Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
4 Stars!!!

The Cranberry Inn is a heartwarming story of second chances. I loved the characters as they charmed me and are unforgettable. The small town was well described and would love to visit one day.
Barbara Josselsohn is a new author for me and am looking forward to reading more of her books.

A lovely holiday romance. Emotional and charming with all the small town feels. It is a slower-paced book that gives perfect time to learn about the characters and their surroundings. This is my first time reading this author and I will search out more of her work!

EXCERPT: He ripped open the envelope and unfolded the piece of paper inside. There were only a few words, and while he recognised her handwriting, the words looked shaky, as though her hand were trembling as she wrote them.

Joel, my sweet boy. Don't stay here. Go back.

Don't believe him. Go back.

He stared at the sentences. She'd clearly known she was dying when she wrote this. And she'd expected that he'd come home. And he'd always intended to go back to Singapore after he took care of his mother's affairs. He'd never intended to stay in Lake Summers.

But still, why would his mom be so worried about him staying? Why would this be the final message she had for him? And who shouldn't he believe? What was that all about?

ABOUT 'THE CRANBERRY INN': As twinkling lights go up and snowflakes begin to fall, Laurel Hanover and her eight-year-old son are going home to the Cranberry Inn in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Laurel can’t wait to leave New York behind to help her father run the family business, and make snow angels with her son, even if it’s just for Christmas. But when she walks through the door, she’s shocked to find the inn in disrepair, and a letter saying her father will be gone until Christmas Eve…

No one in town knows where Laurel’s father is, and she doesn’t know whether to be worried or angry – but she won’t let the inn go under, and nothing will get in the way of the perfect Christmas for her son. Seeing the worn-out wooden bannisters, bare of festive lights, she immediately recruits her childhood friend, brooding local carpenter Joel Hutcherson. They might disagree on whether any walls actually need to come down, but each rip in the carpet makes Laurel more concerned for her father, and Joel is a welcome distraction. And when he admits that Laurel was his first crush, she realises she’s falling for him.

But then Laurel uncovers a card with beautiful, ornate writing amongst her father’s things and learns the real reason he disappeared. And it changes everything. Worse still, she thinks Joel knew the truth all along.

Laurel thought this was going to be the perfect Christmas – that maybe she had found her happy. But now there’s nothing to stop her from running back to New York the moment the baubles come down… is there?

MY THOUGHTS: The publicity blurb describes The Cranberry Inn as 'An unputdownable, feel-good Christmas romance about fresh starts, the importance of family and learning how to follow your heart,' and it's 100% true. I read this in one sitting, not wanting to let these (mostly) lovable and relatable characters out of my grasp. But even the irritating characters have their redeeming moments.

This is a wonderful small town romance set over the Christmas period with characters you just can't help but love, and town traditions that made me want to move there for the Christmas break. I want to go skating on the lake, and drink hot chocolate. I want to shop in the quirky little stores and I want to meet all the lovely townspeople that combined to make The Cranberry Inn a heartwarming and satisfying read.

Although you have a good idea where this story is going to end up, the journey is a wonderful one, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I loved the way the author didn't rush the romance or make it schmaltzy. I loved the way Laurel's priority is always her son, Simon, and the way she considers his feelings and how he is going to see things. I love this author's easy to read writing style and will definitely be looking for more of her titles.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheCranberryInn #NetGalley

