Super cute story about relationships, comprise, and an awesome look into what it must be like to live in the wilds of Alaska. Definitely a fun read, all likeable characters. My favorite has to be Jack, he almost needs his own story!

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I look forward to reading Debbie’s books when they are released so when I was given an opportunity to read and review “Alaskan Holiday” via NetGalley, I was definitely excited. Unfortunately, upon reading the book, my excitement was short-lived.

Palmer lives in a tiny Alaskan town named Ponder and he has fallen in love with a temporary employee at the local lodge named Josie. Josie has feelings for Palmer but cannot picture herself living in an isolated Alaskan town when she has aspirations of becoming a renowned chef. Their plans for the future just aren’t on the same page so she heads back to Seattle to pursue her career plans. Their romance is of an “on-again-off again” nature and I found myself becoming bored with it. Just not enough there to keep me interested.

An ancillary character in the book actually is more enchanting than either Palmer or Josie. Jack is a bit of a curmudgeon but is a lovable old guy who speaks his mind and is not afraid to tell it how it is. He steals the scenes in many places in the book and I found myself wondering what he would come up with next.

The title would lead you to believe that this is a holiday themed book but there is very little that is “holiday-ish” about it. That was disappointing as I was ready for a Christmas book to get me ready for the upcoming season.

I expected more from this book but it will not deter me from reading any future releases from Debbie. It just wasn’t one of her better endeavors.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Ballantine Books for my unbiased opinion of the book. Debbie Macomber hit it out of the park again! What a great Christmas story to make you feel all warm and fuzzy. The story starts with Josie Stewart working in a remote place in Alaska when she misses the last plane out before winter starts. Her summer romance Palmer Saxon wants her to stay, but Josie knows she needs to keep her word and go to the job in Seattle that is waiting for her. Once she leaves she quickly realizes the job of her dreams is what she in her mind made it out to be. Palmer misses her but knows Josie needs to make her decision to live in Alaska on her own. When Palmer and the always hungry Jack Corcoran make a surprise trip to see Josie in Seattle at her restaurant. Palmer quickly sees that he may have a chance to bring her back to Alaska. You won't want to put this book down! What a great ending. Debbie keep up the great writing!

When you love someone, you let them go. That is what Palmer did. From the moment Palmer set eyes on Josie, he fell in love. He spent the next 6 months showing her how beautiful Ponder, Alaska is. On the last day he asks Josie to marry him. She turned him down. Josie has her dream job waiting for her in Seattle along with her Mom and friends. She can't stay even if she has fallen in love too. Being free to choose your destiny may not turn out how you plan.

I always look forward to Ms. Macomber’s Christmas books each year. They always put me in the Christmas spirit. Alaskan Holiday did not disappoint. This book was a little different than Ms. Macomber’s previous books, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Josie is a chef working at a lodge in Ponder, Alaska for six months before starting her job at an upscale restaurant in Seattle. Palmer is a craftsman who has lived in Ponder his whole life. Josie comes to love Ponder and Palmer, but she is a city girl and she has her dream job waiting in Seattle. So at the end of her six months in Alaska, she plans to leave and go back home, but she misses the last boat of the season out of the Alaskan wilderness and finds herself stranded in Ponder.

Alaskan Holiday is a light holiday romance. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A really good book about two people from different parts of the country finding love and working to be together. She didn’t want to miss the opportunity of a lifetime, and what she worked her whole life for, by staying in Alaska, even if she didn’t want to lose him. He wanted her to stay, but loved her enough to let her go back to Seattle. Will they be able to maintain a long distance relationship or will misunderstandings break them apart. Even the side characters were great. I really enjoyed this book.

Another wonderful romance by a fabulous author, Debbie Macomber, with the theme of absence makes the heart grow fonder! She always seems to come up with new and unusual settings and circumstances. This fun book was about a VERY small town in Alaska, near the Arctic circle. I for one, cannot even imagine such a place, but Palmer and Josie were such a sweet couple, that I was rooting for them the entire time i was reading. They had met in Ponder, Alaska where Palmer lived and Josie had come from Seattle for a six month job. The book starts with her last day in Ponder and poor Palmer trying to get up the nerve to ask her to marry him, when their relationship really wasn’t that far along. Needless to say, things don’t go well, and although they both have strong feelings, it is not the right time. Loved the secondary characters and the overall story.

