Snow Place Like Home

Ella was raised by her aunt after the death of her mother when she was ten years old. After Ella left for college, graduated, and had her own home in Philadelphia, a couple hours away, her aunt encouraged her to come home for a visit, and now ten years has gone by, and Ella had not yet gone home.

Ella is the Curator at an art gallery in Philadelphia that is closing, resulting in the loss of her job. When Aunt Addie called this time inviting her to come home for Christmas Ella agreed to come. Until recently, Ella had also been engaged to Ben, who announced he accepted a job in another county, broke their engagement and left. Ella had put away, what she considered to be childish things, such as Christmas and never celebrated the holiday again, as an adult. She was also avoiding any kind of a relationship with men.

Once again settled into her childhood room, Aunt Addie convinced Ella to come to a meeting at church with her. Ella had also avoided church for the past ten years. The meeting happened to be about planning a Christmas fund-raiser. Seth, her former high school crush, was in the meeting. Seth was a widower, whose wife had died the previous year. Ella and Seth wholeheartedly disagreed on how to proceed with the fund-raising efforts so they were quickly assigned to be a team of two of take charge of this important Christmas season activity. Seth was determined to bring back a love of Christmas into Ella’s life. From there it was a bit of a roller coaster for both Ella and Seth as they learned to work together.

This heartfelt, delightful story has an interesting cast of relatable characters, as well as numerous unexpected situations. It is perfect for the Christmas season.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is such a warm and comforting Christmas read for me. It is the perfect second chance small-town holiday romance that I crave. So good.
I just reviewed Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker. #SnowPlaceLikeHome #NetGalley
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Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely ADORED this book. If you love Hallmark movies, Christmas, and sweet, fluffy romance novels, this one is for you.

Ella is such a beautiful character. She is an art lover with a kind streak that runs deep, but plenty of feisty banter and attitude. She is dealing with a lot of grief based trauma and over the course of the book she begins to heal.

Seth is also dealing with grief after he loses his wife…he also deals with the guilt of wanting to move on without betraying the memory of his wife.

The relationship is beautifully written, I love the focus on family and small town values and honestly, who doesn’t love a fluffy Christmas romance?! Beautiful.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Snow Place Like Home is a Hallmark movie in your hand. Such a beautifully written story about coming back home when you feel defeated, and leaning on family to help you. Such an enjoyable read with all the Christmas feels.

A worthy meet cute ✔️

Secondary characters that bring the story to life ✔️

The title lived up to the heartwarming theme ✔️

Those are just a few reasons I enjoyed Lacey Barker’s Snow Place Like Home, a small-town Christmas romance with a faith foundation. The new-to-me author created a sweet tension between the main characters, Ella and Seth. Gotta love a cute meet-cute, both types. The first one caused Ella to act like a tart when Seth crossed paths with her after many years away.

Enough about the main characters. I simply loved Auntie Addie, especially when she mentioned Ella’s “sharp” suit! “Sharp” appears in the vocabulary of every seasoned black woman when giving a compliment, and I could just about hear her saying it. Auntie Addie gave great words of wisdom and was a strong pillar of faith when Ella needed it. Kudos, Ms. Baker, for creating such a vivid supporting cast.

This author also brought music to life in a way that each piece played a role in the story. Maybe I’m going overboard, but I have a thing for Christmas, and the music was a mood.

My only criticism is that I am hungry for 7up Pound cake and all the other goodies mentioned in Snow Place Like Home, but Lord, I don’t need them. Someone, reach out to the Hallmark Movie channel! This one is warm and fuzzy on all accounts.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

#SnowPlaceLikeHome #NetGalley

Hallmark novel wrapped in a beautiful cover. This novel did not disappoint and was a great Christmas read!!!

thank you to NetGalley for an advance reader copy. This opinion is my own.

I could feel the pain of Ella, Christmas had become hard, but was so glad she aquiesced to going home to her aunt.

This is a story that is filled with faith, long friendships, and building new relationships. I loved how this young woman was rather tricked into using her talents, and thus earning some well needed funds for her town.

We are also given a young man, he is still very much hurting from the loss of his wife, and is coping with his teaching and his dog! These two know each other after attending school together, but they never figured to be working together for the good of the town!

I loved how all of this works out, maybe not how you expect, and yes, there are surprises, but this is a sweet Christmas read!

