The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson Review

 Happy Thursday Sweet Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

How is everyone else's week going? Mine has been pretty crazy if I'm being honest, as a lot of things didn't go the way I'd expected them to, and I'm left feeling a little exhausted. However, sometimes that's the way life goes, and we've got to learn to roll with the punches, and trust God no matter what circumstances may be coming our way.

One of my favorite ways to take a step away from the craziness is to curl up with some great reads, and for as long as I can remember one of my favorite type of books to use as comfort reads are actually Christmas books. There's just something about reading them that makes everything feel cozy and the like, and today I'd like to share a review with you guys for another upcoming Christmas title. This one is actually releasing very soon, so I'm excited to get to share about it with you all today.

On a side note, if you're interested in checking out the other reviews I've done for Christmas titles already this year, you can use the 2024 Christmas Read Tag at the bottom of the page.

Now let's jump right into today's review.

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson:

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2024

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary/Christmas Read

Synopsis:

When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter. With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister. 

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson charms and delights with this uplifting Christmas story full of old memories and new beginnings.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

It wouldn't feel like the Christmas season without a new holiday themed release from best selling author Melody Carlson. I've come to look forward to these titles every single year, and usually I'm not left disappointed. The premise of this one sounded sweet and adorable, and I loved the idea of the setting being a beloved family Christmas tree farm. Unfortunately, I ended up feeling like this wasn't one of the better books I've read by this author, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for.

It definitely has many cute Christmassy feels, and felt very Hallmark movie esque. While I did enjoy the main character, Madison, and the big heart she has for her family and friends, I'm sorry to say that the supporting characters kind of ruined it for me. Madison's sister Addison spends most of the story acting like a childish brat, and not much changes in her behavior by the end. Her attitude was extremely off putting, and the sisters' mother is just as bad, if not worse. 

My other big complaint was that while I understand that this is more of a novella length story, there were so many issues that never seemed to be resolved, and the romance ended up feeling rushed and very insta lovey. 

It was a cute read overall, but it's not a new favorite by this author, and it's one I don't personally see myself rereading.

If you enjoy clean, contemporary Christmas stories, this might be the book you're looking for, but I'd personally recommend Melody Carlson's other lovely Christmas stories over this one.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading everyone! I pray you're all looking forward to the long weekend!