Countdown to Christmas by Dianna Houx Review

 Happy Friday 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 for another book review.

Let me just start out today by stating that this year has already gotten off to a humdinger of a start. There's already been quite a few things that have not gone even remotely according to plan, including having already had a trip to the emergency room and a recovery window that's thrown many of my blogging plans right out the window.

However, I'm determined to not let this get me down, and I'm still looking forward to getting to share lots of fun blog content with you guys in the weeks to come.

Today's post is going to be a review of a title from a new to me author, and then next week I'll be sharing the rest of my 2023 reading wrap ups.

I'm thankful to have you here with me today, and I hope you'll all keep reading down below where I'll be sharing my review of this sweet title.

Countdown to Christmas by Dianna Houx:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author in Exchange for an Honest Review

Publication Date: December 26th, 2022

Genre: Sweet Romance/Small Town Romance/Christmas Read/Clean Romance

Series: Holiday Countdown

Synopsis:

Welcome to Winterwood… a small town with more heart than people!

“Fans of Rachael Bloome and Rachael Lucas will love this new series by Dianna Houx!”

When Grace is told it's unlikely Granny will live to see another Christmas, she comes up with a unique plan to transform her home into a festive inn for the holidays, offering an authentic, old-fashioned Christmas experience to her guests. To make her plan a reality, Grace must convince her small-town community to get on board and help her bring her vision to life. Along the way, she meets a diverse group of people who all have their own issues and struggles, but they come together at the inn to celebrate the holiday season and find hope and joy in the midst of their challenges.If you love small-town, holiday romances, you'll love Countdown to Christmas. A story about love, family traditions, and memories that last a lifetime.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Countdown to Christmas is a sweet, heartwarming read that will give every reader that chooses to pick it up a big ole case of the warm fuzzies. 

Welcome readers to Winterwood-a charming little community that feels right from the screen of a Hallmark movie, or a charming little abode similar to Stars Hollow. One of Winterwood's residents, Grace, is facing a bleaker Christmas season this year. The doctors' don't expect her beloved granny to live to see another Christmas. Grace is determined to give her granny a reason to get out of bed every morning, and so she comes up with the big idea of having her community host a lavish, straight from a movie Christmas festival. Her big idea includes hosting guests in hers and granny's beloved huge home, and everything seems to be coming together perfectly. Only there's a lot more at play and at stake than Grace initially realized, and soon she's in danger of losing her heart and much more to the amazing people who've come to share Christmas with her and granny, and their entire beloved community.

A heartfelt contemporary that tugs at the heartstrings, and focuses around the importance of family and friendship during the beloved Christmas season, Countdown to Christmas is a sweet treat that I can see appealing to any reader who enjoys their happily ever afters sweet with a side of nostalgia and Christmas cheer. 

I found myself wholeheartedly enjoying this title from a new to me author, and I particularly loved the way the chapters are set up. Each chapter is another day in the countdown to Christmas, and I thought that was an original idea, and not something I've seen done too many times before. The characters were well developed and likeable, and I found myself rooting for the majority of them right from the start. The romance is sweet, and even though it's quick, it didn't feel like insta love, which I appreciated since I'm never a fan of those kind of stories.

Overall, I enjoyed this one immensely and I'm glad I took the time to read it. A great read to start off 2024 with, and one I will definitely be recommending.

I will quickly mention though that there is a bit of a mention of a controversial medical practice that might be too much for some readers. It was handled gracefully and tactfully and didn't bother me because of such, but it might bother others and you just might want to be aware going into it. 

All in all, a wonderful Christmas read full of heartwarming moments and swoon worthy tidbits, all wrapped up in a lovely familial relationship existing between the main character and her grandmother.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to the author for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the author. 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 guys! Have a great rest of your weekend :)