Anita Hughes used to be a favorite author of mine, but I haven't loved her stories quite as much recently. This one had so much promise, but it fell flat for me, unfortunately.

Christmas in Aspen is a heartwarming holiday read, perfect for curling up with during the Christmas to New Year's period. Anita Hughes captures the festive magic of Aspen beautifully, making me feel as though I was strolling through its snowy streets, sipping hot cocoa, and enjoying its many winter activities. The setting was so enchanting that it almost became a character in itself.

While the story had its moments, I found it unnecessarily long and repetitive at times. Some sections felt like they could have been trimmed without losing any of the charm or plot progression. Daphne came across as quite immature, making it difficult to fully connect with her journey. Similarly, Caroline’s character was frustrating, often taking one step forward only to take three steps back.
Nina’s letters were a unique element, but they felt overly long and disrupted the flow of the narrative for me. On the other hand, Max and Lilly were delightful and brought a refreshing dynamic to the story. They added much-needed warmth and balance to the cast of characters.
Despite my frustrations with certain aspects, the book kept me intrigued enough to finish it. While Christmas in Aspen isn’t my favorite novel by Anita Hughes, it still offered a cozy escape into a winter wonderland, and for that, I’m glad I gave it a read.

If you’re looking for a festive story to get lost in during the holiday season and love immersive settings, this one might just be worth your time.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC of Christmas in Aspen! All opinions in this review are my own.

I didn't love this one as much as I loved A Magical New York Christmas by the same author, but it was a sweet Christmas story dealing with grief and finding love.

This is the second Anita Hughes Nobel I Read. I had Read Christmas at the Lake and I feel like the author used exact same formula, and it almost flet like I was reading the same story.

I thought the story developing into the letters was completely ridiculous. The two sisters were characters hard to enjoy. I also had a hard time believing in the sub-story with Nick, the young author.

I won’t be reading any other books from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to reading a cozy Christmas romance set in a ski town, but this one was just slow and not for me. Didn't get into the characters at all. DNF for me, I'm sorry for that.

Let’s talk dnf’s.
I always feel bad to dnf a book. But I won’t finish a book I can’t get into or that I’m not enjoying.
Do I love this author? Yes.
Do I especially love this author’s Christmas books? Yes.
Do I really, really, hate to dnf a book that I have an arc of? Absolutely!
But I have spent three days reading this book and here’s why I’m stopping:
There are so many storylines and so many characters. Too many. There’s three, atleast three, maybe four? Separate stories going on here.

Caroline finds a letter written to her mother by a mysterious man before her death asking her to meet on NYE at a particular spot in Aspen.

So Caroline goes to Aspen intending to meet him herself and tell him about her mom passing.
Before she leaves she also grabs a stack of letters written to her mother decades earlier by a famous author (her mom was also a book editor).
The author is telling Caroline’s mom about her writing career and her relationship with a man named Teddy.

Then we get to Aspen where Caroline meets a man who has written a book and tells the story of his relationship with the woman who inspired it.

We also have Caroline’s story about meeting Max when she gets to Aspen and Caroline’s sister’s story about her sudden engagement and upcoming elopement.

At 36% in it’s already Christmas and the rest of the book takes place after Christmas.

I was very excited about this book and am especially disappointed it didn’t work out for me. Please consider me for upcoming books from this author, I think and hope this is a one off for me.

2.5 out of 5. I really wanted to love this one, but i just fell in a tepid like on this one. The Great thing that is has going for it is the setting. Like most Anita Hughes books the setting is amazing, and Aspen lends itself to great descriptions, activities and you really want to go there. What I wasn't that into where the characters and the premise. The premise is absurd for this day and age of cellphones. Absolutely absurd. You mean to tell me that a love interest would jsut wait six months to re-meet in Aspen and never text in between (given that they had communicated before via text) and not know their lover is dead. Not logical. I love an illogical cute plot as much as the next person but this was too much. As for the characters both could have used a good dose of therapy, there were issues a plenty. I came for the setting but was not loving the rest.

