This was like a hallmark movie in book form! Perfect for the holiday season and put me in a really Christmassy mood.

Karen Schaler's book, Love Always, Christmas, is a story full of the holiday spirit. Libby finds a mysterious Christmas card while cleaning out her family home and it leads her on quite an adventure to include romance and discovering a hidden family secret. The book is perfect for the season. Fans of Debbie Macomber will enjoy this one.

Karen Schaler’s Love Always, Christmas is the story about Libby Larson. Alone for the holidays, Libby finds a Christmas card that will change her life. I voluntarily read this complimentary copy of this well-written, uplifting book about family, friends, traditions, secrets, forgiveness, and love. This book is a must-read for those who love Christmas and the spirit of giving to others. Well-done, Karen Schaler!

Love Always, Christmas was a cute, cozy Christmas read! I couldn't put it down! I am looking forward to reading more by Karen Schaler.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

A Christmas story about loss and love and second chances. My favorite part is the community of Holly Peak and how everyone comes together at the end to help. A very easy read.

LOVE ALWAYS, CHRISTMAS
BY: KAREN SCHALER

It's getting to be that time of year again, as time flies. Sounds of mixed feelings depending on who you are talking to. I love getting into the Christmas Spirit and reading Award winning Karen Schaler's new Christmas novel has motivated me to do some extra decorating this year. This book really delivers the Christmas vibrations with just the descriptions of the atmospheric setting--a virtual Christmas Wonderland with beautifully decorated scenes both outside of the characters homes, which they go all out, but also inside their homes, as well.

Libby is a young woman who collides with Adam outside their parents homes when she crushes a large inflatable Santa Clause. Adam says that she has to buy its replacement from Germany. These two are like oil and vinegar at first. Libby is trying to hold onto her family home and is a marketing representative in Advertising. She is the only child of two deceased parents and is of the mind of some folks who just want to get the holiday over with and would skip it if she could.

Libby is upstairs in her parents attic and in a box discovers an unopened envelope, which her friend and colleague Tammi encourages Libby to open the card. Inside a photo album that belonged to her mother who she misses, she finds a childhood picture of her Mom beside a young girl her mother never told her about. Libby lives in Seattle, Washington, but takes a day to find the other girl in the picture by going to another village that really takes time to decorate for Christmas complete with Holly berries and Douglas Fir Trees with lights and beautiful ornaments. She learns that the girl in the picture is a woman in her sixties that is well loved in this quaint town in the Mountains. The woman's name is CeCe. Adam is also the town manager whose job it is to win the best decorated town in the State competition. He also deeply cares for CeCe. CeCe is an admirable woman who although she lives alone is active in doing things, and she starts getting ready for Christmas in October.

As Libby is asking CeCe if she is the mysterious person with Libby's mother the picture gets blown out of their hands, and as they both run to catch it, CeCe falls down and gets a concussion by hitting her head. Libby takes her to a clinic, but the Doctor who CeCe knows only releases her if someone can spend the night and monitor her. This is something Libby volunteers to do. The next morning CeCe makes a delicious recipe of pancakes and Adam stops by. Libby has also made the trip to see if the town's Christmas decorations is a place that she is going to pitch to a client and I agreed with her that it is lovely.

I was struck by the striking Christmas decorating and Christmas Spirit that these characters that Libby gets to know. CeCe has Christmas crystal angel figurines and beautifully decorated Douglas Fir trees in all of the rooms in her house. Libby doesn't like Nutcrackers and overturns them in CeCe's home.

This was a charming and certainly a big hit for me for getting ready for Christmas. It actually has a gorgeous plot and characters and stunning settings throughout the story. This is an excellent choice for those who need a slight nudge to help them kick start to prepare for the time of year that happiness is in the spirit of giving and not receiving. I loved this Christmas themed novel and recommend it to everyone. It is a feel good story without being a sappy predictable romance at its center. Animal lovers will find delight in this Christmas story and people who love delectable food with a sensual setting. This Christmas story is special and warmed my heart and is perfect for those who like Libby would rather not celebrate it because they don't have family find the Christmas spirit through good friends and community. While I was reading this I kept remembering one Christmas night driving in the car with loved ones and Viewing neighborhoods that lit up their houses and yards strung with Brilliant Christmas lights and attending a midnight Christmas Eve Mass when I was six years old. This book was able to evoke many more golden Christmas memories of the past that I had forgotten. Five Stars!

