My first read by Nancy Naigle I very much enjoyed. Has the “Hallmark” formula feel to it which I believe the author is now writing for hallmark. This was a fun and hopefully read,
Perfect
For Christmas

This most definitely read like a Hallmark movie, so I'm not surprised at all it ended up becoming one. It's a very clean, wholesome book, and was more about learning who you are and supporting those you care about. There were a few points in the book that felt a bit unresolved but overall a good book for anyone who likes a holiday-themed book or a clean romance.

Hope At Christmas is a sweet holiday romance in a small town. The heroine, Sydney Ragsdale, is soon to be divorced and has moved from Atlanta to escape the hold her somewhat controlling soon to be ex-husband has on her and because her grandparents left their farmhouse and she has nowhere else for her and her daughter to live. The hero, Kevin “Mac” MacAlee, is the high school baseball coach and history teacher at the high school whose wife abandoned him and their child, Seth, years ago. They both have 10 year old children.

Sydney had a lot of self doubt after her husband cheated on her for two years prior to asking to be out of the relationship. Her daughter was against the move and wanted to stay with her dad, but her dad’s new girlfriend wasn’t totally on board with that so Sydney and RayAnne have moved to the small town where Sydney used to spend summers with her grandparents.

I liked both the main characters and honestly, the fact this was a clean romance didn’t bother me at all, it worked for this couple and their relationship. What I did have issues with, and I do realize this was an Advance Review Copy, was there were so many issues with the timeline in this story which distracted greatly from the story.

I did feel like there was a bit of manufactured drama that wasn’t necessary and the ending was a bit too fairytale easy, but it mostly worked for a light holiday read.

For me, the real star of this book was the town, the community, and the holiday traditions they’ve carried on for many years.

Hope At Christmas is a pleasant holiday romance that was easy to read and enjoyable.

This book was SO SO GOOD. Perfect for readers and for the holidays. I loved it so much, despite the tears.

A Christmas book that also has a bookstore as almost a central character is my kind of story! Sydney and Ray Anne move to a small town in North Carolina to restart their lives as Sydney's husband has decided to start life with a new woman. Sydney has a farmhouse passed down from her grandparents and these two land there and are immediately surrounded by the small town love that anyone can hope for after a major life change.

This book may have become my favorite of my holiday reads this year. The setting set it above the rest as I could picture this small town bookstore in NC as I am a HUGE fan of The Island Bookstore in the Outer Banks of NC. The Book Bea made me think of that sweet little place and it made me want to get in my car and go visit it! I hope that that little place in the Outer Banks has the community that surrounds the bookstore in this book because that made the book for me.

This was the sweetest book and I had to slow myself down so I could just enjoy it even longer. I was sad to find out that there is only one Nancy Naigle holiday book that I haven't read, saving it for next year!

WHAT DID I THINK OF HOPE AT CHRISTMAS BY NANCY NAIGLE?
I really genuinely enjoyed Hope At Christmas by Nancy Naigle. It’s my second holiday themed book by Naigle and the experience of this book was plenty satisfying. This story hits some really great notes for me, which I guess lead to some outsized expectations for the Hallmark movie adaptation – which y’all, was serendipity because it was on tv the same weekend that I was reading this book.

So, Hope At Christmas follows Sydney Ragsdale, a divorcee who is moving to the town of Hopewell to stay in an inherited farmhouse with her daughter Ray Anne. Sydney is on a budget so she gets a part time job at the Book Bea, which is so special to her as she used to visit it as a child. Bea is the current owner of The Book Bea and a wonderful character in her own right. So, Sydney is dealing with the impact of her divorce on her daughter Ray Anne and coming to terms with being alone for Christmas. She ends up making friends in her new town, joining in traditions and meeting/being attracted to Mac, a local teacher with a son, Seth who is just a bit older than Ray Anne. Mac has a side job over the holidays that he’s keeping secret.