Debbie Macomber gives us a sweet story of love, but also fulfilling your life dreams.
As we read the author gives us both sides of the dilemma that now hounds these two, the beginnings of love.
We also get to see through their eyes the beauty of this desolate land and how these people cope year-round.
There is a theme of food here, and you’re going to love the character of Jack. This story will keep you page turning and wanting more once that final page is turned.

I received this book from Net Galley and the Publisher Ballantine Books, and was not required to give a positive review

A quick read from Debbie Macomber. This book was a short, sweet read. Palmer was a bit of an awkward character initially, but did warm up to him eventually.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest opinion.

Northern Alaska romance

Josie Avery has been working as a chef during the summer season at a hunting/fishing lodge in tiny Ponder, Alaska in northeastern Alaska. This is a temporary stop for her before she heads back to Seattle and her dream job - sous-chef at a new fancy restaurant.

But complications arise when she develops feelings for swordmaker Palmer Saxon and he asks her (awkwardly but he asks) her to marry him.

A short, fun holiday romance which I've come to expect from Debbie Macomber.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

This is an enjoyable sweet read that is perfect for the holiday season. It's a short quick read and easy to fit in and relax to during this hectic time of year. Palmer, Josie, and and most definitely Jack will leave you with a smile. Josie has spent the last six months working in Alaska and spending a lot of her time with Palmer Saxon. If things were different she could definitely fall for Palmer but she has her dream job waiting for her in Seattle and Palmer would never leave Alaska to live in the city. Sometimes though what you think you want isn't really what will make you happy.

I would recommend this one.

Debbie Macomber never disappoints. What a treat to read her newest book. I enjoyed the story of Josie and Palmer and how their relationship developed. I always enjoy the stories about Alaska and how relationships are so different up there then in the lower 48 states. Relationships are much different in Alaska because of their long winters and isolation. Jack of course was the best character as he was always there for a free meal. Can't beat this book.

Josie Avery decides to take a summer job in Alaska while she waits for the start of her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants. While in Alaska, Josie enjoys the slowed down way of life there, but she especially loves enjoying spending time with Palmer Saxon, and his crotchety friend Jack Corcoran. Josie could really see herself married to someone like Palmer but after how hard she has worked to become a chef, she can't just give up that dream to stay in Alaska forever since there is no way Palmer would ever leave. Plus Josie can't leave her mom who is back in Seattle, since it has been only the two of them for a long time. When the fall season finally arrives, Josie is heartbroken to leave, but she knows that she has to. Palmer is just as heartbroken. He wants her to stay but realizes that he must let her go. Josie was planning on catching the very last ferry of the season out of Ponder, Alaska but ends up missing it. Palmer does what any guy in love would do....he helps her find a way out of Ponder, even though it breaks his heart.

When Josie gets back to Seattle, she realizes that her dream may not be what she really wants. She also starts to realize a few things about her mom, her job and mostly Palmer. When Christmas time makes a little holiday magic, Josie must take a huge leap of faith to find her happy ending.

I loved this story! These characters were so fun. Josie was determined to achieve her dreams, she just didn't realize what those dreams really were. Palmer was such a sweet and caring man and he certainly deserved to have someone wonderful love him. Now onto Jack....he was so funny! I'd laugh out loud every time he was in the story! I was so glad he even got his happy ending too!

This is a very clean romance, and a quick enjoyable read, that kept me guessing who is going where and doing what next? Would Josie and Palmer ever get together for keeps? Would Jack ever not be hungry?
I recommend it for a quick without a quickie read.

