When a quilt shop owner finds a former Marine’s journal, she longs to heal his heart… who wrote the emotional entries.
Former Marine Cole Aaron battled to find peace after returning to civilian life. He’s always needed to protect others. Now, fighting fires in Pine Hill, Kentucky helps him put out the demons within him. When Sophie shows up at the fire hall with his journal from when he’d first returned stateside, Cole can’t believe it was in the box he’d donated. Not wanting to face painful memories, he tells her to trash it.
Sophie and Cole are drawn together as they both volunteer for their community, but it’s hard for Cole to let down his guard, and he doesn’t need anyone’s pity. After all he’s been through in the past, can he find faith in a more hopeful future…one touched by joy?
This heartwarming romance includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Dilly Duchess Potatoes.
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I really, really liked this story. Perhaps because of the more realistic portrayal of the characters, did I immerse myself in this book more fully than other books I’ve read recently! It’s not “lighthearted” but it’s not heavy, either! What it is, is hopeful! Sophie finds a soldier’s journal in a box of donated goods and goes to to the fire dept. to return it to Cole to return it to him since it was his journal. She didn’t know it was his journal at first because it didn’t have his name in in so she had to read it first to find out whose it was and what she discovered was the anguished writings of a soldier and his deepest thoughts. Cole is angry about the journal and wants her to throw it away, never to be seen again but Sophie was so touched by it because her father was in the military and had PTSD and eventually left his family when he couldn’t cope. The reason I loved this story is that Cole is angry with Sophie almost the whole book and treats her fairly mean. However, Sophie never gives up on him. She is kind, cheerful, understanding and involves him in community activities. No matter how he treats her, she never changes. Of course it hurts her, but she just wants to be his friend, no matter what. I think that is a great lesson for all of us. The life of our veterans after their service is a hard one and we never can give up on them. We have to be kind and understanding and love them. This book made me see that! I have to be patient and remember all they’ve gone through! Their experiences will be with them forever and don’t go away. A truly powerful book.
This was truly a sweet romance. Sophie meets the new fireman in town and realizes that the journal she found in the church donations must be Cole’s. Cole feels too damaged to ever fall in fall, but Sophie makes is difficult to keep his distance.
This is a sweet clean romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great escape and left me with a good feeling. Pine Hill, Kentucky sounds like such a friendly place with plenty of character as well as fun citizens. I would definitely read another book by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.
Another delightful, heart-warming Christmas romance in Pine Hill, KY involving Quilts of Valor, two people not looking for love but finding it, and a cat. I knew from reading Wrapped Up in Christmas, that I would like this one, and I did. I laughed and cried, and I believe this one made me cry even more than the first one, especially when Cole, a Marine, got his quilt. Sophie was over-the-top happy, and it could have been unbelievable, but I actually know people just like her. I love that Sophie never gave up on Cole, and in spite of himself found love.
I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book from Hallmark Publishing for an honest review.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Repost of my original review at Amazon.com.
This Hallmark story has a bit of a darker tone to it. Definitely more of a drama than a lot of Hallmark stories are. Cole is struggling with the inner turmoiled that has darkened his soul from his military experience and it is quite a battle. Sophie is a ray of light in his life and really wants to shine her light for him to lift and lighten his burden. Of course she has her own struggles but she really seems to be angelic. So the question is, will he let her into his life to help him heal? It is Hallmark so I think we all know the answer to that but it is a good story to see the path they take to get to their happily ever after. While some of the story feels sad and a little dark it is a feel good story ending.
I liked that both Cole and Sophie are so community oriented volunteering where ever they can. It shows their good hearts. I think all the people in this story are good-hearted people. The only villain is the conflict going on within Cole and it is something that many military men and women have to fight. I loved this town and its good people.
Some Christian themes.
Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: no
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.
Cole Aaron former military and current firefighter is new to Pine Hill and just wants a quiet life to start over. Sophie Grace Davis is a seamstress who owns her own shop and a child from a military family. This is a well written small town romance with characters you’re sure to love!
An enjoyable and festive Christmas story, the first I have read by author Janice Lynn. In true Hallmark fashion, the small town of Pine Hill comes together to celebrate the magic of Christmas. The Christmas festivities and community gatherings give our heroine, quiltmaker Sophie, and hero Marine Veteran and firefighter Cole, many opportunities to be thrown together by the elderly match-making Butterflies in town. Sophie finds the handwritten journal in a box of books that were donated to the church. She reads it in order to hopefully discover the author and return the journal to its owner. She ends up finding Cole at the firehouse as he wins the drawing for playing Santa for the community this Christmas. Cole has to fight his PTSD and demons from his time in the military as he is battling with his feelings of being the one who survived. Sophie spreads joy everywhere she goes and tries to share some of the joy of the season and befriend Cole. Unfortunately, Cole feels unworthy and acts the part, he wants nothing to do with developing new friendships. He pushes Sophie away over and over until finally a special quilt and note change his heart. I think you will love reading this holiday story. Author Janice Lynn and Hallmark Publishing take us on a truly wonderful heartfelt journey with Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy.
Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy written by Janice Lynn is a Christmas story that has all the emotional feels, setting and community coming together in the spirit of the season. It is also a story of coming to terms with the horrors of war, finding peace and believing in love.
