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I think I would have loved this book more had I read it during the Christmas season, it was a funny and also emotional story that would be perfect for cozying up next to a fire to read.

I did not know what to expect from a book that began with a hoity toity holiday letter, but the book is a midwestern soap opera filled drama. Violet Baumgartner, the family matriarch, is a control freak who is forced to relinquish some of the control she has over family, friends, and even her church group. The book is amusing, exasperating, and contains a few unexpected twists and turns. All in all, a very fun read.

Reading this book was quite the ride. I love books that deal with the intricacies of the wealthy class. This book felt a lot like Crazy Rich Asians or the like. The characters were somehow redeemable despite all of their less desirable characteristics. Really enjoyed!

This book was such a good book. I read it very quickly and enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend it to anyone.

I found the elements of family dysfunction in Gretchen Anthony's novel to be at times endearing and at times enraging. How much closer to reality can one get? I was thoroughly entertained. Ms. Anthony writes strong, complex character profiles. She paints a vivid picture of each family member and clearly illustrates the connections and ties. The story itself started out raucous and laugh out loud, the pacing was fast. As things moved on to eventual resolution, the pacing slowed, but I thought that fit with the frenetic actions of the characters as they moved toward acceptance and conclusion. I think the novel would make a good book discussion selection, as there are so many opportunities for observation, comparison, and discussion.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners by Gretchen Anthony was a fun and sweet look into the intricacies and craziness of family and the love each one has for the other. Centered around the Baumgartner family, this story focuses on Violet the overbearing mother and her daughter Cerise, who herself is becoming a mother and trying to cope with all that it entails. Every year Violet writes a Christmas update for family and friends which actually reads more as a boastful letter, showcasing the accomplishments of the family each year.

This book had lots of family drama and plenty of humor to keep me entertained but I did feel that one storyline could have been left out. It didn't add anything for me and kind of took away from the main story. Definitely has a Gilmore Girls feel. Thank you Park Row and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Evergreen Tidings from the Buamgartners is a funny tale of a modern family. The mother, Violet likes to control the way the world sees her family. The daughter, Cherise can't quite fit that mold. The family is about to go through many ups and downs and changes when the father, Ed retires from his job as a scientist and Cherise will b having a baby with her partner. Violet has a hard time coming to terms with what all this means to her tidy little life that she has created. This is a quirky, funny story that was very well written.

**Sadly I found the characters of the one just plain annoying and couldn't bring myself to finish it. The mother is overbearing and thoughtless, the daughter not much better...the way the story is laid out just got frustrating...

Overall, I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would. It was a bit slow at first but eventually picked up the pace.

This was an okay read but I had a hard time with these two families. Violet Baumgartner writes an annual Christmas letter and this year's is a doozy. She is in combat with her daughter, Cerise who reveals a deep secret. The characters were difficult getting to know and as the story proceeded they became a little more likable. I guess the best way to describe this story is family drama. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Overall I liked this book. It was not as heartwarming as I thought it would be. The main character was at times very annoying. It was slow going at first but eventually picked up.

Thank you to Harlequin- Hanover Square Press for providing me with a copy of Gretchen Anthony’s novel, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Cerise Baumgartner is pregnant with her first child and her parents are thrilled. Thrilled and very involved, especially Cerise’s over-bearing mother, Violet. Violet likes Cerise’s girlfriend, Barb, but is left feeling concerned and nosy over how the child was conceived, a personal issue that neither Barb nor Cerise is willing to disclose.

As Violet tries to interfere with her daughter’s life, she has other concerns to contend with, such as her recently retired husband, Ed, who doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. Her best friend, Eldris is also going through a crisis. Eldris’ husband, Richard, has lost his job and is acting very secretive. Their son, Kyle, who is also Cerise’s best-friend and the would be godfather to her baby, is being investigated for domestic terrorism. To top it all off, Violet is desperate to please Barb’s parents, who, at least on paper, seem to be the perfect family.

LIKE - Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is a delightful novel. It’s funny and has a lot of heart. I appreciated the complexity of Violet and how the truth of her character unfolds. She is quite a lot to handle early in the story, but Anthony does a fine job of teasing out the details of her inner-life and I finished the story with a very different impression of Violet. One of the overriding themes of the story is love and despite the many flaws that the characters have, there is a lot of love to be found.

I think most people have a Violet Baumgartner in their life. She is a force of nature, but also someone who is very sensitive and hides it behind her controlling behavior. She loves fiercely, but also drives people away with her take-charge attitude. I have relatives that are so similar to Violet, that it was very relatable. I could easily understand Cerise’s reaction to her mother and I’ve been in her position.

