Cute, short, what if sort of book. It’s wonderful in the way it’s drawn out yet it’s only 304 pages. Love the quaint Vermont inn. Love the characters.

Christmas in Vermont is a new holiday novel by author Anita Hughes. Emma, a copy writer at a major New York advertising firm, has ended yet another relationship before it reached a year. Rather than spending the holidays in Hawaii with her ex-boyfriend, Scott, she is taking the bracelet he gave her for Christmas to the only pawnshop she can find open on Christmas Eve. While waiting for her cash, she sees a watch in the case just like the one she had given to her college sweetheart, Fletcher, as a graduation gift. The engraving on the back of the face proves it to be the same.

Emma’s best friend Bronwyn insists this is a case of synchronicity and a sign that Emma needs to find him. Emma refuses, but Bronwyn does the research and finds that the successful director is spending the holidays at Smugglers Inn in Snowberry, VT. What Bronwyn does not discover is that he is there with his 9 year old daughter Lola and his twenty something fiancée, Megan.

With second thoughts as soon as she knows he isn’t alone, Emma is ready to turn around and head home. However, in meeting the inn owner, Betty, she feels obliged to stay and help her. Part of the fee for her room is running the kids club for Betty, although Lola is the only child registered for the group. But Lola is no ordinary child! She is talented, creative, and kind, and Emma bonds with Lola quickly. This leads to Lola introducing Emma to her father and Megan and sets the stage for a story posing the question, “what would you do if there was a chance for a do over?”

This story has rich characters and a lovely winter wonderland setting. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

A sweet holiday romance in a snowy New England village is given more depth by the characters’ history and the engaging nine-year-old Lola.

Since Emma’s college relationship ended, she has perfected the 364-day relationship—she meets someone, they fall in love, and just when he is preparing to propose, she gets cold feet and breaks up with him. Thus, Emma finds herself in alone in New York City rather than in Hawaii with her beau for Christmas. But when she sells jewelry her recent ex gave her, she makes a surprising discovery: the watch she gave Fletcher for graduation. Convinced that Emma and Fletcher are meant to be together, Emma’s best friend (after some Facebook stalking of Fletcher) convinces her to go to the inn in Vermont where Fletcher is staying for the holiday week.

No seasoned romance reader will doubt for a second that Fletcher and Emma will get back together, but the hurdles they encounter are unexpected. All the characters are pleasant, even the other women. This is great book to cozy up with in front of a fireplace (or at the beach, if you prefer) to vicariously experience a quaint holiday and rekindled romance. #NetGalley #ChristmasInVermont

This is a quick, easy, humor filled, light hearted, enjoyable read. I had laugh out loud moments, and I would give anything to have a friend like Bronwyn. The facetime interactions between Bronwyn and Emma were so funny, the author does a great job of setting the stage and allowing you the ability to picture the conversations between them. And even though we never really met Cammie, she was priceless in her words of wisdom.
Synchronicity, I hadn’t used that word before, but it has now been added to my inner dictionary, “a meaningful coincidence that plays an important role in our lives.” I have had so many synchronicities in my life.
This is a not a deep-thinking book, I listened with VoiceView on my Kindle during a laid-back Saturday and finished up on Sunday in the early morning hours during a rainstorm. Enjoyed every minute of it.
Cons: I felt Fletcher was pretty much of a putz, and even as entertaining as Lola was, I can’t imagine a 9-year-old coming up with some of her explanations or questions.
Pros: Bronwyn and Cammie added so much to the story. Cammie’s words of wisdom coming from a child were priceless and Bronwyn’s outlook upon life was uplifting. If everyone had friends like those two, our lives would be so insightful and entertaining. I guess the best way to describe this book is sweet, enlightening, and just a feel-good Christmas tale.
I thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this for my honest unbiased review. This one comes in with 5 stars.

Pick this one up if you are looking for a light contemporary Christmas romance. It will hit the spot if you enjoy sweet second chance romances and Hallmark movies.

A large part of this book’s appeal is that it is largely set in a small Vermont town, which adds to the holiday feel. Personally, I loved the references to Broadway, especially producer Jordan Roth.