Sophie Davis is a wonderful character, who has empathy for returning soldiers especially the one who wrote a war journal that she finds. She has experience with the struggles that returning veterans can have because of her father. Empathy is not the same as pity but former Marine Cole Aaron now firefighter confuses. This Christmas is the one where he learns the difference but I can say he is a slow learner. The community and Sophie do not give up.
A sweet romance with plenty of community involvement. Need a lift this story will do that.
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a beautifully written, small town romance centered around Sophie and Cole. Cole is currently a firefighter, but he’s a former Marine that has survivor’s guilt. Sophie is an all around beautiful person and Cole doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. When Cole and Sophie are paired together for the Christmas toy drive, Cole flat out tells Sophie he doesn’t want to be friends. Seems like the Butterflies, a matchmaking group of elderly ladies, may have plans for Cole and Sophie. Grab your copy and get ready to shed a few tears and then laugh out loud. I really enjoyed reading this story and I’m so glad I found another new to me author. I will be reading more books from Janice Lynn in the future.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
My Review
Thank you
Janice Lynn
Sophie and her sister run a fabric store. Sophia Tends to stay late making quilts and many other items. Has a very big heart for her town…
Their parents Divorced many years ago.. Leaving a lot of bitter memories..
Cole Is the new firefighter in town former soldier, He
Recently donated a Box of books to the church that Sophie goes to. However Sophie has found the journal not knowing who it belonged to. she read to find out who it belonged to. Belonging to cole she wants to return the journal,
However cole once nothing to do with the journal. or anything to do with his past. Nor does he want to have anything to do with Sophie because she read his journal and knows too much thinks she’s pitying him.
Soon community project comes up and coal and Sophie end up on the same team… Holiday events bring this town together.
One of my favorite parts of this book is when Sophie’s cat she’s trying to get Warmed up to her
Climbs up a tree, Sophie tries to, Rescue the Kitty, But ends up being rescued herself…
This was truly a Christmas Wrapped up in Joy. book I really enjoyed it. I was given this book as a gift for my honest review and I truly enjoyed the story thank you.
#hallmarkpublish
#janicelynn
Although super sweet, at 336 pages this book felt way too long. I actually skimmed through parts due to the overly repetative nature of the writing. There were areas that could have benefited from more detail instead.
After inheriting a Kentucky farmhouse from his uncle, retired Marine Cole Aaron decided to stay and make the small town home. Now a member of the local fire department he doesn’t encourage friendships but has made a few nonetheless. He knows his PTSD has left indelible scars on his very soul and he wouldn’t wish that part of him on anyone. But when a local gal shows up at the fire department with the journal he thought he’d thrown out the thought that she read his personal anguished thoughts devastates him to the core, especially seeing the pity in her eyes.
Sophie Grace Davis doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. Spreading sunshine wherever she goes, all she wants to do is return a soldier’s journal she found in a donation box to it’s owner. Certain he never meant to part with it, Sophie is left stunned at Cole’s reaction. Now, determined to prove to him that he is not just cared about but that he is truly a hero in her eyes and the rest of the town, Sophie sets out to befriend a man that doesn’t believe he needs or deserves friendship.
I received an ARC and voluntarily offer this review.
This book has all the elements that interest me: making someone happy (even when they don’t want to be happy), quilting, Quilts of Valor, veterans, and firefighters. So what’s not to like? Sophie is the ideal person to fix someone’s broken soul. Cole resists her efforts to befriend him, but she is a force to be reckoned with. Sophie is loving and considerate of Cole’s inner problems and she is determined to help him be the man she knows he can be, one that will stay with her.
Sophie Davis sews quilts to donate to The Quilts of Valor Foundation. She volunteers with the foundation and every year at the annual Pine Hill Christmas On-the-Square Festival she mans a booth to educate the event participants about The Quilts of Valor Foundation as well as sell quilts and items from the quilt shop she owns with her sister. When Sophie found the journal/diary of the firefighter and ex-Marine Cole Aaron in a box of books Cole donated to her church Sophie read the journal in an effort to find out the owner’s name so she could return it to him. After reading the journal Sophie knew Cole should have a quilt. Cole is a loner and fought the friendship Sophie offered him. But Sophie is no quitter and Cole couldn’t resist her.
Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy by Janice Lynn brings home the effects of war the people who fight them experience. It’s tough to put what happens in war out of a military person’s mind. I liked how Sophie understood Cole so well after reading his journal and was determined to make him see that he is a really good person.
When I think of Christmas stories, my firsts thoughts is all the Hallmark movies I will be watching. So when I got this book from Hallmark Publishing, I knew I was in for a treat.
This is a sweet , clean , at times heartbreaking as well as heartwarming small town romance that will touch your hearts.
Sophie Davis is all about Christmas. While sorting through some donated books to her church, she comes upon a journal. It appears to belong to a soldier. Her Dad was a veteran , so she has a soft spot in her heart for this unknown soldier.
Cole Aaron, a former Marine and now firefighter as well as the owner of the journal, is still struggling with the demons of the war. He has no desire to have anything to do with Christmas, but somehow gets stuck not only with being that year’s Santa but also dragged into helping with the Toy Drive.
As Cole and Sophie are teamed together to bring joy to the children, we watch Cole starting to heal . A reminder that love, hope and help can work wonders for the heart of a wounded warrior.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Hallmark. The opinions expressed are solely my own.