Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Book Review: Christmas Ever After

By Cindy Roesel

From the writer of the Netflix hit, A CHRISTMAS PRINCE, Karen Schaler, comes a new holiday delight, CHRISTMAS EVER AFTER (HawkTulePublishing).

Author, Riley Reynolds is caught off guard during a live television interview, when she's asked how she can write romance novels when she hasn't found "the one"? She answers by saying she's had some great loves in her life. Little does she know, three boyfriends from the past are all watching the interview and think they're "the one."

Riley's last book has flopped, so her publishing team come up with an idea - hold a Christmas Camp and have her fans share ideas for her new Christmas romance novel. She's called Miss Christmas even though she hasn't celebrated the holiday since she was eight and her father passed. Fans from all over the country show up at the Christmas Lake Lodge in Christmas Lake, Colorado, including those three guys from the past for camp.

The weekend is a flurry of activities including making Christmas Lake cookies and popcorn, a Christmas Lake movie night, snowshoeing, a cocktail mixology class, an ugly Christmas sweater pageant, among others all created to bring out the magic of Christmas for attendees. It's about honoring old Christmas traditions and creating new ones.

Over the weekend each old boyfriend attempts to recapture her heart, but there's someone else in her site, but she doesn't think he's interested. It's a fairy tale, a winter wonderland in Christmas Lake, even Riley starts to feel the magic of Christmas. A lot can happen in a weekend, and does.

I liked Riley a lot, because as much as she was against celebrating Christmas, there was an opening for magic in her heart. There's an entire cast of quirky characters, including Comet, the loveable Bernese Mountain dog. Eventually Riley gets her Christmas ever after.

At the end of the book are some holiday recipes like Christmas Lake blueberry muffins and cinnamon rolls. Delish! If you don't believe in the holidays, you certainly will after reading CHRISTMAS EVER AFTER.

Thanks to Kickflip PR for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Karen Schaler: