This author didn't disappoint. Loved the plot and was engrossed from the very beginning. Definitely recommend

What an adorable story! Casey sure made this one special and heartwarming. A chocolate expert and a pilot who loves to eat chocolate, both with sad histories and plenty of love to share. What more could you ask for?

Such a lovely festive treat, thank you to the author for inviting me to read! I would LOVE to see this one made into a Hallmark movie.

Full review will be on my blog when we are closer to the festive season.

I haven't read a Regency Romance before. I can tell that the author very much enjoyed writing this novel and loved her characters. I was able to switch off and quite enjoyed this. Am certain this would be gobbled up by Regency lovers!

This was a cute book with great characters. The writing style didn't match my pace though. I was looking for a fast-paced, fast love story. While this was a great story, it wasn't me.

A Family for Christmas is the first book in the Little Shops on Heart Street series by Viv Royce. It is a wonderful Christmas story about new beginnings, courage, love and kindness, and I enjoyed it so much! I read it on Christmas day, and I am so happy I did! Huge thank you to the author, who suggested this book to me during a random Twitter conversation, as well as Netgalley and the publisher Entangled Publishing, LLC for granting me an ARC copy of this book.

Synopsis:

Emma Miller recently moved to the quiet town of Wood Creek, opening her business and selling chocolates and bonbons to the residents. One day, a small her stops by her shop with a very unique request, and Emma is so intrigued. The little girl needs chocolates for her dad that will make him fall in love with her teacher. Emma can’t deny this little girl and of course, she complies. Little does she know, when Casey’s charming dad comes to the shop to find the creator of the chocolates, they will get on quite well. But she has to remind herself to be careful. After all, she knows that as soon as she gets attached to people, they tend to leave.

The pilot Grant Galloway is surprised by his daughter’s surprise, and he is even more curious about the lady that made these chocolates. After his wife passed away, he is still picking up the pieces of his broken heart. And Wood Creek is only a temporary stop for him and Casey. As soon as he finds a day piloting job, he will move away. He cannot allow to start anything new, especially not now, before the holidays.

Thanks to some Christmas wishes, though, these two might discover that their carefully laid plans are about to change.

My Thoughts:

Reading this book at Christmas day added a special Christmas magic to it, and I finished it within a few hours. I loved the story, and I loved the characters. There is something about small towns that I miss now that I live in a big city. The kindness of the people, and the closeness. I used to find it intrusive that people knew everything about you, but these days, I find it very comforting, especially when people tend to alienate more and more each day.

The little town is beautiful, and Emma’s shop was described so well. I could almost see and taste her amazing chocolate creations. And same goes with Grant’s family business and the town fair that they were organising and decorating, right before Christmas.

I am always looking around for a romance novel, and I enjoyed Grant and Emma’s story. It wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to, but the book was quite short, and I think it was due to that. I still loved their little moments as well.

My favorite character has to be Casey. After knowing what I know, I can see how brave it was for her to come into Emma’s shop and ask for that favour. And that just says how much her dad’s happiness means for her. She is so selfless and kind, and oh so brave. Especially with the other surprise that she plans for her dad.

If you are looking for a lovely Christmas romance during your Christmas or winter holidays – grab this book. It has everything – the lovely town and lovely people, a family atmosphere, a lovely romance and a Christmas miracle magic in the end with a perfect happy ending. I am so glad I read this!

When chocolatier, Emma, discovered a little girl in her new chocolate shop, she had no idea how her life would be turned upside down! It showed Emma's kind heart well, the way she responded to Casey's request and generously gave her chocolate worth far more than Casey had to spend. Her kindness toward Casey shone brightly throughout the story.

And then there was Grant. Recently widowed, he was determined to do what was best for his daughter, even if it meant limited job opportunities so he would not have to travel overnight as a pilot. His gentle ways and his protective nature greatly appealed to me. When he saw the way some of Emma's customers treated her, his response was great!

The combination of a small town, a single dad, and a woman who had spent most of her life feeling like an outsider made for a perfect, quick Christmassy read. This is my first book by Viv Royce. I'm looking forward to reading more stories from her in the future.

A Family by Christmas by Viv Royce is a sweet Hallmark-ish Christmas story. The little girl in the book just melts your heart with her request to make her dad happy.

Emma was an orphan but is now all grown up and owns her own Chocolate Shoppe. I thought the references to her business conferences were a great addition to the story. Casey asks Emma to make chocolates for her dad to make him happy and fall in love.

Grant’s wife passed away and he is trying to get his life back together raising his daughter. His dream is to return to flying.

There are some sweet scenes straight out of a Hallmark movie to make this a fun sweet Christmas story.

I didn’t realize it is the first book in a series; The Little Shops on Heart Street. I am excited to see the book store get their story next.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

A Family By Christmas

This is the first Christmas book I’ve read this year. It had a lot of what I look for in a Christmas story, and I enjoyed seeing the love develop between Emma, Grant, and his daughter Casey. I also enjoyed the small town aspects in this story, with the support and help from the people of Wood Creek. A Nice start to the 2020 Christmas season.