I’m a big fan of the Christmas card letter. I even save my favorites that are sent to me, certain families have a way with words. I enjoyed the way that Anthony used Violet’s Christmas card letters to give us backstory about the Baumgartner’s life. It really works well with the story. Although I finished reading Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, in February ( on a snowy afternoon), it is definitely an ideal book to read during the Christmas season. It will put you in a holiday mood.

The disastrous dinner party scene at the end really made me laugh. I also found that Anthony had some great plot twists that I did not anticipate.

DISLIKE- Nothing to dislike. Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is not a life-changing read, but it is a very cozy, charming story.

RECOMMEND - Yes! If you are looking for a family drama with a strong dose of comedy, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is a great pick. I throughly enjoyed it. It’s a feel good story that will give you the warm fuzzies!

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute novel cantering primarily around the Baumgartner family. I just loved the characters and all the intricate storylines. Whenever I picked this book up to read, it never failed to put a smile on my face. The dinner incident in particular made me laugh so hard; I could just picture it in my head.

This was a really fun, heart warming novel and I would definitely continue to read more from this author.

I love a good holiday read! This one was a little slow but I kept with it to see what happened with the Baumgartners.

Honestly, I loved this book and can't think of anything bad to say about it, though I know some people will feel differently about it. The main character, Violet Baumgartner, is not particularly likeable; in fact, you kind of want to smack her a good portion of the time. Having said that, she's an interesting character, and as the story went along, I grew to like and understand her. She grows on you as her character grows, as you learn more about her life, her motivations, her misguided attempts to be the perfect wife, mother, and pillar of the community. All of her obnoxious behavior comes from a good place, she just can't see how it looks from the outside, and so continues micromanaging everyone around her, and they pretty much let her, because no one can tell Violet Baumgartner no- she won't have it. Her husband, Ed, is retiring, and Violet throws him a lavish party to celebrate, but things don't go as planned. Suddenly, Violet isn't in control of everything in her life, and as we watch her struggle to regain that control, all kinds of drama starts happening. I don't want to go into all of that, because part of the fun for me reading this book was all the quirkiness popping up, and I don't want to spoil things for anyone, so let's just say, there's all sorts of shenanigans going on. Everything gets wrapped up nicely at the end, it all works out in a satisfying manner, and everyone is a better person, including Violet. It did make me cry a little toward the end, I could relate to some of the things Violet was dealing with, and I commiserated with her a bit, but we both got over it. I do wish the book had ended with one final Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners letter (past letters are scattered throughout the book, giving us insight into past happenings), it would've been nice to see how Violet summed things up- I guess I did have one complaint, after all.

DNF while humorous, I gave up at 20 percent. The main character was not likable and just couldn’t find any emptathy. I kind of liked the daughter and her point of view chapters, but the rest of characters did not interest me. Bummer.

I love Christmas. Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners is a great subtle Christmas book. Similar to Seven Days of Us, it takes place over Christmas but isn’t really about Christmas. Violet Baumgartner is the matriarch of her family and she takes it very seriously. She is one of those helicopter moms, even though her only daughter is now 30 something. Cerise, the daughter, is about to start her own family – and this is where things get funny. I thought it was a great story with more humor than drama. I liked it a lot and would suggest it over one of those days you’re stuck at home with your family over the holidays.

I absolutely adored this book! I gave a copy to my mother-in-law who hails from Minnesota, and she got copies for all her sisters for Christmas because it rang so authentically true to the Midwestern experience.

Even for those who have never visited the great state of Minnesota, this book is a wonderful portrait of families working through issues that have bubbled beneath the surface for some time. It gets to the heart of what truly people together, even when they are furious with one another.

There is so much humor and warmth in this lovely book, I will be handing it to anyone "just looking for something good to read".

As I was reading this I kept picturing Violet as Hyacinth Bucket, from Keeping up appearances. Of course Violet isn't as amusing, in fact, she considers it her life's mission to head off any oncoming disasters. She takes this very seriously indeed. Now her Richard is retiring, yes they both have a Richard, and they hope to travel. But you know what they say about the best laid plans, and Celeste, their grown daughter has just thrown her a big curve. No where is it in her plans, or her Christmas letters, does it make room for a daughter who is a lesbian, and her partner Barbara. Not only that but something even more unexpected is afoot, and how is she going to come to terms with this?

An entertaining read, a nice break from some of the other books with weightier subjects that I have read lately. Interesting characters, an amusing plot for the most part. Needed to see of Violet ever does come to terms with her life as it really is. Just wish it had been a little shorter, I had quite enough of the story by books end.

ARC from Netgalley.