Ella and Seth lived very different lives after high school, but when Ella is forced to return to the town where she grew up after her mother passed, they reconnect. Seth helps Ella to remember that Christmas doesn’t have to be bad. This story was heartwarming, and I loved every minute of it.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this audiobook so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must listen for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Rating: 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This was such a cute cozy Christmas story. Baker was able to create the perfect christmassy atmosphere with such a heartfelt story about family, second chances and ultimately love after loss. I enjoyed following Ella and Sean as they navigate through their differences and their past of pain and loss. Loved the setting being in PA and the talk about Philadelphia (I grew up right outside of Philly).
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I’m not usually into romances, but this one gave all the Hallmark Christmas movie vibes and I definitely can see this one getting picked up. This was a slow burn romance, where there was some repetition and I think that it could have been shortened a bit. Still enjoyed the story and where it led the characters and the bonds they created along the way.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and Trei Taylor was phenomenal. She was able to really transport me into this world. Her voices for characters were great and this was just very well done.
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Overall, if your looking for a cute cozy Christmas romance, this one is definitely the one for you! This was released on 10/10. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Lacey Baker and and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a sweet, small town, second chance, dual POV romance. Think Hallmark. Nice cozy, and clean.

Audio: I absolutely loved the audio. It was fresh and there was so much feeling in the performance. 5/5!!

Was a bit too Christian heavy for me. All about church and Christianity. I do think it gave a lot of hallmark Christmas vibes which was wonderful.

This was such a great book to read right before Christmas. Even if I haven't been away from home for too long, this book made me want to be home all the time. To be surrounded with people that cares and appreciates you is everything.

If you are looking for a cozy Christmas read, then this is it!

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

Listened to 19% of this book but couldn’t get into the story. The story was written well and narrated well, but wasn't quite my cup of tea right now. Figured I'd review as is rather than leaving it undone. .

Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker and Narrated by Trei Taylor was a lovely Christmas Novel, a great audiobook for those cold evenings sitting by the fire getting ready for the best time of year - Christmas.

When on a rare trip home for the Christmas holidays, Ella Wilson may have finally uncovered the secret to a joy-filled future by getting lost in her past. Sadly Ella has always avoided going home and especially for the holidays for nearly a decade. For her, this season is plagued by a jinx that’s brought nothing but painful memories of her mother’s death which was nearly two decades ago, then, her fiancé’s abandonment last year, and now she has lost of her job as an art curator.
But without work to occupy her, home is exactly where Ella has ended up. And somehow, she’s also been roped into planning the town’s Christmas tree auction—side by side with her first love.

Seth Hamil only knows that home is where the heart is, and for him, it’s always been the sleepy community of Bellepoint, Pennsylvania and for a while, in high school that included Ella Wilson. Since then, he’s been married and now widowed and now he has spent the year throwing himself into his career as a music teacher, he is trying to keep his wife’s memory alive, and carrying on the church fundraising she launched to support local kids. So, despite their history, Seth isn’t about to let his wife’s vision for the event be easily dismissed by Ella’s temporary presence and big-city ideas.

They both have to find a way to work together, But they soon both begin to wonder whether fate has brought them together for a fresh start—and if Christmas wishes really can come true.

This audiobook was so good it was like talking magic in my ears and the narrator Trei Taylor was brilliant,

If you want the Christmas magic to start in your house this is a audiobook for you. I loved it.............

Snow Place Like Home is...as warm and spicy as Snickerdoodle Hot Chocolate, as cozy and a pair of fuzzy warm socks, and as beautiful as a brightly decorated holiday tree.
The audio version of this book lulled me into a holiday setting that I really enjoyed The characters were voiced beautifully, I was hooked from the beginning and stayed until the end.
If you're looking for a new holiday classic, filled with holiday magic and mishaps, this story is for you.

Lacey Baker's Snow Place Like Home is a sweet romance novel that will make you smile. It is Christmas time and Ella firmly believes that she is jinxed. Ever since she lost her mama when she was young after making a Christmas wish, she has had a hard time finding the joy of Christmas. When she loses her job and has to head home for the holidays, she is sure it is the jinx at work yet again. Once home, she runs into Seth, her high school crush. Seth is now a grown man, widowed, and as cute as ever. When the two are put together on a committee to raise money for the church, sparks fly as they try to combine their differences of opinion about Christmas. However, they just might find Christmas spirit together.
A cute story. I enjoyed it and it was great for this time of year, as we are about to head into Christmas!

Bonitinha é um adjetivo que me vem à mente com essa história. Não de forma pejorativa ou negativa, mas porque o enredo apresentado é tanto clichê e simples, como tem sim seus momentos de fofura, emoção e uma outra lição sobre sabermos aproveitar o agora ao lado de quem amamos, não só no Natal.

Nunca tinha lido nada dessa autora antes, mas, até então, com esse primeiro comentário, resumo numa boa experiência. Esperava mais sim, principalmente quanto a me envolver mais com os personagens, já que por vezes, mesmo com um desenvolvimento sólido deles, ainda senti um pouco falta daquele toque mais intimista para com a leitora, no caso eu.

