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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I liked the small town vibe. I just didn’t understand why Stella felt the need to continue with the assignment once she arrived in Holly Pointe. If her character had been portrayed as a hard core reporter who was all about getting the story, it would have made more sense to me. As it was, she had a job, a place to stay, and no one to go back to in Florida.
You just knew that Sam and everyone else was going to find out the real reason Stella was in Holly Pointe. Yet, knowing did not lessen the impact at all.
Thankfully, you still get that special holiday season HEA. I love holiday books.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Stella Carpenter has been laid off from her job, lost her apartment, and is about to be kicked off of her friends sofa when her old boss offers her a job opportunity. The job is to write an expose about the seedy underbelly of
Holly Pointe Vermont, where they live Christmas all year long. Once Stella gets there, she ends up falling in love with the town and Sam Johnson. This is a delightful small town story, with wonderful secondary characters (that will hopefully have stories of their own). What kept this from being a five star book for me was that there was so much time meeting the secondary characters, I felt that the romance was rushed. Overall, this was a nice start to a potential new series. I was given an ARC of this book by the author for my honest review.
First of all I’m a huge fan of Cindy Kirk and “I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.” Holly Pointe is a town that should be on every ones bucket list of places to visit. Our main character Stella has had enough hardship to last a life time & falls into a dream of a town that offers her everything she needs and more. I’m hoping that this will be a new series. This is a feel good story with no surprises.
I enjoyed reading Cindy Kirk’s Holly Pointe and Mistletoe. The premise of the story intrigued me. A journalist was sent to Holly Pointe, Vermont during the holidays to write an expose not a flattering piece, on the town. A negative article at Christmas? Despite my initial concerns, the novel’s small town setting and fabulous characters drew me into this holiday read.
Stella Carpenter is running out of options; she’s been unemployed for three months, she has nowhere to live and her boyfriend dumped her. Stella receives an all-expenses paid assignment from her former editor. Her editor doesn’t want a fluff piece-she wants Stella to write an expose about the town that’s been named the Christmas Capital of the United States. Stella grabs the assignment and hopes that it will lead to a full time job.
It took me awhile to warm up to Stella. She skates around the truth, cozies up to the town leaders and secures a job as a social media photographer on her first day in town. I adore Cindy Kirk’s small town slice of life stories and the characters who add color and depth to the story. Through her friendships with Faith, Melinda and Sam, Stella understands that kindness, friendship and trust are part of the fabric of this small town. I loved the scene which takes place at Faith’s gift shop; Stella is asked if being a reporter is much as who she is as much as what she does? This talk about integrity shakes Stella to the core.
With its message of forgiveness and kindness, Holly Pointe and Mistletoe is a fabulous holiday read. The characters are not perfect; instead they are relatable. Their stories are filled with love, compassion and hope. Reading this novel emphasizes the small town values of honesty, community and faith-each character exemplifies these values when they interact with Stella. Her personal and professional decisions drive the story towards its satisfying conclusion.
Grab a cup of tea and your favorite blanket or corgi—and settle in for a fabulous afternoon read. This book is a holiday treasure.
Stella wants her old job back and that means agreeing to write a story on a town known for its Christmas spirit by damaging it with scandal. She moves to this town to infiltrate the residents and find her scandal. Problem for Stella is, she likes the residents. More than that she might have found the man of her dreams. So what will she do? Sell out the people she has learned to love and become one of the rats her boss wants her to become or tell the more boring truth ?
The end surprised me. This author has a way of taking a story you think has an obvious end and gives you a perspective that may not be what you invisioned. This as well as the love story with a great guy made it one of my favorite reads this year. Romance is always fun but this Christmas story has much more, a story that makes you think… and that is a good thing. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it which has been an honor.
