Christmas Angels: A Novel

If you are looking for a well written sweet and touching Christmas story , this one is for you. Liz Westmoreland and Matt Hardy met as children, when Liz would visit her grandparents Bed and Breakfast. Years later they meet again, when she returns to her grandparents town hoping to buy their inn and restore it. But she’s getting overwhelm and Matt offers to help. This is the start of a future neither expected. It’s not a fast paced, action filled story. It’s more an unrushed walk through the lives of these two and the town people. Creating a dream and finding hope and happiness in the end. A lovely story for the holiday season. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it. This was a great story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was almost like watching a Hallmark movie in book form. While I really enjoyed the story, it just didn't feel like a romance story to me until the very end. Liz Westmoreland discovers that her grandparent's inn, Angels Rest, is going to be auctioned off the next day. It has always been her dream to own it. She wins the inn and goes to Antler Creek to start the renovation process. She comes across Matt Hardy at the restaurant in town. He is drawn to her to the point that he suggests the ham sandwich for lunch as she is perplexed as to what to order for lunch. Matt submits a bid to be the contractor to help bring back the inn to life as the former owners gutted the interior into an art galley. I fell in love with quite a few characters (Krissy, Matt's sister and Grady, the sheriff) so I hope there are a few more stories in Antler Creek. This book is written in a dual POV format. With this, I could see Matt falling in love with Liz (he basically loved her when they were kids) but I couldn't feel it on Liz's part. She is going through so much on her own that it didn't come across for me. But like I mentioned earlier, it is a great story. This is a sweet, clean romance. If you like Hallmark movies, then you should read this book.

Christmas Angels by Nancy Naigle is a magical Christmas story. Liz Westmoreland has had a dream since she was a teenager and she has a chance to make it come true. She purchases her grandparents old lodge at auction in as-is condition. An art gallery had gutted the interior and made some unusual design choices that must now be undone. Liz wants to restore Angels Rest to its former glory and carry on the traditions started by her grandparents. Matt Hardy is an architect who lives on the land adjacent to Liz’s. He remembers Liz from when she visited her grandparents as a child. Matt is eager to help Liz with her renovations and get an opportunity to get to know her better. I found Christmas Angels to be well-written with fabulous characters. I found the interactions between Liz and Matt to be delightful. I just loved Maizey who provided good advice and delicious food as well as Krissy, Matt’s sister. Elvis was another great addition with his playful antics, unique grin and wiggling backside. I enjoyed the authors depictions which allowed me to visualize the story. There are tender scenes that just made me smile. There is an opportunity for a second book (hint, hint) featuring Matt’s sister who would like to open a shop in the town and the deputy who caught her eye. Christmas Angels is a heartwarming tale that that will linger with you long after you finish reading it.