Wrong Book, But Showcases Story Well

When I saw this audiobook at one of my favorite book review sites, I wanted to check it out because I love Christmas romances, and this one sounded intriguing from the book description. I had read the author's Christmas book last year and had mixed feelings about it but wanted to experience her writing through an audiobook to see if I liked it more. Unfortunately, when I downloaded the audiobook, it was not for the one described on the book review site. Rather, it was for the previous year’s book, the one that I had read and wasn't particularly wild about. I informed the reviewing site but decided to listen to the book anyway. I'm glad I did. I actually had a better experience of this story—Wrapped Up in Christmas, not Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy—as an audiobook compared to as a “reading” book. I liked the different voices the narrator used for the characters. It really set the book up as southern, something I hadn't heard in my own mind as I read the book. Because I was able to listen to this book rather quickly, I felt like I got a better sense of Bodie’s personal growth arc and the romantic arc as he became close to the heroine as he helped her out. In the audiobook, they both come across as so kind and decent, even if neither has a strong sense of self (especially our poor hero!). It sounds silly to say, but I certainly enjoyed this as an audiobook more than I did as a digital “reading” book. I still do wish, however, that I got the book I signed up for!

UPDATE: I was able to get a review copy of the actual book that the audiobook was supposed to be. Here's my review of the real book:

Lovely Christmas Romance

As a romance reader, I'm a total sucker for the wounded hero trope, so this series is right up my alley. In this book, both the hero and heroine are decent, relatable characters. I am a nurse who has seen some suffering from PTSD, and I think the author did an excellent job showing the inner thoughts and personal demons the man had to slay. The interaction between the couple was so awkward for so long, but completely understandable, and I could feel the pull between them—even when they were denying it. I love the idea of the Quilts of Valor. A lovely Christmas story that delivers the feels you want a holiday story to have.

Title: Wrapped up in Christmas Joy
Author: Janice Lynn
Read by: Alexander Cendese; Rachel L. Jacobs
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing / Dreamscape Media
Length: Approximately 8 hours and 17 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Hallmark Publishing / Dreamscape Media through Net Galley. Thank-you!

Sarah Smith has inherited her aunt’s beautiful home, and she dreams of making it into a bed and breakfast by Christmas. Her aunt was like a mother to her, and her friends, fondly called the Butterflies, are still around keeping tabs on Sarah. Sarah lives in the small town of Pinehill Kentucky. As part of her aunt’s group of friends, she loves to make quilts, especially quilts of honor for soldiers overseas. Bodie Lewis has returned from military service and is looking for the woman who made the quilt that helped to keep him together after a tragedy. He is surprised to not find an old lady, but a beautiful young lady who mistakes him for a handyman answering her ad. He decides to stay and help Sarah out as she helped him. Will Bodie tell Sarah the truth? Will Sarah get her bed and breakfast open in time? Will the two find Christmas spirit and love?

If this sounds like a good Hallmark movie, it is because it is from Hallmark Publishing. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrators were good with a slight southern accent and the story was a nice clean romance, with a lot of Christmas joy. I really loved the Butterflies. They provided great comic relief and I loved their care for Sarah. I also always love a good story where an old home is getting fixed up.

I am slightly confused though. As I went to post this review, I keep seeing descriptions of a different story. I checked and this is the book title and author that I downloaded from Net Galley, so I think it is correct.

Overall, Wrapped up in Christmas Joy is a delightful Christmas audiobook which is perfect for fans of Hallmark type movies.

Sophie Davis finds a soldier’s journal in a box of items that were donated to her church. She feels a connection to the soldier because her father was a veteran and struggled with his own memories.

Cole Aaron was a Marine and has traumatic memories from his time in the armed forces. He wants to protect others, so he becomes a firefighter in Pine Hill, Kentucky. He accidentally left his journal in a box of things he donated to a local church – the one that Sophie found. When she tries to return it to him, he tells her to “trash it.”

The two are drawn together by various things: volunteering for their community, work, common friends. Sophie wants to help him with his troubles; Cole doesn’t want anyone to pity him. Sophie also makes quilts to honor veterans and wishes Cole would let her make a quilt for him.

This book included two of my favorite things: quilting and stories about firefighters. It was inspiring, but not too religious. It was also sweet and had a satisfying ending. I gave it 5 stars!

Sharen (Allylu)

3.5 stars

The story I would give 4 stars to but the narrators I would give 3 stars to, so I’m averaging it out at 3.5 stars.

