Title: Christmas in Vermont
Author: Anita Hughes
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Christmas In Vermont" by Anita Hughes

My Rationalization:

What an enjoyable Christmas read filled with 'synchronicity/coincidence' was something that 'appears in your life when you least expected it and in the end made your dreams come true.' This is exactly what happened to Emma as it was for her to lose love, hoping to find it again and then finally finding love. Yes, this was a second chance love that was presented to Emma in Snowberry Inn in Vermont during the Christmas holiday.

I found this quite interesting where Emma finds a watch at a secondary jewelry store that she had once given to her college sweetheart many years ago. Then what happens next that Emma's best friend Bronwyn does was quite something that brings this story altogether with the gift she gave. This was definitely one of those 'fate, kismet, synchronicity' things that happen just for Emma. Now, to find out what all this is about you will have to pick up "Christmas In Vermont" to see how well this story comes together. I found some of the characters quite interesting especially Fletcher's daughter Lola, Betty, Stephen however, I didn't care much for his friend Graham.

What will happen when Emma after eleven years sees her once loved Fletcher [college sweetheart] and finds out about his daughter and fiancee, Megan who was now in Snowberry for the holidays? This will definitely be one of those heartwarming stories that the reader will find it hard to put down even though it may be somewhat predictable at times it was a good holiday fun read.

Thank you, Net Galley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Emma, 33, has just broken up with her latest boyfriend, Scott. Emma doesn’t seem to be able to keep a relationship going for more than a year before she breaks it off.

Years ago, she and Fletcher were together in college. But when they graduated, he moved to Europe and she moved to New York. She knew a long distance relationship would not work.

It’s Christmas Eve and her good friend, Bronwyn, has gifted her with a week at an inn in Snowberry, Vermont. In addition, her old flame Fletcher will be there. The catch is that Emma has to run the kids’ club every day.

Fletcher is divorced and the father of Lola, age 9, and a beautiful, young girl. She is very precocious and outgoing. Fletcher has brought along his fiancé who is a lovely woman, but rather spoiled. As Fletcher is a playwright and Megan is an actress, she wants the lead in an upcoming play but Fletcher feels she is not right for the part. This makes for tension between them.

It turns out that Lola is the only child in Emma’s kids’ club and they enjoy spending time together. Emma plays the piano and Lola loves to sing. They are practicing for Lola to be in the talent contest that the inn has each week. The owner of the inn is a widow and is in danger of losing the inn so Emma and Lola work to help raise money for it.

When Fletcher and Emma meet again, he is reminded that he has never gotten over her and she feels the same. As they spend time together, Fletcher and Megan wonder if their relationship is meant to be. And there is Emma - as beautiful as ever, and Lola and precocious as ever.

Yet another sweet Christmas novel by Anita Hughes filled with fabulous descriptions of the Vermont area and the delicious Christmas food. Well done, Anita!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes

synchronicity: When chance lines up for a specific event.
A sweet contemporary romance of chance, coincidence or fate. Whichever is your belief, acting on that moment can change your life.
In this romance, Emma is reminded of her lost love when she finds the gift she gave him years ago in college. With the help of her best friend, Emma is spending her Christmas vacation in a picturesque inn exactly where Fletcher will be.

Lola, Fletcher’s daughter is adorable and precocious. I was really glad when everyone found out the fiancé was only interested in what Fletcher could do for her career. Fletcher was just a bit too naive about her.

Overuse of characters “wondered”. The phrase stuck out for me quite a few times.
Several references to specific actors or events that made me think the author must be older (late sixties at least) which then made me question if a younger twenty something reader would understand those references.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

Such a cute "Hallmark movie style" Christmas story. I loved the New York City and Vermont settings. I also adore the synchronicity aspect. Who doesn't love the idea of fate playing a role in life? All in all a sweet romance perfect for the holiday season.

I was provided with an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Is there any place more romantic at Christmas than a quaint Vermont Inn? It was the perfect setting for this second chance love story. Emma is spending Christmas alone after breaking up with her boyfriend, when she walks into a second-hand shop and finds a watch she gave to a boyfriend 11 years ago. Is it fate, or just a weird coincidence? Her best friend tracks the former beau down, and arranges a reunion for the couple at a snowy mountain inn. The characters were charming and loving, the setting delightful, and a young girl with stars in her eyes was the star of the show!

Emma has a problem: after a year of dating, she realizes every guy she’s with just isn’t not marriage material, and she breaks up with him. Right now, she’s suffering through winter in New York with a broken radiator, working on a makeup marketing account for her job, at Christmas. While selling a bracelet from her latest breakup, she discovers an engraved watch she gave to the only man she ever thought she’d marry, but he moved to London to pursue a directing career in the theater, while she stayed in New York. Emma's best friend Bronwyn believes that destiny caused Emma to find Fletcher’s watch, so she books Emma a room at a cozy Vermont inn in a town called Snowberry, where Fletcher’s social media account lists he’ll be staying from Christmas to New Year’s. There’s just one condition: Emma has to replace the leader of the kid’s club, who had to cancel at the last minute with the flu.