3.5 Stars
A Family for Christmas is the first book in the Little Shops on Heart Street. It was a sweet light Christmas romance that took place in the small town of Wood Creek. Orphan Emma Miller had recently moved to Wood Creek and opened her chocolate store. She had been shuffled around as a child in the foster care system and she was ready to put down roots and make friends. When Casey came into her shop declaring that chocolate would make her father happy and fall in love, Emma couldn’t disappoint her. She made a box of special bonbons for Casey to give to her father. Pilot Grant Galloway lost his wife and had moved home to Wood Creek to help his family and have their support while he regrouped. Now he is ready to find another job as a pilot but knows his family will be upset when they move away from Wood Creek. He was surprised when he found the chocolate and after meeting Emma, he was charmed by her. Will Grant choose flying again or being close to his loved ones?

Emma is new to town and has opened a chocolate shop in Wood Creek. Almost everyone in town loves her shop. She is approached one day by Casey, a young girl, who wants to buy magic bonbons to make her dad fall in love and be happy again. Emma is intrigued and decides to fill her request. Once Grant receives the chocolates, he goes to investigate where they came from.

Oh my gosh, I just loved this book so much. It was the perfect book to kick off my Christmas reading with. It’s short, sweet, and everything I love in a novella. The book was engaging, I loved the characters, and it puts you right into the holiday spirit. This is the first book in the Little Shops on Heart Street series, and I cannot wait to read the rest! If you’re looking for a clean and sweet romance, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

She's looking for roots and a family. She's a great chocolatier. He 's a pilot with a child who lost his wife and misses flying. This is your quick easy read. There's a few scenes that make you want to say aww.



*****************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.********************

I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

This one was a cute little read. Very fast-paced and quick read. I am a sucker for small-town romances and this hit all of those spots. The perfect read to cozy up and read in one sitting. Definitely a true hallmark love story. I would recommend this to anyone who loves hallmark movies!

This was a fun and cute Christmas read I really enjoyed it. The characters were nice and there was no villains or drama which at times Exhausts me and I’m thankful that this book didn’t have either of those.

Chocolates, loss, love and small towns...

All crammed into a sweet novella.
Emma is new in town, unsure of her business decision of opening up a chocolate shop, when she is approached by Casey, a young girl who has an extended family and a father, Grant, but her mother died.

Grant is a widower, trying to sort out his future and a job.
There is a lot going on in here, prayers, chocolates, bad people who don't pay for chocolate. Come on, who does that? Some bad business decisions (not a fan).

Sweet, clean and quick to read.

A Family by Christmas is the first book in the Little Shops on Heart Street series by Viv Royce. A  magical, cozy, and heartwarming holiday read set in the quaint town of Wood Creek that takes us into the lives of two main characters.  The characters are lonely, friendly, and thoughtful, set in a plot that is an engaging tale full of tender moments. A Family by Christmas is a lovely holiday read!

A Family by Christmas is a sweet, holiday romance. Emma, Grant, and Casey are all likable characters, and it's easy to root for them to find their HEA together in time for the holiday. The setup was adorable--little Casey, looking for a way to make her father happy again, somehow decides that "magic chocolates" are the way to go and goes to Emma's shop in search of some. Emma gives her way more than Casey's few cents could have afforded, Grant loves them and decides to meet the chocolatier, and a romance novel reminiscent of a Hallmark holiday movie ensues.

Most of the romance is in Emma and Grant's heads until the very last chapter--there's plenty of loaded looks, but nothing actually happens until literally the last minute. They both spend an inordinate amount of time in their own heads, agonizing over their feelings rather than talking to each other, which was a bit frustrating at times. I would have liked to have seen more page time devoted to them working things out as a couple, rather than waiting until the end to kiss and make everything magically better. (view spoiler)

Interesting start to a new series--the next book (Cleo's, the bookstore manager and Emma's friend) sounds promising--I'll be keeping an eye out for it. Because, books. :)

Rating: 3 stars / C+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

4.5 Stars for A Family Christmas
Christmas is my favourite time of year and let’s be honest what’s not to love about a book that’s set in the magical season and spending time with loved ones, family and friends.
Emma grew up in the foster care system and she struggles to trust people because she is terrified the moment she gets to close they will disappear from her life. Grant is finally coming to grips with the loss of his wife and his life is centred around his little girl Casey.
This book touched me on so many levels, I cried, I smiled and I held my breath a lot and what can I say about Casey telling Emma she needs chocolates so her dad would fall in love and smile again apart from it broke my heart but every tear I shed was worth it because this is a beautifully written love story that’s not just about the adults it’s about building a family unit.
I loved this book and I need to read more from this very talented author.

The cover for this book is what captured my attention. I loved it. The blurb made the book sound like something I would really love. I mean come on, Bliss and Christmas? The two go hand and hand. But I did not make a connection with the characters. Grant immediately convincing Emma to become friends with and hang out with his daughter was a little weird. If this was done gradually, I would have been on board. I kept reading the book, hoping I would make a connection with the characters. Wood Creek is supposed to be a quaint town. For me, in the past, quaint towns meant small, nice, and welcoming. After Emma had two VERY RUDE customers, I was done.

I stopped reading the book at 22%.

Thank you for the opportunity to try out a new author.

Emma Miller has the candy shop in Wood Creek and almost everyone in town loves her chocolates. When young Casey stops by to get a box of bonbons for her Dad, Grant Emma is intrigued. All Casey wants is for her dad to be happy. This is a light easy to read Christmas romance of widower who has his little girl find him a wife. This is book 1 in the new series, Little Shops on Heart Street. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.