Christmas Women's Fiction Review: The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts

 Come along with Frankie Lane as she meddles in everyone's lives in the town of Carol with a mix of interesting, and sometimes hilarious, results. 

The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. In this fun and romantic novel, widow Frankie Lane enjoys matchmaking and meddling in the lives of the residents in Carol. Owner of the Holiday Happiness gift shop, Frankie thinks she knows just what everyone needs: her mother, her daughter, her friend Viola, even the young woman who works at her shop, Elinor. Seemingly unaware of the disastrous turns some of her meddling creates, Frankie never seems to run out of ideas. That's okay, because she is certain no one can get along without her help. 

Her idea of the Santa Walk has been a huge success for the town of Carol. She and Mitch have played Santa and Mrs. Claus since Frankie came up with the idea, and it just gets better every year. Mitch was her strong shoulder when Frankie lost her husband in a freak accident, and she is determined to repay the favor by finding him someone special, whether Mitch is interested or not. 

The Merry Matchmaker is equal parts funny, romantic, and heartwarming. This charming cast of characters living in the small town of Carol will capture your heart and tickle your funny bone. As Frankie maneuvers to "help" her friends and loved ones, the unanticipated consequences bring about mixed results, especially as far as Elinor is concerned.

Roberts has that knack for knowing what works. She is the queen of women's fiction, and her style and wit make for a fantastic story that keeps you turning page after page. I polished this one off sooner than planned because I couldn't put it down. 

If you love romantic tales of the season, women's fiction, or stories sprinkled with a dose of humor set in memorable places, you will want to grab a copy of The Merry Matchmaker. 

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIRA; Original edition (October 1, 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0778369609
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0778369608

I received a paperback copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas Inspirational Romance Review: The Prodigal's Holiday Hope

 

The Prodigal's Holiday Hope by Jill Kemerer is a story of moving on from past hurts and the hope that comes from second chances. 

When Sawyer Roth decides to return to Sunshine Bend, he has no idea what his buddies will think of him. Rumor is he has been up to no good since his father's death and squandering away his inheritance, but Ken McKay needs a ranch manager and Sawyer needs a job away from the city, so he returns to the ranch once owned by his family for a fresh start. What he doesn't expect is Tess Malone.

Tess and her son, Tucker, live with Ken on the ranch. Her stubborn father didn't even tell her that he hired that no good Sawyer to manage it. Well, Sawyer won't win her over quickly, even if he did grow up on Sunshine Bend and she is desperate for help. But with Christmas approaching, and her dad in dire straits, Tess has to lean more on Sawyer than she would like. 

Sawyer isn't fond of getting too close to Tess either. But she and her son sure could weave their way into his heart if he isn't careful. 

I loved The Prodigal's Holiday Hope so much that I stayed up late to finish it. I simply couldn't wait to see how it all turned out. The first book in Kemerer's Wyoming Ranchers series is a strong debut, bringing together an engaging plot, well-developed characters, romance, and the ranching life. Cowboy romances remain one of my favorites, and The Prodigal's Holiday Hope is a fine example of an author knowing her audience and delivering a solid story that will leave you yearning for more. Lucky for readers, there are four other books in this series.

If you enjoy romance, second chances, seeing characters learn how to move on from past hurts, and seasonal stories filled with the joy and hope of the holidays, then you need to grab The Prodigal's Holiday Hope today!

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095X2R6NY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Love Inspired; Original edition (October 26, 2021)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 26, 2021
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 1707 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 174 pages

I bought a copy of this book for my Kindle. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas... in the News: Shoppers Embrace Early Festive Offerings, Operation Christmas Child Kickoff & The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

Happy Sunday! Hope you are having a great week. I have a rare day off, so I am doing my best to accomplish as much as possible. Here is your weekly dose of Christmas news.

A reporter based out of New York writing for the Hindustan Times shared how many shoppers are embracing the holiday decor, flavors, and deals retailers are pushing before the holiday buying season officially kicks off. On Facebook, I see threads about people wanting to put their decorations up early to experience the beauty and joy of the season for as long as possible. With all the craziness of the world and the holiday shopping season in general, seems like a great idea to enjoy all the nice things longer. Considering Thanksgiving is so late this year, retailers might also be feeling the pinch of fewer shopping days. You can check out the article here. 

If you recall, I read a book by Sheila Roberts about a group of women who decided to celebrate Christmas all year long. If you want to know more, you can visit the book's Goodreads page.

Orillamatters.com has an article about Operation Christmas Child, coordinated by Samaritan's Purse. Orilla has several pick-up points throughout the city. You can read the article here. Curious about the history of this project, you can visit the Samaritan's Purse website.

This last bit of news is something I'm excited about. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever movie is hitting theaters in November. I loved this book, so it will be fun to see it made into a movie. You can check out the movie's website for dates for early access tickets in your area. Check out the trailer below.

Are you excited for seasonal movies and books this year? Which one are you most interested in? 

Christmas... in the News: California's Christmas Town, NOW's New Christmas Compilation & Grand Rapids Christmas-themed Bar

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

There was so much Christmas news this week. Some nice and some not so nice. With the goal to lift spirits, I'm sharing three top nice tidbits that caught my eye.

KTLA5 out of California reported that Solvang, a small town in Santa Barbara County, was again recognized as the best Christmas town in the state. Their winter festivities run late November through early January. If you want to read more about California's "Christmas Town," check out the article here.

How many of our readers have young ones? If you do, you might recall NOW Music, who released compilation albums in vinyl and CD. I used to buy them because the albums for kids would have clean versions of popular songs. 

A few days ago, SuperDELUXEEdition.com, announced the upcoming release of "NOW That's What I Call Christmas." It contains more than 80 Christmas songs on a 4CD set. You can get more details by visiting their website.

Have you ever visited a Christmas-themed bar? Well, you can, but you might want to make your reservations early. WZZM13 reported on Broadway Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which has gotten a jumpstart on the holiday season by setting up their Christmas decorations. You are highly encouraged to make your in-person reservations early. Read more here.

What's your favorite Christmas news this week? Have you already started decorating? 

Three Things to Do in October to Prepare for Christmas

 

We have entered the last quarter of 2024. Isn't that crazy? Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales are only eight weeks away. There are only 12 Fridays until Christmas! 

How are your holiday preparations going? I still don't have fall decorations inside the house if that gives you any clue how things are here. That's okay, it always comes together. 

To help you prepare for the holidays, here are three tasks to tackle in October.

Look for early Christmas Sales

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can already shop early deals. Prime Big Deal Days official days are October 8 and 9. Target is also running their Before Christmas sale.

Plan your decorating theme

Honestly, I don't alter mine much, but styles change from year to year, and I like to add one or two new pieces every year. Our trees our themed: snowman, collectibles, blue and silver, and then our family tree has our homemade ornaments and special ones we have collected through the years. The girls theme their trees by color--one purple and one pink. 

Order your Christmas cards

Between sending cards to clients, family, and friends, the only way I've made this task easier is by ordering cards early. Cards that go to clients have my name pre-printed on them and envelopes with a pre-printed return address. I write a letter around Thanksgiving to go inside the cards to friends and family so that I can--hopefully--get them in the mail by December 1.

Enjoy your holiday preparations!

Christmas... in the News: Macy's Walnut Room Reservations, Great American Family Christmas 2024 Schedule & Elks Rec "Christmas in the Country" Display Reservations

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

My, my what a plethora of Christmas news this week. I couldn't hope to post all that came out within the last few days. Here are some tidbits that caught my eye.

NBC 5 Chicago reported that the iconic Walnut Room in the Chicago Macy's on State Street is now open for 2024 holiday reservations. The report also shared special menu items. Check it out here.

Showing that we don't play favorites when it comes to the two powerhouse Christmas movie channels, we wanted to let you know that TV Guide shared the full 2024 schedule from Great American Family Media for it's "Great American Christmas." They say Candace Cameron Bure headlines two films this year. You can read the article here. 

The Santa Maria Times reported that Elks Recreation, Inc. is accepting display reservations for its annual "Christmas in the Country" drive-through holiday display. Honestly, it was the photo of a Smokey the Bear display that first caught my eye. I loved the commercials growing up that said, "Only you can prevent forest fires." You can read more about this event here. The article also mentions dates. 

This last part isn't really news, but this is a shot from my local Walmart from last week. I actually bought some Christmas lights early, so I could take advantage of the best selection. When do you buy your Christmas lights? 

That's it for today. See you next week!

Christmas... in the News: The Office & Sabrina the Teenage Witch Cast Reunions on Hallmark, Essex Christmas Lover's Year-Round Tree & Massachusetts Virtual Craft Market

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

Happy first day of fall! How's the weather where you are? Does it make you eager to put up your Christmas decorations? I have to admit to having a hard time holding back, but right now the front porch is decked out with pumpkins, mums, and other fall-themed items, so I guess Christmas needs to wait its turn.

Lots of fun news this week... way more than I could share. We will start with a story out of Essex. The BBC reported on how one Christmas lover keeps her tree up all year round in case her traveling adult children show up unannounced. It sounds like such a fun idea. Check out Jane's story here.

Would it even be Christmas without a Hallmark movie? Cast members of The Office and Sabrina the Teenage Witch will reunite in different ones as part of Hallmark's 2024 Countdown to Christmas. Comicbook has more details here. 

There is nothing more fun than a New England Christmas, except maybe a virtual craft market with dozens of vendors hosted by the largest handmade gift shop in Massachusetts. I caught the article on Newsbreak this morning. Can't say I've ever been to the 4GoodVibes Gift Shop, but now my interest in piqued. Check out more about this virtual craft fair here.

That's it for now. See you next week!