Fletcher has a beautiful nine-year-old daughter and is engaged to a gorgeous, young blonde actress; the last thing on his mind now, (after years of therapy to help him get over her) is the girl he loved in college, Emma. Ten years ago at Christmas, Emma’s watch almost stopped his wedding to his now ex-wife. But Fletcher is trying to take his best friend’s advice and help his daughter and fiancee find some things in common and get along, as well as learn to share his attentions. And having his daughter in a kid’s club at the inn might just help him balance his time.

The widowed innkeeper is also having problems, financial from the leftover debts after her husband's passing. So Fletcher's daughter Lola decides she and Emma should put on a talent show fundraiser on New Year’s Eve and invite everyone in Snowberry to enter, with an entry fee and all the proceeds going to help keep the inn running.

Very reminiscent of White Christmas starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, Christmas in Vermont is perfect for anyone looking for a cozy romantic comedy set in Vermont in winter, with two people destined for love, and a sagacious little girl out to save the world.

Christmas in Vermont was the perfect book to help me transition from summer to fall/winter. I loved feeling like I was at the tiny inn in Vermont and not in the 90 degree Ohio “fall” weather. This book got me excited for Christmas and the story was one I’d love to watch acted out on Hallmark.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Emma has always wondered what happened to the one that got away. He moved on and she is "cursed". When Emma's best friend sends her to a trip to Vermont to "run into" her boyfriend Fletcher, she is shocked that he has a daughter and a Fiancee! Will she pack up and head back to Manhattan, or will she stay and try to enjoy the rest of her trip?

I thought the concept of this story sounded awesome, and the descriptions of the town and the scenes made the town sound real. However, I found the characters to be quiet annoying and unrealistic/immature at times. This tended to make the story drag for me a bit.
If you love small town Christmas romances where synchronicity is a main theme and love wins, this might be a great read for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest opinion.

Super cute Christmas rom com that was up my alley in every way ... except that the author referred to “synchronicity” about a million times. Not only is it a jarring word per se, but it just made a predictable romance seem even more contrived.
The good parts were Emma’s WONDERFULNESS with Fletcher’s little girl, the inn owner’s story and the stability of that plot thread, and the karma brought unto Fletcher’s fiancée. ;) Loved the snowy setting and baked goods also - made for cozy reading and a heartwarming feel.

Christmas in Vermont is a charming, warm Christmas tale set in a fictional Hallmark style ski village in Vermont. Taking place the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day the reader is taken on a holiday journey of love, fate and delicious culinary delights. Do you believe in fate and synchronicity? Emma has her doubts but as she finds her college ex-boyfriend's watch in a pawn shop on Christmas Eve night, after another breakup, her best friend convinces her that destiny is at work. With nothing to lose Emma follows her friend's advice and ends up in cozy Snowberry Vermont at the same resort as Fletcher-the one who got away. What follows is a holiday adventure that ties in Emma and Fletcher's past with the present, holiday magic and the charms of New England. Christmas in Vermont is the perfect holiday story to enjoy this season. I only wish Snowberry was a real town!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publish and author for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

4.5 ☆ Christmas In Vermont reminded me of a wonderful Hallmark Christmas movie. Full of interesting characters, CIV has a fast-paced storyline following main character Emma who has a long history of ending her relationships as they near their first anniversary.
Emma pawns a gift given to her from her latest ex-boyfriend, and sees a watch under the glass she had given to the ONE guy she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with, Fletcher. Her BFF Bronwyn believes in synchronicity, a group of meaningful coincidences, and investigates Fletcher on-line learning he’ll be spending his holiday at a Vermont Inn. She talks Emma into traveling alone and staying at the Smugglers Inn in Snowberry, Vermont where Fletcher will be staying. Neither ladies know it yet, but Fletcher is now a father to a precocious daughter and is newly engaged with both daughter and fiancé staying at the Inn also. I enjoyed reading this fun book. It was such a cosy, delightful and sweet holiday story that I couldn’t put it down. If the Smugglers Inn really did exist I’d be calling for a reservation. Great story!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, this is my honest review.

I was looking to see what new books were out from authors that I had read before but hadn't read anything from since and I ran across Anita Hughes's new novel Christmas in Vermont at NetGalley. I read Monarch Beach back in 2012 and while the plot wasn't something I cared for, I loved her writing style. Since I love Christmas stories I thought this one would be a good bet.

