I read this while sick and it worked for me at that time. It's written very simply and at just 176 pages, it was a sweet story that moved quickly that didn’t demand a lot from me mentally. I wished there were more detailed descriptions of the setting, especially because that is what drew me to the book but there were enough mentions of snow to make me feel cozy. I’m not sure I would have liked this book if I hadn’t been sick due to how simply it was written, especially because the dialogue was felt somewhat stiff, but if you’re looking for a quick, Christmasy read with the theme of found-family, this may be one you'd like to try.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the gifted ecopy. All thoughts are my own.

Melody Carlson's A Christmas in the Alps is a wonderful novella that tells the romantic story of Simone and Kyle. It is one of those stories that will warm your heart because, after all, with their chance meeting on a flight that Simone dreaded, everything was destined to fall in place for their happy ever after. However, that was not how it played out. Learning about her great grandmother's amazing past was well worth the trip out of her comfort zone. Finding a new path for her own life was priceless.

I enjoyed this story for the rich color within the fabric of these characters lives. Simone's family, like so many who lived through the rigors of World War II are inspiring. Had Simone stayed behind and bathed in her practical comfort zone she would have missed out on all of the rewards life had to offer her.

Every year I wait to read Melody Carlson's latest Christmas story. A Christmas in the Alps is just one of those stories that make you glad you picked up a book and skipped a cookie cutter Christmas movie. Novellas may be short but this one is long on heart!

This is a feel-good Christmas book that has a lot of coincidences and a lot of heart. 🏔️🎄❤️

Simone is grieving her grandma's death and also the fact that she doesn't have any relatives left in the States. She may have some relatives in the Alps, a small town in Switzerland. According to her great-grandma's old letter, not only could she meet relatives but find a treasure! Of course, Simone dismisses this. What kind of treasure could her great-grandma have left in Avre before fleeing to the US in the '40s with American soldier?

With some convincing, Simone decides to fly over and find out. Her adventure begins with a phobia of flying and a long flight ahead of her. The flight is the start of many coincidences with a handsome stranger sitting beside her. She's now wondering if she might see him ever again along with mulling her family treasure map in her head. Some of the family mystery was pretty obvious and some of it was a surprise. It's a sweet story that is about the importance of family, forgiveness, and believing in fate!

I was given an early access to read Christmas in the Alps by Melody Carlson and provide my feedback by #netgalley and #revellpublishing.

It truly wouldn't be the holidays without Melody Carlson's annual Christmas novella releasing.
I read the newest one every year without fail.
I loved this year's one.
An emotional tale that has Simone Winthrop traveling to Paris at Christmas time.
On the plane on the way over Kyle helps her get over her fear of flying .
Lovely descriptions of a fabulous holiday time in Paris and the French Alps.
Family secrets are uncovered in this sweet and emotional book and mysteries are solved.
I was holding my breath to see how things would turn out with family's clock factory .
Warm holiday novella perfect for reading during the busyness of the holidays.

Pub Date 07 Sep 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

As a teenager, Melody Carlson was one of my very first introductions into and the reason that I first fell in love with Christian fiction. Throughout the years, I have continued to enjoy her books... perhaps none more than her Christmas stories! I look forward to reading these each and every year, and looked forward to checking out her newest one A Christmas in the Alps.

If you are like me and enjoy a good Hallmark-like Christmas story, this one will certainly be an absolute must read for you... because it certainly has all the makings of a good Hallmark movie if you ask me... a fantastic French destination holiday, a fun family mystery and of course a dreamy holiday romance too! There was some predictability, sure... but I personally don't mind that in a holiday story myself. To me, that is comfort and just what I look for in this type of quick Christmas read! It's shorter length makes it the perfect length for the busier holiday months, without feeling rushed or incomplete in any way. I will say that I enjoyed these characters so much that I wouldn't mind seeing them again in a future story though! Overall, an enjoyable holiday read and definitely one to add to your Christmas reading list.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Another fun book by Melody Carlson is here! I love her books because they are always sweet, with light-hearted hope and promise. A Christmas in the Alps is no exception. Join Sophia Simone as she travels to Avre, Paris to find a hidden treasure left by her great grandmother during world war 2. As she searches for treasure, she will also find a family she didn't know and maybe even love! Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to read this book. #Bookstagram #all_the_pages

Simone is terribly afraid of flying and she’s never been on a plane her whole life. Nevertheless, when she finds out that her great-grandmother has left her a “treasure” in Avre, a village in the French Alps, she decides to fly for the first time in the attempt of finding her French relatives. It’s Christmas time and, after a flight in the company of fascinating clockmaker Kyle, Simone gets to enjoy the nice decorations and the snow in lovely Avre. Although her search for her family won’t be easy at all, it will be entirely worth it in the end.