Publication Date: October 11, 2022 Available Now!

Thank you to Net Galley, Karen Schaler and HawkTale Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#LoveAlwaysChristmas #KarenSchaler #HawkTalePublishing #NetGalley

OMG I loved this book.
A Christmas book and had love and little bit of mystery in it. About Christmas traditions and Christmas lists. Great read
5 stars

This book is a fabulous holiday read! The story caught me right from the beginning to the very end. It had all of the emotions that you are looking for in a holiday read, laughter, tears and love plus the expected happily ever after ending. The characters are well developed and you quickly become engrossed in their stories. A definite book to pick up for an amazing holiday read!!

Once again, a delightful Christmas escape. It is always so much fun to get away on one of Karen Schaler’s adventures. I enjoy when a bah-humbug catches the Christmas spirit and finds love along the way. Libby and Adam give off the sparks and the humor! I enjoyed seeing the town through Adam’s eyes with Libby’s creative flare thrown in. The mystery along the way was a good touch to keep me engaged with all the characters. Overall, Love Always, Christmas, is a fun, cozy Christmas read.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I love a good Christmas read and this did not disappoint. It was a quick witty read that kept my engaged from the first page. I recommend for anyone who like Hallmark Christmas movie vibes.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

I loved this book! I felt like the romance wasn’t as strong as I was expecting but it didn’t deter me at all. In fact the main theme I got was about family and somehow it made it an even better Christmas book for that! It felt fresh and different yet all the elements we all adore from a Christmas book.

Love Always, Christmas is a cute and heartwarming Christmas novel - a little cheesy too, sure, but isn't that what Christmas reads are all about??

I loved the smalltown setting and how everyone really came together to make Christmastime a magical experience. And I also loved how they welcomed Libby with open arms after she had lost her loved ones and her belief in Christmas.

This book goes perfectly with some mulled wine, gingerbread cookies, a warm blanket, and some Christmas songs playing in the background.

I received a free copy of Love Always, Christmas by Karen Schaler through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And if you're looking for a book that reads a lot like a Hallmark Christmas movie with some mystery thrown in, then this is the book for you.

Despite being on a fantasy kick lately, I finished this book in two days (less than 24 hours though technically). It's just that good. There's a bit of romance, a cute dog, strong friendships, a touch of mystery, and a whole lot of #Christmas. Plus the whole town (and neighboring community) coming together at the end really just seals the whole deal.

I also had a special connection with this book because the main character recently opened her own social media marketing company. I work in social media marketing, so I loved getting to see that represented in a way that wasn't just about influencers.

Overall, I gave Love Always, Christmas ⭐⭐⭐⭐. It's a quick read that will put you in the Christmas spirit fast.

It's always a easure to read one of Karen's books and when you tend one you will read more. I couldn't wait to read this.
Lobby is a city hirl trying to set up her own business. She's all alone this xmas qnd she keeps annoying the neighbours by killing the Xmas decorations.shebfinds a card in her mother's belongings and goes on a small adventure to the mountains which is christmas overload. This book had everything you need for Christmas.
Libvy gets stuck up at Holly peak not that it's a problem but there's no room at the Inn.
I couldnt not put this book down. Christmas karen made it once again. Fabulous.

A light-hearted holiday romance that has a meaningful story. It feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie, but with a lot more depth.

Karen Schaler is amazing, an auto-buy author for me, and writes the best “I wish this were a TV movie, OH WAIT IT IS!” books ever.

LOVE ALWAYS, CHRISTMAS is about Libby Larson, who wants to run through the holidays at warp speed with herself wrapped in a blanket of BahHumBug.

After her mom passes, she finds a 20-year-old unopened letter and is taken to the town of Holly Peak.

Secrets start unraveling, quirky Christmas traditions in Holly Peak, and of course Adam Thompson are sure to make this a novel I won’t be able to put down.