I'm glad I read this book in my forties instead of in my early 30s when I was still pining for love during the holidays. Now that I prefer my single life, I could appreciate the story without getting all morose.

Emma can only keep a relationship going for 364 days when she finds some reason or another to end the relationship. Usually, it is because she knows a proposal is coming and she realizes she doesn't feel that strongly for the person. This Christmas instead of vacationing in Hawaii she is pawning the bracelet her now ex-boyfriend gave her. At the pawnshop, she spies a watch that looks just like a watch she gave her college boyfriend for graduation. Except it isn't just a look-alike. It is the same watch, including the inscription on the back. But how did it wind up in a New York pawnshop when he had moved to London right after graduation?

Emma's best friend decided to play matchmaker. She finds out Fletcher is in Vermont for Christmas and books a room for Emma. Of course, the romance isn't straightforward as there are plenty of obstacles between the two of them, namely a little girl and a fiancee.

At first, the story reminded me a bit of the movie Serendipity with a dash of A White Christmas thrown in. I smiled when I realized that a Vermont inn was in financial trouble and a Broadway director was going to help save it. Well, it is actually his 9-year-old daughter who decides they need to help save the inn.

I'm kind of wondering if 9-year-old girls are going to be a thing this year in Christmas stories as this is the second one I read this month featuring a little girl.

Lola is fabulous. In some ways, she is mature beyond her years (probably the result of living in London with two highly successful and creative parents). Though she maintains some of the childhood fears (will I still be loved when my parents, who are divorced, have a baby with their new spouse?) and wonder (live reindeer, snow, sleigh rides, all the Christmasy stuff).

While there are obstacles in the way, its nothing too difficult to overcome so there is just enough tension to give the story some depth, but stays light enough to be a really great holiday romance novel. The plot is straightforward and predictable, but the characters are enjoyable (I hope to see them again). Plus the snowy setting will make it feel like Christmas (even if you are in the south like me where it is just as likely to be 80 degrees on Christmas day as it is to be cold and wet).

I was right when I said it was a good bet. So put it on your Chrismas reading list.

Review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, October 15 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2019/10/christmas-in-vermont-by-anita-hughes.html

A cute Christmas time romance. Filled with synchronicity, coincidences, magic and Vermont at winter time. I visited Vermont for the first time this past March. It looks magical with all the pine trees and snow. So many breath taking things to see! It is easy to believe that so much can come together to bring two people who broke up 11 years ago back together. Lies and secrets kept took them apart. Now years later they are brought together with the help of Facebook and a friend. What happens next is all up to them.
I like how Emma ended up taking care of Fletcher’s daughter with kids club. It was a natural way for them to get to know one another without it being creepy or forced. I liked how open everyone was about what was going on in their lives. I definitely loved all the Vermont in winter magic.

If you're looking for a read to put you in the holiday mood, look no further! With a strong, kind heroine, a hero who needs to sort himself out, and a precocious ten year old who tries her hand at matchmaking, this story will make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings and get you ready to celebrate the holidays with those you love.

Emma can't seem to make a relationship work. When things hit the one-year mark, she always seems to find a reason to call it quits. But there may be a reason her relationships never make it past twelve months.

When she goes to a pawn shop to sell her latest ex's Christmas gift, she’s shocked to find the watch she gave to the first man she ever loved, with her message of love still legible in the watch’s engraving. And it's entirely possible that long-ago love is still engraved on Emma's heart, as well.

With a little coaxing from her BFF, Emma heads to the Smugglers Inn in Snowberry, Vermont, where Fletcher Conway is spending Christmas, according to social media. Emma learns that Fletcher realized his dream of becoming a Broadway director, but color her surprised when she realizes he not only has a ten-year-old daughter but also a fiancée.

What follows is one part exploitation from a wannabe star, two parts “The Heart of TV" movie, and an opportunity for the community to come together to help one of their own by holding a talent contest at the local theater. The driving force behind it? Ten-year-old Lola, of course, with a little help from Emma and Fletcher.

Remove the distractions, get comfy, and settle in with this delightful, sweet, endearing holiday read. You’ll thoroughly enjoy getting to know these loveably flawed characters, and you'll be ready to pack up the car and move to Snowberry, VT!

▪I read an early edition of this book, having made no agreement to share my opinion and receiving nothing in return from any source.

I have enjoyed several of Anita Hughes's holiday books and this was another good one. I loved the setting in Vermont and what a gorgeous cover this book has. The characters were likeable and the second chance romance trope is always a favorite. Just the perfect book to read with a warm mug of tea and a toasty fire.