I really enjoyed this small, heartwarming book. I love Christmas novels, and I have a weak spot for all the books set in the mountains, so this story was definitely for me. I have read other Christmas stories by Melody Carlson, and I’ve always appreciated her simple (but not basic) prose, the good feelings which characterise it and a certain Christian vibe which is typical of Carlson’s fiction. This one would definitely make a very nice and cosy read for Christmastime. Recommended.

•Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review•

This Christmas novella is an incredibly sweet book! I did find the first chapter or two slightly rushed, but once Simone arrives in France, the book hits its stride. While I obviously love holiday books, I think the mystery of the treasure is a lot of fun and adds an extra dimension. It is also quite fun to explore Paris and different parts of France through Simone's eyes. This is the perfect book for anyone looking for a holiday trip who can't travel right now.

A delightful holiday story of redemption and finding lost family. I really enjoyed how Simone who thought she had no family after the loss of her great grandmother. Found a letter while she was cleaning up the estate with a clue leading her to France. She decided to take the trip since she had nothing keeping her in the states. She met an attractive man on the plane who helped her with her fear of flying that she might run into later.I enjoyed the uncovering truths to find who her relatives were in this small village. Due to how her great grandmother left she was not accepted at first but this led to reconciling. I loved the reasons that she was sent there in the end. It's the stuff Christmas miracles are made of.I enjoyed this story of loss, reconciling, love and finding a family you didn't know you had. Also, recreating your life halfway across the world where your families are still thriving was so beautiful. I would love to visit France in the winter or anytime! Thank you for the little Christmas Trip!

This was a quick read I was able to complete in just a few hours (ahhh, #novellalife, hehe!). I loved the focus on travel and France at Christmastime; I do believe I have a few more bucket-list items as a result of this book!

Goodreads tells me this is only the second Carlson book I've read; the last was 6 years ago and I didn't write a text review (only stars) for whatever reason (early on in my Goodreads days, heh), so I can't speak to my feelings on that one. I'm hopeful that a final editing pass got done on this one; I just felt it was a tad ... excited? maybe? for my taste, with lots of non-conversational exclamation points that made the thoughts/sentiments seem younger than the characters expressing them. Maybe the writing style just wasn't quite for me.

Still, the Christmas and European setting made for an enjoyable way to while away the day.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Simone decides to visit her great-grandmother and overcomes her fear of flying to do so. While traveling she meets Kyle and finds herself meeting up with him again while in Paris and the French Alps. They work together to uncover family secrets and treasures. A great happy read that puts you in the mind for Christmas.

I received a copy to read, the review is mine.

It just wouldn’t be Christmas without the latest novella of the season by Melody Carlson. I have lost count of how many I have read but I now look forward to reading one each year. A Christmas in the Alps is somewhat different than the author’s earlier Christmas tales but then again, none of them have really been very similar. I find that to be some of the fun in reading her most recent offering.

A touch of mystery and a bit of romance bring a new spark to the life of Simone whose best friend persuades her to follow instructions in a letter from her late great-grandmother. When she flies to France to track down the family treasure, Simone finds more than she expected and a treasure to last a lifetime.

A special Christmas story just as lovely as the beautiful cover, A Christmas in the Alps is one most readers should enjoy. If you are not already a lover of Melody Carlson Christmas Novellas, why not begin your collection with this sweet romance.

Simone Winthrop is grieving the loss of her French great-grandmother when she discovers a letter suggesting that she is heir to a family treasure. She is terrified of flying but her friend convinces her to travel to Paris at Christmas to find out is there is a treasure. During the flight she meets Kyle Larssen who is going to France to try to get an apprenticeship in clock making. Though Simone feels an attraction, they part ways. She is surprised to meet him again when he is applying for an apprenticeship at the family clock shop. Simone is hoping to find the family treasure and and romance also.


Thanks to Melody Carlson and Revell for the book!

Melody Carlson has been on my author radar since I read the very first book by her. She has a way of making you become emotionally invested in all of her characters and soon you find yourself cheering them on and praying they find their happily ever after. Melody creates characters that pull you right in and never let you go, even after the last page is read. The way Melody writes, puts you right in the middle of their story, leaving you feeling like you truly know the characters and feeling exactly what they are going through. I love when an author can do that to me. If you love a romantic holiday story then you have to give A CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS a go. You won’t be sorry and your heart will be warmer because of it.