Christmas in Aspen, by Anita Hughes, tells the story of sisters Caroline and Daphne Holt as they share their first Christmas since their mother’s passing. Caroline doesn’t do relationships and has strict 30 day rules for herself. On the other hand, her younger sister Daphne has just announced her engagement and imminent marriage to restauranteur Luke Harper who she has known only a short time.

When Caroline discovers a special red envelope postmarked from Aspen, where her mother had attended a literary conference in the summer before her cancer returned rapidly robbing Anna of her life, she feels compelled to follow the request for a special New Year’s Day meeting by the red mailbox where the letter was posted. Whoever her mother had met at the conference was unaware of Anna’s death and Caroline didn’t want to leave him standing. Luke, her sister’s newly introduced fiancé, with Daphne for Christmas, Caroline quickly makes her reservations and heads for Colorado only to soon be followed by Daphne and Luke.

On Caroline’s first night at her Aspen hotel she makes the acquaintance of rye whiskey distiller Max Carpenter. Although she appreciates both his appearance and personality, she plays it cool but does take the information when he invites her to a Christmas open house at his mother’s home in the historic part of town feeling she won’t attend. But after Daphne’s arrival, she changes her mind.

In fact, as Caroline awaits the New Year’s meeting, she spends quite a bit of time with Max without following her usual modus operandi. Whatever does that mean?

This is an interesting and heartfelt tale examining how grief and life experiences effect people and how each person, even those closely related, react differently. With well drawn characters, a winter wonderland setting, and a very surprising climax, this is a lovely holiday story with some well placed messages. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Anita Hughes has crafted a beautiful story with not one Christmas love story but several! This story covers the complexities of family, of career vs relationships and most importantly, how important it can be to follow hour heart. Beautiful book! Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

Book editor Caroline Holt is feeling burnt out and a little bit down. It's her first holiday without her mother. And she's lost the drive for the job that she loved. With the holidays approaching, she heads to her late mother's cabin hoping for some quiet time and something that just might recharge her missing spark.

At the cabin, Caroline finds a letter addressed to her mother from a man declaring his love for her mother. The return address is Santa's Little Red Mailbox in Aspen. He says he'll be waiting for her mother at the Mailbox on New Year's Eve.

Feeling a bit of excitement for the first time in a long time, Caroline decides to head to Aspen to meet her mother's mystery man. While there she meets another man in town, one who she is continually running into. Perhaps this trip is just what she needed to recenter herself.

Unlike most of the reviews I've seen, I liked the change of pace this "non Christmas" Christmas story provided. It was still filled with plenty of holiday spirit, I can only read so many sickly sweet Hallmark type romances before I need something with a bit more substance. Being a bit burnt out myself, I could identify with some of what Caroline was experiencing. The idea of heading to Aspen provided that first step in her efforts to reclaim the parts of herself she felt she had lost. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I like to see a character grow and conquer their fears, even in a holiday story.

If you’re looking for a holiday romance to cozy up with this season, Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes delivers all the festive vibes you could want. Think Hallmark Christmas movie meets a heartfelt exploration of family, love, and second chances.

The story follows Caroline Holt, a burnt-out book editor grieving the recent loss of her mother. Instead of her planned trip to London, she retreats to her mom’s cabin in upstate New York, hoping for some peace. But when Caroline stumbles upon a mysterious love letter addressed to her mother from someone in Aspen, curiosity takes hold. She finds herself flying to the snowy town to uncover the truth about her mom’s secret admirer. What she doesn’t expect is to meet Max, a charming local who’s not only trying to build a zero-waste rye whiskey distillery but also reigniting Caroline’s belief in love.

Aspen is beautifully described, practically leaping off the page as a Christmas wonderland filled with festive decorations, snow, and holiday cheer. It’s the perfect backdrop for the story’s romance and mystery, making you want to pack your bags and head there yourself. Caroline is a relatable protagonist, navigating grief and burnout with a sense of vulnerability that feels authentic. While her hesitancy about love could have been explored a bit more deeply, it’s easy to root for her as she begins to open her heart again.