This book is so sweet. I liked that it was a listen that did not ask a ton out of me. This was the easiest book to just do house work and relax to. Most of the characters were pleasant. I never had to feel awkward while listening because there’s no adult times (I can no longer listen to that in the car while driving as my passenger has little ears). The town of Hopewell is so charming and there’s one tradition that’s superb.

As for the movie, I am not sure why it’s called Hope At Christmas when the only things that are the same are Sydney, Ray Anne, the Book Bea, and Mac. There’s no Seth in the movie. A certain dramatic scene is missing. I hate to be cliche but the book was much better than the movie – there was just so much missing from the movie and I did feel let down, having read the book so close to watching the movie.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of Nancy Naigle’s Hope At Christmas is narrated by Kristin Kalbli and is 9 hours long. I listened to it sped up via Hoopla. It’s actually really easy to follow. It’s enjoyable. Kalbi has a good narration style – she’s not over the top, but you can tell the characters apart. She has great pacing too. I think this is an audiobook worth checking out to get into the spirit of the holiday.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO BUDDY THE ELF – HOW MUCH CHRISTMAS SPIRIT DOES HOPE AT CHRISTMAS HAVE?
This book is brimming with spirit – from making a Christmas display at the Book Bea to a progressive caroling event to the wonderful ending. I really think this is a book that you should read when you are feeling down and need something to make you feel happy.

Christmas is always a time for hope and Hope at Christmas weaves it into a beautiful tale of love and new beginnings as well as the love of books. Nancy Naigle delivers a perfect love story that makes us want to put up the tree, curl up with this beautiful novel, and hope again for a wonderful Christmas day.

After her divorce Sydney Ragsdale decided to move back to the tiny town of Hopewell, NC where she spent many happy summers at her grandparents' farm. Her hope was to get away from her husband who was trying to run her life and constantly tempting his daughter with things and trips in the hopes she would want to live with him and his new girlfriend. Sydney is also hoping to bring the relationship she has with her daughter to a new level and get her to love the little town as much as she did as a child. When her grandparents died, they left her the house, so off they go. Shortly after settling in, Sydney finds herself wandering into The Book Bea, a beautiful, friendly bookstore run by Bea whom Sydney remembers from her own childhood. It turns out she is in the right place at the right time and is hired by Bea to assist her over the holidays. Before long though Sydney finds herself falling in love with the small town shop and it's charm. As Ray Anne begins making friends, she is more and more comfortable in Hopewell as well. Kevin MacAlea, Mac is a single father to a 12 year old son, a high school history teacher and baseball coach and the best Santa Claus the town has. When Sydney meets Mac the last thing on her mind is starting a new relationship but between working at The Book Bea and her daughter becoming friends with Mac's son the two find themselves spending more and more time together. Will Mac help Sydney deal with the new life she has found? Will Ray Anne be happy in Hopewell and want to stay or move back to Atlanta?

Hope at Christmas by Nancy Naigle is a beautiful holiday romance that is full of small town charm and emotions. The Book Bea sounded like a magical place for book lovers, and families. It was a central part of the town, similar to those country stores and coffee shops in other books. Bea, the owner, knows everyone in town and has wisdom and advice that is simple and honest. I enjoyed every time we visited the store. I couldn't help but root for Sydney to overcome the things her ex had done to her emotionally and was continuing to do to her through her daughter. There is some angst and action in the story that added to the emotional investment of this reader, that made it hard to put down. Between the small town setting, the wonderful bookstore, the great characters and the holiday setting, I was won over by this story. I have recently found out that this book has been made into a Hallmark movie and I am not surprised. This is a story that I'd definitely recommend checking out for those fans of romance stories, especially with a Christmas setting.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this Christmas story about Mac and his son Seth and Sydney and her daughter RaeAnne.

Sydney has learned that her husband Jon of 12 years has been cheating on her with a younger woman for the past 2 years. He tells her he was a divorce. She takes RaeAnne and leaves Atlanta to go stay in Hopewell, where she had inherited her grandparents old farmhouse. RaeAnne doesn’t want to leave her old life behind. Sydney has a job started after 1/1 but is planning to be alone for the holidays. While her daughter is at school, she visits the old bookstore she used to love to go in the summers when she visited her grandparents. She reconnects with the owner, an elderly woman named Bea. Sydney offers to help her run the bookstore. She helps with the window for Christmas and the customers.

Mac teaches at the high school and moonlights as Santa at the towns’s holiday village. Seth hasn't been very enthusiastic about Christmas since his mom left them on Christmas never to see her again. Mac and Seth meet Sydney and RaeAnne at the book store and become friendly. They do things as a family together. Jon keeps canceling the plans he’s made with RaeAnne when he decides to take his girlfriend to Paris, rather than on a ski trip for Rae and the girlfriend. There is a lot of angst in the story, some sad moments and so happy romance between Mac and Sydney. I loved the plot, the characters and the longer story length. This is definitely a 5 star book. I will look to read more by Nancy in the future.

Hope at Christmas is a lovely holiday offering by prolific author Nancy Naigle. Sydney Ragsdale has moved herself and her daughter, RayAnne, to small town Hopewell, NC from Atlanta after her marriage from Jon dissolved when he and paramour Ashley leave her high and dry on a bitter Valentine’s Day. Sydney had inherited her grandparents’ house a few years back. It is the site of so many happy memories that she is lured back to a simpler place and wonderful memories. But the adjustment isn’t easy and her 10 year old daughter RayAnne seems miserable, just waiting for her reunion with her dad, Jon, for a fabulous ski trip.

When Sydney discovers her favorite childhood refuge, The Book Bea, she is lured inside for comfort and finds the indomitable owner, Bea Marion is still running the business. In a reflective moment, Sydney tells Bea about this and the next thing she knows she is hired as Bea’s assistant to help her during the Christmas season, the last season Bea will have the shop open.

In the course of working in the shop, Sydney reunites with childhood friend Diane, meeting her two children and husband. Good fortune brings RayAnne and Diane’s children together in a close friendship. She also meets high school teacher Kevin ‘Mac’ MacAlee and his son, Seth. RayAnne also becomes friends with Seth.

As Sydney and RayAnne settle into their new lives, Jon again disappoints his daughter one more time. As a result, RayAnne takes off to Seth’s home, taking an suv and ultimately wrecking it, injuring herself. This act is what results in the culminating conclusion and the way in which the story comes to an end.

A very well constructed story, this one I found heart wrenching and followed every word to its sweet conclusion. I did enjoy this book and do recommend it!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I really had not meant to get this book but accidentally downloaded it. I am glad that I finally decided to read this though. We have Sydney a recently divorced woman and her daughter move to a new town for a new start. The story was pretty well done but I felt that the romance was pretty second fiddle to the rest of the book. The other thing that I wasn’t in love with was the ending. I wish more had been done to give a glimpse of the future.

Small Towns, a Bookstore, and Christmas! What better read is there? Oh, yea the heartache that comes. It has everything that makes a great book. The characters were so enjoyable. This book has me ready for the upcoming holiday season. This was my first time reading a book by Naigle and it won't be my last.

This story has several things I love, a bookstore, a small town, and Christmas. It has some heartache in the lives that all get to read about, but that’s what makes the outcome so great. The people are wonderful, well most of them, as is the story line. We all deal with unpleasant things in our lives, but it’s nice when the good ones come out on top. I could have kept on reading to see what would happen in The Book Bea and with Sydney and Mac and their families.
I received this book from NetGalley and have offered my honest opinion.

Nancy Naigle is an awesome writer/author and I've come to love her Christmas stories and they're always a treat to read...this was no exception. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the overall storyline. It left me feeling ready for the season and gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. I'd definitely read her again and again.