No surprise I finished it in a day and loved it! Perfect cozy mountain town full of Christmas spirit and it was cute with the grumpy, forced proximity, plus none of the miscommunication troupe! Told ya she is the BEST Cozy Christmas Author EVER!

This was a cute book but it didn’t really hold my attention. The story follows Libby as she navigates her first Christmas after her mother dies and searches for answers about a 20 year old Christmas card she found among her mother’s Christmas decorations. She travels to the town of Holly Peak in search for answers. There she spends time with Adam, the town manager, who helps her solve the Christmas card mystery while she helps him get the town ready for a Christmas competition.
It definitely gives Christmas vibes and I honestly think it would be a good Christmas movie but it was a little bland for a book. There is a little romance and some mystery but none of it was very exciting to me. I think it could be a good book for those looking for a lighthearted story for the Christmas season.

This was a very cute, holiday romance novel. It is definitely what some would call cheesy, but who doesn’t love an incredibly cheesy Christmas story? It definitely helped me get in the mood for Christmas even more so than I already was. I can definitely see this becoming a Lifetime or Hallmark Christmas movie some day. The plot of this novel would make for a great movie plot too.

This tells the tale of Libby, who after losing her parents decides to not celebrate Christmas and just dive deep into her growing company to keep herself distracted. But fate, or maybe rather Santa, has different ideas in store for her. Enter Adam, the sexy, irresistibly sarcastic yet charming man that instantly gets under Libby’s skin in all the right and wrong ways. Just when Libby is perfectly fine with never seeing Adam again, a quick trip out of town to the Christmas town of Holly Peak crossed their paths again. This time, opening up a whirlwind of adventure that gives the two no choice but to be around each other. A earth shattering secret is revealed to Libby, leaving her speechless and confused and angry. Adam is faced with a tough decision about the town he calls home and is trying to save it. Can Libby and Adam both save each other in a very heart-warming way, all the while learning about themselves? Can Adam bring Libby holiday cheer? Can Libby light up Adam’s Christmas tree? You’ll have to read on to find out. Such a fun and cute holiday read!

Cue up your favorite holiday playlist.
Grab your mug of hot cocoa.
Put an extra log on the fireplace.
Set out a plate of gingerbread cookies.
And snuggle up by the Christmas tree.
Love Always, Christmas is about to put you in the most festive mood ever.

Anyone who knows me knows that in my world, Karen Schaler is the absolute Queen of Christmas. I’ve said time and again that I’m not sure anyone will ever be able to exceed her when it comes to spreading Christmas cheer. This story is yet another example of how wonderful her books are during the holiday season.

Normally, I go into Christmas books with a bit of a lower expectation for them. I’m not anticipating more than Hallmark-worthy cheese and romance with a side of predictability. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and emotion in Love Always, Christmas. There was a lot more to this story than meets the eye and I enjoyed every minute of it (even when I felt a few tears splash my cheeks on occasion).

This book really gave me all of the found family vibes I crave during this season. Not only was the protagonist someone who I could relate to quite a lot (as a social media manager and blogger) but I absolutely adored all of the secondary characters as well… down to Rudolph the Australian Shepherd!

The concept of the “Love Always, Christmas” list was so creative that I actually got distracted halfway through my read. I wound up searching for local holiday events and towns to visit with my own loved ones. I wound up sitting with my husband for several hours, planning our own list for the season! Thank you, Karen, for inspiring us!

Now, as much as this book had fantastic emotional depth, I will say that it is a Christmas romcom, so insta-love is very much a part of the story. It was the first time I had actually been able to recognize this in a book and it made me giggle every once in a while. However, I do believe in “love at first sight,” so I really can’t judge if someone bonds with another over crushed gingerbread men and a good glass of Bordeaux. This romance was adorable and lighthearted and honestly perfect for a holiday read!

I couldn’t have asked for more in my first Christmas book of the season. It was so heartwarming and constantly brought a smile to my face. I honestly can’t wait to reread it each year as I do with Karen’s other festive books. Oh, and I can’t wait to get started with all of the great plans on my Love Always Christmas list!

[CW: (major) Grief and Death of parent, (minor) Conversations surrounding toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse]