As Christmas gets closer the Christmas books start releasing and I am definitely not upset about that. I’ve always loved a good Christmas story and Cross Country Christmas is a good book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun story with great characters. I loved the depth of the characters and wish there is more about them. In fact, I hope the rest of the Brockbank brothers get their own stories.

This was an insta-love story, which I’m not a huge fan of, but it was done well so I didn’t mind it too much. This book also had some great messages and things to think about.

If you love Christmas romances then you will want to check this one out.

Amazing story! So well crafted. This book has it all - action, romance, tragedy as well as inspiration. A beautiful Christmas story of hope, trust and belief. CC and Reese are both broken in their own way. They are sure of their feelings for each other but they allow their fears, past hurt and doubts to get in the way. Trust is a big issue for both of them. You may occasionally need the tissues for this one but even so, it is a snuggle under a blanket by the fireplace, warm your heart kind of book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Laurie Lewis and Covenant Communications for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was such a sweet romance about a city girl heading to Vegas to live her dad's dreams for when he retired and landing up crashed into this perfect specimen of a man. Reese was by far an awesome character and was just so well rounded. He had trust issues which I can totally relate to. Meanwhile CC was just trying to escape her ex and go do the one thing her dad wanted to do. I absolutely loved this story of hurt, friendship, love, family, working through problems and in the end happiness.

4.5 stars
There is a lot of baggage these two main characters have to sort out in their lives. They are both a good influence though and their meeting becomes a catalyst for them both to get themselves in order. As they work through their personal junk, their relationship seems to take one step forward and two backward regularly. So the question is, can they ever get to a point of moving steadily forward?
(Spoiler: there is a happily ever after ending).

I loved both CC and Reese. They are good people who just want to help others. And I enjoyed the secondary characters too. Excepting the ones that we weren't really supposed to like, of course. I loved the ideas for CC's homemade Christmas decor and would love to personally see what it looked like. And the whole thing with the doe and fawn was so sweet.

The cover is pretty but looks so cold. Brrrr. With the title, I expected to spend more time on the road but the majority of the story takes place on Reese's property, which is cross-country from CC's home.

This is a sweet romance, but expect a good deal of angst and people trying to figure out their lives.

No sex, language or violence
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

This is a sweet Christmas romance tale. I enjoyed the story. A few places were a little slow for me and at the end I felt it was a little rushed to wrap it all up. But overall a fun Christmas read
#netgalley #crosscountrychristmas

Cross country Christmas by Laurie LC Lewis is a sweet modern western romance. I really enjoyed reading this book and felt like the characters were really well developed. Their actions and misunderstandings made sense with who they were.

This was a sweet Christmas story about two people helping each other find hope and a feeling of belonging at Christmas. I loved the themes of forgiveness and not letting the past define who you are. There were many swoon worthy moments and the progression of time and their relationship was believable. It’s one of those books where you want to cheer them on, especially at the end.

While Christianity wasn’t the main focus of this book, and honestly played a small part, I really enjoyed how the author incorporate the character’s faith. I’ve read many books where the characters are religious, and there’s a fine line between getting too preachy, and focusing too much on the culture of their religion, rather than why they are drawn to and committed to their faith.
Laurie found this balance and I felt uplifted during the portion of the book where the characters shared their religious thoughts and feelings. It felt natural, like how real people would share this part of them with someone they were dating.

I received a completely copy from Netgally for my review. The opinions are my own.

I was really excited to read this book, but it did not match the quality of writing that I'm used to from this author. The writing was rather choppy in many places, particularly with how the romance developed between CC and Reese. Their relationship felt forced and rushed and I was never really able to like these characters together. My favorite characters were definitely Carlos and Emmie. I did appreciate that this book had no bad language or sex and that I could feel comfortable letting my tween daughter read it.

This brought three loved things in one book for me: Western, contemporary romance, and Christmas. Plus, it was a clean and sweet read. There was a lot of depth that came from both characters as they learn about each other.

