Christmas at Holiday House
Published October 13th 2020 by HQN, Paperback 336 pages
In the town of Silver Bells, there’s always a feeling of Christmas in the air… Let love—and RaeAnne Thayne—melt your heart this holiday season!
This New Year will bring widowed nurse Abigail Powell a fresh start in a different city. Excited about the chance to create an unforgettable Christmas for her young son in picturesque Silver Bells, Colorado, Abby has been hired to take care of her dear friend’s recuperating grandmother. But sprightly senior Winnie insists she doesn’t need looking after. What she does need is help decorating her historic mansion, Holiday House, for a seasonal town fundraiser. Abby warms to the festive task, but she’ll have to contend with her own personal Grinch: Winnie’s prickly grandson, Ethan Lancaster.
Ethan Lancaster is good at a lot of things. Relationships surely aren’t one of them. His ex-fiancée convinced Ethan he was incapable of love, and he believes her…up until the moment he impulsively kisses Abby. What is it about this vibrant woman and her sweet son that knocks his world off-kilter? He knows they’re leaving town after Christmas. He just didn’t expect they’d be taking a little of his heart with them. But as he and Abby work together on the magical Holiday House through the record cold weather, visions of a different future dance in his head…one filled with warmth, love and a new beginning for them both.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne is a 2020 HQN publication.
And….
We have a winner!
I should have known RaeAnne Thayne would deliver! This novel features two love stories. The primary romance is centered around Abigail and her son, Christopher. Abigail is widowed and looking to make a big change to help her move on with her life. Before she heads out to her new destination, her best friend Lucy begs her to take care of her grandmother, Winnie, who is recovering from an injury. How could Lucy refuse the chance to spend Christmas at Holiday House in snowy, Silver Bells, Colorado?
Things get off to a bumpy start when Abby is met at the door of Holiday House by Ethan, Lucy’s brother, who is opposed to Abby being there, preferring his grandmother stay at a care facility.
Despite their awkward beginnings, Ethan and Abby call a truce and soon discover they have a little chemistry brewing between them- although they would both rather not explore it too deeply.
Abby will be leaving immediately after Christmas, after all, and Ethan is convinced he is incapable of experiencing true love- and Abby deserves better than that. Best not to get too involved, right?
The secondary thread is centered around Lucy and Jose- one of Ethan’s best friends. Like Ethan, Lucy is very wary of committed relationships, but Jose is holding out for an all or nothing deal.
I loved the snowy backdrop, the sledding and the huge project of decorating Holiday House for Christmas!! Finally, a holiday story that features holiday activities and creates a fun wintry atmosphere that really makes it feel like Christmas time!
As to the romantic elements, for some reason I found myself more invested in Lucy and Jose’s story, which didn’t develop until much later in the novel. I did enjoy watching Ethan bond with Christopher and I liked the way Abby slowly blossomed. Ethan and Lucy had a tough childhood, which plays a big role in the way they approach relationships. Their development is also central to the story and I thought having them both find true love was a nice touch.
A few surprises in here from Thayne as well. I wonder if she’s breaking away from the ‘Debbie Macomber’ mold, heading in a new direction.
Either way, I finally found a Christmas story that includes holiday trappings and the atmosphere I’ve been looking for this entire holiday season!
4 stars
Rating: really liked it
A diverse and inclusive cast of characters elevate this story. Perfect for relaxed bedtime reading.
Rating: really liked it
This was a lovely Christmas romance.🎄❤🎄❤
Abby is a recently widowed nurse who has agreed to come to Silver Bells, Colorado to help a friend care for her grandmother until permanent caretakers can be found. Unfortunately, she runs into her friend’s brother, Ethan, who believes their grandmother is too ill to remain at the aging home that has been in their family for years and would be better off at the care facility in town. I always like the way RaeAnne Thayne brings characters together with interesting pasts, and this was no exception. I loved the side story with Jose and Lucy just as much as the main romance! Her Christmas books have just the right touch of the holiday spirit. ❄🎅
Rating: really liked it
ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE CHRISTMAS ROMANCEGet ready to fall in love with these characters, this town and this story! I was not ready, thinking it was just going to be a run of the mill Christmas romance. But this went deeper than that, and I adored it!
👍 What I Liked 👍Characters: There were so many amazing characters in this book! Not only the main characters but also all the secondary characters were so great and fleshed out, they really felt like real people. Each had a distinct personality which I really warmed to. I think my favourites were Winnie, Christopher and Rod!
