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penandpages's review
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Death of parent
judeinthestars's review
4.0
I used to love Christmas as a child, then as the parent of a young child, but I don’t so much anymore. Dealing with family isn’t as easy as I wish it were. I still love the idea of Christmas however, and Christmas novellas are like tiny presents with all the Christmas spirit inside them. When they’re good, they hold everything I love about Christmas: the lights, the smells, hot chocolate and love. They might be a tad (or a lot) cheesy, but it’s Christmas, so it’s okay.
Brooke Hawkins left Noelle, Michigan, as soon as she could, fleeing both the town and her mother. Ten or so years later, just before Christmas, her mother’s death brings Brooke back. A snow storm derails her plans of sorting out her mother’s will before Christmas and getting away again as soon as possible. To make matters worse, Brooke gets into all sorts of arguments with Holly Jackson, owner of a bakery called Buns’n’Roses, the premises of which Brooke inherited and has agreed to sell to a spa company. Before her landlady’s death, Holly had finally been feeling like her life was on the right track again, five years after the accident that left her a widow and a single mother. She’s not ready to let anyone pull the rug from under her feet once again, especially not someone she hasn’t seen since high school and who doesn’t seem to care about the town she, herself, loves.
A Town Called Noelle includes almost everything you’d want in a Christmas movie or novella. Brooke is the grumpy, standoffish character whose heart can only be melted (but not immediately) by Holly, the warm and fiery one. Of course, Brooke’s apparent coldness stems from pain inflicted on her by her bigoted and narcissistic mother, and the more she realizes the town is not as closed-minded as her mother made her believe it was, the more she opens up to its inhabitants, and to her feelings for one of them in particular.
If you’re looking for heartwarming and sweet, you’ve found it.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Brooke Hawkins left Noelle, Michigan, as soon as she could, fleeing both the town and her mother. Ten or so years later, just before Christmas, her mother’s death brings Brooke back. A snow storm derails her plans of sorting out her mother’s will before Christmas and getting away again as soon as possible. To make matters worse, Brooke gets into all sorts of arguments with Holly Jackson, owner of a bakery called Buns’n’Roses, the premises of which Brooke inherited and has agreed to sell to a spa company. Before her landlady’s death, Holly had finally been feeling like her life was on the right track again, five years after the accident that left her a widow and a single mother. She’s not ready to let anyone pull the rug from under her feet once again, especially not someone she hasn’t seen since high school and who doesn’t seem to care about the town she, herself, loves.
A Town Called Noelle includes almost everything you’d want in a Christmas movie or novella. Brooke is the grumpy, standoffish character whose heart can only be melted (but not immediately) by Holly, the warm and fiery one. Of course, Brooke’s apparent coldness stems from pain inflicted on her by her bigoted and narcissistic mother, and the more she realizes the town is not as closed-minded as her mother made her believe it was, the more she opens up to its inhabitants, and to her feelings for one of them in particular.
If you’re looking for heartwarming and sweet, you’ve found it.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
elvang's review
3.0
Brooke returns to her hometown after many years away to settle her mother’s estate and sell off all the properties she owned. She clashes with bakery owner Holly who has finally begun to turn a profit with her shop. Holly stands up for herself but grumpy Brooke is reluctant to spend any more time in the town she hates. Cue the endless snowstorms, forced togetherness and eventual thawing of hearts.
It’s hard to develop characters enough to capture the reader's interest in a novella. The little bit of world building required, setting up the back stories and meeting the locals and family all take away from the relationship development between the mains. Of course it’s a Christmas tale and lightweight clearly defined grinch and heroine roles make for nice easy reads.
A sweet Hallmark version of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
It’s hard to develop characters enough to capture the reader's interest in a novella. The little bit of world building required, setting up the back stories and meeting the locals and family all take away from the relationship development between the mains. Of course it’s a Christmas tale and lightweight clearly defined grinch and heroine roles make for nice easy reads.
A sweet Hallmark version of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
readingwitherin's review
fast-paced
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
A Town Called Noelle is told from two different points of view. The first one is Brooke whose mother has recently died causing her to go back to her hometown in order to deal with the arrangements as well as her will. Then you have Holly who rents one of Brooke's mom's storefronts where she is a baker.
Brooke wants to sell all of the properties as quick as possible and get back out of Noelle as she doesn't have many good memories there and was told by her mom that the town didn't like people who were deviant which she considered Brooke to be because of who she is attracted to.
however, Holly and her daughter end up showing Brooke what the town is really like and help her see some good in it.
Overall this story is very short and we don't get to see a lot of Holly and Brooke together. What we do get to see though is nice, and I liked that we got to see them again a year later to catch up with what they were doing then and if Brooke had changed her mind fully about Noelle at all.
This one was a quick read that isn't super Christmassy or romantic. Instead, it's more about Brooke realizing that the stuff her mom told her about the town was a lie and that she did have people that cared about her no matter who she is attracted to.
A Town Called Noelle is told from two different points of view. The first one is Brooke whose mother has recently died causing her to go back to her hometown in order to deal with the arrangements as well as her will. Then you have Holly who rents one of Brooke's mom's storefronts where she is a baker.
Brooke wants to sell all of the properties as quick as possible and get back out of Noelle as she doesn't have many good memories there and was told by her mom that the town didn't like people who were deviant which she considered Brooke to be because of who she is attracted to.
however, Holly and her daughter end up showing Brooke what the town is really like and help her see some good in it.
Overall this story is very short and we don't get to see a lot of Holly and Brooke together. What we do get to see though is nice, and I liked that we got to see them again a year later to catch up with what they were doing then and if Brooke had changed her mind fully about Noelle at all.