Hello dear reader friends. I’m just going to put a few things out there front and center. First World Problems, life gets big and I Dream (big D) of ditching everything for a sweet town little town, with cute shops, and kind people...for just a couple of days. Hope at Christmas by Nancy Naigle does just that. Sure, I’d miss my real life, the adventure, the thrill, the variety of experiences and people. But sometimes I just want my blasted flannel pajamas friends. This book is flannel pajamas, and I love it so much for that!
Hoping to start over after her divorce Sydney packs up her daughter for the small town of Hopewell to her grandparents run down farm. Here she finds friendship, community, a wonderful home at the Book Bea, and something unexpected in local coach and teacher, Mac. I’m a huge fan of Nancy Naigle and highly recommend Hope at Christmas for lovers of holiday romance, especially those that wait for Hallmark movie lineups each year (#thatsmenoshame).
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.

I enjoyed this clean, but romantic Christmas love story.

Hope at Christmas was my first book by Nancy Naigle and I was NOT disappointed! A very-well done story about a mother trying to start over and learning to trust her instincts again. Plus the delicious hero who also understand raising a child (it's nice to see a hero who isn't awkward around children or who doesn't use the child to win over the mother's heart). Plenty of Christmas charm. Gets a little slow in the middle, but the passion between the two characters will keep the reader hanging on until the end!

Hope at Christmas is the newest release from author Nancy Naigle. Ms. Naigle is my go-to author for sweet and emotional romances and she delivers every single time.

I have to say that after all Sydney's ex had put her through, I loved she decided to move her daughter to Hopewell to start over. Hopewell is a small town and honestly made me think a little bit of the small town where I grew up. My favorite part of the story was the fact that Sydney felt at home again in Hopewell once she found The Book Be was still open. I especially loved Bea who owned and ran the bookstore. Honestly, if felt a bit like the bookstore itself was a character in this story.

My heart broke for Ray Anne and how her father kept breaking promises to her over and over again. I loved that with Sydney's love and new friends in Hopewell, Ray Anne started to find her footing in their new town. I really loved that Seth; Mac's son seemed to become Ray Anne's new best friend. As she was a bit of a tomboy, it made total sense she would have a best guy friend. I also loved the fact that the kids kept pushing their parents together so they were able to spend more time together.

Both Mac and Sydney had really bad experiences with love in the past. Granted Mac's bad experience had been many years ago. I loved how patient he was with Sydney in giving her the time she needed to be ready for more than just friendship. I did love they were friends before they moved into a romantic relationship. Not that everything was completely smooth sailing for them, but I loved that Mac was willing to give Sydney the time and understanding she needed after everything she had been through with her ex.

Nancy Naigle writes emotion filled sweet romances. I've always thought her books would be perfect for the Hallmark Channel and have to reiterate that fact with Hope at Christmas. I highly recommend Hope at Christmas to romance readers who love sweet romances.


Rating: 4 Stars (B+)

Its always great to read sweet stories that bring joy and hope during the holiday season. Though I hated the ex husband I think what he did towards the end was the best thing for all of them. He was able to see how he was pushing his little girl to the side for someone who didn't deservice his time like his child did. And I loved The Book Bea. What a great place. And honestly for bibliophile like me I would be happy in a bookstore all day.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

After Sydney's husband writes a note to tell her he's leaving her for another woman, Sydney and her daughter RayAnne move to the farmhouse Sydney's grandparents left her in Hopewell, NC. Sydney finds a support network there like she has never known before: Bea, the owner of the town's bookstore; Mac, a single father and teacher who also plays the town's Santa; and Diane, a friend from Sydney's summers in Hopewell as a child. Sydney might find everything she needs in this small town.

This was a sweet, clean romance, a feel good read perfect for the holidays. Of course, as an avid reader, I loved the Book Bea! I wasn't sure how believable it was that the 10-year-old and 12-year-old still (at least partly) believed in Santa, especially the 12-year-old. This book is perfect for people who love watching all the Hallmark Christmas movies.