I greatly enjoyed this story. Hidden agendas, secrets, and family losses for both Stella and Sam, the two main characters. Stella wrestled with her need for a job (potentially screwing over her new friends in Holly Pointe) versus her integrity and ethics. Stella’s helping Kenny out in the Busy Bean coffee shop for free highlighted her true nature. I appreciated the developing romance among the larger issues of journalism today (sensationalism versus “journalism”, decreasing job market).
The main characters were well developed, flawed, and relatable. Many of the secondary characters were, in my mind, clearly defined (e.g. Dustin and Krista, Britt, Sam’s parents). My only concern about the book was the descriptions of Kate, Mel, and Lucy. I could never get a good feel for these three, could not tell them apart, and couldn’t remember whether Kate or Lucy was Kevin’s girlfriend years ago.
I rate this story a 4.5, and recommend this book, not only as a seasonal book, but a book to be enjoyed any time of the year.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing the book.
Holly Pointe & Mistletoe is indeed a heartwarming story of redemption, love at first sight, unconditional friendships, standing behind your neighbors, and community building. A perfect Christmas story filled with love and heartache and survival and doing the right thing and finding the truth within. Add in skating and sledding and hot chocolate and every community activity fun for children and adults in a snowy, vibrant Vermont town and you have a delightful Christmas story that not only depicts the fantasy of a perfect Christmas, but the real-life trials and successes of one couple who never thought they’d each find love and a cast of residents to give life and spirit to Holly Pointe. Wouldn’t we all wish to live in Holly Pointe?
I was given an advanced copy to read in exchange for an unbiased assessment of this book.
I really, really enjoyed Holly Pointe & Mistletoe. I think it would be wonderful to have more books set in Holly Pointe. Cindy Kirk really has a gift – in book after book, series after series – for creating likable, believable characters. I would love to spend some more time with these folks! I know we’ve seen the Christmas craziness, but I’m a lot like Kevin – I sing Christmas carols all year long – and in a place like Holly Pointe, I bet there’s Christmas-themed stuff happening all year. I’d love to be a part of it! Also, I just adore Faith’s shop – and the description of it! I particularly love this paragraph: “On this table were signs with magic wands, some strewn with glitter, and a few with only words. Stella’s favorite was the one proclaiming, ‘She leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes.’” I also love Sam’s Christmas present that Stella bought at Faith’s shop. I could picture myself shopping there!
This is a romantic and sweet Christmas story. Holly Pointe if full on kind, strong and suportive people and I fell in love with every single one. Stella is journalist from Miami that moved to Holly Pointe with a special assigment and in the process of writting her story she meets Sam a lot of amazing people. I really enjoyed reading this book and I really hope this is part of a series.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Good story
A book about second chances and doing the right thing. Stella has to decide what it means to be a journalist when her assignment leads her to Holly Pointe and she finds true friendship and a love interest. What will people think if they find out she is trying to find “dirt” on the town for a story. What will she do when she has to make the choice between a job and her new friends? What if it’s too late?
As Christmas approaches, Stella finds herself alone, without a job and quickly going through her savings. She is becoming desperate and quickly accepts an assignment from her former sensationalist editor Jane. Stella is offered the opportunity to research and write a feature article on Holly Pointe, Vermont, touted as the “capital of Christmas kindness.” Jane doesn’t ask for a sweet holiday feature, but rather challenges Stella to expose the town’s dark underbelly.
When Stella arrives in Holly Pointe she is charmed by both the scenic town and its people, none more than mayor Sam. Can she carry through with the assignment? Will she dig up the dirt to harm the reputation of the town that feels so much like home?
Cindy Kirk never fails to create multifaceted characters. Her writing style not only keeps the reader invested in the welfare of the main characters, but has them cheering for the whole cast of characters. I look forward to the next book in the Holly Pointe series. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
This is a nice entertaining Christmas story. Cindy Kirk does an excellent job giving her readers a main character they can identify with. Stella has lost everything, her job, her apartment, etc. Her editor has given her one chance to get her job back. She just has to do a hatchet job on Holly Pointe, Vermont.
