I love reading seasonally, it’s one of my favorite things, especially this time of the year. I love love love Christmas chick lit, because what is better than a love story in a Christmas setting???!!
“The Twelve Dates of Christmas” was pretty cute. Set in a small England town, Kate has had zero luck dating, so her friend signs her up for the twelve dates of Christmas. She has twelve dates with twelve different guys to go on. Each date seems to have it’s own level of disaster or things go wrong, which leaves her looking for love in someone she has known all along. Throw in a “small town, everyone knows your business” feel and you get some laughs along the way.
“On the Way to Christmas” was another trio of short stories, the last of my Melissa Ferguson books to read. The first story wasn’t my favorite, Darby goes back home for the holidays, and known as the “mean girl” her whole life, she is resolved to be better and change everyone’s opinion of her, finding love in the process. While I appreciate the sentiment, it was an ok story but just not my favorite. I loved the second story, Willow’s boyfriend breaks up with her, right before they were supposed to go on a holiday Christmas train ride. She ends up going along, finding a whole new world before her, finding love and changing her own world. It was sooo cute. The third story was about another girl, Kacey, who moves home to help her sister take care of her bakery. She reconnects with an old friend, and they try to figure out how and if they can fit into each other’s lives. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this little quick series!
I listened to “The Art of Gathering,” and it wasn’t at all what I thought it would be. I was expecting a book about why we gather, the benefits, the history of gathering and practical suggestions to make gathering better. Tips on how to do it more efficiently, or ways to organize groups of people better, and while there was information regarding that, a lot of it pertaining to cooperate settings or larger groups of people. Or her advice was extremely controlling in some aspects…it made me feel like if I did the things she suggested in my home, people would look at me like I was bananas haha… Anyway, I struggled to get through this one listening to it, almost quit multiple times, but as you all know, I hate quitting books so I pushed through! Not sure that it would be on my list of recommendations though!
I loved “Christmas in Peachtree Bluff!” I enjoyed reading the Peachtree Bluff series, and this was a really cute extension of those. Caroline and her husband decide to get divorced after he cheated on her (yes, I hate stories like that…) and their teenage daughter is having a really hard time with the news. All of the daughters are traveling to Peachtree Bluff for the holidays, and right before a hurricane is supposed to come in, Caroline’s daughter gets lost. She was staying behind with her grandparents, Ansley and Jack, and with everyone else already evacuating, they are forced to stay behind looking for her. They weather the storm and then all come together to rebuild. There were some aspects of the story that were a bit unbelievable, but overall it was entertaining and a great little holiday read.
I can’t turn down a Christmas book set in an English town, so here we are again haha! “Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop” was a cute read, although not my favorite from the month. Rosie had moved to small town Lipton to help run her aunt’s sweet shop, and met Steven, a primary school teacher, in the process. There is a lot of funny stuff that happens in the small town, with her elderly aunt in retirement home, and Steven’s mother who doesn’t seem to care for Rosie, and Rosie’s family visiting from Austrailia, it’s all quite entertaining. There was one scene with her friend who gave birth where the language was atrocious…I’ve given birth without meds twice now and made it through without swearing haha, it can be done… and there was a tragic accident that was sad to read about, just mentioning a couple of triggering things.
Ok one more! I loved “Let it Snow!” It was one of my favorite books this year! And y’all, set in England again haha… I need to go to London STAT people!!! 19 years ago is too long!!! Bea is a weather forecaster, and travels home to the Charis House to be with her family, and long time friend, Henry, for the holidays. Her parents run a school for troubled kids that everyone else has given up on, and one of those kids happens to be her long time boyfriend. They have just broken up, and she is heart broken and trying to find her way. Henry ends up helping her travel to Scotland to interview for a new job, and then everyone bands together to save their school. I really enjoyed it from start to finish, and there were lots of points that had me laughing out loud. Cute read, great way to finish the year!
I can’t believe this is my last month of reads for 2022! I feel like it went by so fast! I have one more post I’m going to do where I talk about all 78 (yes 78, a new record for me that I am so proud of!) books I read this year, and sharing my top picks! If you think you don’t have time to read, I guarantee you, you do. Cut out social media or TV and you will have loads of time right there! I can’t imagine my life without books, I just love reading so much and enjoy sharing my thoughts here with you! 🙂
If you’re interested in seeing what else I have read this year, check out my links to other months below and lots more book reviews under my Book tab!
What I’m Reading – January 2022
What I’m Reading – February 2022
What I’m Reading – August 2022
What I’m Reading – September 2022