Book Review: Christmas in Bayberry
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Jennifer Faye
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Publish Date: July 7, 2020
Format: eBook
★★★★☆
This book is perfect for those that like: Christmas Magic, Nosy Newspaper Editors, and Secret Long Time Crushes.
You might not like this book if you aren’t into: Small Town Settings, Business Talk, or Interrupted Kisses.
Purchase: Bookshop / Barnes & Noble / Amazon
From Goodreads: Kate Taylor knows what she wants in life: to one day run her family’s candle business, which is at the heart of the close-knit community of Bayberry, Vermont. But the company isn’t doing well.
Wesley Adams is on the fast track to be an assistant vice president at his financial firm in Manhattan. Before the promotion is announced, he’s sent to this small town from his past to do a analysis of the candle company.
He doesn’t expect to bump into his childhood crush, Kate, and when he does, sparks fly. As he spends time in Bayberry, he falls for the town’s Christmas traditions—and for her. But he has a responsibility to submit an honest report. Will it extinguish Kate’s dreams…along with any chance they have for a future together?
I’m a sucker for slow burn romances and delayed gratification, so I generally don’t get into the Christmas in July hype. I prefer to wait until AT LEAST after Halloween before succumbing to the red and green holiday flair, so I won’t lie, I was a bit reluctant to read Christmas in Bayberry by Jennifer Faye. Not only because it was Christmas-themed, but because it was also a “Save the _________” story and those are not really my favorite. BUT, I do love a good Small Town Romance (especially when there’s a long-time secret crush involved) AND the author and I are one letter away from being last name twins, so I went in with an open mind. Y’all, I’m SO GLAD I ignored my own trope snobbery and took a chance on this book! It was so cozy and charming and everything I didn’t know I needed in these Quarantine Times.
I think my mind and soul were begging for a bit of comfort. A way to escape and be with people, even if it was all fictional, who were feeling the joys and warmth the season brings to some of us. This book has it all- Christmas Spirit, Community Kindness, Romance (with an Older Couple too!), and even a tiny bit of Magic, which, I know isn't for everyone, but I do love a Magic Santa.
What separated this Save the Candle Factory (in this case) from typical stories of this nature, was that Wes, the Business Man From the City Coming to Close Down the Factory, was upfront from the start that he was there to most likely recommend to sell. There wasn’t the last minute revelation that he was secretly selling the factory or firing everyone. Wes and the protagonist, Kate, knew they were potentially working against each other and still found a way to communicate, apologize when needed, and move on. And then fall in love.::SWOON:: Even The Big Misunderstanding at the end didn’t feel contrived. It was just another instance where they didn’t initially connect, but still thought through things rationally and overcame it to be together. Plus, THE GRAND GESTURE MOMENT WAS PERFECTION. I don’t want to give it all away but y’all I literally gasped with excitement when I realized what was about to happen.
Overall this book was a little slice of Christmas heaven and I will definitely be rereading this one come December.