CHRISTMAS IN CHESTNUT RIDGE - Nancy Naigle

SWEET AND WARM - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - When Sheila's best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she decides to spend a couple of weeks in the tight-knit community. While immersing herself in the joy of and camaraderie of the townsfolk, Sheila's world begins to transform, and she finds a surprising sense of belonging. Meanwhile, Tucker, the town's fire captain, is gathering volunteers to help a young family who have just lost their home to a devastating fire weeks before Christmas. Sheila offers her helping hand, and as the town rallies to support the family in their time of need, sparks of love begin to flicker between her and Tucker.

Writing - 4 stars - This story was quick and easy to fall into, and it certainly provided a warm landing. The book was easy to read, and the characters and the holiday spirit pulled me right in. Naigle set the holiday mood, and it lasted throughout.

Characters - 4 stars - Sheila is a strong and capable woman with a professional job and an independent life. She finds herself lonely at times, so it was nice to see her interact with Natalie and the other townsfolk in Chestnut Ridge. She is particularly caring, and I enjoyed seeing her response after the fire with the Jacobs family, although it sometimes seemed a little over-the-top. Tucker is a big, hearty guy, and a center of the community, both professionally and personally. He's caring and, more importantly, he's a leader who knows how to gather people together to get things done.

Title - 3 stars - Pretty self-explanatory. We know just what to expect.

Cover - 4.5 stars - Such a pretty cover, with bright colors and a Christmas-y feel. I love the beautiful setting and the cozy feeling of the front porch rocking chair.

Overall - 4 stars - This book left me with a happy holiday feeling. The characters are definitely loving--almost too good to be true. I've never lived in a small town, but this one seems uniquely special with all of the kindness they offer to both friends and strangers. Naigle built a wonderful world of warmth, with Christmas spirit throughout. I look forward to more from this author.

This was my first book by Nancy Naigle. I absolutely love Christmas books.
I want to find a real Chestnut Ridge. Ugh, I just loved all the wonderful Christmas themed things they did. I loved the town and the people in it. I loved when tragic hit the whole town was there to help. Its the way many towns and people should be. This book has everything!
Hot fire chief has the M/C umm yes! I loved Tucker. Heck, I loved all the characters. I will be looking out for another Chestnut Ridge book!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

When her best friend invites her to spend the Christmas season in Chestnut Ridge Sheila isn’t certain if she will enjoy it as it is very different from the bustle and stress of her current lifestyle. Her arrival also gives her a chance to reconnect with Tucker, whom she met previously, while he helps out a family in need and sees how wonderful the town and the people truly are.

Tucker is always there to help whoever is in need whether it comes to him personally or his career as the fire chief. When a local family’s Christmas is turned upside down, he is the first to step in along with Sheila which not only allows him to help but to find love as well.

Both Sheila and Tucker were focused on their careers to the detriment of their personal lives. Seeing them share all the heartwarming moments will not only have them believing in love but you as well.

Second book in the Chestnut Ridge series and I Loved it even more than the first. Same locale and characters with many additional ones thrown in that expanded and made this beautiful magical storyline even more special. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and the Author, Nancy Naigle for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I really wanted to like this because it sounded like such a cute wholesome Christmas story! And maybe it is for some people, but it just didn't hit that mark for me.
This story sort of lost me when the main character started describing in detail how realty and selling homes works. It was way too much irrelevant information, in my opinion.
After that, I lost interest in picking up this title.

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wish I could give more stars. It definitely deserves more in my opinion. Highly recommend.

What a delightful Christmas story. It starts sad, when a family home burns down just before Christmas. Listening to their thoughts and heartache will rip your heart apart. You hear about fires all the time but to hear about it through their eyes, it's another story. They all survived, even the dog. The small community comes together in time of need.

Definitely a hallmark type story. Hopefully one day it will be. We can always hope.

A Christmas story, i think , everyone should read. Hope you do and love it as much as I did.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

This is a very sweet romance Christmas book! The story follows Sheila who decides to visit and help her best friend in a tree decorating contest. She also meets the local fire chief, Tucker, who she starts to spend time with. Sheila starts to become drawn to the small community and the sense of belonging to Chestnut Ridge. It’s a story of discovery and love.

I loved the a small town aspect of this book. The generosity and kindness that was shown through out the story was so heart warming. But I felt like it was very drawn out in certain parts and it felt so long. I felt like there was a lot of extra people which was a bit overwhelming at points. I would get confused on which POV I was reading as well at certain chapters.

