4.5☆
I liked it!
This is my first book by Jill Monroe.

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading more from this author.

At the Heart of Christmas is an easy, festive read. Truth is I wasn’t swept away by the storyline, but it was sweet and entertaining. I liked how Quinn and Nolan became closer, step by step, pondering all the pros and cons of mixing business and pleasure (let alone Nolan’s potentially explosive secret). There’s a lot of inner thinking in the text because the characters go through their own emotional issues, and I appreciated that the author didn’t rush things for the romance part. It felt more authentic that way.

It was a nice touch that Quinn and Nolan are trying to bring back to life the legacy family business formed between their two clans generations ago. Family is a strong stream in Hallmark books and it never fails to touch your heart. Even though I felt like sometimes the plot was advancing at too slow a pace, I think it’s a pleasant feel good story to indulge in during the holidays.

What a terrific Christmas story! This story has lots to love about it: A cozy farmhouse setting; a shared heritage between Nolan and Quinn and the ornament company; all the Christmas fun in a small town; and a couple that was easy to like and cheer for. Their romance has some bumps in their road to happily-ever-after, and I so enjoyed reading their story.

This is a clean, sweet book to share for Christmas. The length was perfect to read during a busy holiday season.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is a lovely Christmas story. I love Christmas stories and this Hallmarkesque story was the perfect escape into the holiday season. I liked the characters and the writing, the setting was well described. I would read more by this author.

This was a festive,cozy,lovely and sweet read.
It was perfect for a Christmas novel enthusiast like me.

What do a californian glass blower and a small town dreamer have in common? Their great great grandfathers work and joy the Hardwick Ornamental Company.
Quinn hires Nolan to help her with the creative and artistic part for the re-opening her family's ornaments company.
The attraction between them is immediately evident,from the first encounter, but Nolan's secret keeps him detached even if it isn't easy to resist to the lively Quinn and her family members.

I've really enjoyed Jill Monroe's writing,the characters are so well described you feel you've known them forever and you're invested in their happily ever after.

At the Heart Of Christmas by Jill Monroe. A very cute Christmas story. If you love Hallmark movies you will love this story. An ornament company. Making gingerbread cookies. All the kinds of little things that go into making a good Christmas story.

I am not the one who celebrates Christmas, but there is something about these Christmassy reads that fill the empty place in my heart that I didn't know I had. This book by Jill Monroe was one such cute one which had love, secrets, happiness, warmth, betrayal, hope, and most important of all — forgiveness

Quinn and Nolan's journey towards reaching their goal and finding love. Quinn wanted to restart her forefathers' company of making Christmas ornaments, and Nolan, the glass artist, had just survived a bad fire which destroyed his house and work. Both came together to restart the company, but one of them had a secret.

Jill Monroe was brilliant in weaving warmth in her words. There was joy in every action of Quinn to celebrate Christmas, it made me long to celebrate with her. Quinn was passionate, bold, with so many dreams in her heart. I loved the excitement in her voice. Nolan took time to open up and it was nice to see him falling in love with her in every page.

The story was formulaic as in every love story, but Jill's writing brought in the magic of Christmas and made me count the days. Romance, secrets, betrayal, forgiveness made the rest of the story but what touched my heart was Quinn's family. They were loud, boisterous, but their heart was so big that even I was pulled in.

A heartwarming holiday romance. Enjoyed the story and the characters. Would love to see this made into a Hallmark movie. Thank you Jill Monroe for this wonderful story.

Quinn has dreams, she always has. Now she has been left a legacy and the opportunity to finally realize them, if she can just get the right pieces to put them together. Nolan had dreams, and nearly lost everything. Now, a puzzle has fallen in to his lap. He is going to take a chance to find out what it means, but in the process, he might crush someone else's hopes. Can these two find a way to re-form the magic that once fueled both of their families?

Noah faces a devastating fire that destroys his life and reveals a secret. Quinn is working tirelessly to restore a family business. The lives of these two will intersect and decisions will have to be made. This book will pull you into the Christmas spirit. It's not your typical Christmas story and the plot kept me reading late into the evening. The romance is sweet and you will enjoy getting to know this town and all the characters.

Quinn Hardwick has a dream of reopening her family ornament business someday. She must find a glassblower/artist to help design and produce the ornaments. She is able to persuade one of the original artist’s descendants, Nolan Vesser, to come to the Northeast to possibly join in the effort. Nolan has had a devastating experience in his life and is not sure if he will be able to work again. He also has a secret that could devastate the Hardwick family, especially Quinn. A sweet Hallmark story that will be greatly appreciated this holiday season.