This is clearly a Hallmark book - I could visualize scenes in my head as though it were a movie on the Hallmark channel. This is a sweet Christmas story of a former military man with a past he doesn’t want to think about (making him feel he doesn’t deserve love or happiness) and the quilt shop owner who sees the good in everyone. Cole let’s Sophie know in no uncertain terms he doesn’t even want a friendship with her. But when they are forced to work on a toy drive together to collect donations for children who wouldn’t otherwise have a Christmas, sparks start to fly - no matter how much they both try to resist them.

The problem I had with the narrators was that I didn’t like either of their voices. Then, instead of having the male only narrate Cole’s part and the female narrate Sophie’s, they would each narrate both characters. The guy especially grated on my nerves when he tried speaking in a female voice.

Overall I liked the book, I just would have preferred to read it instead of listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishers for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Janice Lynn gave me a beautifully crafted romance that for me was very predictable. The holidays made is special and sweet. the romance was what one would expect. I loved the characters but it followed a receipe of how to make a romance. Sophie and Cole find their way to each other via his personal journey. This was touching and it felt private at the same time.

I enjoyed this feel good novel. The male narrator was my favorite and I think his viewpoint was more fun to read and listen to. Told in alternating viewpoints, each narrator did a great job at differentiating voices.
The book focuses on two people who seem made for each other but neither is looking for a relationship commitment at this moment.
Sophie is a young woman dedicating her loyalties to community service and giving back to military veterans. One of her main projects is quilt making.
The focused upon male protagonist is recently separated from service and doesn't want to relive those memories or retell them to anyone. He still wants to be of service, so joins the fire department. Being the new guy, they volunteer him to play the Santa role. This role leads to other opportunities and crossed paths with Sophie.
The secondary characters are also a hoot.

Some sections may have been a bit repetitious but not annoyingly so.
Now I need to read Sarah and Bodies story!

Unfortunately, this was not the book for me, and certainly not the Christmas story I was hoping for. It's sweet and feelgood, but just a little too Hallmarky for my taste. And yes, I realize that it's by Hallmark Publishing, but this was the first I'd tried one of their novels. I've determined they are most likely not for me!

This book had all the makings to be the perfect Hallmark Christmas read, but it fell short for me. It is a very sweet and romantic Christmas book. The book starts off very tense, but it quickly eases away. There were some fun moments in this book. It was a cute book, and I would recommend it if you like Christmas romance books!

Sorry, I thought I would not be able to listen and review this title, but t still appears on my bookshelf on my NG app, It may be due to me sampling the start of the narrator. I will update my review once I finish listening to it (over my holiday break).

thank you

Wrapped Up In Christmas Joy by Janice Lynn Review

This is a predictably sweet and romantic Christmas novel.

It's the perfect audio for when you don't have time to sit and read or watch a movie. Instead you can listen and enjoy a Holiday Hallmark movie.  I also enjoyed the slow burn romance between Sophie and Cole.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Sophie Davis finds a veterans journal and is on a mission to find out whose it is and help him heal from the pain he wrote about. Being the daughter of a veteran, Sophie knows how hard that life can be. The owner of the journal, Cole Aaron realizes she’s found it, but is afraid to let his guard down.

This one had it all: Parmesan, Asiago, Brie, feta, Gouda...and by that I mean it was CHEESY. I mean, it was so cheesy that I was just inspired to write that awful joke. And you know what? I still enjoyed it because I wanted some mistletoe kissing, snowball throwing, gingerbread house making scenes this Xmas and I got ‘em! This one is perfect for someone interested in reading a romance revolving around the military and dealing with the skeletons in your closet, while still being very light and fluffy. I listened to this on audio but it really felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie. The male narrator was great, until he tried to do the dialogue for female characters haha. And I enjoyed the female narrator too. Not my fav this month, but still enjoyable and festive!

This book was OK. I enjoyed the audio aspect of it, but it felt a little repetitive in story and slow for my liking!

The story revolves around Cole and Sophie. The attraction is there but Cole does not want to be friends or anything more with Sophie once he learns she not only found his journal in a box of donated books but read it as well. Cole is a vet who suffered a lot during war and wrote all his darkest moments down. He doesn't want anyone to know that side of him. Sophie has a father who was a vet, wants to help Cole. Their paths are constantly crossing some accidental and some on purpose by The Butterflies, a group of older women who love to be involved. I enjoyed listening to Cole and Sophie's relationship develop and I enjoyed learning about The Quilts of Valor. A group Sophie is involved with who make quilts for veterans.