This one was a quick read that isn't super Christmassy or romantic. Instead, it's more about Brooke realizing that the stuff her mom told her about the town was a lie and that she did have people that cared about her no matter who she is attracted to.
mjsam's review
3.0
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read this just before the holidays bit haven’t had a chance to post my review. This is a nice enough Christmas novella. It features Brooke, who is returning to the home town she hates to bury her mother and settle her mother’s estate and Holly who owns a bakery, is a single mother, and is about to be evicted by Brooke. Brooke’s kind of a Scrooge or grinch, not sure which, but she hates the town and Xmas, and unfortunately for her is snowed in and stuck in town over the holidays. After a rocky start she and Holly keep getting thrown together, and get to know each other. This leads to a thaw in Brooke and they spend the holiday together and eventually manage a HEA.
Because it’s a novella, there’s not a lot of substance to this, there’s way too many characters and situations going on, which means that there’s not enough time to get to know the leads or really establish their relationship. Still, it’s an enjoyable enough read. 3.5 stars.
I read this just before the holidays bit haven’t had a chance to post my review. This is a nice enough Christmas novella. It features Brooke, who is returning to the home town she hates to bury her mother and settle her mother’s estate and Holly who owns a bakery, is a single mother, and is about to be evicted by Brooke. Brooke’s kind of a Scrooge or grinch, not sure which, but she hates the town and Xmas, and unfortunately for her is snowed in and stuck in town over the holidays. After a rocky start she and Holly keep getting thrown together, and get to know each other. This leads to a thaw in Brooke and they spend the holiday together and eventually manage a HEA.
Because it’s a novella, there’s not a lot of substance to this, there’s way too many characters and situations going on, which means that there’s not enough time to get to know the leads or really establish their relationship. Still, it’s an enjoyable enough read. 3.5 stars.
slowburnsrus's review
3.0
The beginning of this book is slow, with occasionally clunky writing, but once the heroines started talking to one another this turned into a sweet, low heat f/f Christmas romance with an enemies to lovers plot. Holly’s personality shined, and I loved her interactions with her precocious but kind daughter, Maya (who quickly attaches herself to Brooke and brings her into their lives whether Holly likes it or not). Holly comes out to herself through discovering her feelings for Brooke.
Brooke’s transformation from sullen and uncompromising landlord, to an uncertain but hopeful love interest was less believable. There’s some drama and damage in Brooke’s relationship with her toxic mom that’s glossed over.
I enjoyed the last third of the story, once these two started to tentatively open up to one another. I’m glad I didn’t give up after the first few pages.
Brooke’s transformation from sullen and uncompromising landlord, to an uncertain but hopeful love interest was less believable. There’s some drama and damage in Brooke’s relationship with her toxic mom that’s glossed over.
I enjoyed the last third of the story, once these two started to tentatively open up to one another. I’m glad I didn’t give up after the first few pages.
anniekslibrary's review
2.0
Brooke is basically Scrooge, and she has to return to the Christmas-loving small town she grew up in when her mother passes away, to sell her mother's property.
Brooke's mother used to be Holly's landlady, who has a coffee shop in town. She's not happy to hear Brooke will be selling. So needless to say, these women don't get along well at the start of the book.
What I didn't understand though, was how much they switched between being civil, and even friendly, with each other, and then going back to being angry with each other over Brooke's decision to sell. I felt a little like the tension between them was created to have an enemies to lovers dynamic, but it didn't feel like this progressed naturally, as they were mostly civil with each other and their fights seemed a little forced.
Overall, I didn't feel any real chemistry between these women, mostly because their emotional development was awkwardly paced. Unfortunately, this book just didn't really work for me because of that.
CWs: death of a parent, funeral, past death of a partner, past abuse by a parent
Brooke's mother used to be Holly's landlady, who has a coffee shop in town. She's not happy to hear Brooke will be selling. So needless to say, these women don't get along well at the start of the book.
What I didn't understand though, was how much they switched between being civil, and even friendly, with each other, and then going back to being angry with each other over Brooke's decision to sell. I felt a little like the tension between them was created to have an enemies to lovers dynamic, but it didn't feel like this progressed naturally, as they were mostly civil with each other and their fights seemed a little forced.
Overall, I didn't feel any real chemistry between these women, mostly because their emotional development was awkwardly paced. Unfortunately, this book just didn't really work for me because of that.
CWs: death of a parent, funeral, past death of a partner, past abuse by a parent
shereadstales's review
4.0
If you're looking for a Hallmark movie in a book, and gay, I have just the book for you. It takes about as much time to read as to watch a holiday-themed movie, and it's an adorably sweet story. Bonus for those not into the steamy scenes, this one's a solid PG-13.
Brooke is coming home to bury her mother at Christmastime and sell off her assets. Her mother was pretty beloved by the town, but none of the townsfolk had to live with Brooke's mother and her abusive tendencies. Holly rented her bakery space from Brooke's mother, and at the news she's selling out as fast as she can, Holly offers a less than warm welcome upon Brooke's arrival. As they spend time together, mostly arguing about the fate of the building, they become friends, and maybe something more.
It was the perfect way to spend a rainy day, and if you're looking for something cute and cozy for the holidays, pick this one up.
Brooke is coming home to bury her mother at Christmastime and sell off her assets. Her mother was pretty beloved by the town, but none of the townsfolk had to live with Brooke's mother and her abusive tendencies. Holly rented her bakery space from Brooke's mother, and at the news she's selling out as fast as she can, Holly offers a less than warm welcome upon Brooke's arrival. As they spend time together, mostly arguing about the fate of the building, they become friends, and maybe something more.
It was the perfect way to spend a rainy day, and if you're looking for something cute and cozy for the holidays, pick this one up.