Be ready for some beautiful Christmas decorations, some healing, and some sweet romance!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

So by now reading my other posts it should be known I love a good holiday theme book. Also adding a love story to it well I’m in. I absolutely fell in love with the couple and their back story. I completely understand the sadness of loss of a parent close to the holidays and it just made me want to read more

This story has “made for TV” written all over it! It is an inspirational story that will draw you in from the first chapter. Ella Wilson and Seth Hamil are the stars, and they are the perfect characters who highlight this story of loss, recovery faith, and family. Belle pointe, Pennsyvania is the perfect setting for this Christmas-themed story that is guaranteed to restore your belief is all things Christmas.
The side characters, Aunt Addie, Ella’s friends, Seth’s family and fraternity brothers support Ella and Seth in every possible way. The Epilogue is a testament to their support as our couple experiences a beautiful HFN.
There’s Snow Place Like Home is a well-written, entertaining, and inspirational story that I highly recommend.

This book had me remembering why I love Christmas! The story gripped my heart and pulled all the right strings. It's not very often that a story has me crying, but I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Ella and Seth both had so much depth to their characters that you feel like you personally know them. The author took the time to make you really feel every one of their emotions! The characters along with the story had me reflecting inward at my own grief, relationship, and faith.

The book flowed nicely and was written very well. I will highly recommend to everyone!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an eARC! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a good story. Ella got laid off from her job as a curator in an art gallery that closed. She went home to the small town she lived in with her aunt after her mother died. She left right after high school and never went back. She planned on having Christmas with her aunt and look for jobs at the same time. She ran into Seth who she knew slightly in high school but they had never dated. It turned out they both liked each other but were too shy to do anything about it. Ella didn't like Christmas as she thought the holiday was jinxed for her. Seth was determined to change her mind. The story shows how you can learn to love again if you just let yourself.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

"Snow Place Like Home" is a warm invitation to experience a magical holiday tale, which beautifully captures the power of second chances and the comfort in rediscovering one's roots.

Does anyone have that ache, when you smile for so long that your face hurts after a while? That's how I felt during this book. I loved this book so much, it is so beautiful, cozy and so fluffy, it makes your insides warm. That's how I can describe it.
There was no part in which I felt bored or where I wanted to rush or skip a paragraph to get to the good part, everything about it was good and interesting.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's in a reading slump; as it is not a long book and it's not on the heavy side, it has this warmth that makes you feel so joyous.

I am very grateful to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this.

Snow Place Like Home is my first read by Lacey Baker and y’all I devoured it!
This cover immediately caught my attention. But what was inside stole the show .
I thought this was a very sweet, clean romance that gave me all the heartwarming feels.
I had such fun with this one.
Ella and Seth are a delight, it was great watching these two slowly letting those old emotions fire back up again. I love a transforming romance, and it was a great journey!
The setting was phenomenal. Being in the sleepy town of Bellepoint, Pennsylvania was enchanting.
A fun, enjoyable second chance, small-town holiday romance!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

I absolutely loved reading this sweet heartwarming story. It's a beautifully written small-town Christmas romance that is the perfect book to escape life with. The author brought the book to life with her words, and it played out like a movie in your mind. I can't say enough good things about this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was not required to post a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Snow Place Like Home is a lovely holiday offering from author Lacey Baker. Past Christmases have brought heartache to art curator Ella Wilson. After making special wishes with her mother on the Christmas Star when she was 11, Ella found herself orphaned a few months later. Although welcomed into her Aunt Addie’s loving arms and home, that experience has tainted this holiday for Ella, especially after her fiancé’s departure just last Christmas. And now the Christmas jinx has struck again with the loss of her position as curator at a small Philadelphia art gallery. With time on her hands and a job search to handle, Ella agrees to return home to Bellepoint, PA, to spend the holidays with her Aunt Addie.

With hopes of bringing her girl home, Addie Gibbs is surprised and elated when Ella agrees to come home. As they negotiate the festivities, especially those centered around her church, Addie does all she can to bring Ella into the forefront. When Addie brings Ella to a meeting to plan the yearly festival of trees auction, her next step is to bring Ella into the planning meeting
with her background in marketing to assist in the strategizing. Ella is hesitant, but Seth Hamil, Ella’s high school crush and widower of Rhonda Hamil who devised this auction to support programs for children, is not in favor of a newcomer that may change Rhonda’s vision.

As Ella and Seth embark on this adventure, and family members root for the two to overcome the sadness of their pasts as they devise their plans for the fundraiser, the reader is pulled along for a beautiful sleigh ride. This is a lovely, richly woven story and perfect for the Christmas season. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

#SnowPlaceLikeHome #NetGalley

Ella's Wilson finds herself at a crossroads when her job as a Curator comes to an end with the business closing
down. Ella decides to head to her Aunt Addie's to celebrate Christmas. Ever since Ella's mother passed away when Ella's was eleven Christmas has been a hard holiday to celebrate. Ella has always felt like she was in the middle of a Christmas jinx because things always seemed to go wrong around the Christmas holiday. Being back in Bellpoint with her Aunt Addie and being coaxed into being on the Christmas committee to earn money for the school's Ella's finds herself paired up with her high school crush Seth Hamil. Seth decides that he will help Ella learn to love Christmas again. This book had all the feels and is perfect for getting in the Christmas mood.