Ending: I will not spoil it here. I will only say that it was very fitting and very moving.
Two love stories: I really loved that we got two love stories for the price of one. And while Ethan and Abby's story was clearly the main story, Lucy and José's story was not a throw away add-on. It had the same depth and attention which just made for really good reading experience.
Ethan and Christopher: Abby's son Christopher was so adorable and huggable. No wonder that Ethan instantly fell in love with him. I absolutely loved the relationship that these two built together. How fast Ethan was in softening and how fast Chris opened up. So cute.
👎 What I Disliked 👎Plot: Honestly, this is just a minor point. Sometimes the plot felt a little... circular. As if the characters weren't really moving or getting anywhere. Especially Ethan, Abby and Lucy kept repeating the same thoughts, worries and hang-ups time and time again. I wanted them to range out and grow a bit more.
Rating: really liked it
I had a really good time in the town of Silver Bells. I loved the Holiday House and Grandma Winnie was great. The romance between Ethan and Abby was one for the books. Of course I can't leave out sweet Christopher.
I will be sitting on pins and needles until next year to see what Thayne gives us for Christmas.
Rating: really liked it
DNF 20%
Life’s too short for boring books.
😴😴😴
Rating: really liked it
Sometimes I’m just in the mood for an uncomplicated, easy read and when that mood strikes, I know I can always count on RT to deliver. If it’s a holiday book from her then it’s even better because besides her trademark sweet and tender vibes you get all the holiday cheer as well! This was no exception and totally fit the Bill as far as being exactly the right book at exactly the right time for me.
A quaint little setting is so important for me in a romance and Silver Bells was beyond idyllic. It brought all the Christmas charm and had me wishing I lived there alongside the characters. I really liked both Abby and Ethan and found them to be a believable match, and then the bonus addition of Abby’s son and Ethan’s grandmother added so much warmth to an already warm story. There’s a secondary romance between two side characters as well, which was fun, overall there was lots going on here in the romance department on a very PG level. Think Hallmark movie type romance and this book is it, in fact it would make a wonderful movie, all of the authors books would actually buy definitely add this to your December TBR.
Rating: really liked it
This is my first RaeAnne Thayne book and I quite enjoyed my visit to Silver Bells. I especially loved the Christmasy vibe throughout. A lot of times Christmas seems to be a two dimensional backdrop in a holiday romance but it's front and center in this second chance romance. Great pacing with just enough angst to keep Abby and Ethan wary of each other without going overboard. And there's even a bonus love story and some great secondary characters that made me smile. A feel-good-got-me-in-the-holiday-spirit read.
Rating: really liked it
What a sweet story! I can always count t on Raeanne Thayne for a happy story and this is one of my favorites of hers. A perfect Colorado small town on a gorgeous estate with a delightful cast of characters. Loved it!
Rating: really liked it
Christmas at Holiday House is all that you'd expect from a Christmas story, and more! Small town, Christmassy-setting with lots of snow? Check! Quirky and endearing characters? Check! Visions of lights and Christmas trees and snowmen? Check! Christmas cookies and gingerbread houses? Check! What I loved most about this particular book, and the fact that we get TWO romances, not just one, is that it's not easy for these characters to open their hearts to love. It was wonderful to watch as their hearts become vulnerable, and they must find the courage to take a leap of faith on love and happiness. A perfect book for the holidays.
Rating: really liked it
This was a cute Christmas contemporary romance book. I was nervous it wouldn't have enough Christmas but it did! I enjoyed the fun activities and the relationships between the characters.
Rating: really liked it
Loved this holiday book! It read like a Hallmark movie and I really hope it becomes one. <3
Rating: really liked it
Predictable holiday romance but it was nice. I had been wanting to check out this author and I’m glad that I did.
Rating: really liked it
Every year I get caught up in the sweet stories that revolve around the holidays. Some are beautifully written, others are a bit too saccharine for my taste; still others are so wonderful that you remember them for seasons to come. Christmas at Holiday House is one of those. It is a multi-generational story revolving around a beautiful Victorian house - the Holiday House - that becomes a character in its own right. If you only read one holiday tale this year, Christmas at Holiday House should be the one you read.
Rating: really liked it
Average romance novel. I wasn't really invested in the characters outcome, but was interested enough to stick through until the end. Not sure if I'll read more by this author in the future.
