Let me just start with - I DETEST Catherine's kids!!! OMG!! What monsters!!!!

That being said, this story was super sweet and a fun take on Christmas romance. I loved the cruise ship setting, and the characters were just so realistic, with various struggles that they were dealing with, and plenty of side story to keep the reader interested. Thumbs up!

As the book begins, eight characters are going through Big Life Things, and they all decide to go on a holiday cruise vacation just before Christmas. They all meet and get to know one another while on their trip, and end up forming close friendships. There are two romance threads that run through the story, nice and light and heartwarming, but I'm not sure that I would call this one a contemporary romance, really. I think it's really nice that these characters learn that they can all lean on one another both during the trip and after, in their real lives.

For a portion of the story, I thought I might rate this one lower because a couple of the characters seem to be so negative when compared with the others, but this really has everything to do with their life circumstances. These same characters developed quite nicely across the entire story, especially as the story neared the end. I love the way everything resolved for everyone involved. The end was the most Christmas-y part of the story.

Thank you to Harlequin MIRA for giving me a free digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

My first book by this author. I love to spend November and December reading heartwarming, happy Christmas stories and this may be my favorite for this year. Made we smile and feel festive.. Not easily accomplished in this year of Covid 2020! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

One Charmed Christmas is everything you could ask for in a sweet, heartwarming Christmas book. I cannot wait to share this book with my friend who also spends November/December reading nothing but Christmas novels.

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

A river cruise on the Rhine provides the setting for this Christmas novel, "One Charmed Christmas". The beginning of the story reminded me of the opening scenes of a film, in which the characters are introduced through little vignettes about each of them. I could picture the movie in my mind as I read it! Once I got the characters straight in my mind, the story seemed to develop fairly quickly. The author obviously has enjoyed a cruise or two (or did a good job with research), as the information seemed fairly accurate in my experiences.

The main characters set sail with their own emotional baggage: loneliness, marital and family problems, hypochondria, health problems. However, let readers think this novel is a downer, on the contrary, many moments of humor and fun accompany the passengers on their journey. There are romance elements and entanglements, as well as quirky characters and the surprises that accompany a holiday cruise. The novel contains mild profanity.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A very festive Christmas cruise is the backdrop for this holiday romance. This was light hearted and full of Christmas joy. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, which got a bit confusing at times. The characters are not all that likable so I had a hard time getting into this one. A fine holiday read but not my favorite of hers. 2.5 stars. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, amazing, heart stopping, phenomenal novel. Freethy never disappoints. This is a phenomenal story that grabs you at page one and doesn’t let you go. It is an up all night, can’t put it down novel.

There's just something about holiday titles that instantly transform me into a good mood and want to start singing carols and baking cookies! & who couldn't use a lot of that here in 2020?!

I hadn't read a Shelia Roberts book before and thought this Christmas cozy would be the perfect one to try, and it did not disappoint! Who wouldn’t want to escape on a cruise for the holidays, especially if you were going to be all alone without your kids?! I know for me, being able to travel along with this fun cast of characters was a great escape from the current goings-on in the world, and I really enjoyed it!

Sheila Roberts Christmas story this year is one that sounds like a perfect way to spend a Christmas holiday. For various reasons a group of people have chosen to take a European river cruise and manage to meet each other on the ship and become a little group that stick together for the duration. This group is made up of A new widow and her friend, a widower/divorcee who is being protected from "gold-diggers" by his daughter, two sisters (one unmarried, one with issues in her marriage) and a chocolatier who is onboard to help his brother chaperone a group of students.

The story is told from various points of view. We learn how each of the group ended up taking this cruise and some made my eyes leak. With so many characters, it was hard to get to know them all, and some were just there as support. Basically this story is about Rudy and Catherine as well as Sophie and Trevor. I enjoyed listening to how they got to know each other and Trevor provided some humour to the story. As we get to know more about the characters they all became relatable to me and I would love to find out what happened to each of them. This was a fun story and I enjoyed traveling vicariously through these characters eyes. I hope that we will be able to travel again some day, but for now, this was my Christmas Cruise for 2020. I did a read/listen with this story and the audiobook was narrated by Ann Marie Gideon. I have listened to several books she has narrated and enjoy her performances. She has good expression and tone. The voices she gives various characters are differentiated well, including the male ones. A great choice for this story.

