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Christmas Joy by Nancy Naigle Review

Hello Bookish Friends :)


Are you the type of person that can read Christmas reads year round? Or do you only read them during the actual Christmas season?


I can actually read them all year long, but I especially love getting to read them around this time of year.


There's always so many good ones to choose from, and this year I had the pleasure of reading one by an author that I'd never read before.


Christmas Joy by Nancy Naigle:



Source: Gift From My Hubby

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: October 18th, 2016

Genre: Contemporary Romance


Synopsis:

A heartwarming Christmas story about family, friendship and finding love in unexpected places.

Joy Holbrook might be all work and no play, but that changes when her Aunt Ruby takes a fall that lands her in a rehabilitation center before the holidays. Joy takes a leave of absence from her job as a market researcher to run the family farm, even though the timing may hinder her chance at garnering the promotion of her dreams.

Ben Andrews isn’t your average accountant. He also happens to be the handiest man in Crystal Falls. He’s helped his elderly neighbor, Ruby Johnson, decorate for the annual Christmas Home Tour—and win—the last several years. He’s not about to let some drop-in niece break their winning streak.

Ruby seems overly concerned about Joy being able to handle Molly. Under the impression she’s referring Molly the bunny that is one of the menagerie of animals, Joy’s not worried at all until the next morning when a little girl named Molly shows up. For the sake of her aunt, Joy is forced to partner with Ben while Ruby is on the mend to help with preparation for the Christmas tour and, in the process finds her career-focused heart dreaming of a family.

Will the magic of Christmas help her to open her heart and find her everlasting joy?
 


(synopsis from goodreads)


My Review:

Christmas Joy is a heartwarming holiday story that focuses around stepping back, and remembering the importance of family and friends during the Christmas season. With it's idyllic small town setting, it's well developed primary and secondary characters, and it's beautiful romance that will give readers all the warm fuzzies, it's a must read for the Christmas season, and it's one that I highly enjoyed.

We first meet Joy Holbrook in the city as she excels at her job at a prestigious marketing firm. She's been following a tough timeline for herself ever since she graduated from college, and she's determined that this year is the year she finally snags the big promotion and corner office she's been working towards forever. However, life throws a massive wrench in her plans when she gets a phone call letting her know that her beloved aunt has taken a bad fall, and is currently in the hospital. Joy hasn't given her aunt the time or attention she's deserved ever since she left the family farm, and she's determined to be there for her this time. She makes the decision to head back to her hometown, Crystal Falls, to help out her aunt, but has every intention of heading back to her fancy career afterwards. After all, a city girl like herself has no place feeding barnyard animals, babysitting small children, or hosting a stop on the town's holiday home tour, or does she?

Joy definitely didn't expect to love her time in Crystal Falls as much as she does, and she also didn't plan on Ben-the hospital accountant who's big heart, good looks, and willingness to help out anyone in need soon has her heart all a flutter. Soon Joy's questioning which path is truly the right one for her to be taking, after all she's fit into life here in Crystal Falls better than she ever could have imagined.

Christmas Joy was my first experience with a Nancy Naigle novel, and it most definitely will not be my last. Right from page one I was swept up into this beautiful, heart warming holiday tale, and I loved each and every moment of it. Joy was a fantastic female protagonist, who believed in going after everything she wants and thinks she deserves, but she learns a valuable lesson as to what's truly important along the way. Ben was a perfect book boyfriend, and the slow burn romance that begins developing between himself and Joy was the perfect addition to the story. When you added in the secondary characters like Joy's aunt Ruby who's a total hoot, or Molly, the adorable little girl who's care is suddenly dropped in Joy's lap, you get a story that truly is the whole package. This Christmas story was everything I could have wanted or expected, and I honestly loved it. As much as I adored the Hallmark movie, the book is definitely even better, and I can't recommend it enough. I also can't stress enough how much I love when authors can write a beautiful romance that stays clean and sweet, and doesn't dive into things it doesn't need to.

If you love Christmas stories, Christmas romances, clean romances, or small town romances, then Christmas Joy is a story you need to pick up this holiday season.


Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


I couldn't have enjoyed it more, and I highly recommend.


Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your week.


This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners. 

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