Reputations are hard to come by in the big city and hard to lose in small towns…Celia Roberts, the owner of the Hummingbird Inn has it all … almost. She has a wonderful son and a business she loves. Though challenged to make ends meet, she’s come a long way from the tough times she endured as a teenage mom. With the busy Christmas season ahead, things are looking up, until Scrooge himself … himself arrives intent on putting a huge resort next to her inn—a resort destined to put her out of business.
Wealthy business developer Rob McKenna is coming back home to the tiny town of Pinetop, Colorado to tie up loose ends. After the death of his mother, he’s inherited her Victorian home, her dog, and hundreds of acres of land he plans to develop into a resort and sell. It all seems so simple until he runs into Celia Roberts. In high school, she was the “it” girl, and he was nobody. She dated the bully, and he was the target. Now he’s back, and she’s single, and as beautiful as ever. However, she’s the only thing standing between him and his plan to get in, get rich, and get out of town.
He wants to move the small town into the future. She wants to preserve the past. Can the magic of Christmas leave them both with full hearts and bright futures or will one of them end up with nothing under the tree?
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I enjoyed reading this cute Christmas love story. It was a sweet, small town romance that was easily read. The characters were great, loved Lucky! The storyline was good too and always good to have a little drama! Brings you into some Christmas spirit!
Celia and Rob story is a real love story.I love how Kelly Collins made me feel like things unseen was bringing them together. Great job. I loved this story.I received this book as a ARC for my honest review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was such a sweet story, small town with a little bit of holiday thrown in. Nothing too over-the-top plot wise, which was nice. It was on the shorter side, which I like for holiday books, but was a complete story, not rushed at all. I thought it was going to be clean there for a little while, but there were I believe two very tame sex scenes, and I don’t recall any swearing
I enjoyed this book from its well developed and engaging characters. To the smooth flowing storyline that had me turning each page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wealthy Rob McKenna returns to Pinetop, Colorado, to develop the land his mother owned after her death. Rob had left town after graduation, knowing that he was never anything but a burden to his mother. Near the proposed development is the Hummingbird Inn, owned by Celia Roberts, a former classmate of Rob’s. Rob had a crush on Celia when they were in school, a crush he never acted on. Celia is raising her sixteen-year old son on her own and fears that the new development will put an end to her inn. Rob is once again attracted to Celia, even more so for the strong woman she has become. Will Rob be able to reassure Celia that the development will not harm the small-town quality of life in Pinetop? When Celia returns his feelings, will he be able to convince her that he only wants to be a family with her and her son, Jackson? An emotional Christmas or anytime romance. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation from the author. (by paytonpuppy)
I had high expectations before I even started reading that I was going to love this story. There’s very little that Kelly Collins has published that I haven’t completely and utterly adored. This book did not break the pattern. Celia is a fierce, independent single mom because she hasn’t had the choice to be anything else. Rob escaped Pinetop as soon as he could with no real plans to ever come back. When the pair come back in contact with each other for the first time since high school, the sparks start flying. These are complex characters with vastly different motivations. I loved watching them discover the new people that those old students had become. The story is peppered with wonderfully absurd every-day moments that made me giggle and a few deeply emotional ones that left me sighing. I adored the ending to this book, but I hated to see it was over already.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.
4.5 Stars
This is a great holiday book. The characters are real and evolve through the story.
What a wonderful second chance for love story this was! I loved it and I read it in one go. (I might have slept in between, but who wants to know, right?) I admired Celia and her love for her son, I sighed at her stubbornness and I loved the way she loved. Rob was a bit harder to like at first, but that was because we saw him from Celia’s point of view, later on I found him much more likeable and loveable. I adore the little life-lessons Ms Collins throws around in her books.
This is what it’s all about: Celia Roberts, the owner of the Hummingbird Inn has it all … almost. She has a wonderful son and a business she loves. Though challenged to make ends meet, she’s come a long way from the tough times she endured as a teenage mom. With the busy Christmas season ahead, things are looking up, until Scrooge himself arrives intent on putting a huge resort next to her inn—a resort destined to put her out of business.
Wealthy business developer Rob McKenna is coming back home to the tiny town of Pinetop, Colorado to tie up loose ends. After the death of his mother, he’s inherited her Victorian home, her dog, and hundreds of acres of land he plans to develop into a resort and sell. It all seems so simple until he runs into Celia Roberts. In high school, she was the “it” girl, and he was nobody. She dated the bully, and he was the target. Now he’s back, and she’s single, and as beautiful as ever. However, she’s the only thing standing between him and his plan to get in, get rich, and get out of town.