Stella starts off as the type of person that would do anything to recapture everything she lost. As she gets drawn into the town & it’s inhabitants life’s, her morals & pride in her job step up. She’s begun to enjoy the town, her temporary job & Sam. I enjoyed the small town friendly atmosphere & the good triumphing over “evil”.
I just want to move to Holly Pointe after reading this story. A true delight of so many Christmas traditions with truly wholesome people. Loved the chemistry between Stella and Sam, great connection of a slow burning romance. Both with family tragedy in their past and now to find their HEA. Even though Stella was to find the dirt on this wonderful Christmas town to keep her job as a reporter, she still fell in love with this quaint town.
I believe this is the perfect story for a Hallmark movie, grab a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy!! I highly recommend this story.
Such a feel good holiday novel! The characters are real and believeable dealing with normal life issues around the holidays. The friendships run deep and true to themselves. The small town feel makes it a place you’d love to live in. Definitely a perfect read to lead me into the holiday spirit and make me thankful for what I have in my own life.
If you are looking for a cozy heartwarming Christmas read look no farther. I am so excited about this new series by Cindy Kirk!!! Stella is an unemployed journalist but has been given the chance to write an article. She has been sent to the Vermont town of Holly Pointe, to dig into the “Capital of Christmas Kindness” because there has to be something up, because no town is perfect! I could not put this book down, you will not be disappointed.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
Holly Pointe is one of the quaint towns Cindy Kirk writes about I’d love to live.
Stella had lost her family, her job, and her boyfriend. When her boss reached out with the opportunity for an all expenses paid trip to Holly Pointe to write a tell all article about a town called the “Capital of Christmas Kindness” because nowhere is perfect. Stella accepts it, with the promise of a new career in the new year, and agrees to write the article, but only on the facts she can verify.
She rolls into town and meets the town administrator, Sam, who is the town Grinch due to the loss of his brother years before. Through some events she takes on an assignment as the towns social media photographer. Sam told her that she should experience life from another perspective than from behind the lens of a camera.
She saw some things about some of the town’s residents that appear to be one thing and she begins to believe that maybe Holly Pointe isn’t as perfect of a town as it’s painted to be.
We meet so many secondary characters and, although their stories aren’t in the forefront, they are likable and relatable. As we move through, Stella does start to believe that there is more than meets the eye. I do hope we get to see more of them at some point.
The book is likable and is predictable, but it’s such a charming book, it didn’t make me want to put it down. That fact is what made it 4 stars instead of 5 for me.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review. I have enjoyed Cindy Kirk’s other in so I was very excited for this one. I love all things Christmas and this book didn’t disappoint.
I loved the town of Holly Pointe. I loved all of the activities mentioned in the book and wish my town would incorporate some of them into the holiday festivities. I loved the main character, Stella, and the supporting characters. They are flawed, and struggle with decisions. They are the type of neighbors I would like to have.
What I did notice with this story that I haven’t with Cindy’s other books is that the last couple chapters felt rushed. I would have preferred the book being an extra 100 pages of need be instead of rushing through the conclusion. I still recommend the book and enjoyed it just wanted more!
I just love Holly Pointe! It sounds like such a great place to live! And who doesn’t love a little holiday romance to start the season off right?!?! Cindy Kirk has once again taken a topic that is prevalent in our society today and brought it to light in her book. The media is not so much about reporting on the news anymore but on sensationalizing everything. Great read! Thank you!
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. This book took me a little longer to get hooked on but that was only because it made me a bit nervous. I knew it was inevitable and Stella would get caught if she did not tell the truth and I was unsure of how it would all unravel. However, I continued to read and was soon hooked and struggling to put the book down. The romance twist was sweet and the way Cindy Kirk managed to bring it all together in the end was just perfect! Holly Pointe & Mistletoe turned out to be one of my favorite books by Cindy Kirk. I highly recommend this book and if you don’t get hooked immediately keep reading because it is so worth it!