Member Reviews
This book is a romantic, feel good story that will touch your heart and fill you with gratitude just like Sarah and Bodie were filled with gratitude. The heartfelt story has beautiful characters, a quilt, a sense of community, hope and love that will wrap you up in the spirit of Christmas just like the Quilt of Valor Sarah unknowingly made for Bodie.
I really liked the significance of the quilt and how it not only touched Bodie's heart but came full circle and touched Sarah's heart as well during her first Christmas without her special aunt. Sarah's mom died shortly after she was born and her dad raised her along with his sister and the town of Pine Hill. I really enjoyed the special group of women known as the Butterflies that had always looked out for Sarah. they seemed to show up everywhere which made for some interesting situations in the book. The B&B, the Hamilton House that Sarah inherited from her aunt and the special Christmas activities in the town of Pine Hill sound like a special, magical place. I really loved this touching story. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
Wrapped Up in Christmas is a very sweet Hallmark story set in a small town in Kentucky. As Sarah works hard to renovate her aunt's house into a bed & breakfast, she is also deeply involved in her church and community - and special projects such as making quits for wounded warriors. Meanwhile, a recipient of one of her quilts seeks to find and thank Sarah for the impact her quilt made on his life. This Christmas story is a quick read but well worth every minute!
I'm one of those people who can read Christmas novels year long - they are generally heartwarming and uplifting with happy endings. Wrapped Up In Christmas was no different. It's an overload of over-the-top Christmas feels sprinkled with small-town shenanigans. As I commented on the Hallmark Facebook page, "It was a sweet Christmas overload - delightful!" I could relate in part to the female lead, Sarah, as I too work for our local church, and love crafting... but alas, she's more talented at quilting than I'll ever even think about being. The aspects of loss, and the wounds of the veteran, and the healing that comes about all add another layer of warmth to this novel. It was an enjoyable read and while maybe not my favourite part on their own, the older "butterflies" absolutely drove me crazy and made me laugh. We all need people who care about us enough to keep us on our toes. A well-rounded, feel-good Christmas read.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Netgalley and Hallmark Publishing. These comments are my honest review.
Wrapped Up in Christmas is a heartwarming, romantic Christmas story. Sarah Smith has inherited her Aunts’ home and is in the process of renovating it into an inn. She is desperate to find a reliable handyman and puts an ad in the paper. In steps Bodie Lewis, an ex-Army Ranger.
Bodie is there to thank the woman who made him a quilt that he received through the Quilts of Valor organization. Through a series of misconceptions, Bodie thinks he will be thanking an “older woman”, such as his grandmother, not Sarah for his quilt and Sarah thinks Bodie is her answer to her prayer and ad for a handyman. Little does Sarah or Brodie know how those misconceptions and the quilt will change their lives.
What a lovely, light, entertaining story.
I truly enjoyed reading it!
Sarah, inherited an old Victorian home and has plans to turn it into a B&B, which will take a bit of work.
Bodie walked into her life, and se assumed he was the handyman applying to work on the home with her.
Well not so. I won't delve any further.
This is a truly heart arming story. It gives you hope that there are good people out there. If only these stories could be real. Definitely would read and refer to others to read. Looking forward to another Janice Lynn book soon.
If you read only one holiday story this season, choose this one. What an uplifting story. Sarah sewed a quilt when a favorite aunt that helped raise her became ill. It was a work of love and when finished donated to an organization that sends it to a veteran.
Bodie was the recipient, after being the lone survivor of his unit after an IED explosion. He travels to Ky to thank the woman who sewed it and sent along a special note of appreciation for his military service expecting a little old kady. Imagine his surprise when he meets a young woman renovating a house to open a B and B for Christmas.
The story shares their growing friendship and the preparation for the upcoming Christmas celebration in this small town. The characters come alive and the true meaning of Christmas shines through. All in all, a great read!
I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher for my honest opinions.