One Charmed Christmas by Sheila Roberts is a heartwarming Christmas story. Our main character is Catherine Pine who is a widow and has been diagnosed with cancer. She has already had extensive surgery to remove the cancer, but Catherine will be having chemotherapy and radiation treatments in the new year. The prior Christmas was dismal because it was the first one without her husband, so Catherine is looking forward to celebrating the holidays with her two children and their families. Unfortunately, the bleak holiday is still fresh in her children’s mind, and they have made other plans. Catherine’s best friend, Denise is taking a Rhine River Christmas Market cruise and she needs a bunkmate. It will be good for Catherine to get out of the house. Once the pair are on the cruise, they meet a diverse group of people. I liked the different characters in the story and the fact that they are varying ages. We get to experience the story from each person’s point-of-view (Catherine, Sophie, Athena, Rudy, Kurt, Trevor, etc.). I liked seeing how people’s perceptions of each character changed as the story progressed. It was hard to like Athena and Sophie in the beginning, but they grow on you. Trevor is one of my favorite characters. I loved that he was a chocolatier who went around handing out his yummy chocolate. One of my favorite lines was, “Chocolate cures everything.” The other line I liked was, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” I picked up One Charmed Christmas and was immediately drawn into the story. I was up quite late reading because I wanted to see how each person’s story ended. I did feel the ending was a little rushed, but it was delightful and left me smiling. I like how the story mixes romance, friendship, family situations, health concerns, and humor into one entertaining tale. I enjoyed the descriptions of the boat, the towns they visited, the Christmas markets, and the items they purchased. There is some mild foul language in the book. I enjoyed Sheila Roberts’ latest Christmas story. It is a great escape book. One Charmed Christmas is a charming Christmas tale with a romantic river cruise, scrumptious chocolate, present shopping, a stubborn student, spouse distress, cancer concerns, and marvelous memories.

*** I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

This book was just okay for me. It wasn't great, but wasn't bad. It was a sweet story about a group of people who embark on a pre-Christmas cruise down the Rhine River through Germany. Each person has his/her own reason for going on the cruise during the holidays and some find something they were looking for in their life during the trip. The characters weren't overly interesting, however, and I didn't form any type of "bond" with them. This is a story of friendship, family, grief, life's obstacles, and romance. Overall, a charming, light read for a chilly night perhaps.

ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS by Sheila Roberts is a contemporary, adult story line focusing on several passengers who have embarked on a pre-Christmas holiday boat cruise through Europe (more specifically Germany).


Told from third person perspective ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS follows sisters Sophie and Sierra, Dr. Rudy Nichols and his daughter Athena, brothers Trevor and Kurt March, and friends Catherine and Denise.


Breaking down the passenger agenda and backstory: Sophie Miles is a hypochondriac who reluctantly agreed to the European cruise when her sister Sierra’s husband bailed on his Christmas cruise tickets. Hoping to meet her future husband, Sophie will latch onto Dr. Rudy Nichols, a man several decades older but a man who has eyes for someone else. Meanwhile, Sophie’s sister Sierra struggles with the possible demise of her marriage, and begins to pull away from the other passengers, choosing to remain behind while the others play tourist.


Widower Dr. Rudy Nichols found himself attracted to widow Catherine Pine but Catherine is hiding a secret that will affect all relationships going forward. Catherine's adult children wanted nothing to do with their mother in the face of her continued grief after the death of their father so Catherine's friend Denise invited Catherine along for the cruise. Meanwhile, Rudy’s daughter Athena is a little over protective of her father believing him to be naive. Playing guard dog to her father, forty-something Athena makes more enemies than friends, and struggles to leave her father alone.


Chocolatier Trevor March agreed to the cruise when his brother’s girlfriend was unable to attend. Kurt March is chaperoning a history class of students on the holiday cruise but nineteen year old Harriett, one of the students takes a liking to Kurt’s brother Trevor, and won’t leave him alone. Trying to distance himself from his brother’s class, Trevor finds himself attracted to Sophie Miles, a woman whose penchant for over reacting and believing she is going to die of any number of diseases pushes Sophie to follow Dr. Rudy like a love-sick puppy, in the hopes of marrying a doctor to cure whatever ails her.

In short: Harriett wants Trevor: Trevor wants Sophie: Sophie wants Dr. Rudy: Dr. Rudy wants Catherine: Catherine wants to survive another year: Athena doesn’t want anyone seducing her father: Sierra wants to save her marriage: and Denise is having the time of her life-got it? Good. It’s like high school all over again !


ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS follows several intersecting pathways where love will blossom for some but not for others but saying that ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS has all of the ingredients of a YA (young adult ) novel, and in this I was disappointed with the attitudes and theatrics of most of the storyline’s unlikable characters. There are the jealous rivalries, mean girl comments, pouting and whining, secrets, lies, rejection and love. Poor Dr. Rudy was oblivious to his daughter’s attempts to keep Catherine and Sophie away from her father; and Sophie’s obsessive behavior regarding germs, illness and disease may have been funnier if not for the reality of COVID19 and the numerous deaths reported at sea. ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS is a well-written story line but missed the mark with annoying and unpleasant characters that detracted from a potentially sweet plot.



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This is a great Christmas romance! It is charming and heartwarming just like a Hallmark movie! It was fun to read about each individual personality on the cruise and the adventures they experienced together. Each character came on the cruise looking for an escape from a trial they were facing and came away with a new group of friends. The love stories were endearing and pulled on your heartstrings. There were times when I had tears in my eyes while I was reading the emotional struggles of some of the characters. If you enjoy snuggling up with an enchanting Christmas romance, this book is a perfect fit!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a delightful and light-hearted Christmas romance! WIth the holidays approaching, Catherine’s friend Denise convinces her to go on a European cruise with her. After all, Catherine’s two children are busy leading their own lives, Catherine has a serious health issue to deal with after the holidays, and Denise really is a god friend. Also on the cruise are sisters Sophie and Sierra. Sierra is married but her husband reneged on the cruise at the last minute, so hypochondriac Sophie decides to travel with her sister. The cruise is all that they dreamed of, and all that I could dream of, too, if I had been along. Sumptuous meals, beautiful port cities with Christmas shopping all along the way. Plus, Trevor is on the cruise, the chocolate king of Cupid’s Chocolates. Of course, there is lots of matching up in couples, lots of drama, lots of romance and plenty of Christmas. My favorite part was the slide show presented by Sophie and Sierra’s brother at their family celebration. Seriously, this was like watching a Hallmark movie or living right in the scenes with the characters. The whole book was that realistically portrayed! The characters were three-dimensional and the plot was extremely well-written with no loose strings left at the end. (Or should I say missing Christmas tree bulbs?). Anyway, this was one of the best Christmas books that I have read and I highly recommend it for those who love the holiday and the romance that it brings. And if you don’t love the holiday, you will enjoy this book because it’s that good, even for Scrooges!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I really enjoyed this book! If you're missing travel with the current state of things this book will give you all the travel feels and Christmas feels in one. An amazing way to get to experience travel and the excitement of exploring new places when you physically can't.

This book was close to Catherine being sorry for herself but Ms. Roberts stayed a little upbeat to prevent this from happening. Within the last year Catherine has lost her husband and been diagnosed with cancer. Her two adult Children want a more festive Christmas this year and both are traveling and leaving Catherine on her own. Now Catherine and her best friend are on a pre Christmas cruise and meet some great new friends. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I had the pleasure of receiving an advanced reader copy and really enjoyed this story! This wonderful tale takes us on a cruise, with several characters, all within different stages of their lives, dealing with up’s and down’s and just making that choice to get away for the pre-holiday’s and spend some time in a new setting. What they find at the end of their journey is something they really never expected.

So many interesting characters, had some cozy feels and could visualize this playing in my mind as a holiday movie on our beloved Hallmark Channel! There are a few relatable characters, for me at least so it just spoke to my heart. I enjoyed it.

If you are a reader, suggest you check it out and pick up a copy to tide you over till our new holiday movies come out on the various TV channels!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

Another great holiday read by Roberts. The thing I enjoyed was all the different romances happening but not only a lot of romances but a lot of age ranges too. Young to old fall in love or fall in love again and this brings that to light.

I enjoyed the characters very much and enjoyed learning who and why each character was the way they were and why they deserved to fall in love during the holiday season.

A great story to put you into the Christmas spirit. Grab a warm blanket, a cup of cocoa and this book and your holiday season will have begun.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this quaint lite book! The cruise and changing towns at Christmas was a fun theme. I did feel like the beginning started the exact same and I was reading the same thing over again for each character. Overall, it's a fun Christmas read!

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

What a fantastic getaway! I felt like a was on a river cruise along with the characters! This story is such a delightful escape from real life! I enjoyed getting to know the characters, "seeing" the scenery of the German cities, visiting the Christmas marketplaces and immersing myself in fabulous food and drinks by proxy.

I love the book cover and it definitely sets the mood of the book. Charms are a part of the story and the title is perfect for this book!

I enjoyed this book so much and want to thank HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC. #OneCharmedChristmas #NetGalley #SheilaRoberts