He wants to move the small town into the future. She wants to preserve the past. Can the magic of Christmas leave them both with full hearts and bright futures or will one of them end up with nothing under the tree?
Rob had left his hometown immediately after graduation, as the small town was hard on him as an illegitimate child. Returning to bury his mother and develop a prime piece of land into a small resort, he meets his neighbor Celia. Attracted to her and enjoying the company of her teenage son, the tries to make her understand that his plans of a resort do not have to be a threat to her inn.
A light and easy to read romance set in the pre-Christmas season.The development is fast-paced, but somehow believable…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book. I was so glad that the book ended the way it did.
When Celia Roberts answered her door at the Inn she never realized her life was going to be turned up side down.
This is a must read for Christmas.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Celia and her son Jackson are getting there inn ready
For the holidays guest.
Rob turn up at Celia front door to tell her that he was going to
developed the land behind her
That is how they met after quite a few years.
The way the story was told its like you are watching the relationship
developed between Celia and Rob.
I highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
This delightful small town, holiday romance touched all the right spots for me. There is substance to the plot as Celia struggles to make ends meet and create a happy and secure life for her son. However, there is one canceled reservation between her and an empty bank account. The arrival of Rob McKenna puts a spanner in Celia’s works, making her realise that once his resort is up and running, her small inn is likely to be run into the ground. Whilst Rob was the small bullied boy from school, he has grown into a good looking man with a cold, calculating heart. Meeting Celia and her son, and then discovering that his mother had a dog that has been in a neighbour’s care, unsettles the left-brain logical thinking Rob. Slowly but surely the cracks appear in his facade as he begins to understand just how much is missing in his life. Given her experience, Celia has a hard time trusting anyone, but as her son bonds with both Rob and his dog, she has to do a reality check and choose a different way of approaching her life. I came to the end of this book dabbing my eyes, with a huge smile on my face as the story came together for all the characters. I received a copy of this novel as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Christmas Inn Love – I enjoy the romances written by this author. They are always delightful and heartwarming with plenty of family values and love. Her writing style is casual and laid back with vivid descriptions placing the reader in the midst of each story.
The cast of characters are perfect; the three main characters and the supporting crew are all realistic and believable. The storylines are interesting and keep the reader immersed in the love and humor of all involved. I couldn’t put the book down since I cared so much for everyone and wanted to share their experiences.
I contacted the author to review her books and received this book through Booksprout. 5*
Aspen Cove Series: One Hundred Excuses – This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. Well written with good storylines and characters that are likable and decent people. I didn’t realize this is part of series because other people and previous history were mentioned in passing as if introduced in another book. BUT this did not diminish my enjoyment of this delightful, heartwarming story. I had fun with Mrs. Beasley (from Family Affair), I remember when she hit the store shelves in the late 60s. Now I want to read the rest of the stories. I did skip the sex scenes, for me the sexual tension is interesting and written sex is boring. 5*
One Hundred Lifetimes #7 – Even though this is part of a series and I’ve only read one other book, this didn’t take away from Lifetimes being a good story. There was a little too much bantering about sex, but I understood the reason and skipped those pages and the sex scenes; I was bored by them. The storylines are interesting. The characters aree likable and decent people, and it is fun to see the characters from Excuses show up along with the other regulars. The journey that Poppy and Mark take is comical, intense, sad and worth reading. Life is too short to dally and wonder, go make it happen. 4*
Betting Series: The dynamics of the three Mafia families are actually funny with the blending of the Irish, the Italian and the Russian mobs. There are no clear boundaries and this is the third set of mob kids given a chance at a love that’s existed for years. An interesting romance with a substantial mystery and intelligent characters. I contacted the author to review her books and received this book through Booksprout. 5*
Betting On Him #1 – What a trip! I had so much fun reading this story filled with great characters and good storylines. The chemistry between he and she was great; there was explicit sex but I skipped that boring trash. Both had personalities that were bold and honest; plus some of the support characters were great in their roles, too. The story is fast paced, intriguing and had suspense, plenty of everything to the reader immersed in the pages. The violence isn’t graphic. The romance and finding solutions is the focus. It’s been decades since I’ve enjoyed a Mafia story along these lines, but I can recommend this entertaining yarn. 5*
Betting On Her #2 – Lucky for me I could chain read both books. BOHim left me riding a high, so it was only natural to continue the ride with BOHer. This book is just as entertaining as the first and there’s actually a third book in the series, three Wilde brothers, but of course. There are the same great characters with a few new ones added to the mix. Good chemistry again, with explicit sex, which I skipped since I find written sex boring. This story is also fast paced, intriguing and humorous. The storylines are well thought out and there’s a twist and kink here and there that will surprise some of the other characters, but makes the reader belly laugh. Again, hard to put down and don’t expect an explicit violence, just romance and problem solving. 5*
Betting on Us #3 – Every book of this series has been interesting and intriguing. Don’t expect a lot of Mafia activity graphic described, like with Puzo, but the human side and emotions. A romance between two people who grew up together but weren’t allowed to take their childhood friendship further since they were from two different Mafia families. There’s good suspense with a veterinarian being setup for drug crimes and the other being her lawyer. The intrigue, the emotions and sexual tensions are strong, but don’t expect that stupid formula of constantly thinking of sex, either other’s body parts and how everyone is hot and beautiful and acting stupid instead of professional.