I also felt a bit of confusion because this is actually the second book in a series. So it felt like I was missing things when reading that maybe I would have known had I known and read the first book of the series.

But overall I did like this story and it was very lovely.

If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming holiday romance, Christmas in Chestnut Ridge will hit all the right notes! This cozy story is set in the charming Blue Ridge Mountains, where the close-knit community of Chestnut Ridge makes you feel like you’re home for the holidays. 🤗

The story follows the journey of Kacey, who’s looking for a fresh start when she moves to this picturesque small town. There, she finds not only friendship but the kind of love that seems destined to be, all wrapped up in holiday cheer. With a strong focus on themes like kindness, generosity, and the spirit of Christmas, this book will fill your heart with warmth. ❤️

What I Loved:

The small-town charm is irresistible! You’ll want to pack up and move to Chestnut Ridge by the end of the book. 🌲✨
The community is heartwarming, with neighbors who go above and beyond for each other.
The romance is clean and sweet, perfect for readers who love wholesome love stories. 💕
All the Christmas vibes—twinkling lights, festive events, and that cozy winter wonderland feel!
This was my first Nancy Naigle book, and it won’t be my last. It’s the perfect blend of festive spirit and romance, making it a delightful read for the holiday season. If you’re a fan of sweet, feel-good romances that leave you smiling, you’ll love this one!
Huge thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC!If you’re in the mood for a heartwarming holiday romance, Christmas in Chestnut Ridge will hit all the right notes! This cozy story is set in the charming Blue Ridge Mountains, where the close-knit community of Chestnut Ridge makes you feel like you’re home for the holidays. 🤗

The story follows the journey of Kacey, who’s looking for a fresh start when she moves to this picturesque small town. There, she finds not only friendship but the kind of love that seems destined to be, all wrapped up in holiday cheer. With a strong focus on themes like kindness, generosity, and the spirit of Christmas, this book will fill your heart with warmth. ❤️

What I Loved:

The small-town charm is irresistible! You’ll want to pack up and move to Chestnut Ridge by the end of the book. 🌲✨
The community is heartwarming, with neighbors who go above and beyond for each other.
The romance is clean and sweet, perfect for readers who love wholesome love stories. 💕
All the Christmas vibes—twinkling lights, festive events, and that cozy winter wonderland feel!
This was my first Nancy Naigle book, and it won’t be my last. It’s the perfect blend of festive spirit and romance, making it a delightful read for the holiday season. If you’re a fan of sweet, feel-good romances that leave you smiling, you’ll love this one!
Huge thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle is the perfect way to begin this holiday season. It’s a homey and tender return home to small town life, to celebrating with friends, visiting the tree farm and selecting the perfect tree, sipping hot chocolate, shopping for the perfect gift, and maybe even finding romance in the midst of it all.

Sheila, a realtor, leaves the big city to spend some time with her friend in Chestnut Ridge. She is drawn into the slower pace and simpler life of this community, right down to participating in the highlight of the Christmas season—a Christmas tree decorating contest. The story heats up when she begins to fall for local fire chief, Tucker. And it seems that romantic flames have been kindled for him, too, and now he can’t put out the fire. This is a sweet and simple story that is sure to put the reader in the Christmas spirit.

A small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains is the setting for this heartwarming tale of second chances, discovering new purpose, and experiencing how a community pulls together. Shiela’s realizations about life in a rural area in contrast to city life add complexity to her preconceived notions about her best friend moving away. It’s never easy being the one left behind, but Nancy Naigle’s thoughtful dialogue and Shiela’s analysis of her own selfish feelings, along with being drawn into experiencing how Chestnut Ridge rallies around a needy family, give her a lot to think about. The excitement and busyness of a tree decorating festival and a blossoming friendship with confident but humble Fire Chief Tucker, are the ingredients in this perfect recipe for holiday reading. Mix chasing career goals with life’s puzzle pieces and fold in the Christmas spirit; add a side of hot chocolate and you have the perfect “good-night wink.”

