Reviews: CHRISTMAS IN PEACHTREE BLUFF & ALWAYS, IN DECEMBER
Happy Friday all! I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for the weekend. I’m really hoping to get in some quality reading time. First though, I’m thrilled to share my thoughts on two absolutely lovely books I finished this week. I’m like retail – finish up the spooky season reviews, then immediately start posting the Christmas ones, lol.
Christmas in Peachtree Bluff (Peachtree Bluff, #4) Goodreads
Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Publication Date: October 26, 2021
Publisher: Gallery Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I’m a huge fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books, especially her popular series, Peachtree Bluff. I fell in love with the smalltown Georgia setting and with the women of the Murphy family. Ansley and her daughters Caroline, Sloan, and Emerson found their way deep into my heart to the point that they felt like dear friends, so I was beyond excited to discover that the author has gifted her readers with Christmas in Peachtree Bluff, a new installment of the beloved series.
I couldn’t wait to see the Murphy women again and the Christmas backdrop was such a bonus. Christmas in Peachtree Bluff is every bit as charming, magical, and full of rich traditions as I expected it to be, and also as expected, the Murphy women are a force to be reckoned with. I loved watching them come together to celebrate the holidays and to face head-on any and all challenges that come their way, whether those challenges come in the form of a 15-year-old headstrong and rebellious teenager, or in the form of an out-of-season hurricane that is bearing down on Peachtree Bluff and threatening to wreck the holidays.
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’m going to keep it brief. It was just so delightful to be back in this world and with these characters, and I thought the story was the perfect mix of drama and holiday cheer. Between the tension created by the family drama and the suspense regarding the dangerous storm, I was glued to the pages and devoured this book in a day.
I also think Christmas in Peachtree Bluff would work beautifully as a standalone even though it’s technically part of a series. Woodson Harvey gives just enough background detail for each character, that I think the story is quite easy to follow along with even if you haven’t read the first three books. I do highly recommend those first three books though, especially if you enjoy southern fiction, small town settings, and strong women.
If you’re looking for a heartwarming holiday read that focuses on the importance of family and forgiveness, Christmas in Peachtree Bluff is the book for you. 5 STARS
Always, in December Goodreads
Author: Emily Stone
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine , Dell
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Always in December by Emily Stone is a somewhat difficult book to classify. Even though it does feature two people who are attracted to one another, I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a romance. And in the same vein, even though December and Christmas are both featured in the story, it’s not what I think of when I think of a holiday read. At its heart, Always in December is a story about love and loss.
The story follows a young woman named Josie whose parents were killed on Christmas night years ago. Still struggling with such a huge loss, Josie tends to avoid most of the Christmas festivities, only clinging to one holiday tradition. Every year she writes and mails a letter to her parents, letting them know how much she misses them and still thinks about them everyday. She has no idea when she ventures out to the post office that she is quite literally going to run into someone who will change her life forever.
Enter Max, the handsome stranger Josie runs over with her bicycle. Like Josie, Max is avoiding the holidays for his own reasons. We don’t know exactly what is going on with Max when we first meet him, but he definitely seems a bit out of sorts, although Josie wins him over pretty quickly and they decide to spend the holidays together. It seems to be going splendidly and Josie starts to envision a future for them, but then Max disappears without saying goodbye and her hopes are dashed. That is, until they keep randomly crossing paths over the course of the next year. It feels like so much more than just coincidence, although Josie can’t understand why Max keeps pulling back from her. It’s an emotional roller coaster for them both and I found myself frustrated with Max at times, although when we ultimately find out the reason for his reluctance, it’s a truly heartbreaking moment and I cried my eyes out.
I adored both Josie and Max from the first moment we meet each of them. Josie is so sweet and vulnerable, and it crushed me to think of how lonely she must have been to grow up without her parents. The loss has clearly shaped her and I was so happy when she and Max seemed to hit it off so well during that first meeting. I was just as frustrated and heartbroken as Josie when he disappeared and then elated each time they crossed paths again, only to be heartbroken all over again each time they parted ways. Max was a sweetheart too, although he clearly has some things weighing him down, and those things are in the way of him finding happiness with Josie.
I really loved how the author has Josie and Max’s relationship unfold. The fleeting happiness, followed by heartbreak and confusion each time they met felt very authentic, and I also loved the idea that they were destined to keep finding each other, to force each of them to be brave, live in the moment, and embrace love since we never know what the future holds.
Always in December is a quietly beautiful story about how our lives are shaped by love and loss. It’s a poignant story that I won’t soon forget. 4.5 STARS
I’m glad to hear you loved Always, in December because I bought a copy of it without reading many reviews! And I’ve been wanting to read Harvey for awhile, and I think this Christmas book would be a great place to start!
I love that you’re reviewing Christmas books already! Christmas in Peachtree Bluff sounds wonderful, even just reading the description it seems like it would make a good movie too😁
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on Always, in December. I’m so disappointed that it keeps getting labeled as a romance because it truly is not. Yes, there is a love story, but it’s not a romance. Like you, I really loved Anna and Max from the very start. And even when I was frustrated with Max, and didn’t understand his motivations, it was still obvious he was a good person and I was pulling for he and Anna. I liked the way Stone let their story unfold over the course of a year and totally forgave her for the ugly crying. 🙂
I think this is the second great review I have seen for the Peachtree book. I have been all about the small town books lately, sounds like a winner for me. I liked Always, in December even if it broke my heart
I’m intrigued by Always in December. It just sounds like a book I would really like.
These both sound like great holiday reads, and that first one especially just sounds like a great read to tuck away with at holiday time. 🙂
Thank you so much for this great review!! I am thrilled and grateful! xo Kristy
Always in December sounds like a really gripping but also heartbreaking read, not sure I’m up to it, haha! I usually like lighter reads as I read before bed! I do need to start thinking about putting some Christmas themed books on my hold list at the library so I can read them in December though! Just maybe not that one!
Hope that you are having a good weekend 🙂
You have me very curious about Always in December — Max and Josie both break my heart for different reasons, but I want to know their stories.