Stylist CC Cippolini is ready for a new start when she is able to get a temp job driving a client's Tesla across the country. She is ready to leave Chicago and her past behind. But after she crashes and breaks a cattle fence, she ends up stranded at the home of handsome rancher Reese Brockbank.

Reese doesn't have to think about helping CC, even though her reckless crash puts his ranch at risk with his grazing rights. He however, was not expecting to have to house her until her car gets fixed. He doesn't want to get tangled up with another woman again, and is determined to not put any interest into her. But CC starts to warm his hardened heart, and she starts to see him for who he truly is. Their combined pasts and hurts have the chance to stand in their way. They have to decide if they want it, and if they are willing to fight for it.

I loved that in the authors notes at the beginning of the book, she mentions how this book came to be. I was not sure how it would happen and how two totally unrelated things could come together, but it did, and I really enjoyed it. The chemistry Laurie writes is tangible, and raw. The character development was thoroughly enjoyable to read. It was effortless and added in at good times.

Another thing I really liked was how she was able to write the passing of time. I am not great at that, and it stood out to me, in a great way.

Overall, although I wished there had been an epilogue, I finished the book feeling good and uplifted. I wanted to get up and make a difference in the lives of those around me as well. I would say that is a good way end a book if a reader can come out of it with those feelings.
Rating: 4 Stars

A wonderfully touching story that pulls you in.
This book will pull you in within the first few pages and you will not want to put it down. After all, how many books have a cow licking a car window within the first few pages. This book moves forward with humor romance and unexpected surprises as it weaves its way through your heart. CC had left Chicago and her cheating boyfriend behind as she heads to Vegas to deliver a car for an acquaintance. A crash into a fence post on a snowy road leaves her stranded in a field hoping for rescue. Little did she know that with that crash and rescue she would begin a new season of discovery and growth for both herself and her rescuer that might even lead to more. This is such an excellent book! I thoroughly enjoyed each twist, turn and unexpected surprise. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my honest review. I highly recommend it.

#CrossCountryChristmas. # NetGalley

A Christmas story of two broken people, can they be fixed?
CC takes on the challenge, of delivering a Tesla, to a client's wife, by Christmas Eve, in another state.
CC, is a hair stylist, and doesn't know much about driving a Tesla, but feels she can make it after watching a few YouTube videos. She doesn't know the risks of hands-free driving until she finds herself stranded, and is at the mercy of her rescuers.
Reese, is suffering from PTSD, and a failed marriage. Will CC help him get past his fears or will he scare her away?

CROSS-COUNTRY CHRISTMAS by LAURIE LEWIS is a well written romance novel with really interesting characters, whose emotional ups and downs are sensitively described.
The story starts with CC Cippolini having an accident in a brand new Tesla which she has been hired to deliver to Vegas, breaking down a fence and causing Reese Brockbank’s cattle to escape. She wants to go to Vegas to honour her father who died suddenly before he could make his dream of retiring there come true.
It is a story of broken people with trust issues, who have been badly hurt in the pasr and have made bad decisions. As CC says, “None of us should be defined by our last mistake.” Reese learns by experience that his suspicious nature and pride could be his undoing. There is a strong sense of the importance of family and the longing to belong, and also that of putting other people’s feelings above one’s own.
I like the the way the injured doe and her fawn really speak to CC, and the way they are set free only to come back. Will CC come back if she goes away?
There are other great characters in the book such as Reese’s family including his many brothers, his best friend Carlos Barraza and his wife Emmie, to name a few.
I like the ranch setting and the description of Reese’s beautiful, but empty, ranch house.
It is altogether a most enjoyable read.
I was givena free copy of the book by NetGalley from Covenant Communications. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This book was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley for review. It is a quick fun read. The characters are enjoyable and although at times the story does move slowly, it still comes to a conclusion quickly.

I’ve read several other books by this author, and this one, while not my favorite, did not disappoint. The characters had real problems and came from realistic situations. There were some surprises along the way that deepened the message in a natural way. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good clean romance that doesn’t shy away from the tough issues of our modern society. You might also like Love on a Limb and The Dragons of Alsace Farm.

