Riley decides to go home and help her Mom while she looks for a job. Coming home feels so good. She gets to spend time with her family, olf friends, and new ones. Adam is an old boyfriend who is now a widower. Hannah is a guest at the Inn who just lost her sister.

I loved the characters. Riley is so kind and involved helping others. This was a nice "feel good" story.

While I didn’t realize this was a book in a series when I first started it, it wasnt a problem for me to catch up. Pamela Kelley will be an author I look for from now on. This was an easy book to get into with a story that keep you engaged.

I only recently discovered Pamela Kelly's books in the last year or so and every time I read one, it feels like a warm hug. The Christmas Inn brings together past characters in this heartfelt novel of friendship, second chance romance and family. I adored the story and plot in The Christmas Inn and thought it was a lovely book to read over the holidays. Definitely one to pick up.

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is exactly what I expect when I pick up one of Pamela Kelley's books. Good writing with likeable characters. This book is like a warm hug. Its an easy and enjoyable read!

I am always up for a seasonal/holiday read & The Christmas Inn by Pamela M. Kelley was just that. This book is an easy read, very reminiscent of a Hallmark movie with that feel good vibe. Small town, second chances- what’s not to love? I hope to see this one made into a movie.


Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and the whole series that I ended up reading. Each one was different but they worked together.