The Healing Power of Christmas
This is a heartwarming story of a war-weary veteran who comes home to a loving and giving woman and the healing begins. It is of no surprise that Hallmark is publishing this book as it really should be one of their movies. It is very well written and I hated to see it end. It is a lovely and clean story that doesn't have a negative vibe in it anywhere. I loved it and want to read more like it, I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Readers are going to enjoy watching sweet, enthusiastic Sarah slowly melt Brodie's hardened military heart in this sweet story from a great storyteller. A pleasent way to get into the holiday spirit!
Wrapped Up In Christmas was a charming Christmas read, but as with a lot of romances, it was a bit predictable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It wouldn't be Christmas without Hallmark. Available on 10-2-19, Wrapped Up In Christmas, by Janice Lynn, is a Hallmark story for a snowy night read with a cup of hot chocolate. Romance can't be any sweeter or more pure than the kind offered up by Ms Lynn and Hallmark.
Bodie Lewis, our hero, is a damaged man, physically and emotionally, who's trying hard to get on with his life. Everything is changing and he's got to adapt, but how? His PTSD makes it a daily struggle. He's still military stern, not given to showing his feelings, or smiling. Life on the "outside" is strange and scary. He's recuperated enough to head home to see his Mom but 1st stop is Pine Hill, KY. He'd been gifted with a handmade quilt while in the hospital. The Quilts Of Valor project is real and to be commended on their good works. He wants to personally thank the quilt maker but is pole-axed when he meets the young lady, not the grandmother type he expected. She's pretty, with a wholesome, small town girl vibe. He's drawn to her, she's good and kind. A misunderstanding has Bodie hiding why he's there and signing on to be a handyman. He's a stereotypical ex-military character, which I found hard to get excited about. He's a handsome, nice enough guy but his stoic demeanor dragged for me.
Sarah Smith is the type of woman who's been burned pretty bad in the romance department & has given up. She no longer tries at all. She's devoted to her town and it's people, throwing all her time and effort into them. Her dreams of happiness and love are put away in the back of her mind. She's now fixated on turning her beloved late Aunt's home into a B&B. Good looking Bodie is a gift from Heaven, a handyman sent in her time of desperate need. She's a rigid character too, set in her ways but considers herself content not stuck.
These two need each other, they each heal the other one and become more complete, rounded humans. It's a difficult romance, despite that instant, deep attraction. I never fully invested in the characters even though the story is good and the writing flows. My favorite character turned out to be Harry, the dog. He's awesome.
#Netgalley #HallmarkPublishing #WrappedUpInChristmas #JaniceLynn #Romance
Wrapped up in Christmas is a heartwarming and moving, sweet story. It is wonderful written. I enjoyed Bodie and Sarah story. They are delightful characters. This is a page turner. It kept my instered through out the story. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.
Sometimes things do not go as planned
"Wrapped Up in Christmas. An uplifting small-town romance from Hallmark Publishing" was written by Janice Lynn. Former army ranger Bodie Lewis' reason for being in Pine Hill, Kentucky, was only to thank the person who made the Quilt of Valor for him and then to leave. The quilt brought him out of the dark hole while he was recuperating after being injured overseas. But things didn't go as planned. Instead of Sarah Smith being a "nice old lady" she is a young woman whose focus is on two things: everything that has to do with Christmas, especially the On-the-Square-Christmas Festival in Pine Hill and the opening of the bed-and-breakfast in the old Victorian house on Christmas eve which she inherited from her aunt Jean. To accomplish this she urgently needs a handyman.
Bodie Lewis has a job lined up, but instead of thanking Sarah for the quilt he suddenly finds himself working for Sarah who impacts his life as he impacts hers. What will the future bring for them? Will the influence of the "Butterflies" be helpful?
This clean romance is an relaxing read, encouraging, uplifting, with believable characters. The very good book can be highly recommended. It does not only include a recipe, this time for cinnamon swirl bread (like Hallmark romances usually do), but it also contains brief information about the Quilts of Valor Group project and the instructions to sew a "Stars and Stripes" quilt.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#WrappedUpInChristmas #NetGalley
Loved this story!! It has veterans and has characters with big hearts. These folks have dealt with heartache, but haven’t we all. The monologue between the two main characters, Sarah and Brodie is great. Loved the back and forth. The Butterflies, so my gosh. They are too funny! What a great group to have looking out for you. Who wouldn’t love a dog like Harry? I wish everyone could have such a loyal companion. This story also mentions Quilts of Valor and to me a big bonus is you get the pattern for a beautiful quilt. How cool is that? There is also a yummy recipe included. This is a great Christmas story that I didn’t want to end. I hope I can go back to Pine Hill and visit with these wonderful folks again. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
Lovely festive read. It was a heart warming romance. It was a wonderful book to read. It was well written and flowed well.
