Season of Joy

This return visit to Sweetwater Springs is heartwarming, emotional, entertaining, and just plain fun. Whether this is your first visit to the series or you’ve read all the books, this story promises to draw you in. For me, it brought laughter and tears, grabbing my attention from the first page. Annie Rains always gives us a great feel good romance!

Annie Rains brings a delightful Christmas story to her readers in Season of Joy. This is a story filled with Christmas fun, romance, humor and real human emotion. I think Annie Rains stories would make a great Netflix or Hallmark series. I always look forward to her books!

Any time we get to return to Sweetwater Springs, you know it's going to be a great time and this holiday novel was certainly no exception. It was filled with wonderful characters, romance and plenty of holiday cheer.

Granger Fields is a Christmas tree farmer who runs the family tree farm with his parents and he's also a single father of two adorable little girls. This year things aren't going to be as they've always been due to a recent fire that claimed part of their tree inventory which means they are going to have to get creative at Merry Mountain Tree Farm if they are going to make ends meet this year.

All Joy Benson has ever wanted to be is an artist. The only person in her family that has supported her is her Aunt Darby. Her parents are both doctors and they would prefer that she get a "real" job instead of trying to make a go of her art.

When it turns out that Granger needs someone to watch his girls after school when their nanny is forced to retire, Joy becomes the leading candidate. It will help her to have some additional income to make her dream of owning an art studio happen quicker than it would have otherwise. As the girls begin to fall in love with Joy, Granger seems to be following a similar path. Will the hurt that both of them have suffered in past relationships cause theirs to fizzle out before it really begins?

Both Granger and Joy had things they had to overcome in this book, but the good news is they took that challenge and bettered themselves in order to be better for the other person. They knew it had to start with themselves. I enjoyed all of the supporting characters in this book as well; they were such a great bunch, whether we are talking people or animals!

If you are in the mood for some holiday cheer, pick this one up for sure!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

The only thing Annie Rains does better than contemporary romance is holiday romance - and this book does not disappoint! I think Granger Fields may be my favorite male character that Annie has ever written. Even before this book, when we'd get little glimpses of him as a side character, he was fun, loyal, and endearing. He's those things and so much more as the lead! Granger is such a good father, son, business owner, and love interest - heck, he's just a good person all around. You can't help but root for Granger.

Joy is another fantastic Annie character. She's driven, loyal to those who are important to her, and driven to live her best life, even though she's still working on some issues to get to her best self. Joy knows what she wants in her professional life and is doing everything she can to get there, but her personal life is a bit of a mess. The good thing is she knows this and is able to work on herself over the course of the book. She and Granger work on themselves individually but ultimately really do figure out how to work on their relationship together. By the end I was so happy for both of them - they really came into themselves as individuals and brought their best selves to their relationship.

This book is also full of fantastic supporting characters - of the 2 and 4- legged variety - and really just makes you smile.

I didn't come across Annie's Rains until last year and I'm glad I stumbled across her books. Season of Joy is her latest set in a comfortable NC community. Joy is an artist who dreams of opening her own gallery. Neglected as a child and recovering from a broken relationship she was not interested when hunky farmer Granger asked her to watch his daughters. He has his own problems, but has been attracted to Joy for a long time. I really liked these two as a couple. They were hesitant, careful, and played the we're just friends routine. I thought Grnager was way too nice when he let someone back into his family who had been very hurtful, it's a wonderful holiday romance that will set the holiday mood to romance.

This was an absolutely delightful Christmas story which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I always enjoy reading romance stories but when it takes place at Christmas time, it's that much better:) Annie Rains has done an excellent job of writing Joy and Granger's story.

I adore Granger's character, he's such a wonderful father to his two little girls and I love his enthusiasm on how to save the family Christmas Tree Farm. As for Joy, she's such a delight with a big heart and is exactly what Granger needs in his life. Both have personal problems which complicates their relationship but oh what fun to see them strive for that HEA!!

I also enjoyed the bonus novella "The Christmas Wish" by Melinda Curtis, a very heartwarming story.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

What a wonderful book! It is full of Christmas joy! This is a heartwarming story that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. I loved the return visit to Sweetwater Springs at Christmas time and the sweet romance and emotions that makes all of Annie Rains books a winner. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Single dad + struggling artist + small town + holiday season = amazing.

Annie Rains has given us a holiday gift of small town romance with an engaging plot, authentic characters you can't help rooting for, a charming setting, and two adorable little girls you want to hug to bits. What a lovely, heart-warming story!

If you like small town romance, don't miss this one.

I received an ARC of this lovely Christmas book. This story embodies all the love, joy and warmth of the Christmas season. Very appealing characters in a beautiful setting. This book is part of a series, but can be read alone. I really enjoyed this book!

Season of Joy is an entertaining and well written romance. Great plot and character development. I enjoyed the Christmas tree farm setting. If you enjoy a good Christmas romance book I recommend this one. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.