I: @barbara_josselsohn_author @bookouture

T: @barbarajoss @Bookouture

#christmasfiction #contemporaryfiction #romance #womensfiction

THE AUTHOR: Barbara Josselsohn grew up on Long Island and lived for several years in her beloved New York City before moving to the northern suburbs. She began her career as a business journalist and then turned her attention to her first love, fiction. Barbara teaches writing at the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute and other venues, and is the founder and coordinator of the Scarsdale Library Writers Center, which supports and promotes local writers. She and her husband live in Westchester, N.Y., and have three children.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Cranberry Inn by Barbara Josselsohn for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This is the first book I have read by this author although she has written several others in this series. The book starts with Laurel receiving disappointing news at work at the same time as an urgent call comes through from her father, requesting her help looking after the family-owned inn. When she and her son, Simon, arrive there is no sign of her father, the inn seems to be falling into disrepair and Lauren is upset when she discovers changes made to her mother's traditions. Lauren's high school crush appears at the same time as a guest arrives at the inn, heralding the start of romantic and relationship misunderstandings which occur within the Christmas setting of snow, log fires, a school play and small-town life.
This is a medium-length novel, somewhat slow and predictable but pleasant and festive. I found the ending rather unrealistic in that a group of people would hide a forthcoming event from someone who is clearly worried about the disappearance of her father so I have only given the book 2 stars rather than 3.

Heartwarming Christmas story. A story of second chances, set at a family Inn in the Adirondak Mountains. Laurel brings her son, Simon, back to the inn that she grew up in. Her father needs her and the Inn needs some restoration. Joel, also returned to his hometown and to his young love, Laurel.is a carpenter and can help her. Second chances at love, childhood memories, small town setting makes for a great Christmas story.

I enjoyed returning to Lake Summers, a small town in the Adirondacks. Laurel and her son Simon are planning on a quiet Christmas at home in New York, when she gets a call from her father saying he needs her in Lake Summers. Her company has closed its doors for the month of September, so she packs the car and they head home to the Cranberry Inn. When she arrives, her father is not there, but he has left a cryptic message saying he will be back Christmas Eve with a big surprise. The Inn is supposed to be empty, but she accepts a last minute reservation. A gentleman will be staying for the month. He wants the Inn to himself. She agrees and sets everything up for his say. What she notices is that the Inn is in rough shape and needs repairs. When a friend from highschool, Joel, shows up to fix things she accepts for her father's sake. Joel is back in town to pack up his late mother’s home and her store. While he has been there, he and Laurel's father struck up a friendship of sorts. What she doesn't expect is to begin trusting Joel again and to have those highschool feelings get rekindled.

I really enjoyed this story of second chances, family, following your dreams, starting over, grief, reconciliation, community and friendship. When I first picked this one up, I didn't realize it was a festive, holiday story. I enjoyed seeing how this small community celebrated the holidays with many people returning for Christmas, skating parties, bonfires and a Christmas Eve play. This was a story of friends who become so much more to one another. It was a slow burn romance, that had me cheering for Laurel and Jake. I loved the secondary characters and it was great to see a few of the recurring characters from other books. This was a well written story that pulled me in and had me invested in the story. It was a sweet, sometimes emotional story about what is important in life and living the life you want with the people you love. I recommend this story to those who are enjoy holiday stories, romance and family.

Laurel Hanover immediately responds to her father’s plea for assistance with the inn her family had run for decades. Quite naturally, she is very concerned when she finds the inn completely empty when she and her son arrive after a long drive from New York. She had always enjoyed living at the inn in the Adirondack mountains despite a somewhat troubled past where she found fitting in with her family to be more than difficult. But, the inn is empty. No guests. And a father is nowhere to be found. All she finds is a note saying that he will be back on Christmas Eve with a surprise.

Beyond the inn being empty, Laurel finds it in disrepair. When her mother was alive she did everything she could to keep it in beautiful and full of guests. When Laurel discovers that childhood friend Joel Hutcherson is also in town, she accepts his offer of help to make some repairs. Joel is an accomplished carpenter who has been living overseas for years. There is an air of mystery about Joel and her father that Laurel wants to uncover. More than that, it doesn’t take her long to realize that the crush she had on him in high school is coming back in full force.

Where is her father? Why doesn’t anyone in town seem to know where he has gone, and this includes Joel? What about her growing feelings for Joel? He is leaving and she has to get back to New York with her son. They can be no the future between them so how could she let any feelings go beyond that of friendship?

