****Coming Out November 15. 2021****

Thanks to Bookouture, I was provided an ARC by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A holiday book that will leave you feeling hopeful! This book explores the importance of family, friendships, and second chances!

Laurel lives in NYC with her eight year old son, Simon, where she is an assistant for an interior designer. After losing out on a project for the third time to a coworker, Nora, she is left gutted and questioning if this is the job she wants. Soon after, Laurel receives a phone call from her father asking her to come home to help run the family owned inn, Cranberry Inn, for a month around Christmas time. When she arrives, her father is no where to be found and the inn is falling apart. Her mother who has died, was the one who kept the inn up and running. With the help of the community and a special guest? will she be able get the inn back up and running where guests will want to come again? This heartfelt book will have you turning the pages to find out.

Especially with a Christmas book, I really like it when the author doesn’t leave you hanging and includes a chapter that continues the story 1 year later. In the author’s note, she includes her inspiration for this book, which just adds to the understanding of the story. Be sure to add this book to your holiday TBR list! A great book for book clubs as well!

I am definitely starting to get in the holiday spirit with this Netgalley ARC of The Cranberry Inn by Barbara Josselsohn.

The Cranberry Inn follows Laurel and her son Simon at Christmas as they go home to her parent's inn where Laurel grew up. Her mother has passed away and her father has mysteriously taken a trip away, so Laurel needs to hold down the fort at the inn. While home, Laurel reconnects with her high school crush, Joel, and together they fix up the Inn and help keep the inn's one guest, Christopher, happy.

I really enjoyed this story. It had Christmas trees, ice skating, a Christmas Eve play, and so much more. It also had some romance, a little love triangle drama, and some small town feel all sprinkled in. If you want a cute holiday book, I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to @netgalley , the author, and the publisher for gifting me this EARC for review!

Rating: 4 Stars

I admit that I was greatly attracted to this book by the cover! It just looked so warm and inviting. And what you see is what you get. An escape home for two lonely people who grew up in one of those magical little towns that we all see vividly in our imagination. The plot has gentle twists and turns and the characters are all interesting. The reader wants to know more about what happens to all of them, which is a very good sign for a book. I'd rate this one as less of a holiday book and more of a warm wintery book. The reader is not overwhelmed by "Christmas" but instead it seems to naturally be that time of year.

What I Enjoyed
The Cranberry Inn by Barbara Josselsohn is a holiday tale that will make you look forward to visiting your family over the holiday season. The re-found family love and connection theme is pervasive. And the distance that had happened before the story opens is infinitely relatable as college, work, and marriage takes many of us away from our family as adults. The togetherness is challenging to maintain when you have so much geography in between you. It is heartwarming to see a family come back together, resolve their issues, and follow their hearts. Only good things can come from that.

I love the setting and the role it plays in the central theme of the story. Laurel comes home to her family Inn at her father's insistence just to find him gone and the Inn that her mother had lovingly taken care of before she died in a state of disrepair. Her determination to get it back up and running is heartwarming, just as the descriptions of the Inn itself made me feel warm and cozy. The revitalizing of a family business that is the perfect holiday destination touched my heart and senses on so many different levels.

I also loved how all of the notable characters found a place to explore their best self and feel at home as a result. Don't we all want to find that place if we haven't? And what a perfect gift to the readers to make us feel that love and acceptance in a way we would never have expected.

The romance is surprisingly complicated. Everyone thought Laurel and Joel were an item in high school – that is, everybody except them. That made their discovery of what everyone else already knew more natural and a very low-key element in the story. The discovery of their mutual feelings fits perfectly into the central theme of the book. And, lastly, I love the story's focus on the theme. Every little element is included, which creates a relatable, compelling, and heartwarming read.

Characters
Laurel is the main character. An interior decorator assistant in New York, her dream is to create beautiful and meaningful settings of her very own. She is a single mom, and her son Simon is a delightful reminder of how important a supportive environment really is.

Both Laurel and Joel left Lake Summers because they thought that was what their parents wanted for them. Joel has come back because of the death of his mother. He gets to explore his original love of construction as he helps Laurel repair the Inn. It takes restoring the Inn and all that it stands for to make the pair follow their hearts to fulfill their dreams and find each other.

I have to mention Christopher too. He is an actor that rented out the Inn while they updated it because he just had to get away and be alone. He pretends to be a teacher and provides bits of humor in the story as it unfolds.

What I Wish
I thought one particular aspect of the story peaked and was concluded oddly quickly, so my only wish is that Laurel's issues with her father had been resolved more naturally. Or not fixed, and she worked through them within herself until she was at peace with her insecurities and choices regardless of her perceptions of what her father thought and felt.

To Read or Not to Read
If you are looking for that holiday story that will have you clamoring to spend time with family this holiday season, The Cranberry Inn is just the book you are looking for.