CC Cippolini is driving a friends new car when she goes off the road and into a cattle fence. Super amazingly most of the damage is to the paint of the expensive Tesla. She is rescued by cattle rancher Reese, taken back to his ranch to wait out the storm and get the car fixed. Reese has issues from his past and friendly, outgoing CC is a breath of fresh air. But he isn't sure he trust everything she tells him.

I was hoping for a sweet, holiday romance and the book delivers for the most part. I really like CC, her back story is good as is her genuine kindness. But I have a lot of issues with Reese. It might be how I read his character but he comes off alarmingly controlling. Someone who lies about something that isn't important, like the identity of the woman who drops off an apple-cake, is a big red flag in my world. His ordering a second car is over the top ridiculous without talking to or consulting with CC. Even if his plan is reasonable she should have a say instead of being manipulated into an obligation to him.

I had some other small issues too with the way religion is introduced and talked about. It sounds like Reese great-great grandfather only served others because he found silver. We are taught to serve others regardless of worldly success. Then he goes on to say that he made the mistake of joining the military as a failure to serve like others in his family. Being in the military is acceptable service. I genuinely didn't get the point that it was fine for some family members to write large checks to charities but he didn't think the military was enough. The scripture reading again seems to start a discussion but gets dropped. It's like the author wants to throw religion in without mentioning a denomination but doesn't know where to go with it. I like that he invites CC to his church although they never get there.

This book is clean for language and intimacy and easily recommended for high school and up. The romance is insta love as they only know each other a few weeks. I think others will love the change in Reese and his grand gesture. I'm not sure why I felt so negatively about the character but I did. Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. (2.5 stars)

This was a cute story of two hurt people who learn to open their hearts and love again. The setting of the ranch was so entertaining for me since I grew up with horses. My favorite characters were actually the friends, Emmie and Carlos. I thought they were great supporting characters who listened and nudged their hurting friends in the right direction.

There were definitely parts of this story that seemed a bit far-fetched and over-the-top. One of the biggest issues I had was in the middle, when there is a big scene about religion and the Bible. I have no issues with Christian fiction, but I do struggle when I book has one or two big scenes with religion but doesn't tie it in consistently throughout the story. In this book, it felt out of place and awkward.

The title mentions Christmas, but the book could be enjoyed all year! Overall, a sweet romance.

Thank you to Covenant Communications, NetGalley, and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

This was a sweet Christmas story about finding hope and family again. Cross-Country Christmas is a contemporary romance that talks of reconnecting during Christmas. Cross-Country Christmas is written by Laurie Lewis and was a cute read.
When I first started this book, I was a little worried because I wasn't sure if I would like it. However once I got past the first chapter, I fell in love with the characters and the story. CC was just trying to get her life back on track, she wanted to honor her father’s memory and make him proud. However one small mistake left her stranded on a ranch with strangers who had demons on their own. Will CC learn to work through her past and connect with those around her?
CC was a complicated character, she had trust issues. I wasn’t sure how I felt about CC at first, but as I read more about her I ended up really liking her. She had a hard childhood so her trust issues made sense, but it was sweet to read about her opening up to Emmie, Carlos, and Reese. I liked how CC worked on her own issues before trying to commit to a relationship. I felt as if she was really mature about that.
Reese was sweet. He had a hard past and he also had trust issues. He made some bad decisions when he was younger and they were haunting him. It was sweet to read about him connecting with CC. He learned how to forgive himself for his mistakes and reconcile with his family, but he also had to learn to trust others again. It was cool to see him learning from his mistakes and opening himself up again.
The romance in this book was sweet and thoughtful, the characters considered each other. They did have some communication issues, but I felt as if it fit the book. It liked reading about Resse and CC interacting and falling in love. Carlos and Emmie, Reese’ friends, were also great.
I really enjoyed Cross-Country Christmas, I felt like it was a fun wholesome romance. I hope there are more books in this series. I would definitely recommend Cross-Country Christmas to those who like sweet romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.