Max is a classic Hallmark-style love interest, but with refreshing touches that set him apart—his passion for sustainability and his close bond with his family add depth to his character. The romance is sweet and clean, perfect for readers who enjoy wholesome love stories.

The story is also enriched by several engaging subplots, including Caroline’s sister Daphne planning an elopement, a missing feminist author from the 1970s resurfacing through letters, and Caroline’s professional struggles as she tries to save her job by helping an indie author get published. While there aren’t shocking twists, the steady unfolding of these threads keeps the story compelling.

Overall, Christmas in Aspen is a charming, heartwarming read that balances romance, family drama, and a touch of mystery. It’s perfect for readers who want more depth than your typical holiday rom-com but still crave that festive magic.

I didn’t connect at all with the writing or story here. Some reasons:

-Characters felt childish, not realistic
-Awkward dialogue
-Too many coincidences (How many cancellations does a fully-booked, fancy hotel get in one weekend? The answer: Exactly enough, at exactly the right time.)

DNF

*I received an eARC from the publisher, provided via NetGalley.*

This was another cute holiday read, with most of the story set in the time between Christmas and New Year. Overall, this was a good story, but the characters weren't my favorite and I was hoping for more of that cozy Christmas feeling. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for this honest opinion.

Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes was a book I was all in on and it held my attention from start to finish. I loved the relationship of the sisters and how they looked out for each other, even when they weren't sure that what the other was doing was the best idea. And I loved the setting of the story, as I've always wanted to visit Aspen in the winter and Anita Hughes cemented that wishlist locale for me. The story was a bit of a mystery too and it was such a sweet one, this Christmas story hit all the feels and was the perfect read to get me further into the holiday spirit.

This is a sweet holiday read that focuses on family as well as taking chances on love.

I loved the atmospheric setting- the author did a great job with all the descriptions. And I loved the addition of the letters from Nina and that additional storyline- I seemed to fly through those sections.

The character development could’ve been better and I do wish this one had dual POVs here that could’ve led to a bit more on the romance plot. And I felt it did have a lot of different storylines and some filler that wasn’t all needed.

It was a good story and I was satisfied with the ending, but also wasn’t your typical Hallmark-cheesy/cozy holiday read like I was thinking it would be going into it, so just depends what you are in the mood for.

"A heartwarming story of holiday magic and love scaling new heights."
Christmas in Aspen is a sweet holiday romance read. The author wrote this well and all of the characters in it were good. I liked the setting of the book. This was one I enjoyed reading and would recommend to any reader who reads romance. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this holiday read in exchange of my honest review of Christmas in Aspen by Anita Hughes.

What a charming Christmas romance! It was like reading a Hallmark movie. I found myself getting lost in the story especially while reading the letters from Nina. I loved the characters! I was happy when Caroline finally opened her heart to love and that Claudia wanted to write a book about the letters. It was a great book to snuggle up on the couch with!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This one was a hit and a miss for me. I didn’t connect well with any of the characters and actually disliked most of them. The book was very unrealistic- from Daphne marrying someone she just met to Caroline falling for someone super quick. I also felt like Max was pushy towards Caroline- almost pressuring her to spend the night with him. It didn’t feel like “love”. The only aspect of this book I enjoyed were the letters.

Anita Hughes is a gem of an author. I adore each location that she writes about, as I feel truly submersed in the environment.

This book had a little bit of everything: romance, family struggles, and self discovery. I loved how Caroline and her sister redefined their relationship, and worked through their differences with such grace. A winter romance added the right amount of happiness.

Truly a delightful read.

A Christmas story about family and having the courage to love. Caroline and Daphne are mourning the loss of their mother and trying to figure out Christmas with just the two of them. When Daphne surprises Caroline with a fiancé Caroline feels alone and protective. Mail for her mother sends Caroline to Aspen for the holidays and Daphne and Luke follow. In this winter wonderland the sisters try to figure out their futures. Will Caroline take a chance and open her heart to love?