I really liked this book. Though at times I felt bad for Laurel, she made it work. She was reunited with people from her past and I always enjoy those types of stories.

Barbara Josselsohn has yet again written another heartwarming story in her new book The Cranberry Inn. Ms. Josselsohn is a wonderful storyteller and this one takes place in a magical Inn at Christmas. Her descriptions are superb and I felt like I was at the Inn sipping Lake Summer Spiked Cappuccino in front of the Christmas tree. This is a warm and inviting story about second chances, family, a small town community and friendships brought together during the most wonderful time of the year! This is a perfect read for this Holiday Season! I highly recommend this one or any book by Barbara Josselsohn! You will not be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley, Barbara Josselsohn and Bookouture for a copy of this joyous story in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley. #thecranberryinn. #barbarajosselaohn. #bookouture. #arc

Oh my! I wanna spend the holidays at Cranberry Inn. I felt the warmth of this place, a perfect place to start over, a place to call home. This novel taught me to hold on to my family, reconnect with my past and to not be afraid to fall in love again. kudos to the author for this feel-good book. Brilliant!

A new author for me and what a good holiday story to read. Set in the Adirondacks in New York, a woman gets a frantic call from her dad to come home and run the Inn she grew up in for a few weeks. He'll be home on Christmas Eve with a surprise.

She's disappointed at work and the Inn has always held a special place in her heart so she and her son leave NY city for some time in the country.

Along with an old high school friend and an actor in disguise there's a lot of activity going on at the Inn. Through it all they each discover or rekindle their life's passion making new friends along the way. A feel good seasonal romance you won't want to miss!

I received a Free ARC ebook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

I loved meeting Barbara Solomon Josselsohn’s latest unforgettable characters in her newest Lake Summers novel THE CRANBERRY INN. People in this charming Adirondack town know each other’s stories. There’s Laurel and her son Simon who head back to the inn to help her father. Joel returns from working abroad to help his mother and her store while keeping significant secrets for people he cares about. With hopes of hiding out and rejuvenating himself, Christopher’s actions create quite a stir among locals. The author’s descriptions of rooms and stores are so detailed that I could easily picture myself in scene after scene. Definitely a page turner! I raced to read what was going to be revealed next and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Barbara, you’ve done it again! Congratulations!

When it comes to a Christmas read, what you want is something that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy at the end. Of course, the best books like this take you on a journey to get there, which is exactly what The Cranberry Inn does.
Laurel and her son Simon travel to the family Inn in order to help her father out for Christmas. While she is living there and running the place for him, she learns how he really sees her and what she wants out of life, along with connecting with her teenage crush Joel.
This was a fun read and I enjoyed following Laurel as she made her mark on the family business and sorted out what it was she really wanted out of life. Having a son added an extra dimension to the story and I thought that it worked quite well. I did get a bit confused about his age as he seemed to be around four or five with his behaviour and the way that she treated him and then at other times seemed a bit older.
This was a great Christmas read with a lovely and satisfying conclusion. I for one really enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This novel, The Cranberry Inn by Barbara Josselsohn is a lovely story about family relationships. After the death of family members, two visitors returned to their hometown to help with family affairs. Laurel one of three daughters always loved the family inn and found that her true calling was helping restore the inn. Joel who was the golden boy in high school returns to take care of his mother's store. Both of them had to face their previous lives and decide what to do with their futures. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this novel before its publication.

Looking for the warm fuzzies for Christmas? Try The Cranberry Inn by Barbara Josselsohn. This book will hook you from the start and hold your interest to the very end. It did me and I really enjoyed my visit at the inn.

This is my first book by this author. I have another book of hers sitting on my bookshelf I haven’t been able to read yet. Now I’m going to make an extra effort to get it read.

I loved the characters in this book. Even the ones that aren’t alive anymore. The main character Laurel lost her mom several years ago and still feels the empty void in her life. Joel just lost his mother recently. Her dad is mostly an absent a he had to leave town and called Laurel to come run the inn for December.

I felt like I could pack my bags and move to this town. It was small and inviting. My kind of place. The book wasn’t over the top Christmassy. There was still tradition and decorations.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #Netgalley and #Bookouture. Opinions in this review are completely my own.

After reading The Lily's Garden, I decided I want to read more books from this author and so glad I got this book approved by the publisher!

Plot:- After receiving an unexpected phone call from her father, Laurel with her husband goes back to Cranberry Inn, the inn which was run previously by her mother but now in a sort of disarray. She then gets an unexpected guest who wants some time to be himself and so she starts working around the inn, trying to run the inn like her mother used to. Meanwhile, Joel, Lauren's high school crush who is travelling around the world has returned back to the small town. Laurel then finds a deep secret about her father, finding out the reason why he had run away from the inn. And worst of all, her childhood friend Joel knows about it.

