I enjoyed this audiobook, although I found it a bit formulaic. I did like that the cast of characters is Black and this should appeal to many other readers who are looking for diverse stories. The plot employs two classic romance troupes: a woman who returns to her small hometown and falls in love, and a “grinch” who come to love Christmas. The protagonist, Ella, decides to spend the holiday season with her aunt, after she is laid off and no longer has work as an excuse to avoid celebrating. She has tried to ignore Christmas for years as the result of her grief over her mother’s death. She quickly gets involved in the community she left behind long ago and blossoms as she reconnects with her church, old friends, and her high school crush. I liked that the main characters are involved in the arts, that one of them has a cute dog, and I appreciated the clean romance. The story unfolds a bit slowly at times and there are few surprises. But many readers will appreciate the the way that the timeless themes of love and redemption, moving on from grief, and embracing the Christmas spirit are folded into this romance. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

Snow Place Like Home is a cozy Christmas romance with not a slow burn but maybe a slow flicker. The overall story is pretty slow without much going on. The characters are fairly likable, the side characters included. But overall not a lot of plot. This would be a quick easy fluff read for the season.

The narrator was good to listen to, definitely not boring or robotic.

I did not like this book at all. I really really tried to like it, but I barely made it through.

Let me start by saying: I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

Okay, so this book is about a girl who loses her job so she goes back to her hometown for the holidays- something that she has been avoiding doing since she left because she believes she's Christmas Cursed?? Like?? Her mother died when she was a child and then her fiance left her as an adult and so the only logical conclusion she could make is that she is...cursed. I wish i was kidding. She reconnects with her highschool crush who lost his wife a year ago and obviously they still love each other! Obviously!

The writing so stilted, the dialogue was forced. The pacing was slow and I was very confused as to why Ella, who is supposed a certified christmas hater just like jumped in on all of the christmas activities?? There was not a single chapter of this book where we were not reminded about the deep grief both main characters were experiencing. The romance was almost absent until suddenly they were rearranging their lives to be with each other?? AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE RELIGIOUS ASPECT.

There was SO MUCH JESUS in this book! So much church! So much Scripture!! I was so annoyed every single time they mentioned it AGAIN. If I had known it would be so church-centric I never would have picked this title up.

I really wanted to like this book- I love a cheesy little holiday romance! This is really not that, though. I had a really hard time rooting for the main characters and their story was just so unbelievable. 1.5 stars

I didn't pay close enough attention, and accidentally requested a "Christian" Christmas romance, instead of a "normal" one. Alas, as the publisher was nice enough to grant my requests, read it I did, and I won't detract any stars, as it was my own fault in choosing the book.

Yes, I could have done with a bit less "let's meet at church", "singing in the church choir" and so on, the story wasn't actually not overly preachy or annoying, as a lot of these are.

In fact it's a really cute and nice Christmas Romance that is about a fundraiser on the outside, but really it's about dealing with grief and loss, and choosing to move on with life.

The female MC has lost her mum a long time ago, and isn't a fan of Christmas ever since.
The male MC is a young widower, who is not yet ready to look for love again.

I really liked both of them, and was happy to spend my time with them - and as always the four legged cast member was a special delight. I want to have snuggles with Teddy as well!

The one upside of this being a Christian story, there's no hot loins or cringe worthy sex scenes to be found, though I was happily surprised that it also wasn't at all stuffy about relationships and break ups. I always prefer the slow burn, cute romances that are about the warm and fuzzy feeling.

The one star missing is for some of it just being a bit too sugary in places, and adults still being hung up about some teen problems from way back. Yes, there's more reasons to why it stuck with them this long, but making a big deal about a very minor thing that happened what feels like a lifetime ago got old after a while.

Despite this minor gripe, it was still a feel good story that kept me well entertained, and I actually enjoyed the setting that's very different to me, as our church services and community here in Germany are way less "lively" than a great choir and more involved one.

This book was cute but cheesy. It was still enjoyable to read and listen too. Super cute read for Christmas. Light and fluffy which is what I wanted. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio book ARC opportunity!

This book gave the idea that this might be a cozy, Hallmark - like holiday romance. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations, and had through it a lot of grief, repetitive storylines in regards to this grief and one of the lead characters believing they are cursed, and heavy dialogue that made it hard to keep interest.

I found the narrator to be difficult to listen to. I usually like audio books but I didn’t feel the narrator matched the story and it was hard to keep interested. I’m sure this narrator would be a great fit for a different storyline.

Though this was not my cup of tea, I’m sure others would like this story. I’m sorry it was a miss for me!

Snow Place Like Home by Lacey Baker initially caught my attention with its beautiful cover and promising synopsis. As a fan of sweet and heartwarming Christmas reads, I was excited to delve into this contemporary novel by a new-to-me author.

However, while the story did have its heartwarming moments and maintained a clean tone throughout, it didn't quite meet my expectations. Although it incorporated many enjoyable elements typically found in a delightful Christmas tale, the slow-paced writing style made it challenging for me to fully immerse myself in the story. Additionally, while I empathized with the characters and their attempts to move past their grief, their portrayal felt somewhat distant and aloof, making it difficult for me to connect with them on a deeper level.

On the positive side, the romance was cute, the setting was charming, and there was a subtle faith element included, which I always appreciate. However, as a whole, the story felt like it lacked something. I found myself waiting for a significant event or development that never seemed to materialize.

