The perfect Christmas read. Grab your cozy socks and curl up with this one. Thank you NetGalley and Krista Jensen for this ARC. It was perfect for kicking off Fall and gearing up for my favorite time of the year!

This one is a little bit sweet, and a little bit cheesy. Riley comes to Miracle Creek from the big city, looking for a fresh start. Mark is the reluctant local hero, hiding away from the world. He’s suffered burns and has lost confidence because his fiancée dumped him.

Mark asks Riley to do some artwork and help him recreate his mother’s nativity, which was lost in a fire. Riley has some hang ups about Christmas, so she’s hesitant about the project. Riley hides his scars under a hoodie when he’s in public, and it’s nice to see him gradually come back out of his shell. They slowly learn to trust each other and build a solid friendship. Are there even deeper feelings developing between these two?

Content: clean, no swearing. Mild spiritual message.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Jensen, 368 pages. Shadow Mountain, 2020. $16.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
After being burned and going through rehab, Mark avoids going out and subjecting himself to the stares and comments that follow him. Riley moved to Miracle Creek to escape the nosey gossipers of Hollywood and live her life without others’ judgement. As they get to know each other, Mark and Riley can either choose to ignore the rumors around them or let small-town gossip tear them apart.
Mark and Riley both have scars from their past experiences, and they learn to heal together. I love the juxtaposition of seen and unseen hurts that we all have and need to learn how to move forward with, even when they are still painful. Jensen crafted a story that both made me understand the pain her characters were going through and had me laughing out loud, but I felt a disconnect in the end when it seemed like the characters I had gotten to know acted contrary to who they were. The mature content rating is for innuendo.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

This is a lovely story of two people who have suffered pain in their lives and their journey to come together.
Riley is a high school art teacher searching for a place to call home and Mark is an ex firefighter struggling to come to terms with horrendous scars he received while saving the lives of 6 children in a fire where his best friend died.
The story centres around Riley and Mark trying to recreate a nativity that was destroyed in the fire, a nativity Mark's mum painted.
There are predictably battles to be fought and obstacles to be overcome, but it is a lovely festive read without being over the top Christmassy.
Really enjoyable read!

Riley Madigan moves to Miracle Creek to start again after a bad relationship. She's the Art Teacher at the local school. Mark Rivers is the local scarred hero who is having trouble adjusting to life after being badly burnt.

These two join forces to renovate her house and to remake a Nativity scene.
Throughout the book, the main characters go through a heartwarming character arc learning to trust and love each other.

There are no steamy scenes, some angst, a HEA & some tears (from me). Its the perfect Hallmark movie, if that's what you are looking for this one is perfect.
It was a little slow until the 40% area, and then it amped up.

I had such a great time reading this one.

I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me by Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing.

There are a few contemporary romance writers who I always try to read as soon as they come out. One of those is Krista Jensen. Her romances always have a deeper theme and plot to them. I loved this story—Riley struggling with her past and what she wants for her future; Mark struggling with an injury that changed his life completely. Working together on a project brings them together in a way that helps them both heal and find answers. Very satisfying read.

Riley turns up in Miracle Creek after a bad break up and starts work as an art teacher. In town she meets Mark Rivers, the town hero left badly disfigured after a fire. Will the Christmas spirit bring these two damaged souls together? I think we can all do with visiting Miracle Creek. A beautiful clean Hallmark style festive novel. Perfect x I was sent an ARC of this book and all views are my own x

Romance, clean, contemporary; mild faith

Mark and Riley's story is so filled with moments. Hurting, aching, laughing, and yes, just tender loving moments, that while 'ordinary' are more than ordinary for them. Just a magical romance that has the depth and characters that will leave you wanting and waiting for more and wishing for more of them in some way to continue. This is one of the can't put down books. KLJ knows how to make you want for more. Riley and Mark are two giving, honest, hurting hearts, with a friendship, kindness, and caring for each other that will linger with you long after you have finished reading. The good people and family in Miracle Creek will leave you feeling like you have come home.

Strong characters and side characters, lush well developed setting and plot, each moment unfolds so well. I love an introspective novel, and this is one where the characters while moving forward help each other to become their best selves along with their sweet, beautiful romantic moments. This is one that I will have on my re-read shelf.

More of a 4.5 for me as a reader, still well-deserved 5 as I rounded up.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.
Please note, Krista Jensen has also published under the name, Krista Lynne Jensen.

I really liked Mark and Riley. They each have lots of emotional baggage in their lives. But through a budding friendship they help each other grow and deal with it. I loved the interactions. Some were hilarious, others tender and sweet. This is a very enjoyable story of hope and love at Christmas.