Mesmo assim, foi uma leitura tranquila para se fazer nessa época do ano, e diria até que funciona super para além do período natalino, já que o foco maior não é esse em si, mas na forma como a protagonista lida com uma data tão especial após memórias do passado que ela precisa encarar mais firmemente de uma vez por todas. Com o mocinho é quase a mesma coisa, ainda que num sentido diferente. E sobre os dois, também, gostaria de ter me apegado mais ao romance, mas o pouco que teve ainda foi leve e fofo. Bônus sempre por não ter hot.

Em suma, Snow Place Like Home é uma leitura tranquila e leve, com boas mensagens para além do Natal, com um toque de fé gostoso aqui e ali, todo numa ambientação de cidade pequena que deixa tudo bem aconchegante. Indico!

This novel is an amazing representation of finding love after loss and the obstacles you encounter from the outside, but mainly from your own mind. I appreciated the BIPOC representation and education of different cultural aspects expressed throughout the novel.

Snow Place Like Home is a grumpy sunshine Christmas read, maybe a little Grump/Grump at times depending on what part you’re at. Our two main characters have both experienced major loss, from loss of a loved one to loss of a career, and the spirit of Christmas brings them back together in their home town unexpectedly.

I loved the representation for male emotions throughout this novel. As a society we tend to believe that men don’t cry, men are the strong ones, but in all reality that viewpoint comes from the expectation of suppressed emotions. By having both Seth and Ella’s POV, we were able to fully understand the range of emotions the characters were going through. I believe by including Seth, it helps fight that stigma that grown men don’t cry. They do. And that’s okay! It’s normal!

Mmm I do love a good second chance romance! High school sweethearts finding their way back to each other. The part about the jinx felt a little over the top for me though which is why the lower rating is here. I’ve explained this on most of the Christmas themed books I’ve read- I’m a harsh critic here. Feels like there are too many super cheesy Christmas books out there and I crave more out of them.

This is a super clean, Christian romance that’s so stinking cute it’ll melt all the grinchy hearts. With all the makings of a Hallmark Christmas movie, this story delves deep into learning to let go of the past in order to open your arms for what the future holds. However, even with forced proximity and a slight enemies to lovers trope, I wish the pacing was just a little bit faster.

“Did you break his heart or did he break yours?”
“I like to think of it as a lesson,” she said. “Not a heartbreak.”
“And what lesson did you learn?”
“Never fall in love again.”

Ella lost her job, her fiancé, and now has nowhere to go. Going back to her aunt’s house for Christmas, she finds herself helping on the local committee to raise funds for a good cause. But being back in the town she grew up in means she now has to confront all the feelings she’s pushed aside for so long. Plus, reuniting with some old faces again brings up new feelings she’s not quite ready for yet.

Seth is on the committee in honor of his late wife. If it wasn’t for her and the dedication she had to this town, he probably wouldn’t even be here. But a promise is a promise. However, when his old high school crush comes back into town, he finds himself suddenly being the first to volunteer.

“We don’t get to pick the time and the place that our prayers or our whispers are answered. And sometimes, Ella, sometimes the answer to our prayers is no.”

I actually loved the message this story sent. The aunt is the unsung hero for sure! And if this isn’t turned into a Hallmark or Netflix movie, they’re seriously missing out. I think if it was shortened, it’d be just about perfect. I love that it’s written and narrated both by black women. It brings a life to it in a way that not many Christmas books have done in the past. Plus it has a dog!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super cute second chance romance story with Ella going back to her hometown and running into Seth, her high school crush. It’s charming, festive, and a quick read!

Snow Place Like Home by Lacey. Baker
Narrator, Trei Taylor
This was a sweet Christmas romance with a Christian religious background to the main storyline. It does not get too preachy very often but that might be annoying for some people. All the main characters were likable, especially the dog. The narrator was very good and made the story more entertaining.

What happens when you make a Christmas wish and, not only doesn't it come true, but your world falls apart within the next few months? Well, you certainly aren't a fan of Christmas wishes anymore, that's for sure!

That's what happened when young Ella Wilson was 11yo. She made a Christmas wish at her mother's suggestion, and not only didn't it come true, but soon Ella's entire world turned upside down...

What that taught her was not to take risks and not to put too much stock into all the Christmas fanfare.

But when she comes back home to spend Christmas with her aunt in the small town she grew up in, she runs into her high school crush, who is recovering from his own world-shattering loss as well.

With cautious steps, they start to reconnect and begin to wonder if there isn't a bit of magic left in Christmas after all.

Thank you to Lacey Baker, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this charming holiday romance.

This was such a sweet Christmas read! I loved the small town feel and the reminder of the reason for the season. A well done Christian, closed door romance for those that enjoy the genre!

Thank you to Lacey Baker, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

“With it came the spirit of hope, love and possibilities”

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is a sweet Christmas story with dual POV. It's a small town romance between Elle and Seth.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early, but this just wasn't the book for me. This is a Christian fiction Christmas romance involving high school crushes. Sounds like something I would love but I REALLY struggled to connect with these characters. Our main character, Ella, feels like she has a Christmas curse. Her mom died around Christmas, her fiance broke up with her and now she's lost her job as an art curator. She has to go back home to see her aunt and help her childhood crush with a fundraiser. He's a widower and his wife created a Christmas tree fundraiser to provide free food for school age kids. They work together, confront their pasts, and live happily ever after. I guarantee I won't remember this book in a few weeks and I found myself wanting to skim read so much, I wouldnt really recommend though I do love that its a Christian, black love story with some of my favorite tropes.