A Heartfelt Christmas Promise is the next heartwarming and inspirational Christmas story by USA Today bestselling author, Nancy Naigle.Vanessa Larkin just agreed to an out-of-town job assignment over the holidays. With the promise of a hefty bonus if she can get things done by the new year she heads for tiny Fraser Hills. Determined to succeed, she’s not worried about whipping the shutdown … about whipping the shutdown process into overdrive to meet the challenge. Only when she gets there she realizes her bosses haven’t been upfront with the town about the plans to shut down the plant.
Mike Marshall, a widower raising a teenaged daughter, is a big believer in tradition and doing things the old-fashioned way. When Mike finds out his grandfather has sold the family business to some big corporation, he’s angry. Not that he wanted the business, but selling it makes no sense to him. As much as Mike and Vanessa butt heads about doing things the old vs the new way, when his teenage daughter requires some motherly advice he gives in to Vanessa’s offer to help.
As much as she despises having to do it, Vanessa has to announce the shut-down plans and get things moving–and it’s not going to make her popular with the town, or with Mike who she’s completely taken by. Now this has become a corporate vs heart decision, and she’s not sure she can make both sides happy. She’s hoping for a Christmas miracle that might land her with the very best Christmas gift of all…
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A perfect blend of Christmas with change, nostalgia, and forgiveness. And proof there really is magic to the season. The picture perfect settings I envisioned as I read along, taking me back as well, to treasured memories of Christmases past, just as the people of Frasier Hills still embraced currently. The power of a small town should never be underestimated. There are so many wonderful characters in here, each playing an integral part to the survival of this lovely, quaint town. Hopefully they would all maintain their Christmas Spirit, given what Vanessa was tasked to do with Porter’s Fruitcake factory upon her arrival.
However, the first day she’s in town there comes a big vibration, when what does she see, but the most beautiful sight ever to be. A team of very regal-looking, and huge Percherons pulling a large wagon right down main street. Driven by an equally impressive, and handsome man she later finds out has a huge tie to the town and it’s residents.
I happily read along as all the events unfolded; the exciting ones like the all important high school football game to even the bumpy ones that supposedly build character lol, on to that HEA I always so look forward to.
Love the bonus of cute fur babies, whether they’re adorable puppies like Porter, horses like big Ben that can literally weigh a ton, or chickens with names like Henny, Penny, or Sophia LorHen.
A lovely Christmas read to put you in the mood for the reason of the season.
Nancy has done it again with another wonderful book! The way she is able to bring you into her writing has me ready for Christmas and it’s activity! I love how Vanessa knows what she wants and how she worked so hard to get there. But with work taking her to a small town in North Carolina (which I love since I live so close), and her meeting Mike, love sparks!! It makes it even better it is set during the holidays! I hope this one is made into a film too!!
Captivating small-town holiday story!
This sweet story captures both the simplicity of small towns and the heart of the holidays. A little light on the romance, the story mostly focuses on Vanessa’s assignment to repurpose the various facilities belonging to Porter’s, which was bought out by the corporation Vanessa works for a few years earlier. She’s forced to confront her work/life balance and other priorities as she balances the needs of her assignment against the best outcome for the local employees.
Mike is struggling with his own set of challenges, including his rapidly-maturing motherless daughter and his strained relationship with his grandfather, who has his own reasons for selling Porter’s to the corporation in the first place. Despite his strong attraction to Vanessa, he doesn’t want to see any more changes come to his small town.
This holiday slice of Americana is perfectly sweet and satisfying. All the characters are richly drawn and the depth of the community spirit was beautifully portrayed. I was hooked right from the start and read this one straight through in one sitting. The ending was doubly special with two couples finding their HEAs. I highly recommend this delightful holiday story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
This is a true Hallmark book. Vanessa is sent to the small town of Fraser Hills, North Carolina to close down the Fruit Cake Factory and make way for warehouses. I was set to dislike Vanessa because of her job and how she was going to disrupt an entire way of life, because that’s just business. But I did like her. I liked all the characters in town. The descriptions of life in Fraser Hills made it sound like an ideal place to live. The story was heart warming and Vanessa learned a lot about herself. Mike is part of the reason as are all the inhabitants of this little North Carolina town.
Such a sweet, clean story that has some giggles as well. It is easy to read and escape for an hour or two. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read, enjoy, and offer my honest opinion of this book.
This is a delightful holiday read full of small-town ambiance, wonderful characters, and holiday cheer. Vanessa had hoped to be working on a project in Paris, France. Instead, she’s sent to Fraser Hills, NC, to shut down the local fruitcake factory and prepare the buildings for a sporting goods company. Fruitcake? Do people really eat the stuff? She isn’t thrilled about doing so during the holiday season but figures it will be a quick job and then she’ll be able to spend a little time during the holidays with her cousin and land a hefty bonus in the process.
However, Vanessa soon learns that the fruitcake factory is making a profit and, with a few changes, could make even more. There are also unused buildings that would work well for the sporting goods company. So maybe she doesn’t need to close the place down after all. Both businesses can thrive in the small town.
