While I enjoyed this holiday offering, I perhaps didn’t enjoy it as much as others obviously have. It took me a very long time to read, because it felt a bit too Harlequin for me. By that I simply mean that though it had its moments, it felt a bit artificially put together for me; a soupçon of this popular device, a dash of that cliche. All tried and true formulas. The more I read, the more it felt to me like an author — perhaps at a publisher’s request — had written down elements certain to please most readers of the Christmas romance sub-genre, and then professionally hit all her marks. Because this appears to be a series, it apparently had a built-in audience. I just couldn’t get lost in this story the way I wanted to, because I felt no heartfelt connection. I’m extremely sentimental, both as a writer and a reader, which is why I love Christmas. I expected to enjoy this much more than I did, and therein lies my disappointment. Though everything is in place — just read the book description — here for a warm holiday offering, I just didn’t find that extra bit of depth, or enough moments that hit me in the heart. There are Christmas books which remain with me after many years, but while I did like A Bramble House Christmas, and have nothing against it, it will very quickly fade from my memory. ( )

Tissue Alert

I loved the Hallmark movie so much that I had to search for the book. The book is a little different from the movie but is just as awesome. I laughed. I cried, more than once so have tissues ready. A wonderful story of hope and Christmas magic. ( )

I enjoyed this book very much. ( )

When Finn Conrad’s recently deceased father leaves his nurse Willa Fairchild (that he only knew for a very short time) fifty thousand dollars in his will, Finn travels to the Bramble House B&B in Marietta, Montana, where Willa is spending Christmas with her six-year-old son, to find out some answers from her. Once he meets Willa and gets to know her, Finn finds that she is far from the gold digger that he thought her to be and falls for both her and her adorable son, Scout.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas romance. It featured a wonderful cast of characters that I really enjoyed getting to know. Finn who was a children’s book illustrator. Willa who was so kind and caring and doted on her son. Her adorable brave son Scout who added so much to the story. Sage, who Willa befriended and who owned a chocolate shop. And the kind and welcoming B&B owners Eliza and Marshall. I loved the cozy setting of the B&B and the festiveness of the Christmas season throughout—the Christmas lights in town, building snowmen, ice skating, tobogganing… There was an interesting secondary storyline that included a mystery surrounding an antique ring and the Bramble family tree. All in all, this was a wonderful and lovely Christmastime read. ( )

Author CJ Carmichael puts plenty of heart in the holidays in "A Bramble House Christmas". Single mom Willa Fairchild and her young son, Scout, travel from Phoenix, Arizona to Marietta, Montana to spend the holidays at the Bramble House Bed & Breakfast. Willa was an RN, and the trip was part of a bequeath from a patient who had recently passed away. The man, Greg Conrad, had become a good friend. Willa and Scout had been through some troublesome times, and the trip to Montana would be his first chance to see snow. Finn Conrad, a book illustrator using the last name Knightly, was also a guest at the B&B. He was there to observe Willa and to see why his father had left her a generous financial settlement after only knowing her a short time. However, Willa was anything but the schemer and swindler he had imagined her to be--she was naturally charming, and he was drawn to her. Scout had also worked his way through Finn's defenses, but for one so young, there was an air of mystery about the boy. He seemed to have a certain wisdom beyond his six years, but he was experiencing many things for the first time. As Finn spent more and more time with Willa and Scout, he couldn't help but wish that the circumstances which brought them together were different. Willa is also very attracted to Finn, and she finds her heart wanting to trust again. When Willa finds out Finn's true identity and the reason he's really in Marietta, will she forgive him? How will Finn react to the truth about Scout and why Willa is such a protective mother? Come and stay a while at the Bramble House Bed & Breakfast. Let the spirit of the season, the beauty of the setting, the warmth of the people, and the magic of Christmas fill you with love, peace, and hope.

Book Copy Gratis Author ( )