I started A CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS one afternoon and couldn’t stop reading until the very last page. I want to get out my tree and decorations now and set it up and it’s only October. I have always enjoyed Melody Carlson’s stories and this one does not disappoint. Melody’s stories always leave me feeling warm and fuzzy inside with a huge smile on my face. As I was reading, I felt like I was right there with Kyle and Simone spreading Christmas cheer. Simone has a huge heart and just wants to have a happy Christmas. It is now a tradition every year to read Melody Carlson’s annual Christmas novella. A CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS is one of her best stories so far with this heart warming holiday tale set mostly in The French Alps. Melody Carlson has a gift for telling uplifting and inspirational stories and she knows exactly how to get the reader in the holiday spirit.

I can totally see A CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS becoming a Hallmark Christmas movie that I would love to watch. Melody Carlson always puts me on an emotional roller coaster and A CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS is exactly why! Now the only thing I’m sad about is, I just finished her latest book and now I have to wait for the next one! Melody has been one of my top authors from the very first book of hers that I had the pleasure of reading and when you read A CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS you will know exactly why.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Christmas in the Alps, by Melody Carlson, is a delightful journey of self-discovery, family secrets and romance. The story begins in the USA but after finding a long lost letter from her deceased grandmother, Simone Winthrop finds herself on a flight to Paris.

From there, Simone begins to look for whatever her grandma meant when she said she’d left treasure for her in a small mountain village. Her search quickly takes a turn that rocks Simone to the core when she discovers her grandma’s family still living in the village, running the local watch factory.

Meanwhile, the charming Kyle Larson, who helped nervous traveler Simone stay calm on the plane, shows up trying to learn about the clock and watch business. Is it time (see what I did there) for Simone to discover more than unknown relatives?

This story of family reunion and self-discovery is fun, and Melody Carlson is certainly one of the most prolific Christmas novella authors our there. I have to say that while I enjoyed the book, I didn’t love it. I wasn’t sure I trusted Kyle to start, and there’s an unpleasant character who seems to face no real consequences for her behavior.

But it’s happy ending and a beautiful escape to the French Alps at Christmas, so what’s not to love?

Grab a copy or read an excerpt of A Christmas in the Alps…

Visit Melody’s website…

Check out another of Melody’s Christmas novella’s…

Melody Carlson's books are always fun and a delight to read. This one wasn't quite as engaging but still was a great read. The characters were relatable. The setting was a fairytale. Who wouldn't want to go to the French Alps? Simone Winthrop has been having a hard time when she comes across a letter from her great grandmother that hints she may be the heir to a family treasure. Should she board a plane and find the answers or is this just a hoax? I love how this is a short but sweet novella set during the magical Christmas time. I look forward to more from this author. A received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

This is such a sweet novella. Simone finds a letter from her great-grandmother describing a treasure she left behind in the French Alps and wants Simone to have. And so begins a treasure hunt and a Christmas in the Alps.

Simone's meet cute with Kyle is lovely, as he empathizes with her dear of flying on her flight to Paris. And her adventures learning about her family's history add layers of interest.

This book made me want to fly away to Paris to enjoy Christmas lights there and then take a train to the Alps for a cozy retreat.

The novella length was a great fit to this story. I recommend it to all who enjoy Christian romance.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours, Revell, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

This is the first book I've read by Melody Carlson, but I'm not sure why, LOL - I love inspirational & Christmas romance! I wasn't disappointed. This was a charming story with lots of wonderful elements to get you in the holiday spirit - a snowy village setting, a clockmaking factory, hidden treasure, and past & present colliding. This is a wonderful, gentle tale with themes of family, love, forgiveness, and redemption - which is what Christmas is all about. Enjoy!!

I have enjoyed all of Melody Carlson's holiday books, and this one was no exception. Around early October I crave a taste of the holiday spirit, and her books always give that to me. So now that I've read my first holiday book for 2021, I'm ready for more! Her books, while somewhat predictable, are always an easy read and enjoyable!

A Christmas in the Alps, by Melody Carlson, is a heart warming short Christmas story. It is well written and the perfect length to read in an evening. I enjoyed how Simone knew nothing of her extended family and was getting the chance to know them. It surprised me that someone in today’s world would have no background of their family. I liked the character of Kyle. He is so caring yet he has a hint of mischief in his personality. This is a wonderful story with the message that God will provide when the time is right.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.