In the process of doing her job, she meets many of the townspeople, shares in the holiday activities, and grows to love the town. A great small-town story with family dynamics and secrets, new beginnings, new friendships, an adorable puppy, and a couple of HEAs.
The quintessential Hallmark story. Big city girl goes to small town to to evaluate a small homegrown fruitcake factory that the company she works for owns. They tell her close it down but she sees the potential. Throw in a local horse rancher with a teenage daughter into the mix. Said horse rancher’s family use to own the fruitcake factory and holds the fact that his grandfather sold the business against her. You can se where this is going….
Fortunately, at least, big city girl loves Christmas her cousin/best friend goes along so they can spend Christmas together, and a little side romance goes on with her too.
This was a great quick read perfect for getting in the holiday mood.
A sweet Christmas romance
It was the worst time to shut down a business, but it’s what Vanessa had to do. She was sent to Fraser Hills, North Carolina to shut down Porter’s Fruitcake factory. When Vanessa gets there, she starts to fall in love with the town and its people, including Mike, who has his own ties to Porter’s. Now, Vanessa has to figure out how to satisfy her boss and remain in favor to her new friends in Frasier Hills.
This story totally swept me away. The descriptions of the town were so detailed, I could easily visualize them. I became attached to the characters as well and couldn’t wait to see how Vanessa would keep everyone happy in the end. This book would make a wonderful holiday movie with its strong family ties and heartfelt storyline.
This holiday story is full of wisdom and feel goods and made me think about things in my own life. Vanessa is a workaholic who is looking forward to going to some wonderful location for her next assignment, but things do not go as planned and she is sent to a small town in North Carolina to close down a fruitcake factory to make way for a sporting goods facility. Before leaving Chicago, Vanessa makes plans with her cousin, Anna, for them to spend Christmas together. Anna feels that this trip will be good for Vanessa and hopes that it will help Vanessa to find some balance in her life.
Mike and his daughter, Misty live in Fraser Hills, NC; she works at the fruitcake retail shop and he runs a Percheron horse farm. Mike’s grandfather used to own the fruitcake factory, but sold it to a conglomerate and Mike has been on the outs with him ever since. Misty is now worried about her job because they have been told that someone from corporate is coming, but they haven’t been told why and why so close to Christmas.
Vanessa arrives in town and starts to get the lay of the land, but she soon learns that what she has been told and what she is finding out are two totally different things. Soon she will have to decide whether she follows what her company wants her to do or what her heart and mind are telling her to do.
Vanessa and her cousin make some interesting friends along the way and Vanessa soon learns what it means to live in a small town. This was a wonderful book to read and I loved the dynamics involved.
Thanks to Netgalley, author Nancy Naigle and St. Martin’s Griffin I was allowed to read an ARC of this wonderful book. The above is my freely given review and all thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
Fruitcake
Small Town
Holiday Romance
Where do I sign up! Nancy Naigle gave this Holiday Romance a special touch with its charming characters, I absolutely loved reading about. I cuddled up with my ebook over the weekend and enjoyed this Hallmark read. Set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, I loved reading about the town, the festivities, the chemistry between Vanessa and Mike, the amazing cast of characters, and I was really immersed in this cozy read I can read over and over again!
There is something magical about reading Christmas Novellas where you can get lost in a heartwarming story, restore your hope, and leave you warm and fuzzy, and always in a good mood.
I hope you can take a look at this latest from Nancy Naigle for a chance to read a Christmas cozy you never knew you needed!
Vanessa Larkin has been a mainstay at ACG in Chicago. It’s just about Christmas and she knows she is in line for one of two plum assignments, one in a beautiful Christmas-themed town in Washington (probably Leavenworth) and one, the one she really wants, in Paris, France. She manages to hide her shock when she finds out that instead she’s being sent to Fraser Hills, North Carolina to shut down Porter’s, an iconic fruitcake bakery, to convert their property into warehouse for a large sports merchandising client. She’ll do her job, even if her hearts not in it. And then she gets to know the people of Fraser Hills and Porter’s.
Vanessa’s cousin joins her in Fraser Hills and together they connect with new friends and new loves. She thought she was there to save the town, but it becomes obvious that what her employer wants and what she knows is best don’t match. She needs another plan. Something she’s really good at.
Another Nancy Naigle story with heart, complex character and a happy, if unexpected, ending. I love how she manages to take what seems like a bleak situation and turn it around with logic and love.
I received a copy of the book from NetGalley. The opinion is my own.
This is such a heartwarming Christmas story. I fell in love with the town of Fraser Hills, North Carolina and it’s people. It was a perfect story to get you into the Christmas spirit. I could just picture the parade with the horse drawn wagon because Nancy Naigle did such a tremendous job of describing it. The magic of the season changed Vanessa and Anna’s future together as well as Porter’s fruitcake factory and the town itself. And who could resist a little mischievous yellow Labrador puppy? Loved it!
