Christmas comes but once a year. Unless you never take down the decorations.
When a pipe in her home freezes and bursts, antiques collector Fern Gale knows her holiday season is off to a bad start. Her house was already a mess and all she wants to do is drink hot chocolate and binge-watch Christmas movies.
The winter catastrophe pushes Fern to spruce things up at 313 Pine Tree Lane. And that’s … pushes Fern to spruce things up at 313 Pine Tree Lane. And that’s when she stumbles across something that belongs to her estranged husband.
Stedman Gale thought he moved on from Fern. After all, when her mother died, their marriage died, too. But then he gets a frantic phone call in the middle of the night that changes everything…
If the small-town magpie can reconnect with the love of her life then maybe she’ll be more than the lonely woman who lives in The Christmas House.
Book Two in the Hickory Grove series is a quirky, stand-alone romantic women’s fiction about a second chance that comes a little later in life. Order your copy in time for the holiday season.
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I have enjoyed all books I have read by this author. I appreciate clean and wholesome romance stories. Thank you for writing them!
The Christmas House
A Hickory Grove Novel
By: Elizabeth Bromke
Narrated by: Cecily White
I love holiday books, and this one has a very good message. Fern and Stedman are soulmates who found each other through the love of old movies in a chatroom online. Married and estranged, the lack of communication has done them in. Ironic, right? Well, as we know, life plays tricks on us and when Fern’s mother dies, Fern goes into a depression and losing Stedman is a direct result. Now years later, the two cross paths again. As Fern begins to come alive again, will she breathe life back into her relationship with Stedman? This is a touching story of love and life. It deals with relevant issues and lets us live through Fern. We also get that sense of friendship and community with the addition of the women of Hickory Grove. The Christmas House is will light up your heart.
Cecily White continues her narration of this series and brings the town to life. I am enjoying her voices and how she interprets the stories. Each is unique, yet she holds consistency of character voices from book to book.
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I fell in love with Elizabeth’s novels with the first book I read. I love the characters, her writing style and stories. Her story lines are clean but exciting, once I start one of her books I don’t want to put it down.
Fern is an introvert, hard to bring her out of her shell that she hides in. Fern and her estranged husband, Stedman start communicating again after four years apart. The Christmas House: A Hickory Grove Novel is part of the Hickory Grove Series. Fern and her friend, Maggie redid the Christmas decorations and brought life back to the Christmas House.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
First just let me say that this story seemed more like Women’s Fiction than a Second Chance Romance. While it was a second chance between the protagonists, it was more about Fern’s dealing with and overcoming depression due to the death of her mother and the abandonment of her husband four years ago. These two events happened within months of each other.
Another reason it seemed more like Women’s Fiction, the book was written in Fern’s POV only. Stedman really only made occasional appearances for the most part.
This book was amazing!! The author kept teasing you so you kept turning page after page. Wanting to find out what happens next.
Don’t you just love the holidays?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
” The Christmas House” by Elizabeth Bromke is a tale of Fern Gale a somewhat eccentric quasi-hermit who fell into a depressive state after the death of her Mother and abandonment of her estranged husband Stedman Gale……who is the first person she contacts when her house’s pipe freezes and her antiques are at risk. As a result of Stedman riding to her rescue …with the help of her neighbor Maggie…Fern begins to re-evaluate her life…and start to hope again …and if a miracle IS to happen …Christmas is the time for it. Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great Christmas romance, exactly right for this time of year.
We first met Fern Gale for a tiny bit in The Schoolhouse: A Hickory Grove Novel. In The Christmas House, we get to know more of her story. She is kind of a recluse and rarely leaves her house. The locals in town refer to her house as “The Christmas House” because the Christmas decorations are up year round. She has collected various antiques and plans to open her own antique shop one day. She has put her life on hold since her mother’s death and her husband walked out on her, but a frozen pipe that bursts makes her call her husband who shows up in the middle of the night to help. Could this be the second chance for their love? Will Fern step out of her comfort zone and make new friends and finally open her business? Great characters and wonderful story line.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Christmas House is a second chance romance. I found this book a little strange and difficult to get into, so much so that I nearly did not finish it. Fern is not likeable and I could not bring myself to feel sorry for her or her situation. The flashback messages were so annoying. This book does get better but it is a very slow starter. There is no sense of a lasting HEA relationship between the two main characters and little hope that they will still be together in future books despite everything the author wants you to believe.
