This was the first time I have read anything by Melinda Curtis. A very, quick, easy read. I enjoyed it. A good, short Christmas read.

I floved this read, Everette and Rosalie are more like frenemies than enemies, but boy Everette really does channel his inner Scrooge. But as you get to know him you understand why and you know having Rosalie is just what he needs and you will just love Rosalie and she soo deserves love. Be ready for a bit of sass, big dogs, little dogs along with other cute animals, epic penny pinching and an almost ruined Christmas. This is not just a feel good Christmas book but also a lesson that no matter how bad you thinks things are something great can still come along. 🎄❤

Here’s the perfect holiday read for you. This is a sweet and swoon worthy story that I totally recommend to all book lovers out there. “The Christmas Wish” is a 5 star read for me!! Happy reading!!

Rosalie has put all her hopes and dreams into her pet shop after losing her husband. She is trying to find a way to make it more profitable. The idea is to have more traffic by the store. She is trying to convince Everett the town manager to reroute the parade to give business to her side of town. Everett is not budging very easily. He is trying to get his life back on track after he stumbled on his ex-wife stealing money. Doing the right thing made him lose everything. Both parties have experienced loss and are looking to recover from it. Both have dogs that are a big part of their lives . At least they have that in common. As time goes by and they have several talks , feelings stir up neither expected. Funny how life throws situations at us and eventually we figure them out.

If you're looking for a quick, cheesy, Hallmark-like book then you have found it here my friend.

This was a quick story about two individuals looking to mend their broken hearts without realizing they were trying.

It was fast, easy to follow, and quite predictable. Sometimes that is fun though.

Thanks Netgalley, Forever books, and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced copy. It was quite a cute read.

A sweet, lovely Christmas themed story. I haven't read anything prior to this, by this author - but am going to be looking for some more to read. I really like the characters and the story.

Short book. Festive . Hadn’t read any of the rest in the series but it didn’t stop me enjoying reading this book. It was well written and flowed well. Great wee read at this time of year when you don’t have a lot of spare time

This is a cute Christmas story, but it did not hold my interests. The characters were not fully developed and lack chemistry. Some readers may enjoy reading it especially since a clean novel. .

I enjoyed the book. I love that included dogs and, especially rescue animals. It was a cute story. I struggled with the end as I found it hard to believe that things would happen as they did.

Cute novella, with a scrooge and a town falling apart. Everett is trying to to save a dying town, but there's no money. Rosalie is trying to have a fundraiser to raise money for the town. She thinks he's nothing, but a Scrooge. Cute short story. Would read more about this town.

I was disappointed with the book. It has all the elements, romance, dogs, a change of heart, dogs, Christmas, dogs, but it just didn't catch me and suck me in. I had difficulty starting the book, we didn't meet the main characters immediately and maybe that was part of the problem. It's a fine Christmas romance, just not my cup of coffee.

The story was light and sweet and I’m a sucker for a grumpy love interest.
This was a perfect Hallmark movie style Christmas story. It also set up the future series very well.
My one real complain was how fast the story wrapped up at the end.
I will definitely read more in this series though in the future.

4.5 stars (I rounded up because it’s Christmas)

Thank you Read Forever for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

This novella is cute! After reading One Christmas Eve by Shannon Stacey, I have unreasonable standards for Christmas novellas. There is enough about this town, characters & setting that I would definitely read another book in this series. I really want to know more about the Matchmakers Club. Like, give me more matchmaking stories in a cute town pronto.

The love story is definitely 3 stars for me ( which means I did like it!) but the setting and the cozy feels bumps this up to a 4 for me.

This novella was a super cute Christmas read! Since this is a novella there's not much character build up but it was a quick, light hearted and entertaining read for the holidays.
Thank you Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't wait to read The Christmas Wish by Curtis. I will admit she's a new author for me and when I saw she had out a Christmas novella I knew I had to try it. I just loved the cute cover! Make you want to join in and enjoy the holidays!

This is such a cute start to her Sunshine Valley series. Right away you started to understand the town and the people in it. You wanted to know more about everyone. Right away you join into the Christmas cheer that is until you meet Everett.

Boy, is he, one unhappy person!

You pretty much understand why right away. And even though you feel for him, you don't. I know that doesn't make much sense what till you read it. You'll understand completely. Because he's so unhappy he stands in his own way of everything. Happiness, friendships, just a general wanting to be around others.

Thank gosh for Rosalie. If anyone deserves to running around unhappy it's her. In fact, she has a bigger reason the be unhappy but won't let that stop her from enjoying the holiday cheer with family and friends.

Now don't think this book is full of sadness because it's not. There is a lot of fun that happens. I totally enjoyed it and I'm so glad that I gave it a try. There are times when these two get together and make me chuckle. The way they flirt is so cute. Of course, since this is a novella they do fall in love very quickly but because of the holiday fun, I don't have a problem overlooking that. Usually, I like my novella's to be second chance romance or friends to lovers. Makes the love more believable. But since it's a holiday romance it works.

You'll really enjoy this introduction to the Sunshine Valley series and the people who live there. I can't wait for more!

One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was because the hero was a curmudgeon who didn't want to celebrate Christmas so the town called him "Mr. Scrooge"!!!! Then, he slowly starts to change because of the persistence of a cheerful, animal lover named Rosalie! Their interactions are fun to read and it was a fun story line! I look forward to this new series by Melinda Curtis. Already I like the fun, small town in Colorado! The Matchmaking Widows are especially fun! I definitely recommend it!

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

A cute Christmas read about a town manager who's a stickler for the rules ever since being burned and the pet shop owner who wants nothing more than to have a happy Christmas. Throw in a couple of cute dogs and some meddling town folk and it's a good time for holiday cheer.

Sweet short Christmas story

A delightful small little Christmas story with lots of charm and great characters. Obviously, not much character development in a short story, but they were great to discover and not flat. Still a learning curve for both main characters, especially Scrooge. :)
The dogs were a great addition to the characters and helped to warm everything up even more. Some side characters were present and added enough to the story to keep the story running and stay interesting. The story itself was as sweet as a Christmas candy - all I was expecting for a short fun read to get into Christmas mood. I would love to read more from Sunshine Valley.

Sunshine Valley, Colorado has a new town manager, Everett Bollinger. In order for the town to prosper, he needs to cut back on the Christmas festivities. So he has earned the nickname ”Scrooge” throughout the town. This is also the town where the Sunshine Valley Widows Club(the secret Sunshine Valley Matchmakers Club resides. They pick a person to make a match without that person knowing what is happening. This year Rosalie Reyes, a widow and owner of the new Sunshine Pets shop with a Saint Bernard dog named Remy will be the one to be matched. Everett is divorced and receives a surprise, when his ex-wife’s terrier mix dog named Tinkerbell who is a real trip arrives on his doorstep. Mix a town Scrooge, a widowed pet store owner, a Saint Bernard & terrier mix for an adventurous read!!! There was definitely chemistry between Rosalie and Everett but will they overcome their issues to act upon it. They will if the Sunshine Matchmakers manage to succeed. Both the targeted two couple were well fleshed, realistic and relatable main characters. The supporting characters were well written. This is intricately woven story that will delight and entertain the reader. A magical, heartwarming read!!! I volunteered to read The Christmas Wish. Thanks to the author and publisher via NetGallery for the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary and my own.

A short tale of a group of widowed women turned matchmaker. Everett, in town to balance the out of control budget has earned the name Scrooge. His job is to be tough and yet, very few consider the past he is hurting from. Rosalie, angry her husband was shot and killed in the line of duty, pours her soul into her newly established pet shop. Can the matchmakers set these two hurting souls on a path of healing?