Miracle Creek Christmas
by Krista Jensen
Shadow Mountain Publishing
You Like Them You Are Auto-Approved
Shadow Mountain
Romance
Pub Date 08 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 22 Sep 2020

This is a wonderful feel-good romance at Christmas! I think we need to read these from time to time to maintain balance in our reading life. Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 star

This was my first Christmas read, but it was in the 90's when I read it. It was a nice to escape to the small town of Miracle Creek, WA and see the friendship form between Riley and Mark develop, then transform into more. Riley and Mark didn't have a great first meeting when she thought he was a stalker and a neighbor called the sheriff, and their second meeting wasn't much better. They're the kind of stories that get passed down for generations.

Riley and Mark are very likeable characters. Both of them have healing to do, although Riley's is internal where no one can see her wounds. While Mark helps her with the work on her house, and Riley works to make a surprise Christmas gift for Mark's father they form a friendship that helps them both heal. Mark forgets about his hiding the right side of his face and becomes more like the man he was before the fires that destroyed his family's orchard and killed his friend.

The author did a wonderful job bringing Miracle Creek to life.I don't like the cold but I think I could brave it and the snow to see the town of Leavenworth all decked out for Christmas and watch the Christmas Lighting Festival. If you're looking for a book to give you all the Christmas feelings of helping others, forgiveness, kindness, and love this book will do it.

I received a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

This is such a heart warming story. Sweet and clean and it leaves you with a good feeling. Riley is running away from her past and Mark is trying to overcome major loss in his life. They two seem to head each other. I loved the characters. At times, I giggled at Riley and her baseball bat. She is sweet and generous. Mark, the hero, struggles with his scars, both physical and emotional and Riley helps him. There a light to the story, redemption, and how we can be an angel and help someone.

The story is easy to read and quickly caught my attention.

This was a wonderful, heartwarming book. Perfect for getting into the Christmas spirit. I loved that each of the characters had a engaging background. A very sweet romance that I definitely recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this heartwarming story!

Riley had the uncanny ability to see past Mark's countenance into his heart - something no one outside of his family had been able to do since the heroic rescue he made that left him scarred. It was so sweet to see the way he opened up to her, sharing his pain and his hopes.

While dealing with heavy heart issues, the author added plenty of light-hearted, humorous moments as well. I loved the way she carried "moments" throughout the story, giving Mark and Riley delightful ways to tease each other. Their not-even-a-meal non-date was fun and I especially liked the whole thing with the glass doorknob. It was seriously super-swoony sweet!

If you enjoy Christmastime romances, this is a great choice for reading this holiday season!

This book would be a great Christmas movie. I enjoyed the characters in the book as they each had their own story and background, and it is a feel-good story. This one will really get you in a Christmas mood.

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions here are my own.**

Strong Hallmark Christmas movie vibes on this one. The artist and the firefighter, one scarred physically the other emotionally, and all set in a town that became my favorite character. Really, how do I visit Miracle Creek?

What is sweet clean holiday romance. I really enjoyed everything about this book. The characters are well defined. I love the chemistry between Mark and Riley. I appreciated the sensitive subject of Mark and his burns. I feel like we all need to be more aware of how we treat others. Another part of this book I love is the location. I have family that lives in the area, and I have been to Leavenworth many times. It truly is as magical as the author described it. Christmas time is very special, but other seasons are just as wonderful! I recommend this book, to anyone who needs a little dose of holiday cheer and love. The story flowed well and was a quick easy read, with all the ups and downs of a great romance.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and net galley. This is my honest review

Miracle Creek Christmas by Krista Jensen is a wonderful story to read at Christmas time. Riley is an art teacher who helps Mark recreate his mother’s nativity scene. This story has special surprises in the end. Both Riley and Mark have built up walls. Read the story. You will love it.

This was a very sweet romance. I loved the main characters and how they interacted. You couldn't help but root for them. They both are scarred in very different ways and it's very moving to see them deal with that. It was a lovely, emotional story. Will definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

After a humiliating break up, Riley Madigan starts over in the small town of Miracle Creek. She gets a new job as a high school art teacher. She’s not sure if this will be a permanent move, but for now, she’s quite happy with the peacefulness of Miracle Creek.

Local hero, firefighter Mark Rivers, is recovering from a burn injury he received during a rescue operation. It’s been tough for Mark despite his family’s attempt at helping him through this difficult time. When he meets Riley, he’s more than just a little interested. However, with his burn scars, he’s sure a relationship could never happen.

This is a heartwarming, emotionally-charged romance. Mark and Riley are tortured souls trying to find some peace for themselves. The writer does a wonderful job of bringing Mark and Riley to life. I could feel their pain with each turn of the page. The story touches on realistic issues and really tugs on the heart-strings.

It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last. It kept me up late at night reading and rooting for Mark and Riley. This is a lovely book to read around Christmas time. The meaning of the season comes through strong in this one.