There are a plethora of amazing Christmas romance books but sadly, for me, this is not one of them. This however is only my opinion and I did enjoy previous books by Elizabeth Bromke.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 4th book I’ve read written by Elizabeth Bromke; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
Fern Gale is kind of a recluse. She rarely goes out and her house, which is referred to by the locals n as “The Christmas House” because the decorations are up year-round, looks neglected. She collects antiques and plans to open a shop one day, so far one day hasn’t come, but an unexpected visit from a neighbor, and a burst pipe in the middle of the night that threatens to ruin all of her possessions suddenly sparks life into Fern, and she decides to start making some changes.
Fern had a cameo in The Schoolhouse: A Hickory Grove Novel which left me with the impression she might not be dealing with a full deck, but that’s definitely not the case. We learn through chat room flashbacks why Fern moved back to Hickory Grove a few years ago, and how she met Stedman, whom she would marry.
Maggie, who we also met in The Schoolhouse, is Fern’s nearest neighbor and offers to help her go through everything she’s collected in the four years since her mother’s death. I liked Maggie a lot more in this book than in the previous one. We find out a little bit more about Maggie. I think she’s a great friend to Fern and I enjoyed their friendship.
In the midst of what I call “Fern’s rebirth” she and her estranged husband Stedman start communicating again. I kind of understand why he left but don’t understand why he never contacted Fern in four years. The only reason they’re even speaking now is because Fern called him to ask where the water shut off valve was to stop her house from flooding from the burst pipe. I hope these two had more communication than was on the written page if they want to make their marriage work. Having suffered from depression I was aggravated with this character and that he would just leave his wife because she fell into a depression after her mother died.
I adore the cover of the book–it’s a perfect Christmas house. I LOVED when Fern, Maggie and Becky redid the decorations outside and inside the house. That part really made me feel the spirit of Christmas.
The town recluse learns that she just needs to trust and allow people in to the heart she had closed off. As long as Fern remembers this and keeps love in your heart, all is not lost. Beautiful cover matches a beautiful story of love, hope and renewal.
I received a free copy of this book and have left this honest review in return.
This is a super sweet read about an introvert Fern who loses not only her mother when she passes but also her husband Stedman after she gets lost in her grief of losing her Mother who was also her best friend. When get a glimpse of how they met and where she is at well pretty much rock bottom of life but one burst pipe changes the course for not only Fern but also Stedman while Fern also learns what it is like to have true friends. This really is a great second chance romance as well as story that with the right friends and help you can achieve what you want no matter your age.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An interesting second chance romance with older characters. Lots of drama and past issues to work through. Starts off kind of sad but don’t give up the story is worthwhile and we get our HEA.
Part of the A Hickory Grove Novel series a well written second chance story thanks to a frozen, burst pipe. This is antiques collector Fern Gale and her estranged husband Stedman Gale’s story, she has alot to let go of and he has to learn how to show his feelings,so that they can get their happy ending. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
The Christmas House is the second book in the Hickory Grove series. This heartwarming second chance romance has wonderful well-developed characters that share a past marriage. The story is well written and depicts a woman who withdraws into herself and how it affected her relationship with her husband. Is there any chance of a future for this small-town couple?
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
An excellent piece worth reading.
The small town of Hickory Grove sounds like a place I would love to visit. This faith-based is not too sweet but it gives just the right feeling for a holiday book, in fact, this would make a wonderful movie Hallmark are you listening? This book is about a second chance for an older couple just a little different from the normal romance. You also get a cliffhanger what is Maggie going to do? I cannot wait to read the next book. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
The book is a good sweet small town holiday romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have chemistry. The story is an enjoyable second chance at love read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you enjoy the Hallmark Christmas movies you’ll love this sweet small town romance. The author does a great job bringing two people together and slowly building their relationship. It’s a feel good holiday romance,is well written and brought to life with her descriptive scenes. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and grow into love in this heartfelt read. I loved and would highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
A second chance Christmas romance about a woman who has been suffering from depression since her Mom’s illness and death. She decides to change herself and start living after a neighbor reaches out to her. A burst water pipe late at night causes her to call her estranged hubby. This was a complimentary copy for an honest review. When I read about this character in the “Schoolhouse”, I wondered what her story was and now I know. Glad I received a complementary copy to read and review.