I love to read Nancy Naigle’s books! She always writes about great towns and makes you want to go there even if you know they are just in the book. You want to meet all the characters because they would be the type of people you would want to live around! Well most of them!! There always has to be a spoiler doesn’t there? You keep writing Nancy and I will keep reading!
Vanessa Larkin is all about work and moving up the corporate ladder. She is up for two different jobs, Paris or Washington. She gets neither. She is sent to a small town to close the most profitable company there. Her cousin Anna is always on her to slow down and find balance. Fraiser Hills, NC is a prosperous small town. and it has the best fruitcake in the world. She is so surprised that the fruitcake is all that it is advertised to be. She is also in awe of the Percheron horses as they were coming down main street. With so much to offer, why does this plant need to be shutdown. Just when everything was coming together, corporate pulls the rug out. It seems that Buck, the town mayor once upon a time, put the thought in Vanessa’s head. It was going to take a miracle but that is what Christmas is all about. It is also a time for falling in love
Wow…I didn’t really expect heartbreak and tears in a Christmas Romance…but now I can say this was an “all the feels” Christmas story! LOL. What a sleigh ride A Heartfelt Christmas Promise was!
Author Nancy Naigle wrote an amazing Hallmark-type Christmas romance…one that I didn’t want to put down, and that I didn’t want to end! I loved the widower/single dad trope as well as the big city woman coming in to the small town for business reasons…because she definitely cannot make it personal. I loved all of the characters that made up this story…from Vanessa and Mike, to Buck, Misty, and Ana, it was full of amazing characters (let’s not forget Scooter/Porter!).
This Christmas romance had everything to check off the perfect blend of a wonderful seasonal read! Sleighs, football, fruitcake, small town, romance, snow, and Christmas Magic! Such an enjoyable read! 4.5 stars!
ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Publishers
A Heartfelt Christmas Promise by Nancy Naigle is a wonderful Christmas holiday book filled with small town charm, change of plans, friends helping friends, keeping the factory alive and of course…Fruitcake! Will this Christmas holiday bring joy to the people of the town, Mike and Vanessa or will Vanessa take the spirit of Christmas away? Only time will tell….
A Heartfelt Christmas Promise is a wonderful story with endearing characters. Vanessa and Mike are a great couple who draw you in and keeps you engaged until the end. This small town romance is a heartwarming holiday read that pulls at your heartstrings. As I turned the pages I was drawn into the story and I felt the love and the magic of the season. Truly a wonderful story.
This was a very sweet romance. The characters were likeable and well drawn. Loved the small town setting and the animals. The puppy stole the show! Big city girl goes to small town to close major business and learns that work is not everything. Very heartfelt story.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
I have loved very book I have read by Nancy Naigle. This one did not disappoint. I am all about small towns, Christmas, family and doing what’s right. Vanessa has a very unpopular job, but she turns it around once she actually sees what is happening and gets to know the players involved. I want to go see these horses that Mike and Misty have. In my mind they are quite awesome. Who wouldn’t love Porter? I loved the story and the characters and just wanted the story to keep going. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
In my opinion this is one of the most beautifully written Christmas stories that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. When things didn’t turn out like Vanessa expected she was upset, but this turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her and a small town in the North Carolina mountains.I believe everyone would love to live in a small town like this one. I would certainly recommend this book to everyone.
I received a ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin and I was under no obligation to leave a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.
I kind of fell in love with Nancy Naigle’s work last year around the Christmas holidays. Yes, I’m one of those people. I love Christmas. I love sweet romance. I love the Hallmark Channel. And I love the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies. So I was quite excited to dive into this book.
What I Liked Most About the Book: Let’s just talk about the elephant in the room. Hallmark Channel Christmas movies tend to have eerily similar characters in eerily similar occupations and situations, and since many of them come from books like this, it’s easy to think that A Heartfelt Christmas Promise would be like that. But this book had the heroine and the hero both in successful careers. Yes, the hero lives in an idyllic small town, but that’s about where the similarities end. Except for the fact that the people of the small town are pretty awesome. I loved that neither Vanessa nor Mike was really looking for love. They are happy with where they are in their careers, and Vanessa wasn’t really feeling unsettled in her career or in where she lived at first. This story is so much more than our hero and heroine finding their HEA. It’s about mending fences, not judging people before getting to know them, and figuring out what’s most important in life and so much more. Like all great sweet Christmas romance books, everyone finds their own happily ever after here, and it really does do a heart good!
NICUnurse’s Rating: While I know we’re gearing up for Halloween, in my humble opinion, it’s never too early to read a Christmas romance. I literally can read them year-round, but I especially love them as we approach November of each year. So, if you’re like me, and are one of those people, you don’t want to miss your chance to get lost in a wonderful story. It was just the break my mind and my heart needed during such a stressful time. And since I’ve had trouble truly getting lost in stories during the said stressful time, the fact that I didn’t want to put it down says so, so much about how wonderfully written this book really is.
I give A Heartfelt Christmas Promise by Nancy Naigle 5 out of 5 stars!