Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This story was a Hallmark Christmas movie brought to life. It was fun and sweet and predicable. Which is what I want from my Christmas stories so it definitely did it's job. It was cozy and cute and such a quick read. I liked the characters and thought the overall message and ending was perfect!

When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.
With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

Madison finds herself part owner of the family Christmas tree farm. Sadly, a wildfire has destroyed part of the farm, as well as others. Her sister, Addie, isn't very thrilled to see Madison. She just wants to sell the place and the farm.
As luck (or fate) would have it, who has the farm next to theirs but Madison's old high school flame, Gavin. His hazelnut farm has been destroyed by the fire. Oh, but he has plans! What he wants to build there is definitely not something Madison wants next to her Christmas tree farm.
Can Madison save the family farm and restore her relationship with her sister? And, what about Gavin in the next farm over? Hmmmmm...
Lots packed into this novella. Sweet, sweet story.
I was given an advanced ecopy by the publisher, Revell, through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

The Christmas Tree Farm Book Review
Thanks to NetGalley for offering me this book in exchange for my opinion. All opinions are my own.

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson.
When Madison McDowell returns from several years of teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But the farm is in sad shape between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest. In fact, Addie intends to sell the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.






With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson charms and delights with this uplifting Christmas story full of old memories and new beginnings.

My Take:

My favorite genre of books is Christmas holiday fiction. This novella has a lot packed into this story. Set in modern times, two sisters are owners of a family farm. One wants to see it succeed, the other not so much. The emotional relationships in the book are easy to believe and follow. Lily, one of the younger characters, is someone that I would like to watch grow up in future books by Melody Carlson. The author does a wonderful job of describing Christmas in a farm setting. A cup of cocoa, a few cookies and I was in my favorite place: Christmas.



About the Author:


Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carter is a delightful and predictable story of love conquering all. When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas she is disappointed to find that the Christmas Tree farm left to Madison and her sister, Addie is run down and her sister Addie wants to sell it and move on.
Madison needs to convince Addie that the farm could be viable again with some hard work.
Unfortunately the farm next to theirs is going to be used as a bike dirt track for racing, which the widowed owner has promised his daughter he will build.
Will Madison get her way or will Addie?
A pleasant romantic story with an interesting storyline.
Recommended

I thought this was such a cute read and It really got me into the festive mood. Perfect holiday read!

If you’re looking for a Christmas in July book to read or perhaps just browsing through Christmas books before the holiday this cute novella might be just what you’re looking for. Melody Carlson is one of my favorite authors and it’s become a favorite tradition for me to read her new Christmas novella each year. This story is an uplifting novella about a second chance romance. I thought it was romantic and Christmassy. It was an easy and quick read and it didn’t disappoint this reader.

I received this book from Melody Carlson and NetGalley in return for my review.

I feel this book was a great Christmas read. It relays a heartfelt family story. Christmas is my favorite holiday so I had no doubts I would enjoy this book.

I was hoping for more early Christmas cheer from this book. Madison McDowell returns home from teaching in Mongolia to her late grandparents' Christmas tree farm only to discover that her now-widowed high school boyfriend is living next door and her younger sister has staked her claim on him. If this sounds like drama, it surely is, and all the fighting while also being a Christian romance, so it was praying and fighting and praying and fightung just did not work so well for me. There's quite a bit of jealousy, family conflict, manipulation, and drama until we get to the very merry christmassy happy end.

The Christmas Tree Farm
A Christmas Novella
by Melody Carlson
Pub DateSep 03 2024
Revell
Christian| Romance| Women's Fiction


Revell and Netgalley provided me with a copy of The Christmas Tree Farm for review:



Christmas is the perfect time to make new memories, start afresh, and take a second chance on life.



Madison McDowell hopes to continue working at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon when she returns from overseas teaching. However, the farm is in sad shape due to damages caused by a recent wildfire and neglect caused by Addie's lack of investment. Madison's former high school flame, Gavin Thompson, has plans to break her heart again by converting his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.




After realizing the odds are stacked against her, Madison decides to put all her efforts into pursuing her dreams. She will need to work hard--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. It may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.


I Give The Christmas Tree Farm five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

What a cute seasonal sweet story with a hint of romance. I really enjoyed this short novel about loss and regret and making up for lost time. It's a good read to get you in the holiday spirit.

This was quick holiday book about two sisters attempting to find common ground regarding their inherited Christmas tree farm. The ending was a bit quick but over all a nice afternoon read.

I found this touching story grew on me, just like the trees on the farm grew in this second chances story. I appreciated the growth of the characters too as they deal with loss and pain and struggle with relationships. I also like the setting and the attempt to revive the area plus the leadup to Christmas—my favorite time of year. All this makes for a satisfying tale to read any time, but by a fire on a cool day sounds great right now. I would also recommend this for a fun book club discussion. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #TheChristmasTreeFarm #NetGalley

Madison McDowell comes home from teaching abroad to work on her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. She is part owner of the farm with her sister Addie. She doesn't count on Addie wanting to sell the farm, or her first love, Gavin, being widowed and living next door with his youngest daughter.

I wanted to read The Christmas Tree Farm because I love Melody Carlson's Christmas novels. I try to read them each year.

This novel was one of my favorite of Ms. Carlson's recent Christmas books. I loved the setting of the Christmas tree farm and the old fashioned house there.