Writing:- The story gave me a feeling of Christmas that I can already feel like I am celebrating Christmas--with the vivid descriptions and everything. This is such a heartwarming tale and talk of second chances, the community get togetherness and of course, Laurel's budding romance with Joel. The writing was really great and the author actually did a good job drawing the reader towards the story, making the reader feel like they are a part of the story as well. Though I know the ending was predictable, nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book so much that I can't wait to read more books from this author!

Characters:- Laurel is a favorable character--her devotion as a mother and how she is willing to run the inn, just like her mother used to run. Joel was also another favorable character and I rooted for them as the couple. Well, in fact, the characters in the story are all likable.

Overall:- Overall, this is a heartwarming tale and emotional story with an air of Christmas, that will draw you into the story and is quite unputdownable--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Cranberry Inn by Barbara Josselsohn is a wonderful Christmas story. I can easily see this as a made for tv on the channel, you know the one with all the Christmas movies.

This is just the kind of story you want to read at Christmas time. It's about family, letting go of the past we think we remember, and second chances. Throughout the whole book you will feel as if you are there with the descriptive scenery and Laurels childhood memories of the Cranberry Inn. Laurel really loved everything her mother had done and put into the family inn. She feels the warmth of the holiday and the peacefulness when she returns after a call from her father that he needs her help. Most of the people she grew up with also raised there families there. It's as if she is putting on a old comfortable sweater. Laurel and Joel had similar issues with returning, they did not want to disappoint their parents. As with most of the stories they will struggle to decide what it is they each really want and how to get there.

This book is so warm and inviting, it is sure to become a much loved story.

When her father calls right after Lauren looses out on a coveted assignment at work and asks her to come run the family inn over Christmas, she packs up her eight year old son and leaves the next morning. When she arrives at the inn her father is not there, he left a note that he'd be back by Christmas, and the inn is in a state of disrepair plus there are no guests nor reservations.

The next day she gets a call for a room and decides to spend the time she is there getting the inn back to the standard they lived under while her mother was alive with the help of Joel, a high school friend, who is there to settle his mother's estate and close her store.

As Joel and Lauren get closer, Lauren starts to deal with her feeling that her father was closer to her two sisters and because she was a theater geek and they were athletes she did measure up. Doesn't everyone feel like that at one time or another?

This book was a perfect Christmas story, in my opinion. Snow, a beautiful inn, new relationships, old friends, and again, lots of snow. At times I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as Lauren's feeling of not being enough were so perfectly written. The author really took me back to my own high school experiences. The author had my attention from the first page to the last.


#TheCranberryInn #BarbaraJosselsohn #NetGalley #Romance #WomensFiction #Bookouture

An enjoyable enough if predictable holiday story about Laurel returning to your home town and pitching in to keep the family inn running while finding romance along the way.

The Cranberry Inn is a great feel good story, set in the merriest month Of December. Two people yearning to fit in, find their answers in their former small h9me town. Joel longs to build things and Laurel wants to design and fulfill her own dreams. I liked the town and the plot development. I wondered about Laurel’s father’s disappearing act. I was a little iffy about Christopher, but I saw the purpose his character served in the story. I loved the ending and people finding satisfaction withe their work and lives.

Laurel returns home with her son to look after the family Inn when her father has to go away unexpectedly. Things haven’t been the same at home since her mum passed away and Laurel tries to get things back to way they were with the help of her old high school crush who is also back in town because his mother passed away recently. An attentive guest makes Joel realise he still has feelings for Laurel, but he know more about her fathers trip than she does and when Laurel finds this out she feels betrayed. Joel had let her down in the past as well, so I expected her to struggle with this more. The betrayal doesn’t seem to cut too deep as Laurel forgives Joel quite quickly. I must admit to being a bit disappointed. I was expecting more of a small town, Christmas vibe and found there wasn’t enough of it for me. I can’t say I was overly drawn in by the characters either. I’m. Or sure this book would entice me to read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Barbara Josselsohn and Bookouture for the ARC of The Cranberry Inn. This is my personal review.
I enjoyed reading this book but for me there was too much of the book of the story being told by the characters inside their heads. I want actual dialogue and conversation between people more than the conversation they have inside their own head. For me this doesn’t bring people together.
It was a slow read and I never did connect with any of the characters in the story.

From the very first page I knew I was in for a treat. The descriptions of the objects and the colours and textures are superb. It’s a slow paced book but that doesn’t mean its not a page turner. Laurel receives a phone call from her father which is unclear and leaves her with no choice but to go back home to Cranberry Inn. What happens next is the basis of the whole book. An absolute delight and one I would recommend. A seasonal love story with a little twist of mystery.