Despite the inn having been empty, she gets a request for one guest for the entire month. His name is Christopher and Laurel intends on doing the job her mother would have when she ran the inn. While she strives to update the inn and serve as a good host, Joel has his own worries. He recently lost his mother and has a lot of decisions to make regarding the shop that she ran and the impact that the shop had on the members of the town.

In this tender story of second chances Laurel and Joel slowly begin to explore their feelings despite the different paths their lives have taken. As her concern for her father never lets up, Laurel also worries about her son and his happiness. The story kept me invested from the very beginning with wonderful characters, a slowly brooding love story and often emotional moments.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Cranberry Inn – Barbra Josselsohn
“A Gorgeous and feel -good Christmas romance”

A great read.

Loveable characters.

A story of a broken girl healing herself with help from her hometown and old friends.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

4 stars

#Christmas #ChristmasRomance #Romance #Cute #ChristmasNovel #HolidayRomance #ChristmasRomanceBooks #HolidayRomanceBooks #SweetReads #ChristmasRead #ContemporaryRomance #Holidays #WhiteChristmas

Wonderful, really enjoyed every minuet reading this. Most certainly a 5 star novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

The Cranberry Inn has all the elements of a sweet, cozy Christmas romance story with likeable characters.
I have to say it took me awhile to get into the story. I almost gave up but I kept reading on. I became more invested in the story though I did find the narration long winded at times.
I did enjoy the story.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Cranberry Inn is a detailed story that is well thought out and easy to follow. The plot hooks the reader in from the first page and makes them invest whole heartedly in each scene!
I like how Josselsohn has created an engaging plot with the use of vivid described scenes and relaxing atmosphere that makes the reader what to dig deeper into the story...
The character development of The Cranberry Inn is good. The characters are relatable and interesting. I like that fact that Laurel is a strong willed person and the chemistry between Laurel and Joel is slowly build creating an extra layer to feel of the story...
I would recommend reading The Cranberry Inn to lovers of Women's Fiction and Contemporary Romance with a Festive twist, as it is a heartwarming emotionally charged story that focuses on family, friendship, grief, and starting over in a charming way!

This is a sweet Christmas story about family, memories, and moving forward. The characters are endearing and the story is heartwarming. The reader is transported to the Christmas season in a lovely mountain town where Laurel is trying to get the Inn ready for an unexpected guest, since her father has gone away on a mysterious trip. Memories of lost loved ones and coming back home again are major themes in this story. It is also about learning what you really want in life and having the courage to start over again. This is a book to enjoy with a good cup of coffee on a chilly day, while looking forward to your own holiday celebration. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good Christmas read.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is the first book I have read by Barbara. I’m not sure how I missed the other books set in Lake Summers to be honest. I was drawn to this one because it’s set at Christmas time.

Cranberry Inn plays such a big part in this book it's almost like it's a character in its own right. While it needs a bit of TLC the bones of the Inn are still there and I could easily see what it could be like with some little fixes.

I love the cover because it gives the Inn such an inviting feel to it. I look at it and immediately think of wintertime, hot chocolates, fires, cosy blankets and all that good stuff. I love nothing more than snuggling up by the fire with a hot chocolate and a book. I could easily see myself doing just that at the Cranberry Inn.

This book is set about a month before Christmas and I really enjoyed seeing the characters get ready for the festive season. I am a terrible ice skater but I would have loved to have watched everyone on the ice while sipping my hot chocolate. This book has a real community spirit feel.

I really enjoyed Barbara’s writing style. As soon as you begin reading this book you feel like you’re in a big hug. The whole book felt warm and cosy. It’s perfect for this time of year.

An uplifting festive charmer that tugs at the heartstrings, Barbara Josselsohn’s The Cranberry Inn is a delightful holiday treat contemporary romance fans will not want to miss.

Christmas is just around the corner and Laurel and her son cannot wait to leave New York behind and head back home to Cranberry Inn in the Adirondack mountains. Laurel is impatient to shake off the shackles and stresses of big city life and head to the mountains where she can make snow angels with her son, but she is shocked when, on her arrival at the inn, she finds out that the whole place has gone to rack and ruin and that her father has disappeared. Just what on earth is going on at Cranberry Inn? And where has her father gone? With everyone in town keeping mum about his whereabouts, Laurel finds herself in desperate need of distraction and reversing the ailing inn’s fortunes seems like the ideal solution – especially as it will stop her from brooding and worrying and will push her in close proximity to handsome local carpenter Josh Hutcherson…

Laurel and Josh might not agree on anything, however, the more time they spend in one another’s company, the more they find themselves drawn to one another. As Laurel and Josh’s renovations begin to take shape, The Cranberry Inn is born anew and with each passing day, Laurel begins to wonder how she can ever bear to leave it behind and head back home to New York. With her father nowhere to be seen and having at long last found somewhere to belong – not to mention her growing attraction to Josh – Laurel thinks that she has found plenty of reasons to stay – until a shocking secret is revealed.

As Laurel uncovers the reason behind her father’s departure, she begins to wonder just how well she can trust Josh. Will Laurel head back to New York broken-hearted this Christmas? Or will Josh make her realise that her forever home is by his side at Cranberry Inn?

Barbara Josselsohn’s The Cranberry Inn is a gorgeous romantic escape best read with a mince pie (or two) and a great big mug of hot chocolate. An adorable tale of second chances, falling in love and finding a place to belong, Barbara Josselsohn’s The Cranberry Inn is a heart-warming contemporary romance Hallmark fans will not want to miss out.

Full of holiday charm, emotional intensity, rib-tickling humour and tender romance, Barbara Josselsohn’s The Cranberry Inn should be at the very top of everyone’s must-read list this Christmas.

I love Christmas stories!

This is a heart warming Christmas book.

It was about family and second chances.

It was a quick read for me as I couldn't stop reading it once I started.

The characters and the story just sucked me in and I Hooe I can read more from this author at a later date.

When Laurel, at the beckoning of her father, lands with her young son Simon, back to her hometown of Lake Summers, she is taken aback to see that her father is not at home. He has a left her a note telling her that there will be no guests at the family inn and that he will return by Christmas Eve.

But Laurel does get a reservation from a mysterious guest and she accepts it. She wonders if she will be able to provide hospitality of the standard her mother used to maintain. The family inn is in a bad state of disrepair and she hopes to make some changes to it in the time she’s there.

When her old high school friend and crush, offers to help with the repairs, she takes him up on this. Joel is in town to wind up his mother’s store, after her recent passing. While there, he’s made friends with Laurel’s Dad and is privy to some of his secrets, which he keeps from Laurel. How these two get together, despite the past and the recent lack of trust when Laurel finds out makes for an absorbing read.

I loved both the main characters and the Lake Summers community which is full of quirky and endearing characters.

What makes the story stand out for me, is that both Joel and Laurel have struggled to live up to their families’ expectations and in doing so have given up on their dreams. Even as they discover each other, they rediscover parts of themselves and their dreams and find the courage to move forward.

This book was a relaxing read, just perfect for the Christmas holidays. It's about a young woman and her eight year old son who go back to where she grew up to help her Father with the family business.

While there, she discovers that she misses the small town life and helping run the Inn her family owns. She reconnects with an old flame and has to make a decision that will effect her and her son.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

🎄 Have I mentioned yet that I love Christmas rom coms? They’re the best for getting you in the holiday spirit. And The Cranberry Inn did just that. I loved being transported to the snowy, idyllic town in the Adirondacks in an equally charming little B&B.

My favorite thing about this book is the relationships. There is a lot of history between Laurel, Christopher and her dad. There’s also a lot of mysteries which kept me intrigued throughout the book. Complicated pasts come to head and secrets are revealed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Takeaway: a charming book that explores the heart at Christmas time.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Cranberry Inn' by Barbara Josselsohn.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Barbara Josselsohn, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 15th November 2021.

