All journalist Stella Carpenter wants for Christmas is her life back.After losing her family, her boyfriend, and her job, Stella is on the verge of being ho-ho-homeless. Out of desperation, she accepts an assignment to write a story on Holly Pointe, Vermont, the tiny town recently crowned the ‘Capital of Christmas Kindness’. If she can prove the town’s holiday spirit is a sham, her Editor … Editor promises Stella will start the New Year with a new career.
Rancher Sam Johnson is Holly Pointe’s resident Grinch–at least in the eyes of the tinsel-loving townspeople. It’s not that he doesn’t like the lights and the carols. It’s that they remind him of the brother he lost. Christmas is a time for family, and if Sam can’t have that, then he prefers to spend the holiday alone. But when Stella blows into town on a wild winter wind, the frosty walls around Sam’s heart thaw.
Charmed by Holly Pointe, Stella is torn. She doesn’t want to betray the friends she’s made, but she’s scared to give up the life she knows. And then there’s Sam. She never expected to fall in love with someone so different from her, yet that’s exactly what has happened. While Stella searches for a solution, the real reason for her arrival in Holly Pointe is discovered. Now, it’ll take a true Christmas miracle for Sam and Stella to make this holiday a happy one.
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Author Cindy Kirk has done it again. She pulls reader into a charming little town with a bit of conflict and a whole lot of love.
This book features Stella, a journalist who has lost practically everything, and is offered an opportunity to escape away to the quintessential Christmas cheer town. This doesn’t come without strings though, and what she has to do in order to stay in this blissful place and possibly reclaim part of her life back may also bring so many parts of a new and happier life crashing down.
I loved the characters in this book and all of the holiday experiences and activities included in the story. It made me want to make my very own bucket list of Christmas cheer to do this season.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Reading this book really made me feel like I was part of it. Stella goes to Vermont to get her job back with the paper in Miami and has no clue what she is really going to find is amazing friendship, love, and the support of a small town. While reading the story you want to go to Norma’s and Kenny’s to get a latte, you want to go to Rosie’s dinner and get a hot roast beef, go to dough see dough for a huge cinnamon roll. You want to participate in all the holiday events and get jealous your town doesn’t celebrate this holiday. I really enjoyed the story and was happy with the ending. I can’t wait to read the next story.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Stella Carpenter, a journalist living in Miami, is at a crossroads in her life. She has lost her parents in a car accident, and now, she’s lost her job. Her old boss has given her an assignment that may get her job back. She has to go to Holly Pointe, noted for being the friendliest town, and do an expose on its citizens. But, when she arrives, she sees that everyone she meets is friendly, and giving. Plus, she meets Sam Johnson, who has been scarred by death, and needs Stella to help heal the hole in his heart. Will they fall in love with each other and Holly Pointe?
Ms. Kirk is one of the best romance authors out there, in my opinion. And, I would live in any of her creative worlds. She weaves towns and communities that are as big as the characters. The characters, sometimes flawed, have a unique, and honest perspective on life. There is an uplifting and positive quality to her work. This story was about forgiveness, healing and the opening of one’s heart. It would make an excellent holiday read for romance lovers. Merry Christmas!
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Holly Pointe & Mistletoe is a heartwarming story that will definitely put the reader in the Christmas spirit. The setting, the characters and story all have that pull that will tug at your hearts strings. Stella’s life has been on a downhill slide, losing her parents in a car accident, dropping her cheating boyfriend, losing her job due to downsizing and now practically homeless. She is due for a break but sometimes they are more trouble than they are worth. In order to get her job back, she is sent to write an expose on a town given the name capitol of Christmas kindness but what she finds is love and acceptance. Sam has become a little reclusive since the death of his twin but when Stella arrives in town things change. He is very protective of his town and the people in it, so he sets out to discover why Stella is in town which draws Sam back into the festivities and living again. As their feelings grow, they both must determine what is more important and learn to trust what is given.
I received an ARC from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.
This was the perfect way to start the holiday season. Cindy Kirk shines when bringing to the page a picture of small towns and the best part of the small town life. Stella Carpenter, a native to Miami, has been laid off from her job at the local paper, her parents died in a tragic car accident several years ago and she recently broke up with a boyfriend who it turns out was married. She wants to take back control of her life instead of living on a friend’s couch. When her former editor calls her back to the office with the offer of a month long assignment in Holly Pointe in order to dig up dirt on the so-called friendliest town, Stella has reservations, but takes the job none the less. What follows is worthy of a live action Hallmark movie and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and truly did care about the characters. I felt that the plot was fairly predictable in regard to Stella’s gathering information on and speculation about different residents within the town of Holly Pointe. As she continues to gather information for her article, she also makes friends, meets a hunky guy who is the town manager. As she continually takes part in the month long festivities as the town’s acting social media person, she begins to realize that salacious gossip journalism just isn’t who she is, and would disappoint her deceased parents. As she tries to get herself out of writing the article and also tell Sam, her new love interest, the truth about why she was in Holly Pointe in the first place, things come falling down. I wish that we had gotten a bit more in terms of some the the other character’s backstories, although knowing Ms. Kirk and penchant for great small town book series, I am hoping we get another Holly Pointe book in the future. I received an advanced copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Sweet and perfect for Christmas!