An enchanting second chance tale set to the beautiful backdrop of Vermont at Christmas time.

Synchronicity plays a big part in this book. It all starts when Emma breaks up with her fiancé and goes into a jewelry store to sell the bracelet that he had given to her for Christmas. Then she comes across a watch that she had given to Fletcher, her college boyfriend from twelve years ago. Emma’s best friend, Bronwyn, is the one who believes in synchronicity and sets the ball in motion for Emma and Fletcher to meet again. But they had a few hurdles to tackle before they could get their happily ever after.

This book had all the elements of a memorable Christmas story. It was visually stimulating with all the details of the little Vermont town it was set in and characters that I just couldn’t get enough of. I especially liked Lola, Fletcher’s daughter. She was well above her years in the way she thought and did things. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves holiday romance and women’s fiction.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Do you believe in fate? Emma seems to be under a curse ever since she and her college boy friend Fletcher broke up right before graduation 11 years ago. Her relationships since then can't seem to last more than a year. So when she finds the engraved watch she gave him years ago at a pawn shop on Christmas Eve in Manhattan, she follows her best friend's advice and drives to Vermont to find him.

Christmas in Vermont is a delightful and charming love story about the magic of second chances. I thought it was lovely and it really made me want to head to Vermont for the holidays! I'm picturing a quaint little town all decorated for Christmas and you stay at a bed and breakfast drinking hot chocolate in front of a fire place :)

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story was delightful. It will be the perfect addition to the holiday romance section of my heart. A story of heartbreak and second chances.

Sometimes I choose to read a book and I wonder what possessed me to pick this one. Well, I liked the simplicity of the cover, I thought maybe Vermont would be ideal at holiday time. I got both of those hopes fulfilled but I just couldn't wrap my head around a heroine and her bestie, both alone on Christmas, not spending the holiday together and what was Bronwyn doing with those kids. It just seemed like ineffective parenting, holiday avoidance, and why is Emma taking Ubers in the city if she has a car to drive to Vermont. (Okay I'll give in on that one since city parking is horrendous.) but I was so annoyed with Emma from the get-go that I couldn't warm up to her later on. Even though Fletcher's kid was cute. There was very little christmasy feeling in this book. So I'm going to say this one is not highly recommended from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.

✨

Cheesy Christmas books are my go-to, and I really enjoyed this one. I loved this love story set in Vermont. One of the main characters, Emma, goes to a pawn shop in NYC and notices a watch that she gave to her college boyfriend, 11 years ago. She decides to take it home, while leaving a bracelet there from her current ex. She tells her best friend what she found, and before she knows it, finds herself at a Inn in Vermont, where Fletcher and his daughter are also staying. What she doesn't realize is that he is currently engaged, and right away, feels like it is her time to head back home.

✨

Christmas In Vermont had me hooked from start to finish. It was a charming love story, and the perfect Christmas read. While some parts seem unbelievable, and the story is predictable, it still held my attention, and I wasn't ready for it to end! Can't wait to read more from Anita Hughes!!

✨

On sale October 15th, 2019.

Absolutely adored this book! Christmas in Vermont is your classic cheesy "Hallmark movie." You know the type, likable characters, swoon love story, and a predictable happy ending that you just crave so badly around the holiday time. I especially loved the writing style of Anita Hughes. Beautiful descriptions but nothing too lengthy and the storyline never felt drawn out. This was my first by her and it won't be my last. I fell in love with every single character (except Megan), and could not get enough of sweet Lola, the most confident 10 yr old.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for this free copy.

You can already feel the excitement of the upcoming fall and holidays. And with every Christmas comes a new exciting Anita Hughes novel. This fall we head off for a magical visit to Vermont for CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT (StMartinsPress).

Emma can’t believe her luck when she finds an open pawn shop on Christmas Eve in Manhattan. She’s there to sell the beautiful bracelet her ex-boyfriend gave her when a familiar looking watch catches her eye. It’s the same engraved watch she gave her college boyfriend, Fletcher, years ago. On a whim, she trades the bracelet for the watch and wonders at the timing.

