A gift of warmth to heal two hearts…
Sarah Smith in Pine Hill, Kentucky has had her heart broken in the past. She pours herself into her work at church and into special projects—like making a quilt for a wounded warrior.
Bodie Lewis is lost. All he’s ever wanted was his career as an Army Ranger, but he was injured in an explosion that killed his brothers in arms. In the hospital, he receives a handmade quilt. Later, he sets out on his final mission: to find and thank its maker.
Bodie expected Sarah to be an elderly lady, not a lovely young woman. When she mistakes him for a handyman, he doesn’t immediately set her straight. Instead, he sets about repairing the home she’s turning into a bed and breakfast. Sarah’s presence and the spirit of the small town bring Bodie something he thought he’d left far behind on the battlefield: hope.
Wrapped up in Christmas is a full-length novel published by Hallmark publishing and therefore it may not come as a surprise that the book reads like a Hallmark Christmas movie.
And. It. Was. Wonderful.
An incredibly lovely, low angst, low drama festive read packed full of sweetness and light.
Every page was filled to the brim with festive goodness and love.
It felt like every resident of Pine Hill was the living embodiment of kindness and therefore it was no wonder that Sarah seemed to be a freaking angel considering she'd grown up absorbing all that goodness.
Now, I may seem like I'm being a little snarky here but I'm not!
Sarah genuinely seemed like one of the nicest people ever and I just wanted the very best for her.
Her crazy 'Butterfly' friends - aka the quirky over 65's who were her friends and adopted family - were hilarious even if their matchmaking attempts (and not so subtle stalking of Bodie) were a little cringy.
And Bodie was a perfect match for Sarah.
He had suffered trauma but he was working through it all on his own. Sarah felt like a reward for all he'd been through, the light at the end of the dark tunnel, rather than a saviour which I liked.
He was kind, strong, supportive and everything else you could want in a man.
Plus, he came with a dog called Harry who stole my heart more than the characters or the town.
Harry rocked!
Now, I'm giving it 5 stars not because the story blew me away, because it didn't, but because of how it made me feel. It made me feel joyful. It made me smile. It gave me a case of the warm and cosy feels and brightened up my day and if that's not what a Christmas novel is supposed to do then I don't know what their purpose is.
And. It. Was. Wonderful.
An incredibly lovely, low angst, low drama festive read packed full of sweetness and light.
Every page was filled to the brim with festive goodness and love.
It felt like every resident of Pine Hill was the living embodiment of kindness and therefore it was no wonder that Sarah seemed to be a freaking angel considering she'd grown up absorbing all that goodness.
Now, I may seem like I'm being a little snarky here but I'm not!
Sarah genuinely seemed like one of the nicest people ever and I just wanted the very best for her.
Her crazy 'Butterfly' friends - aka the quirky over 65's who were her friends and adopted family - were hilarious even if their matchmaking attempts (and not so subtle stalking of Bodie) were a little cringy.
And Bodie was a perfect match for Sarah.
He had suffered trauma but he was working through it all on his own. Sarah felt like a reward for all he'd been through, the light at the end of the dark tunnel, rather than a saviour which I liked.
He was kind, strong, supportive and everything else you could want in a man.
Plus, he came with a dog called Harry who stole my heart more than the characters or the town.
Harry rocked!
Now, I'm giving it 5 stars not because the story blew me away, because it didn't, but because of how it made me feel. It made me feel joyful. It made me smile. It gave me a case of the warm and cosy feels and brightened up my day and if that's not what a Christmas novel is supposed to do then I don't know what their purpose is.
I love a feel-good book sometimes, and I LOVE Hallmark movies, especially the Christmas themed ones. I have to laugh though because I live in KY and my brother was an Army Ranger.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Lol, does it ever snow in KY? It snowed in the book and I'm curious. :)
Deletethanks for sharing your great review and the book definitely fits the season. i love when a dog is included. adds that little bit extra
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I like animals in books but if they get hurt/die then I'm out.
DeleteI don't read books like this a lot but I admit this is definitely the time of year for them. I love a good Christmas tale. And dog? Did you say dog? I need to meet Harry!
ReplyDeleteHarry was a good dog. I liked him! :)
DeleteI love the sound of this one! And I loooove Christmas stories!
ReplyDeleteMe too! I've got a few more Christmassey ones to read too so I'm happy!
DeleteIt reads like a movie? All the feeeeels
ReplyDeleteYep! It felt like Netflix and Christmas!
DeleteI really like the idea of a warm and cozy holiday read, but I'm bummed about the Sizzle Factor. I like a little more heat! Haha. I want whatever I'm readying to light my inner fireplace, if you know what I mean. ;)
ReplyDeleteLindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? đź’¬
I like me some heat too! But it was still warm and cozy so I'll take it. (Even if it's clean...)
DeleteI will tell you right now, my ratings are all about how the book made me feel. I am not an English professor or a writer. I read for entertainment and emotional impact. I know they have been writing books based on Hallmark movies, was this a movie? If not, I am glad it lived up to the standards of Hallmark in that it was heartwarming, sweet, and touching.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it was a movie... Oh, that would be awesome! Now I've got to know! I'd love to watch this book as a movie!
DeleteI 100% think books can be rated just as much on how they make us feel, as to how "well" they are written. Absolutely!
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the reasons that I don't like star ratings much... They're very subjective. However, you've got to measure it some how!
Delete