Welcome to Holly Pointe!! The structure of this book is a little different from what we are used to from Cindy. At first, I will admit, it kinda rubbed me the wrong way. Usually readers get to know the lead character and loves them before their secret is revealed. This story starts with the secret from the start. So I found myself not liking Ms. Stella Carpenter because of the deceit that sent her to Holly Pointe. But I promise you it is a worthwhile read. You fall in love with Stella and everyone in the community. By the end you are rooting for her to overcome the deceit and make Holy Pointe her forever home. This book grabs you the same way other series by this author grabs you. You want to get know this town full of wonderful people. I need more Holy Pointe.
Stella is having a rough spot in life. No job, no home of her own, no family and not prospects. Right before the holidays her previous job approaches her about a job in a town called Holly Pointe. Holly Pointe has the reputation for being a town with a lot of Christmas spirit and super friendly. Her assignment is to find flaws and cracks in this sweet town. Her first day she is caught as she stumbles by a handsome Sam. Wondering around she goes to the local diner, where she overhears them say they need someone to photograph and load pictures on the local website. She is able to find a couple of things she could see as scandal worthy. Santa drinking on the job, Celebrity couple with marriage issue, and Sam’s previous celebrity girlfriend. The longer she stays more she falls for the people and town. Her boss is trying to force her hand and she is finding it hard to hurt the people is Holly Pointe. Having lost her parents 2 years ago she has felt alone until meeting Sam and her new friends. She decides in the end to put Holly Pointe and Sam before her career. This book is a sweet feel good Christmas story. It shows how people can pull together in good and hard times. The people in this town have Christmas spirit even in the hard times and friends are family. I was given this book as an advance from the publisher and I am voluntary reviewing. Thanks Cindy for another great book.
As always, Cindy has created a friendly, quirky town that I fell in love with. I would love to live in any of her towns. In the blurb about this book it calls Sam a Grinch, but that is not so. He loves his town and his people, but since the loss of his brother who LOVED Christmas, he does become melancholy. He participates happily in all of the events. My only complaint is that I like some spice, steam, ya know? This one had a closed bedroom door
I can’t wait for the other Holly Pointe books that will come. So many people that we only get a glimpse into their lives. I can’t wait for their stories. Thank you, Cindy, for the opportunity to review this. “I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.”
Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I always love being able to escape into a book with a good Christmas romance. Stella and Sam’s story was a great start to what I hope is to come of a new series with all of these wonderful side characters. This town is definitely one I wish I could visit! I gave this 3.7 stars and look forward to reading more from this Author.
“I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.”
I really enjoyed Stella and Sam’s story. I loved that the town of Holly Pointe was like a character in the story. Small town unity, friendship, and acceptance along with their unique Christmas spirit were wonderful accompaniments to Stella looking for a tabloid story but finding Sam and love instead. I could see the big blow-up at the end coming but the way Stella took responsibility for her actions and Sam knew he had to listen to Stella’s explanation were wonderfully woven together for their happily ever after. Highly recommended for small town romance fans. I received an Advanced Reader copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
After losing her job, Stella is given a freelance assignment by her former editor to uncover dirt in Holly Pointe, Vermont, a town recently named Capital of Christmas Kindness. But it isn’t just Christmas Kindness that Stella finds. The residents of this town are very kind. They are supportive of one another and always try to find the best of each other.
Once arriving in Holly Pointe, Stella meets Sam. Their friendship blossoms to romance. But when Stella’s “article” is published, Stella tries to make Sam see the good article she actually wrote and how much being in Holly Pointe is right for her.
This story is a nice “Love conquers all” romance set in a small town, which Ms. Kirk loves to write about. The characters are well developed and it is nice to see how they just accepted Stella, no questions asked, as soon as she arrived in town
Stella is a journalist for the Miami Sun Times. When the newspaper had to make cutbacks, Stella lost her job. Since then, Stella lost her apartment and broke up with her boyfriend. When Stella is unable to find a job, money got very tight and she moved in with her friend; however, months later, with no job prospects in sight, her friend is now suggesting that she needs to leave. Stella’s world is seriously crashing around her. She lost her parents after Thanksgiving, her boyfriend and her broke up, she’s jobless and looking at being homeless.
Then, her old boss, Jane Myers, contacts her to offer her an assignment. Stella’s parents had taught her to do real journalism instead of sensationalizing and gossip. Unfortunately, Jane wants Stella to go to Holly Pointe and write a sensationalized piece about Holly Pointe not really being the Capital of Christmas Kindness. Stella accepts the assignment but says she will only report what she can verify.
When Stella arrives in Holly Pointe and steps out of the car, she slips on the icy sidewalk; however, Sam Johnson, Holly Pointe’s city administrator, catches her before she crashes to the sidewalk. Same, much like Stella, has lost so much. His brother passed away a few years ago.
Stella rents an apartment above the local coffee shop, giving her the perfect place to get to know Holly Pointe’s citizens. While Stella is enjoying a coffee at the coffee shop, she lands her another job as the town’s social media manager/photographer. This allows her access to all the Christmas activities and its citizens.
As she begins investigating for the Miami Sun Times and working as the town’s social media manager, she sees the town’s Santa Claus drinking at a formal party and a children’s party. She takes notes on her computer and begins investigating this, along with several other people, including the town’s celebrity married couple who appear to not be as in love as they seem in photographs.
****Spoiler Alert****
As Stella gathers more information, she begins to develop real, meaningful friendships with the townspeople. In addition to this, she begins dreaming of Sam as more than just a friend and city administrator. When Jane gets into Stella’s files and finds all of the juicy photos and notes, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Will Stella’s friends forgive her? Will Stella’s and Sam’s relationship become more than just friends?
I received an advanced reader’s copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.