Alex and Helona were a great read and you are really drawn into their world. A great story of two characters who had to move past some obstacles before really seeing each other. A great small town, single mom romance.

Well hellooooo new series for me! I am super excited to have read through all three holiday books in the Sweetwater Springs series in the past few days, and really enjoyed them! When I'm not focused on holiday books, I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the series!

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Alex and Halona's story was lovely. In this installment of the series, a cop and a single mother florist have a history, but neither of them knows the extent of the history they have with each other.

The Happy Ever After was lovely and fulfilling, and the plot was compelling throughout the story. This is a great addition to the Sweetwater Springs books, and a lovely holiday romance.

This book was a quick read with added sweetens to it as one expects when reading story about Christmas.
As a mother i could relate to Halona and her desire to protect and help her son. Alex is determent to close his fathers case and help her son to open up again after having experience that he could relate to.
This story brought a lot of sad but at the end it just shows that sometimes all one needs in life is understanding a of course love.

It was a great read and i'm sure i'll be picking up Annie Rains's books again.


***Review copy recieved via NetGally for an honest review***

Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains is the third book in the Sweetwater Springs series. This time we get the chief’s story. If you enjoy long time crush and small town romances, you are in for a treat.

Halona Locklear is the town’s local florist. A single mother, Halona spends most of her time either working or with her young son. Theo is mute, he hasn’t spoken since the untimely death of his father two years prior. All Halona wants for Christmas this year is to hear her son’s voice again. She would do anything for him. At the prompting of his therapist, Halona enrolls Theo in the local Mentor Match program (think Big Brother programs) not realizing her long time crush will be his match.

Chief of Police, Alex Baker usually spends the month of December alone, working his father’s cold case, trying to find the person responsible for running his father over years earlier. However at the prompting of the mayor, Alex enrolls to be a mentor in the Mentor Match program never imagining he’d match with Theo, Halona’s son. Alex has long had a crush on Halona, but she’s his best friend’s little sister. That is a line he could never cross, even with her brother’s blessing. Alex is honorable, kind, and exactly what Halona wants, but it’s getting him to believe that.

I really loved this sweet romance. Alex and Halona were introduced in the previous books of the series so I was excited to read their story. It was obvious from the previous books how they felt about one another, but the story behind those feelings I wasn’t expecting. I loved their slow burn romance. It is as sweet as it is steamy. If you enjoy contemporary, holiday romance, I highly recommend it.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Halona Locklear will do everything within her power to protect and nurture her seven-year-old son Theo. He hasn't spoken a single word since his father's death. Selective mutism is his diagnosis. Nonetheless, Theo is a responsive, delightful little boy and Halona works very hard with him.

Halona enrolls Theo in a Mentor Match program and his mentor is none other than the town's Chief of Police, Alex Baker. This is wonderful on one hand, as Theo has always responded to Alex whenever he came into Halona's store. This is a problem because Halona is very attracted to Alex, and apparently he feels the same.

Meanwhile, Alex's father was killed in a hit-and-run years ago, and Alex has decided to reopen his case. This brings grief to Halona because it might mean bringing about secrets about Halona's past. Secrets she would rather keep buried. The deeper Alex digs, the more danger is presented to not only himself, but to everyone around him, including Halona, the woman he cannot help but to feel very strongly towards. All the while, Alex and Theo begin spending time together, and thus Halona and Alex get that very same opportunity.

I so loved this story! Halona, Alex and Theo are remarkable together. The bonds of family, love and communication are blessings that really touched my heart. The other books in this series, Christmas on Mistletoe Lane and Springtime at Home Cottage were a delight as well. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Starting Over at Blueberry Creek in February.

Many thanks to Forever and NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this Christmas story of overcoming new joys and sad moments over the holidays. Make it joyous that day and that’s exactly what this author does.

Snowfall on Cedar Trail is a gentle romance filled with supportive friends and family. This is the first of the Sweetwater Springs series that I have read. It is a lovely community that takes care of its own. Alex and Halona have both lived in Sweetwater Springs their whole lives. Alex is actually Halona's brother's best friend. While there may have been an attraction when they were younger, neither acted on it. Halona has been single for the past couple of years, and is raising her seven year old son who has selective mutism. I thought this aspect of the story was both realistic and well=-handled. Through a series of events, Alex and Halona end up spending more time together and work through their attraction. This is a closed door romance with no swearing. Very sweet,

I also read the included bonus novella And Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson. I would like to read the rest of this series. This was more open door romance (aka more sex scenes) and did have some swearing, so not in exactly the same niche as the story by Annie Rains. That said, I enjoyed the story and the romance between Sara and Colton. Again there were many supportive family and friends and both characters had some work to do before their HEA. This was an enjoyable, emotional ride for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Story

I’m always so excited to head back into Sweetwater Springs! As I’ve said a hundred times before, it’s one of my favorite small town settings for a companion series. I always find Annie Rains’ books to be sweet and steamy at the same time – never too cheesy! The story follows Tuck’s sister Halona, who owns the town flower shop, and her son Theo. He’s been struggling with selective mutism since his father died. The leading man is Alex, the chief of police, and Tuck’s best friend. The two have had chemistry since they grew up together.

There were heavy plot points throughout the story that affected the main romance quite a bit (and other things – more on that in the next section). Theo was so adorable and usually I don’t love kids in books that much. The progression of Alex and Halona’s relationship was sweet and seeing his interactions with her son made it that much better.

Wintery Setting & Holiday Feels

Sweetwater Springs is a petty magical place during the holiday season! I loved reading about the town’s traditions and decorations. I think the heavier plot points in the story, like Halona’s history with Ted and Alex trying to solve his father’s murder, really took a lot away from the warm and fuzzy Christmas feels I’m used to in books like this.

Overall

This was a really lovely romance. I do wish there were a bit more Christmassy feels but the nature of their story, with the hard-hitting aspects, made it a little harder to get in the light holiday feelings. As usual, great secondary characters and exploration of Sweetwater Springs! I think I have some solid ideas about who the next main characters may be in the series…

I have read other books by this author that I have LOVED but for some reason I just couldn't connect or enjoy the story at all. I have started and stopped this book twice and feel it is best to just stop all together at this point.

Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains is a heartwarming holiday romance between a small-town florist and the handsome chief of police. Although the police chief wants to get close to Halona Locklear and her son, she won’t allow him to as she has a secret to hide,for her son’s sake. Alex Baker realizes something isn’t right and wants to help them but protecting secrets may be more important than having a new start in life. This was the first Christmas themed book I read this year. I was very happy I picked this one. All the characters were friendly. However, events from the past, including the death of the boy’s father and Alex’s involvement all need to be worked out to move on.

Four stars: A memorable Christmas tale packed full of holiday cheer, but it is much more than holiday fluff as it takes on some tough stuff too.

Halona is hoping to have a happier holiday than last year. It has been a year since her husband died due to complications from football head injuries. In the last year, Halona’s son Theo hasn’t spoken a word. He has select mutism, meaning he doesn’t speak due to trauma. Halona wants nothing more than to hear her son speak again. So when an opportunity arises for Theo to be involved in the Mentor Match program, Halona jumps at the chance. Theo is matched with Chief of Police, Alex Baker. Chief Baker has had a crush on Halona since high school, but he never acted on it because Halona is the sister of his best friend. The more Halona and Alex Baker are around one another, the more the sparks fly, but is either one of them willing to risk their heart after so much hurt?
What I Liked:
*Snowfall on Cedar Trail turned out to be a surprising holiday treat. I like that this book was packed full of the holiday stuff like Christmas decorating, holiday parties, cookies, presents and good cheer, but it also takes on some sensitive topics like domestic abuse, chronic traumatic encephalopathy and post traumatic stress disorder. It thought this book had a nice balance between the serious stuff and the fluff.
*I enjoyed both the main characters: Halona and Alex. Halona is a newly widowed mother trying to balance life with caring for her traumatized son. She still struggles with the way her marriage ended and the death of her husband. Her husband was a star football player suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which made his behavior erratic. Despite what Halona has been through, she is a kind and caring person. I loved her big heart, especially when she extended an olive branch to someone who needed it. Alex on the outside might appear as a tough cop, but inside he has a heart of gold. Time and time again, he went over and above for the citizens of Sweetwater Springs, especially when it came to a victim of domestic abuse. I also loved how kind and caring he was toward Theo, Halona’s son suffering from PTSD.
*The romance is sweet. It is based on years of attraction, but neither ever acted on those feelings. I enjoyed watching the friendship strengthen as the two leaned on one another for support, and then it became so much more. Yes, there were stumbles and moments of stubbornness on both parts, but in the end they get it right.
*As I mentioned, this one takes on plenty of tough stuff. I liked learning more about selective mutism and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Both are topics that I know little about. I thought the author did a great job of incorporating these issues into the story. I also thought the way she handled the domestic abuse was excellent.
*Even though there are tough moments in the story, in between there are lots of lovely holiday moments that readers love this time of year.
*One of the highlights, and the most surprising parts of the book for me was near the end. The book seems to be building toward a climatic moment, and I was worried as to how it was going to evolve. Then the book took a surprising turn. I loved the way it worked out. The scene in the coffee shop was holiday magic!
*I appreciated that I was able to jump into this series without having read any of the other books in the series. I was never lost and it was easy to slip into the story as it was a stand alone.
*The book ends in a nice happy spot. I thought it was the perfect way to end the book.
And The Not So Much:
*I liked the romance, but there was one point where I thought Halona blew up and made a big deal over nothing. Her behavior was out of line, and I didn’t like it.
*I wasn’t a big fan of the the whole murder mystery side story. Just my opinion.

Snowfall on Cedar Trail was a complex holiday book. I liked that this was so much more than fluff. The other takes on some serious topics and balances them beautifully with the holiday cheer. This was an excellent read for the holiday season. If you want more than substance to your holiday reading, this is one to try.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I read Annie Rains' Christmas book last year and it was cute. I thought this years was a but better. I thought that the cover was super cute and over all I really enjoyed it.

I love a good Christmas book and I've really fallen in love with Snowfall on Cedar Trail. This book has everything you'd want in a good story: struggles, romance, great characters that you'll really fall in love with. I won't spoil anything about this book because I think there's a lot more to it than the book synopsis provides, BUT I can say that you must read it!

Annie Rains is an amazing Storyteller! Every single book I read of hers is great! Can't wait for her next book!!

This was such a fun, light book to read which is exactly what I look for this time of year! This is the first book I’ve read from this author but it won’t be my last! I loved all the characters in this book and I found the story to be very captivating. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to Annie Rains & Read Forever for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains has me heading back to Sweetwater Springs & I can't wait. A while back I visited  Sweetwater Springs (via Annie's book, Springtime at Hope Cottage) & I still want to live there. A small town, a fudge shop, a great cup of coffee, memorable residents & a place to start over. Anyone else up for that?

Not All Fluff, My Friends

This visit to Sweetwater Springs is a bit heavier. Single mom, a police officer trying to solve a mystery that is very personal to him & a boy affected by selective mutism. There’s a cast of some shady ass townspeople too. While I was initially thrown off by this, the more I think about it the story feels more raw & real this way.

Can Be Read as a Stand-Alone, but You'll Want to Dive Into The Series

One thing I love about Annie’s books is I get little tidbits about characters from the other books. Annie gives me info so I can check in on my old friends. Luckily, each book can easily be read as a stand-alone.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book! Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains is another winner for me. Read this if you’re in the mood for a second chance, happily ever after story that is not as straightforward as it may seem. While you're at it, be sure to read An Alaskan Christmas for some extra holiday steam.

In my mind I live in Sweetwater Springs. I sell all the books there. I loved this story and the characters. As with each of the books I feel like each person is a huge part of my world. I actively sell Annie's books to my customers on a daily basis. They are just as in love with the town and characters as I am.

I feel a little curmudgeonly as I write this: I had a very hard time getting through this sweet, heart-warming book, Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains. Ever read a book and it just seems interminable? That’s how I felt here. Why? I’m not certain.

I’ve read a couple of other entries in the Sweetwater Springs series so it’s not that I’m unfamiliar with the author, her style, or stories. It just seemed that this book moved slower than molasses in freezing weather.

The story follows Halona Lockheart, a single mother, whose son stopped talking after his father’s death, and police Chief Alex Baker, who was Halona’s brother’s best friend. Halona and Alex have always liked each other but never acted on it.

This book has everything you’d want in a Christmas romance. Hot chocolate, nice people, small town, more hot chocolate.

I am very willing to admit that perhaps this was a me, not you situation. Most reviewers loved this book. You may too.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.