Practical Emma thinks it’s just a coincidence, but her best friend Bronwyn believes it’s the magic of synchronicity that caused Emma to find the watch. Fletcher was the one that got away, and somehow Emma never quite moved on.

When Bronwyn finds out that Fletcher is in snowy Vermont at a romantic inn for the week, she can’t help but give synchronicity a push. She signs Emma up to help the inn keeper as the children’s activity coordinator. Emma agrees that a week filled with quaint shops and maple syrup would do her good… and maybe Fate really does have a Christmas gift in store for her. That is until she sees Fletcher with his daughter and fiancée.

Suddenly, the fairytale trip seems doomed to fail… much like the innkeeper’s dwindling cashflow. It will take a miracle to save her heart and the inn. And that just might be what Fate has in mind.

Anita took some time out to answer our questions!

1. Tell us about Christmas in Vermont.

 CHRISTMAS IN VERMONT is about a young advertising executive named Emma. Emma discovers the watch she gave to her college boyfriend, Fletcher ten years ago at a pawn shop in Manhattan the day before Christmas. From there, she arrives at the same romantic inn where Fletcher is staying and begins to wonder whether fate brought them together to give them a second chance.
 
2. You do a Christmas/holiday book every year.... What's the central theme you use? 

    My themes are the magic of Christmas. Christmas is a time of miracles - whether it's the miracle of romantic love or bringing family together.
 
3. So excited about your movie. Who would you cast for Christmas in Vermont?

     Lily James as Emma - she is my favorite actress, she's brilliant in everything she does. And Armie Hammer as Fletcher.

FYI: Look for repeat listings of ROME IN LOVE on The Hallmark Channel.
 
4. What motivates you to write 2 books a year? Wow!
 
     I really love to write. It takes me away from everything and I get to live in a fantasy world with people I create. What could be more fun?


5. Your novels are always set in sexy locations. How do you choose the setting in your books? 

     I think about where I would like to spend the next three months, then I imagine what it would be like for my characters to be there.
 
6. Tell us about your research.

     Once I have worked out the characters and plot, I spend a lot of time online gazing at pictures of the location. I read-up on the culture and study local to-do guides.
 
7. Without giving away too much, what's next?

     I can't say too much at the moment, but it will be Christmas and it will be somewhere wonderful!

Emma has a history of ending romances as they near their first anniversary. Having just ended a romance and wanting to pawn the bracelet her ex had given her, she happens upon a pawn shop where she finds the watch she’d given her college boyfriend Fletcher - perhaps her one true love. When she reveals this to her best friend Bronwyn, Bronwyn convinces Emma this is synchronicity - a group of meaningful coincidences. Bronwyn discovers via the internet that Fletcher will be spending the week between Christmas and New Year’s at the Snowberry Inn in Vermont and persuades Emma to spend her week there as well. What Emma finds when she arrives is that Fletcher is not alone.

I loved this book and its small town setting. It is full of interesting characters, including precocious children, and budding romances. I enjoy holiday books immensely and this did not disappoint. The end of the book had me wanting more - always a sign of a great read.

This is my first book written by Anita Hughes but it certainly won’t be my last. I rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 stars and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great holiday romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of the book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

I loved this book. I love New England and would love to have a Christmas vacation like that. The characters were great. Such a fun read. There were a lot of typos and programmes switched. Another words the wrong character's name was placed with another's words. It still did not spoil it; hopefully the errors have been picked up and corrected. A great holiday story even if predictable.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this novel. I am a big fan of cheesy Christmas romances, Vermont, and snowy winters. The book had the right setting. It had theoretically great characters. It had the potential for a great 'we reconnected after many years' romance.

But what it also had was a huge set of stereotypes. There were women who were damsels in distress, there were women who looked like they would make it on their own but then, in the end, needed a dude to make their lives complete, and then there was the best friend who encompassed to be the biggest problem. Why would you have a professionally successful woman with two kids who is per the protagonist's words "having the best of both worlds: being a mother and not sacrificing her job, and on top of that the perfect marriage" complain about every single thing her kids do when she has to babysit them on her own, fly to an all-inclusive resort the first chance she gets where a nanny will watch her kids, and make any excuse for her man who opted to go on a skiing trip with his buddies rather than spend the time between Christmas and New Year's Eve with this family????? Why is that your example of a strong professional woman who is also a mother????? Moreover, while the plot started out super cute with the engraved watch it quickly turned into an almost stalker sort of situation, all under the name of synchronicity!