In conclusion, Snow Place Like Home is a cute Christmas story, but it's unlikely to be one that I would feel compelled to revisit in the future.

A small town Christmas romance mixed with faith foundation. A truly heartwarming tale of a woman who comes back home for the holiday's after losing her job. This story gives the warmth of family, faith and love. It makes you want to curl up next to the fireplace and drink hot cocoa. Ella is such a beautiful character as is Seth and I loved following their turmoil's and love.

I absolutely adore the feel good nature of Christmas reads, and read one a month to keep that feeling going all year round. The cover was the initial attraction to Snow Place Like Home: it is beautiful. The synopsis sounded good, and I was excited for this holiday read in September.

The story is heartwarming, with many Christian themes, however I didn't feel connected to either the characters or the story. The setting for the story was lovely, and I wasn't put off by the faith themes, there was just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of this novel!

I listened to about an hour of this book. It was slow and sad. I kept waiting for something to happen and there was a lack of explanation for who she is, what she does and where she lives. One Positive; I LOVED the narrators voice. I gave it three stars because it just was not for me.

First I have to start out by saying this is a BEAUTIFUL cover!! This book has many of the fun elements you look for in a Christmas book. I did find the pace a little slower for my liking. But I really did feel the emotions from the characters. They both had some painful pasts. I liked the romance and the time they spent together. Trei Taylor was the narrator of this book and I don't think she did a bad job but I just couldn't get into it in audio. Reading this book was easier for me. That's just my opinion someone else might really like this as an audiobook. This is a cute Christmas story. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a clean and heartwarming book.


Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Thomas Nelson Fiction for allowing me to listen to this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Great book to snuggle up to with a Christmas tree, hot cocoa and nice warm blanket. Really enjoyed this book. Never read this author before but will check out more of this author book. Thank for the audio advance copy of this wonderful. Enjoyed all the characters. Thank you.

All I'm gonna say is I tried. I DNFed at 55%, the audiobook version.

I'll start by saying maybe it was my fault because I didn't know this was going to be a christian romance book, like I know it's Christmas but you can have Christmas without almost every single chapter having to do with the church, in the church or about the church.

I guess it's a cute hallmark vibes romance. My turnoffs where the audiobook narrator was very slow, like to the point I had it at 3 times speed cause at 2 it felt slow.

This is a heartwarming Chritmas tale where we follow Ella Wilson. She returns to her hometown after years of avoidance. Now she must organize the town's tree action along with her first love.

It is a cute second change romance. It is a quick listen that made me smile.

Snow Place Like Home is a very wholesome small town romance with a perfect holiday setting. Ultimately, this isn’t exactly my taste in a romance, but I found the story sweet, uplifting, and the appropriate distraction on a too-hot first day of fall.

First, I would like to thank Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio along with the author Lacey Baker for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for my honest review. This was a story about a second chance romance for two people that have had a difficult time in their past. Their love story was super cute and I loved the setting, a little snowy town at Christmas-time. I normally do not read Christian books, but regardless, I really enjoyed this sweet story. If you like Christian fiction, I highly recommend. (Review also posted on Goodreads)

Looking for a Christmas Hallmark movie in audiobook form? This is your book.. Not plot driven but a story that warms the heart and focuses on the reason for the season through love and acceptance.

DNFing this one at 34%

I had the urge to DNF this one shortly after I began. I stuck with it. Read a third. Went to bed. Woke up- have zero desire to continue. So I am going to DNF.

Why the DNF? Honestly- Ella. I get she is supposed to be a "Scrooge" type character. I assume an epiphany and redemption is coming. But her attitude is unbearable to me. Your mom died when you were a kid. That sucks. You will grieve for the rest of your life. But you had an amazing aunt that raised you- so many people are not that lucky. Grow up and appreciate what you have. Ugh.

More minor, there were also a LOT of unnecessary details, irrelevant to the story. I don't need a description of every item the character wears in the book. (Just an example)

I was hoping for a sweet Christmas story, but 1/3 in, all I have so far is a grieving widower and a bitter female lead.

Such a cute book!!!! I loved the way this author writes. I couldn't put it down. I was so into the characters and the story.

Both MC Ella & Seth are dealing with grief while trying to function in life. Although Ella seemed to deal with it in a different way than Seth. I loved that both MCs were excited to see each other after all those years.

I loved the way these two characters interacted throughout the whole book. The surprises and plot twists really kept me interested in the book.

Great Christmas book to get you into a holiday mood.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio book. The narrator did an amazing job.

It's a cute Christmas romance with diversity representation (Afro-Caribbean) in a way that doesn't feel like you're being hit over the head with it.

Tropes:
* Smalltown
* Second chance

The slow development of the romance felt realistic, as did the concerns keeping the lovers apart. We could see them warming up to each other and getting to know each other better.

The families were cute and the communities were nice, too. I'm a lapsed Catholic, but it almost made me want to rejoin the Church for the community of it! Almost.

I like that we got all the small-town coziness but <spoiler>were still able to see her return to the city, happily, afterwards. Her new love even came with her! Small towns are great, but sometimes cities have more opportunity and it's valid to want to end up there.<spoiler>

Overall a cute, cozy read.

Thanks, NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Thomas Nelson Fiction, for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.