Christmas at Cozy Holly Inn by Meredith Summers is a 2021 publication.

This is a cute holiday themed contemporary novel centered around Pinecone Falls, a cozy little town in Vermont. Julie Green’s grandmother, Ida, is selling her B&B, but before the sale in finalized, she wants to host one more Christmas Eve party. Unfortunately, she is a little under the weather, so she calls Julie asking her to help with decorating the B&B. Because Julie is in-between jobs, and she can’t refuse her grandmother under the circumstances, she leaves Boston to spend a few weeks getting the B&B in shape for the big Christmas party finale….

When she arrives, though, the place is in disrepair, a cat she doesn’t want, and who doesn’t seem to like her very much, becomes her temporary responsibility, and a neighbor, Nolan Miller, she doesn’t have fond memories of, is suddenly quite interested in whether she plans to stick around or return to Boston.

Nolan’s family has been through some heavy tragedies, virtually erasing their holiday spirit- seemingly forever. Now they are set to buy the B&B, but Julie’s appearance has made them suspicious. To make sure the sale isn’t about the fall through, Nolan’s family wants him to keep an eye on Julie Green…
This is a festive story with plenty of holiday atmosphere. Lots of snow, decorations, holiday memories and a little romance to top things off. Because this was such a nice story, I hesitate to nitpick- but the small-town vs big city comparisons were too heavy handed. There are salt of the earth people everywhere, not just in small towns, but that is my only complaint.

I was completely won over by the animals in the story- both ‘Kringle” the cat and ‘Snowball”, the dog played key roles in the story, and were occasional scene-stealers.

Overall, I love good, clean, holiday stories- and I read lots of them every year- and yes, often they are predictable-but that is not always a bad thing, in my opinion- but sometimes they do go overboard on the sap- but Summers did a good job of keeping the story light in tone, while avoiding anything too sickly sweet. It had just the right touch of holiday spirit and was a lovely way to spend a dreary Sunday afternoon. ( )

Meredith Summer (pseudonym of Leighann Dobbs) has written a heartwarming story that begins "a series of sweet, cozy small town holiday romances." Julie Green lost her job with "Boston Best" magazine 4 months ago, so there was little hesitation in accepting her dearly loved grandmother's request to prepare the empty family bed-and-breakfast and help host one last Christmas Eve party. Before her grandmother moved to a retirement community, Christmas Eve parties at the Cozy Holly Inn were legendary. Although the inn had been closed for several years, Julie didn't realize that the inn would be in such disrepair. Could she make her grandmother's Christmas wish come true for her family and the small town of Pinecone Falls, Vermont?

Julie's discovery of a white cat in the inn's basement adds humor to the storyline and even more of a delight as his name becomes Kringle. As Nolan Miller has moved back to Pinecone Falls with his dog Snowball to help his grandfather, it is inevitable that Julie and Nolan will meet. There's been discord between the 2 grandparents for a long time. Can Julie and Nolan help them find peace?

From the beginning, the reader knows this cozy, contemporary romance will have a happy ending, just as all who tune in to watch another Hallmark Christmas movie. The interactions between Snowball and Kringle are realistic and add to the adventure. The story reminds us of the joy of helping a family member's Christmas wish come true! Don't miss adding it to your tbr list of charming Christmas stories set in a small town. Like many Christmas stories, it can be read any time of year, but this one is especially enchanting to read during the holiday season, especially if snowflakes are sparkling outside your windows, with a cup of hot cocoa and a dog or cat nearby. ( )