The watch Emma gave Fletcher all those years ago is in a pawn shop- and Emma stumbles on it. She's never forgotten that relationship and when she confides in her friend Bronwyn, the latter gets on the case. She finds Fletcher at an inn in Vermont and persuades Emma to go there as well. What luck! Not so lucky, though is the fact that Fletcher is there with his daughter Lola and his fiancé Megan. Ah, the course of true love- helped by a 10 year old! Good characters and a sweet story combine for a good read. Thanks to the publisher for the arc. Hughes has a nice touch with Christmas stories = this would be a perfect light movie for the season.

Sweet, fun Christmas story. I love Christmas stories and this was a perfect read for me. As you read this story, it will remind you of a Hallmark movie♥️
Likeable characters, a small town in Vermont, romance, second chances, Christmas time....makes for a sweet, cozy read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book.

Copy received from St Martin's Press via Netgalley for an honest review

I am a sucker for a Christmas story, and a Christmas story with a second chance of love story included is the best.

Emma and Fletcher's tale is serendipitous in that a chance finding at a pawn store leads our lovelies on a journey to reconnect, and to realise they never stopped loving each other.. swoon.

Of course there are hurdles to jump, however I liked that it wasn't all easy peasy for our lovelies. They had to fight for what they wanted.

There was a character involved, that gah, I could see what was happening right from the start and was yelling at my Kindle for Fletcher to wake up and smell the coffee - you will pick it too, I am sure, however it was all part of cupid's big plans.

There is a scene stealer that will completely have your heart too.

I love that there is little angst and no OTT drama also.

Great to get you into the Christmas mood, and to believe in Christmas miracles.

syn·chro·nic·i·ty noun 1. the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection. And this is the guiding premise of this story about reconnecting with lost loves and finding a new tomorrow.

Emma is a serial relationship ender – none of her relationships last longer than a year – in fact, she’s selling the bracelet from her latest ex instead of heading to the airport for a Maui vacation, when she spots a watch she had given to her first and college love, Fletcher. The one she can’t forget. But, believing herself incapable of a relationship, despite thinking she wants one, she’s content to spend Christmas between her best friend Bronwyn’s house with her goddaughters, and working on a lipstick campaign due in the new year. But, when Bronwyn hears of the watch, and decides after a quick google search that Emma must go to Vermont and stay at the inn that Fletcher is at – even better – a free-ish stay as Emma will run the “kids camp” each afternoon – Emma is bullied, cajoled and eventually relents – heading out to the country inn.

Fletcher, his nine year old daughter Lola and his twenty-something fiancée are staying at the inn. Fletcher using the time to spend with Lola and get his fiancée Megan and Lola to bond. It’s not happening – not like it should – mostly because Megan is angling for a part in Fletcher’s Broadway debut play that she isn’t suited for, and Lola is in possession of an adult’s outlook on the world, with a ‘friend’ who shares all of the ‘bits’ of being a child of divorce. Emma is still attracted to Fletcher- but she won’t overstep his relationship, Fletcher has always dreamed of Emma and sees her ‘everywhere” and with a ‘hands off” from his best friend Graham from London, he’s determined to make things work out with Megan, despite Lola’s objections and his own unease around her and her suggestions.

This was a sweet story that unfolded naturally, with both Fletcher and Emma picking up the chemistry and camaraderie from the get go – much to Lola’s delight and Fletcher’s confusion. The topic of synchronicity and HOW Emma came to be at the same small inn come up – and while the two are alternately amused and tickled by their connection, a simple truth from ten years earlier threaten to separate the two for good. It is only with the talent show that both are roped into helping by Lola – organized for the Inn owner’s benefit – do the two find their way together and clear the air – understanding that their connection is one that is meant to be. Set in Vermont with plenty of scenery, local attractions and new delights, the story is a wonderfully warm Christmas story about finding new opportunities in the present with love from the past.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-axB/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

It’s Christmas time and Emma has broken up with her boyfriend. Emma can’t commit to any man for longer than a year. Every time she starts to think a proposal is coming, she breaks it off. She has been single every year at Christmas for the past 11 years.

I’m college, Emma and Fletcher fell in love. She hasn’t seen him since graduation 11 years ago.
Right after breaking up with her most recent boyfriend, Emma finds a watch she gave Fletcher at a pawn shop.

When Emma’s best friend Bronwyn finds out, she insists that it’s no accident. It must mean that Emma is supposed to find Fletcher again.

Before you know it, Bronwyn has located Fletcher. He’s spending the holidays at an inn in Vermont. She books Emma for a week’s stay at the same inn and sends her on her way.
Emma does know that Fletcher will be there. But she doesn’t know that Fletcher has a daughter. She also doesn’t know that Fletcher has a fiancée.

Once Emma sees the fiancée, she wants to leave. But she is roped into some obligations at the inn and can’t just leave. Fletcher and Emma’s paths keep crossing throughout the week.

Emma might not be able to give up on Fletcher after all.

I won an early copy of this book. I always enjoy the way this author can capture a setting so beautifully.