A heartwarming love story and a great addition to the series. It is a charming tale of finding love and belonging during the Christmas season. I loved the sense of community and small town charm, which Sheila embraced.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge is a lovely and touching trip back to the small town during the holiday season with friends, picking out Christmas trees, hot cocoa, buying gifts, a sense of community, and falling in love. Sheila left Richmond to visit her best friend Natalie, whom we met in the first book, for the two weeks leading up to Christmas. Sheila is a big city girl, making lots of money in real estate. But she is quickly pulled into this small community of caring neighbors who work together to help each other. One example is how everyone helped a family get on their feet after their home burns. And the usual holiday activities are going on to bring the community together., like providing food baskets and cookie bakes. The big event occurs in the high school stadium with a Christmas tree decorating contest. Sheila falls into place into the community life, one thing she did not expect. She also did not expect to fall for the local fire chief. Tucker is a great guy, and he sure did not expect to fall for a city gal. This is a sweet Christmas romantic read sure to bring on the smiles.

If Chestnut Ridge was a real place, I would go there in an instant! I loved the adorable Christmas love story, and I especially loved the fictional town. The author described it so well, that I could practically see myself there!

Another winner!

This is the second book in the Chestnut Ridge series, and it, like the first, is a 5-star read for me.

Sheila is a city girl who sees her life being in Richmond, running her real estate company and making occasional visits to her best friend Natalie who recently moved to Chestnut Ridge. When Natalie recruits Sheila to bring her design skills to work in a Christmas fund-raising event, she agrees.

I loved Sheila's story, she was a very identifiable character and a wonderful person. Meeting Tucker, being careful to set expectations with him about where she lived, and he with her, about the dangerous nature of his job as Fire Chief, they just make sense together. They both have big hearts and the reader is brought along on their journey and wonders about the outcome. I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge is a sweet Hallmark-ish book that gave me all the wonderful feel-good holiday vibes. I enjoyed reading every page. The storyline was well-paced and interesting. I loved meeting Sheila and Tucker, and catching up with the townsfolk of Chestnut Ridge (who we met in the previous book, And Then There Was You). Plus, all the lovely holiday traditions were just magical.

I highly recommend this sweet and lovely book that would make a wonderful Hallmark movie.


Many thanks to St. Martin's/Griffin and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

What a sweet holiday romance. Sheila is convinced to help with a community event, and Tucker, the fire captain, is helping gather volunteers to help a family in need. Their paths cross, and the rest is history, or in this case, a sweet holiday romance.

This was a lovely story to get you in the holiday spirit. Tucker and Sheila were a delight. Sheila came to visit her friend and fell in love with the town and the fire captain. I loved how the community rallied around an unfortunate family who had to leave their home due to a fire. Tucker and Sheila begin spending time together and enjoy each other’s company but Sheila is only there for a visit, so will they do the long distance thing.? I would definitely recommend this book to get you in the holiday mood. I was given an arc from Net Galley but this is my honest review

Eh. It was ok. Felt stilted...rushed. There were some big editing issues that I hot stuck on. But it was cute.

I enjoyed this charming, small town holiday romance. This book was a hallmark movie in book form; so there is some cheesiness to it.

I loved the small town feel with the tight knit community and all of the wonderful side characters. The snow covered town in the mountains was a Christmas dream with all of the Christmas activities. I loved the Christmas tree stroll idea.

I enjoyed the romance between the main characters. I liked they were older and didn't have some of the drama that can occur with younger characters.

Overall, this was a really cute holiday romance.

Title:  Christmas in Chestnut Ridge
Author:  Nancy Naigle        
Genre:  Romance       
Rating:  4 out of 5

In the enchanting mountain town of Chestnut Ridge, where tree farms blanket the hillsides and the promise of a white Christmas is ever-present, a heartwarming holiday romance is about to blossom. When Sheila's best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery, all wrapped in the cozy embrace of a tight-knit community. As she immerses herself in the joy of twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and the camaraderie of the townsfolk, Sheila's world begins to transform, and she finds the sense of belonging she never knew she needed.

Meanwhile, Tucker, the town's reliable fire captain, is gathering volunteers to help a family with four young children who have just lost their home to a devastating fire weeks before Christmas. Sheila offers her helping hand, and as the town rallies to support the family in their time of need, sparks of love begin to flicker between her and Tucker.

In this charming town where dreams come true, and Christmas magic is everywhere, come along for a tale of love, community, and the true spirit of the season.

I think this book can be best described as cute and sweet—and very Christmasy. It was exactly what I expected from a Nancy Naigle book, and was a fun binge read. The small town of Chestnut Ridge and its inhabitants are the real stars of the show, and it just seemed too good to be true, but I’m firmly in Sheila’s absolutely-no-small-towns camp.

Nancy Naigle is a bestselling author. Christmas in Chestnut Ridge is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)