This was such a comforting read. I loved the dual POV and watching them fall in love. Baker did a great job with this story.

This book gives all the feels of a sweet Hallmark Christmas Movie. You will not want to put this one down until you have read the entire book.

The characters show us that home is where the heart is, despite past feelings of former high school crushes, grief over the death of loved ones, renewed friendships, and finding new love.

I highly recommend this book for your holiday reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Who would have thought working with a former classmate would be so challenging? Now that they were both grown adults, building a relationship was extremely difficult. They had to create something fresh and move on from the past, and its painful memories. The two come to an agreement: Ella Wilson will auction her extravagant creations if she allows widowed Seth Hamil to demonstrate to her why Christmas is about more than just ornate decorations. Soon both begin to wonder whether fate has brought them together for a fresh start—and if Christmas wishes really can come true.
Talking about their high school experiences, Ella and Seth both understand that things weren't as they appeared. There were a ton of misconceptions. Can they put the memories behind them and work together the way her Aunt Addie wanted? Each person is aware that they have lost a loved one, and they are both grieving. Ella notices that Seth appears to be managing his grief in a constructive manner. They both agree on this and make a commitment to be more open about their feelings.
This is a touching tale about friendship, faith, and forming new connections. I enjoyed how Aunt Addie encouraged reluctant Ella to utilize her skills to help this little town raise the funds required to build and restore a recreation center which the community needs.
I appreciate how honest Seth was about his situation; he is still in mourning over the passing of his wife and is making every effort to take care of his dog and his teaching responsibilities. I adored how the entire community came together to host a wonderful Christmas celebration that included gorgeous decorations, dash of healing, and a beautiful romance!
I listened to the audio book and read the novel. I became fascinated with the way Trei Taylor's narrated this novel. I thought the narrator's voiceovers for several characters were outstanding. The more I listened to the audiobook, the more the narrative touched me personally. I could hear the characters’ frustration, anxiety, and longing as Ella and Seth worked together on the auction to obtain the necessary Christmas trees needed for the celebration. I liked the warmth, delight, and Christmas spirit that this tale evokes. This is a wonderful story to lose yourself in, and one that makes for a fun book club pick.The author includes discussion questions.
Disclosure Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Out of sadness comes happiness...eventually. Our sweet couple had to find themselves before reaching out to one another. Lots of past and present issues to resolve. A few tears may be shed. An adorable dog adds a little fun. A charming story that takes place over the Christmas holiday season. I do not celebrate Christmas, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the romance. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Snow Place like home, by Lacey Baker is a delightful Christmas story to read. It is well written with wonderful characters who each have their own feeling about Christmas. When Ella’s company shuts down, she is left unemployed over the holidays and returns to visit her aunt who raised her. While there she is plunged into helping with a community fundraiser.

I liked how Ella used her past experience to make the fund raiser the best ever. In the recent past Seth lost his wife and Ella’s fiance left. It was fun to see Seth’s mother and sister try to get him back out dating. I especially liked how much Ella changed over just a couple week. It was fun to see her change from having such a bad outlook on her life to figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. This is an inspirational Christmas story to read to help the reader get into the spirit of Christmas.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

Snow Place Like Home: A Christmas Novel by Lacey Baker is a lovely Christmas novel. It has everything you could want from a feel good Christmas book and might even be called Hallmark-like in style. I adored the small cozy town setting and the welcoming people. This is a book about second chances and coming home, about finding a new lease on life after unimaginable grief. I loved this book and I think you will, too. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Super adorable read. Really loved the writing style and story build. Will certainly watch out for future books of Lacey Baker.

Fantastic novel, enjoyed every minute of it! Absolutely nothing not to like about it. Such a cute story and great characters. Highly recommend this!

Christmas romances are the best. Ella is curator who is unemployed when the business closes down. Ella is plagued with painful memories with the loss of her mother. Ella’s fiancé Ben accepts a job in another county and breaks off their engagement along with her heart and walked away. With nowhere else to go Ella finds herself back home in Bellepoint, Pennsylvania with her Aunt Addie celebrating Christmas. Ella and Seth share a pass with the two of them attending the same high school and Ella just so happens to have had a crush on him. Ella’s aunt Addie talks her in to attending a church meeting for a Christmas fund raiser. Ella had no idea that her former high school crush Seth would be in attendance. Seth had since married and is a widow with the recent death of his wife. Ella and Seth have been paired together to work on the Christmas fundraiser. Both Seth and Ella have loved and loss. These two are great together and it is great how they are overcoming their losses with the help of each other.

This is the 3rd Christmas book that I have had pleasure of reading by Lacey Baker and I am looking forward to reading her next Christmas book.

I received an ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving my review voluntarily.