Christmas Inn Love is a sweet holiday surprise! It’s the kind of story that makes you believe in the magic and joy of the season. Celia Roberts is a single, financially struggling mother of a great teenage son. She and Jackson have taken a lot of hits over the years but they are a team and they keep moving forward. Celia has been supporting Jackson for years as the owner and operator of Pinetop, Colorado’s bed and breakfast. One morning an unwelcome visitor has arrived on Celia’s doorstep. Rob aka Bobby McKenna was also a resident of Pinetop but he left this small town behind him immediately after high school graduation. He doesn’t have any fond memories of his youth here and the only reason that he returned is to handle the property his late mother has left him. His plan is to develop the land into a ski resort and cottages. The problem is that all of that beautiful land backs up to Celia’s Inn. So how will these two ever be able to coexist when they have opposing agendas? And what about their mutual attraction? Well it is the season of love and when you read this sweet story all of those questions will be answered. Christmas Inn Love is told from dual POV and is a thoughtful, sweet holiday romance.
What a wonderful holiday season surprise! Celia owned Hummingbird Inn in Pinetop, Colorado; a quaint small mountain town where few lived, some came to visit, and everyone was a friend. Well, not everyone, but most. This book is a feel-good story about success, failure and family staying together. I could smell the morning breakfast; feel the chill of snow; and, realize love when I read it in the pages of the story-line. Jackson is a great kid and his dog, Lucky, was an excellent addition to the family. I highly recommend this book for any time of year and thank the author for the early ARC which I enjoyed to the max. I couldn’t put it down and read most of the day.
Celia is a strong, single mother running her own bed and breakfast. Her son Jackson is 16, but a good boy who takes care of his mother. Celia’s no good ex husband left her years ago and was never a father to their son. Rob returns to their small town after his mother dies and leaves him some land. Rob was picked on and bullied in high school especially by Celia’s ex husband. He has grown into a handsome, wealthy man and is a developer. He has come to town to develop some land that is on the edge of Celia’s property. Needless to say, the sparks fly from Celia as she hates change. There just may be other sparks flying between the two.
I loved Rob and how he wanted to help Celia. He was so good with Celia’s son Jackson it made my heart happy. There is someone else in town that wants to cause trouble for Rob. I liked how Rob handled him. This is a good book that I encourage you to read. I received a copy of the book and voluntarily wrote a review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksprout and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
I couldn’t put this down. I adored Rob and Celia along with her son Jackson. Let’s not forget Lucky the golden retriever either. Rob and Celia went to school together. Celia was the girlfriend to the school’s bully. Rob was one of the persons that was picked on. Rob left town right after graduation to make something of himself. He only comes back to town after his mother passes away and leaves him an old Victorian and some land. Rob is a developer and wants to put a resort on the land. Celia hates change especially a resort. She runs Hummingbird Inn. She struggles to make ends meet and the resort will surely put an end to her livelihood.
This was such a joy to read. It felt like it should be a Hallmark movie. It sure played out like one in my head as I was reading it. I adored the dual POV. Getting into the characters’ mind really made the book come to life.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. There were a couple of scenes (sexy but were not descriptive and only a couple of sentences).