This was a sweet contemporary romance that took place in a small, isolated village in Alaska. I loved the descriptions of the scenery, especially the romantic atmosphere created by the Northern Lights. Josie has a plan for her life, to cook with the famous Chef Anton in Seattle. Although Palmer falls in love with her during her summer cooking adventure in Alaska, he also has a plan for his life; he wants to continue to pursue his career as a master sword smith in Ponder. Dreams clash with reality in this quick, easy read. My favorite character by far was Jack, the comic relief to all the drama. Jack is always hungry and is determined to do all he can to get Josie to marry Palmer, just so she can be in Ponder to cook for him. I also liked Palmer’s dog Hobo who seemed to understand humans a lot better than we understand ourselves sometimes. This book was entertaining and humorous at time, set at that magical time between Thanksgiving and Christmas and proving that sometimes wishes do come true.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I requested this book based on where it was set. I liked how both main characters told the story. Sometimes you seem to be stuck in the small town, and sometimes you can get in and out at will based on what the author needs the characters to do. I liked how characters allowed each other to be themselves and didn't think they had to change for each other to make things work. A quick, easy to read, feel good story.

Summer Romance at a Remote Lodge in Alaska

Josie Avery didn’t expect to fall in love with Alaska, particularly the remote area around the small town of Ponder. She had always wanted to be a chef. With her dream job waiting in Seattle, she takes a job for the summer at the Caribou Lake Lodge not far from the Arctic Circle.

Josie becomes friends with Palmer Saxon, a famed swordsmith and a very attractive man. She also finds a friend in Jack Corcoran. His appetite is legendary. He’s willing to be the guinea pig for any recipes Josie wants to try.

As the summer ends, Josie is torn. She loves Ponder and has become very fond of Palmer, but her job and her mother are waiting in Seattle. She can’t give up the dream job she’s worked so hard for. After a tension filled goodbye, Josie falls asleep and doesn’t wake until the last ferry of the season has left. How will she get back to Seattle? Palmer wants her to stay and be his wife, but he won’t keep her against her will, so he finds a way to get her back to civilization.

This is a lovely romance. I liked both Josie and Palmer. They’re obviously meant for each other. The only problem is Josie’s commitment to a career she thinks she wants. My favorite character, however, was Jack Corcran. His lines are some of the funniest in the book, particularly when he tries to teach Palmer how to be romantic and talk to women.

This is a quick read. The scenery is beautiful and the romance is light. It’s a great book for a winter afternoon.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Classic Debbie Macomber, sweet with an HEA.

Fans of Debbie Macomber's sweet Christmas stories will not be disappointed by Alaskan Holiday. I've read many of her books over the years and her recent stories seem to be bucking the trend towards more and more explicit sex and language. In my opinion her earlier works were at lot more on the spicy side. While my tastes these days lend towards the spicier reads I don't mind a sweeter one now and then.

Don't look for any on-page, or even off-page, sexy time in this book – there is none – at all, not even a hint of it. It is still a pretty good story, though. The blurb really tells you everything about the story, I don't think I can add one thing. It was a pretty quick read for me, especially for it being 256 pages long.

The characters in the story are nice and I especially liked Jack, who is a friend of Palmer's. I also enjoyed reading about Alaska and the Seattle areas as I had the pleasure of visiting those two places last May.

One thing that caught my attention is that the scenes from Seattle do nothing to convey how large that city it. The references to the hotel where Jack and Palmer stay, and the tourist areas they visit, make it sound like everything is very close together. There is also no mention of the sky-high price of hotel rooms in the city or the incredible hills in the downtown area that must be navigated to get from place to place. A quick mention of either thing would have increased the realism factor for me a bit.

While this isn't a book that I ever see myself reading again, I'm still giving it 4 stars because the writing was good and flowed a lot more smoothly than the last book I read of hers, Cottage by the Sea.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on 10/2/18)

Reading in the first person is not my cup of tea. I could not get through this book. This is not the type writing I expected from Debbie Macomber her books are usually so easy to read and fun to read. this one was not my cup of tea.

What a delightful read! The characters are interesting and have such unique interactions throughout. The story line has determination, doubt, attraction and love. I really enjoyed Josie and Palmer;s story very much. Don't miss out!