I am very disappointed in this book. Come on people, we live in 2019! We can have cute and cheesy romance novels without sacrificing the strength and independence of women. We can use the usual and predictable plots of romance novels and still have strong female leads and supporting characters. That doesn't make men look weak. We don't need damsels in distress to have strong male leads. And we most certainly don't need to make women into stalkers to get the man of their dreams!

I really wish I could say something nice about this book but the only thing nice about it is that the story takes place in Vermont, which seems wonderful.

The characters are shallow and unlikeable. Fletcher sucks as a father...I'm wondering what kind of father leaves his nine year old alone at an inn to have some alone time with fiancee and stays away for five hours. Oops, sorry we just kind of stopped to have a five course lunch. Idiot.

Emma was also clearly stupid who fell for Fletcher. Don't get me started with her inability to have a relationship longer than 365 days. Hello therapist???

I wish the author had written about a strong woman and especially a father who puts his child first. She describes Vermont very well!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for kindly providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book appealed because of many imagined winters and Christmas days in New England. It didn't disappoint with sleigh rides, ice skating and hot chocolates at every turn. The story was predictable but that is what readers of romance expect. I liked how the fiancé wasn't a villain but a more complex character who had drive and ambition. The reasoning behind the main characters not being together was lame but I liked how they slowly warmed back to each other. The star of the book was the daughter. She was a true delight. The author described everything so well too. It really made me want to visit Vermont.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc copy.

This is a delightful small town Christmas story. It’s a tale of second chances for Emma and Fletcher, - perhaps it’s fate or just coincidence, although Emma’s friend is convinced it is synchronicity. Set in the backdrop of a beautiful Vermont Inn, and the magic of Christmas. Emma, Fletcher, and his daughter, Lola, are wonderful characters. This is a heartwarming read, perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit.

4 star review of  Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes
 
I love any story that is centred around Christmas; it’s a time for family and friends to get together, celebrate and reflect.
 
This was a fun, quick read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked Anita Hughes’ style of writing and felt as though I was a part of the magic of Vermont.
 
Have you ever wondered about the “one” who got away? That’s what happens to Emma when she stumbles across an old gift she gave to her college boyfriend Fletcher and brings him to mind. Could it be fate? Emma has never really gotten over him and has always wondered what could have been.

With a little help from her best friend Bronwyn, she is off to a little inn in Vermont and about to find out, or is she? Things don’t go to plan but yet again fate steps in. Sometimes it’s just meant to be.

I really liked Emma, Fletcher and his little girl Lola, they were easy to relate to and Bronwyn was a great secondary character. Will the magic of the holiday season bring happiness and a re connection for Emma and Fletcher?

Vermont sounds like a beautiful place to live or visit and I found this story to be full of hope, love and family, of second chances and fate. A festive and sweet story that will get you in the mood for the holiday season.

I received a copy of this book through the publisher via Netgalley.

Christmas in Vermont by Anita Hughes
Starts with Emma and she's pawning her ex's jewelry he had given her a week ago as he jetted off to Hawaii for Christmas holidays, without her.
Her bestie gives her a week long stay in VT and she has nothing to do in town so she heads up there from NY. Lovely descriptions of the area and activities to do.
She's agreed to take over 'kids club' at the inn for room and board. She runs into her first love-Fletcher who is there with his daughter and new fiancee.
Chapters go back in time to when they first met and the things and places they'd go. Then you are back to the present and then the past...
Cool winter activities to do and with Fletcher's help they can run a fund raiser for the inn owner who is struggling to keep it open. Like all the discussions about overseas locations, can't wait to visit myself.
Rather predictable how this is gonna work out by the end.
Synchronicity and fate make this story work.
Received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.