I also really liked the cast of characters - especially Madison, who loves working outdoors and is determined to make the Christmas tree farm a community fixture again. I also liked Gavin, who is sweet and a bit eccentric (he lives in a trailer by the lake while building a house). His daughter Lily, an 11 year old dirt bike enthusiast, is delightful. Part of the conflict early on is based on Gavin and Lily building a dirt bike track on their property - right next door to the Christmas tree farm.

I highly recommend The Christmas Tree Farm for fans of Christmas reads, picturesque holiday settings, and heartwarming storytelling!

Homecomings can be hard. This is what Maddison learns when she returns to her grandparents’ Christmas tree farm after several years away. Her younger sister, Addie, is not exactly excited to see her. The acreage burned in the wildfire has not been replanted to prepare for future seasons. And the people who have settled over on the Thompson place kick up a lot of noise and dust with their dirt bikes. Coming home is particularly complicated when the noisy, dusty people next door are Maddison’s first love and his daughter. Factoring in Addie’s insistence that Maddison may not interfere with her efforts to catch Gavin’s heart and the way he keeps looking at her, nothing is going to come easily this Christmas. What at first looks like a love triangle turns into a heaping pile of love spaghetti when Addie and Maddison’s mom arrives, then Gavin’s oldest daughter arrives with opinions about her father’s love life, and his younger daughter has an opinion of her own. Saving the tree farm and making up her own mind about the one who got away are all Maddison wants to do. In true Melody Carlson style, this complicated dish turns into a delightful Christmas dinner just in time for our favorite holiday season. Don’t miss your chance to cozy up with The Christmas Tree Farm and its complicated, but mostly lovable characters.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Overall, this is a cosy Christmas read, with comforting predictability. We know exactly how it's going to end, and we're rooting for that ending. However, to get to the ending, the story doesn't really give us the emotional depth we're hoping for - the sisters' relationship feels very surface level, and unrealistic. Our protagonist Madison is treated poorly, but moves on SO quickly each time, and does no confronting whatsoever. We don't know why Addie wants to sell the farm, and in the end the conflict between the sisters is resolved to quickly to feel any kind of satisfaction! Also, the family dynamics, particularly between Madison and her mother could have been explored a bit more.

I did love the Oregon setting, and the premise of saving the family Christmas Tree Farm is so sweet, especially with the cute man next door (who used to be her teen crush!) and made it a lovely light hearted holiday novella.

This is a beautiful book and it is so amazing, the story is so lovely and very enjoyable to read. i loved everything about this book and i would recommend to anyone who loves reading to give this book a go. it is a lovely book and i will read other books from this author.

The Christmas Tree Farm
Melody Carlson
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Madison McDowell has spent the last several years teaching overseas. When she returns home to Oregon, it is with plans to continue the legacy of her family's Christmas tree farm. Unprepared for the damage from a recent wildfire and her sister's unwillingness to help, Madison decides to work the farm herself with the help of her neighbor and his dirt bike riding daughter.

What could go wrong with the setting of a Christmas tree farm, celebrating the holidays, and creating wreaths to sell for the season? Unfortunately, the characters in Carlson’s story did not live up to what we would hope for and instead are flat with plenty of negativity to fill the pages. The high school flame next door was the only character who seemed to have any joy and was undeterred by his environment. One bright spot was the community coming together for a Harvest Dance with all the sights and tastes of the fall season. We had high hopes for this story but it lacked the depth and complexity we enjoy.

We received an advance copy from the publisher. This is our honest review.

I love Christmas and holiday books but I can’t love them all right? I think this novella suffered a bit from my book hanger after reading one of my favorite books of the year. As a bonus, this book is a novella and anyone who is looking for a sweet holiday love story to devour over a weekend, you’ve got a good fit right here.

I think I just didn’t love the drama between the sisters. Madison and her sister Addie are co-owners of a Christmas tree lot inherited from their dad’s side of the family.
When Madison arrives back home after several years away she gets a very icy reception from her sister Addie.
I didn’t understand Addie’s attitude towards Madison. Addie told Madison it was ok to stay away and let Addie run the farm yet when Madison came back she was treated as though Madison dumped all the responsibility on her and ran off to have fun.

As far as Madison is concerned, I don’t understand how kept forgetting her sister was a vegetarian.

Also, Madison is surprised to find her first love Gavin living next door with his daughter. She’s also surprised to find out that he wants to open a dirt bike track next to their tree farm. And, even worse, Addie is interested in him.
Here is where I don’t understand Madison yet again. She doesn’t tell her sister she has history with Gavin.

Then when you get to the end, there’s a twist and then everything is just resolved super quickly.

Pros:
Gavin
The Christmas tree farm
The holiday vibes

Cons:
The sisters’ relationship

I also think this is a Christian fiction book which is a big pro for some readers.

I got to read an early ebook edition on NetGalley. Thank you!

I liked this Christmas story about coming home. I liked how Madison wanted to do anything she could to save the Christmas tree farm and how she was able to get the community involved. I also liked how she found love with an old flame as they worked together to save the farm. I also liked how she was willing to try new things and was able to connect with a little girl who needed someone to connect with. I loved how this story brought the magic of Christmas to life. I thought the story was well told and engaging. I would recommend this story.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

A fun Christmas read that I totally enjoyed it. Enjoyable characters and enjoyable plot. Just a fun read for me right now