This book was my kick-off for the Holiday season and I do not regret choosing this one. Always a fan of Hallmark movies, this was my first read (well listen) by Hallmark Publishing and will not be the last.

When the story was from Cole's POV the actor voiced all parts. If the chapter was from Sophie's POV, she voiced all parts. It was a little distracting at first instead of the actors sticking to certain characters. For this reason alone I give it 4 stars.

I didn’t know that Hallmark had a book division until I started this book. And yeah it feels like a Hallmark movie. That’s not a bad thing. It was exactly what you want a Hallmark movie to be, light, fluffy, and romance. That being said it was not what i wanted a book to be. It had some extremely cheesy parts, and I think they went way beyond overkill with the “veteran” things. That the main man is a veteran with a messy past, and the main girl is a military brat whose dad left when she was young become the main issue. And it would make a fine issue, but it was just done in overkill. I’m sure in a movie, it would play fine because they would find other ways to show strife, but to keep saying it over and over again. Ugh. Overall, I enjoyed the listed, even if I did roll my eyes quite a lot. Will I listen to it next year, no. Will I watch it if made into a movie, yes.
#WinterGames2020 #TeamReadNosedReindeer +26

Sophie discovers a soldier’s journal and after reading it learns it belongs to Cole, a local firefighter. He is mortified that she has read his painful accounts. She sees a wounded sole and understands what he went through. But he doesn’t want to let his guard down or get too close. That doesn’t stop Sophie from trying. Can Sophie get through to him and can Cole ever feel deserving of love?

The audiobook narration was well done and really complimented the characters. The story was sweet and I liked the military inclusion mixed with a Christmas themed book. If you like Hallmark movies, you will like this book.

Wrapped Up In Christmas Joy by Janice Lynn. This is a sweet romance that would be perfect for curling up with after the hub bub of Christmas. The characters are interesting and enjoyable, this is the perfect Hallmark movie book. The author wraps the story around the Quilts of Valor Foundation. ( The Mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. ) This is a story of a vet that needs to feel lovable and a quilter that seeks to do that.
If you want a book that leaves you feeling happy, this is a must read.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Hallmark publishing for allowing me to read and review this ARC.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1613004510813069032/2462915562312152090

Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy is a sweet Hallmark Christmas Romance. The characters are well developed. The storyline is heartwarming. Alexander Cendese and Rachel L. Jacobs did a good job with the narration. This is a good Christmas read.

“Real heroes never think they are.”

When Sophie Davis stumbles across a soldiers journal in a box of donated books, she finds herself feeling a deep connection to the writer, partially due to her war veteran fathers own struggles with PTSD. When Sophie returns the journal to former marine Cole Aaron at the firehouse where he now works, he is mortified to realize that he had mistakingly donated it. Cole’s guard is up and he refuses to let Sophie pity him or revere him as a hero, as she seems intent to do. Will the quilt shop owner be able to break down his walls?

This was the cutest story! Every holiday season I put on The Hallmark Channel and spend the better part of 6 weeks with the movies playing constantly in the background. Now with this audio book, I can listen to a Hallmark story on my way to and from work every day as well! This book focused quite a bit on veterans, their sacrifices in service of our country, and the struggles they face upon their return. I have the highest respect for our veterans and I loved the acknowledgment. This was such a feel good romance. If you like Hallmark movies, cute fireman rescuing cats and distressed women from trees, and sweet love stories, you’ll love it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for the complimentary copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good Christmas story to listen to as I wrap presents and bake cookies! This was the perfect addition to my audiobooks! My only issue is I didn’t love the narrator, but that isn’t a deal breaker for me. Hallmark publishing has yet to disappoint me!

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my opinion.

There are two types of Christmas books - the first one being the traditional Hallmark Christmas movie and the second one is the Netflix style. Netflix is a little more trendy, a little more current.
This book was definitely a Hallmark style book. It was set in such a cute town, reminded me of Stars Hallow on Gilmore Girls. Definitely cute small town vibes.
The story was very predictable, but I totally feel like is normal with books in this genre. Essentially, a solider who has PTSD and a lot of remorse of his tour because of choices he made, does not feel like he is worthy of love.
He meets the small town quilter who has a heart of gold. I am fairly certain you know the rest :)
It was a cute, easy read and definitely will be enjoyed by Hallmark movie lovers.