At the Heart of Christmas by Jill Monroe is available from Hallmark Publishing. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Wonderful story. Nolan has been through a lot and Quinn ....well, she's Quinn. Wonderful person through and through and the perfect person to help Nolan through troubling times. #attheheartofchristmas #netgalley #sweetromance

Jill Monroe writes a sweet story of a young Pasadena glass blower, Nolan, whose business and apartment were destroyed by a fire in a neighboring restaurant, and a young New England woman, Quinn, who has recently inherited the Hardwick Ornament Company from her grandfather. As it turns out, Nolan's and Quin's families used to work together when the company was originally founded. As they work together to rebuild Quinn's dream, Nolan struggles with memories of the fire, and harbors a secret that could devastate Quinn. At the Heart of Christmas is a beautiful, romantic story of trust, overcoming fear, and family acceptance. Definitely a get-you-in-the-spirit Christmas read!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book as of November 6, 2018 or preorder it here : https://www.amazon.com/At-Heart-Christmas-Jill-Monroe-ebook/dp/B07HR1H4JZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539791919&sr=8-1&keywords=At+the+Heart+of+Christmas+by+Jill+Monroe

This book is published by Hallmark. I love Hallmark movies! They are always such amazing books and this one did not disappoint.We begin as Quinn remembers being 7 years old with her Grandfather teaching her about the first Hardwick Ornament. Quinn's Grandmother asked her to come help her with documents regarding the old farmhouse. We are then taken to Nolan and we are slammed into a disaster and then we head to the bank to look at some papers and discover a deed to the Hardwick Ornament Company where their Granddad worked. Nolan and Kaylee make a plan to reclaim their property. Quinn, however is getting psyched for a potential job with Nolan Vesser, the descendant to the former designers of the Hardwick Ornament Company. After a fire destroyed his workshop, Nolan is in search of a new place to work. Gram tries to convince Quinn to accept her inheritance, as the lawyer is just waiting.
We are then taken on a journey through how Nolan and Quinn work together. A lot happens between Quinn and Nolan as they design the ornament of the year.
This book is filled with conflict, love and drama. I do not want to give the ending away, so I will leave things there.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the Arc of this book. “At the Heart of Christmas” by Jill Monroe was such a great read. It was a perfect Holiday book. I loved the characters and the plot and it held my interest till the last page. I hope to read more books by Jill Monroe in the future. She’s a fantastic storyteller. If you are looking for a great holiday read, please check this one out.

At the Heart of Christmas is a perfect bonbon of a holiday read, like all the most perfect Hallmark romances.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

Lovely festive Christmas read. Perfect for over the long winter nights. Magical storyline. Great characters that pull it all together

Honestly, I want to watch this movie right now! It was such a cute storyline. I loved the characters. I loved the opening scene of Quinn as a little girl and getting a quick glimpse of what made her desire to save the family Christmas ornament company burn so brightly. Nolan was a great character and watching his overcoming a recent traumatic experience was sweet to watch. Sweet may not be the word that others would choose but for me it was sweet. It was hopeful, showing us readers that there is hope, there is healing and time and a great support system (or person) can do much in helping the healing process.

Quinn and Nolan together. In a word (or two) Stinking cute! They were just so real, pure, open, honest, in their attraction and feelings towards each other. I loved the scenes with the two of them together. I loved having the point of view alternating between the two of them. I love being in the characters' heads. So much great information is revealed and the feelings that can be expressed and examined, I love it!

I will say that I didn't connect as much with the writing as I had hoped to. This could be a case of, "it's me not you." But I did find myself skimming several times through some moments of the book. It could honestly be that life is super busy for me right now and I really wanted to read this book and see how these two characters would find their healing and love. Hence the skimming to save me some time. I didn't skim it all but some of the slower moving parts so I could read all the meat of the story. It was a cute and sweet story that was a perfect Christmas read for me to enjoy in my short bursts of free time. If you're a Hallmark movie/book lover I think you'll enjoy this one. The glass blowing aspects were very well written and very interesting to read about. If you haven't seen glass blowing done, I highly recommend it when the chance presents itself. I used to live in a community that had many, many glass blowers and it was so fun to go watch when they opened up their shop for visitors.

Content: Clean. A few moments of peril, one being a fire and a character running into the fire to rescue an animal. A few sweet kisses and nothing further.

I received a copy from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I really enjoyed this story. It is a wonderful holiday romance to be read curled up with hot chocolate and a warm blanket. Or any other time you are looking for a feel good story.

At the Heart of Christmas tells the story of Quinn and her family's long-held ornament company. The book also tells Nolan's story, beginning with a fire that destroys his business and his confidence, eventually leading him to help Quinn with the ornament company. Friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, hope and joy all intermingle in this clean-cut Christmas romance novel.