This is the third book I have read by this author. It is also the fourth book in the 'Lake Summer' series. I have previously read 'The Bluebell Girls' (second book in the series) and 'The Lily Garden' (third book in the series) which I highly recommend, although this can be read as a standalone.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans ofMary Alice Monroe, Rachel Hanna and Carolyn Brown.' I am a huge fan of Carolyn Brown so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Barbara and if this is half as good as 'The Bluebell Girls' or 'The Lily Garden' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 20 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in New York, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Laurel Hanover and Joel Hutcherson. The benefits of third person perspective especially with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

🎶 It's beginning to look alot like Christmas 🎶

Another absolutely gorgeous read by the absolutely fantastic Barbara Josselsohn and this one will definitely get you in the festive spirit!!

Well done Barbara on yet another gorgeous heart warming novel!!

This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions that suck you straight into Lake Summers. It will take you on a gorgeous holiday where you will feel the snow on your face and the warmth in your heart. The title, cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

Yet another beautiful storyline from Barbara filled with love, family, friendship, secrets, hope and romance. I loved visiting Lake Summers again after discovering it in Barbara's 'The Bluebell Girls'. I love the realistic community vibe, the friendships, the whole atmosphere is just so relaxing and friendly. I was devastated when I came to the end and had to leave Lake Summers again. This is an absorbing page turner that will keep you hooked until the ending. I hope your busy writing your next book Barbara as I'm already missing Lake Summers. There was plenty going on between Laurel, Joel, Doug, Katie, Christopher and all the other villagers that will keep you completely absorbed throughout. I would love to see this stunning series turned into a movie and I cannot wait until the next guaranteed success in this captivating series.

Although this is the fourth book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

I loved meeting some of Lake Summer's residents again along with meeting the new characters. I really connected and invested in Laurel and Joel's characters and enjoyed meeting them. Laurel is such a strong woman which is always a bonus for me on books. I enjoyed watching Laurel and Simon's relationship grow and develop as mother and sln along with Caroline and Joel's relationship and I am hoping there will be another book to see what happens with The Cranberry Inn. I recognised some of the characters from 'The Bluebell Girls' straight away such as Maxine, Gull and the 'Smoothie Dudes' Stan and Trey. Every character is unique and well developed and I was really invested in each of them. I really hope to meet them all again!!

Congratulations Barbara on another success and here's to your next Lake Summer page turner!!! 🥂

Overall an addictive, heartwarming romance that will sweep you away.


Genres covered in this novel include Romance Novel, Contemporary Fiction and Domestic Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Rachel Hannah, JoJo Moyes, Debbie Macomber, Carolyn Brown and anyone looking for a festive page turner.


257 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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It’s time to unpack the Christmas decorations and begin hanging the lights. The snow is coming down and Laurel Hanover and her eight year old son, Simon are heading home for Christmas. They’re going to The Cranberry Inn located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Laurel is more than ready for a long overdue break from New York. She is going to help her father run the Inn for Christmas and make lasting memories with her son. But when Laurel arrives at the Inn she finds it to be a shambles, and a note that says her father is gone and won’t return until Christmas Eve. No one seems to know where her father is, and she won’t allow anything to get in the way of Christmas plans with her son. She hires her childhood friend, Joel Hutcherson who is a carpenter, to help her fix up the Inn. While spending a lot of time together fixing up the Inn, they don’t see eye-to-eye on the repairs. But when Joel reveals to Laurel the she was his first crush, she admits that she is falling for him. Then Laurel discovers the real reason her father disappeared and she can’t help but wonder if Joel has known the truth since the beginning. This wonderful Christmas is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. This sensational escape, will have you wanting to decorate the tree and hang the lights. I loved this story so much, it had me completely engrossed from the very first page. The characters were so believable and heartwarming, while the town was charming and inviting. This magical Christmas read will have you reaching for the hot cocoa and tossing a log on the fire. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful story of second chances and new beginnings, pure delight.

Thank you Barbara Josselsohn for another wonderful, hopeful and inspirational story. I enjoyed this sweet, feel-good Christmas story that has all the feels. I loved everything about this book. A definite must read cozy romance. I highly recommend this book.