Wrapped Up In Christmas was a heartfelt holiday romance about the healing powers of love. The story follows Sarah Smith and Bodie Lewis as they work together to get the town of Pine Hills ready for Christmas.
Sarah is a dedicated and compassionate woman. She is always busy and doing special projects that are close to her heart. She loves working with her church and donating items to wounded warriors. She made a quilt for a wounded warrior that ended up in the hands of Bodie Lewis.
Bodie is a protector and defender. He was injured in the line of duty and is trying to adjust to his new life. In his darkest time, a quilt helped him heal. He knew he had to meet the person who made it so he traveled to Kentucky to meet Sarah Smith. He was looking for an older woman, but when he realized Sarah was around his age he couldn't keep his eye off of hers.
Bodie decides not to tell Sarah why he really came to Pine Hills and pretends to be the new handyman Sarah was looking for. As they spend more time together, their feelings grow stronger. Sarah teaches him to get into the spirit of Christmas by going to local festivals and decorating Christmas trees. He starts to enjoy the holiday season and realize that Sarah was put in his life for a reason.
Overall, I thought this was an adorable and heartwarming holiday romance. Another great one from Hallmark Publishing. I give Wrapped Up In Christmas 3.5 stars.
This is an excellent Christmas story and it features everything I expect in this type of novels: Christmas spirit, a small village, a sweet romance, and a heartwarming plot.
I rooted for the characters and I enjoyed the sweet story.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Are you looking for a sweet Christmas romance for your holiday TBR? This one is sure to fit the bill!
After recuperating from wounds received from an IED, former Army Ranger Bodie Lewis goes looking for the woman who made him a quilt. Sarah believes he came in answer to her ad for a handyman. Bodie decides to thank her by finishing the remodeling on the family home she hopes to turn into a bed and breakfast. Sarah is working on the town's On the Square Christmas Festival and soon Bodie finds himself lending a hand and even participating in the festivities.
Bodie is a wounded warrior with a generous heart. Sarah is a giver with a love for all things Christmas. This is definitely a slow-burn romance. I enjoyed the sense of community in the story. There are some quirky secondary characters that add humor. This was a fun small-town romance that is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit!
Thank you to Netgalley and Hallmark Publishing for an e copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Wrapped Up in Christmas by Janice Lynn is a wonderful Christmas story. The two main characters, Sarah Smith from Pine Hill, Kentucky and Bodie Lewis, injured ex-Army Ranger are such a lovely couple. Bodie traveled to Pine Hill to thank Sarah for the beautiful quilt she donated and he received while in the Army hospital after being injured and ended up being her handyman for finishing getting Hamilton House ready for a Christmas Open House. Their story is a beautuful, emotional one. Bodie's dog Harry has a special place in the story too. During the revelation of Sarah & Bodie's story of falling in love there are many Christmas activities. I loved the section about the On-the-Square Christmas Festival and the section where Sarah and Bodie decorate the Christmas tree at Hamilton House. This book left me with warm feelings and the Christmas Spirit.
Wrapped Up In Christmas by Janice Lynn is a beautifully written Christmas story. Bodie and Sarah Found each other because of a quilt Sarah Made for the Quilts Of Valor Foundation. Sarah made a quilt for a solider and Bodie came looking for her to tell her how much he loved the quilt and he found love with Sarah.
This was such a beautiful book that I didn't want it to end. 'Wrapped Up In Christmas' is filled with that which is good in this world - love, sacrifice, new chances, family and joy. Janice Lynn has provided such a positive message that will stay with me for a long time. I would give it 10 stars if I could!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.