While I was eating my coffee and apple cider donut Sunday morning, I finished The Christmas Inn. I did a mix of the ebook and audio - thanks to St Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for access to both copies in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Christmas Inn starts out in NYC, where main character Riley has just been laid off before the holidays. She decides to spend some time at home on Cape Cod, where her mother runs a bed and breakfast. Her mother has a broken leg, so the timing is perfect. The B&B’s location is in Chatham, joining the world that Pamela Kelley started with The Bookshop by the Bay and added to with The Seaside Sisters. You do not need to have read those books, but it is fun to see overlapping characters and locations if you have read them. The plot is realistic, as Riley helps her mom and reconnects with former friends, and I really enjoyed it. The ending felt a little rushed, but I prefer that to it feeling too drawn out! I don’t usually love reading holiday books in September, but this book was terrific! It came out last week, and I recommend both the audio and print/ereader formats. I look forward to reading more from the author.

I have read several books by Pamela M. Kelley and The Christmas Inn was as great as her other books. I have now added several more of her books to my TBR list.
The cover of this book is beautiful. I want to stay at this Inn.
Riley lost her job right before Christmas. Not exactly what she was expecting. When Riley finds out her mother has broken her leg and needs help running the Inn she packs up her car and her and her cat take off to help her mother. Riley was not expecting to see her high school sweetheart at the Inn. Aiden recently lost his wife and he and his son Luke are there. Aiden offers to help with anything needed at the Inn.
Riley is in a relationship but as things progress with Aiden she steps back and looks at her life and where she is now and what she sees in her future.
This book feels like a warm hug and sipping hot chocolate at the same time while reading the book.
Thank you NetGalley, Pamela Kelley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of The Christmas Inn. This is my personal review.

This book was so good that I did not want it to end. I felt like I was with a close circle of friends enjoying a wonderful Christmas at a beautiful inn on Cape Cod, surrounded by family, friends, cheese, and wine. The characters of Riley, Beth, Aiden, and Frannie touched my heart. In such a short time they were close friends.

Riley was Beth's daughter who had lost her job in New York City to AI and she drove to Chatham to help her mom with the Inn because Beth had broken her leg falling off of a ladder. It seemed that everyone's life changed that Christmas at the inn as hopes and dreams suddenly came true. None of them knew how that magic spirit of Christmas, family, and friends would change their lives for the better, I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

The Christmas Inn is a cozy, feel-good, clean, holiday romance told through multiple POVs of women who have been connected through the inn. Set in Cape Cod, during the Christmas season, the Christmas Inn is a place for healing, refuge, found family, and second chances.

The characters were well developed and easy to connect with and the setting was cozy and realistic. The plot was a pretty typical Hallmark movie plot, it was very predictable but I still enjoyed it.

I enjoyed all the references of books, authors, and Christmas movies scattered throughout the book. I also loved that many of the characters loved to read, from the youngest to the oldest, and could feel their excitement on their trips to the local bookstore.

I really appreciated the mental health rep, seasonal depression/grief, showing that the holidays aren’t always the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ for everyone.

There is a lot of heavily descriptive talk about food throughout the book, including all kinds of types of cheese and wine. I get that the story is set at an Inn/B&B at Christmas time, and food tends to play a huge part in the celebrations around the holidays, but I felt like it was a little too much. I didn’t need a full description of the leftovers they were going to heat up and eat for dinner. 🤪 I would have loved more vivid descriptions of the Christmas decor at the inn and around town, particularly more about the Christmas Stroll.

The audiobook was clear, precise and easy to follow. The narrator’s voice was calm and soothing, which helped in setting the overall peaceful and relaxing tone of the story.

Thank you @NetGalley, @stmartinspress, @macmillanaudio and @PamelaMKelley for the gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I see this book already has lots of good, even great, reviews and I'm glad for that. My review won't be quite so positive though.

The book itself is OK, fine, whatever. It's nothing special at all though. I never had trouble putting it down, and really, it felt like I had to slog through it.

While the idea of the Christmas Inn was cute, it wasn't enough to make the book great. Or good even. There was so much repetition that made it boring. It was also too descriptive in parts.

This book just wasn't for me. I wouldn't recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Like the description says, this book is delightful. It really gets you into the Christmas spirit. I liked the family aspect of it, and also like that the romance leaves things to the imagination. I like descriptive romances from time to time, but this one is a good change of pace. It keeps it sweet and PG.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely.

I don’t normally read Christmas books until after Thanksgiving, but when I was offered the chance to read Pamela Kelley’s next Cape Cod book, I jumped at the chance. Riley’s job as a content marketer, and fears of being replaced by AI, hit home for me, because it’s what I do for a living. Watching her jump in to help run the family inn after her mother’s injury, and use her marketing skills to help increase business, was interesting on a personal level. Following her interactions with the guests, including her old high school sweetheart and his son, was the feel-good experience I expect from a Christmas book.

What a sweet and beautiful Christmas story! A wonderful holiday read full of the magic of Christmas, heartwarming moments and wholesome romance. this is a well written story with an entertaining storyline that has some depth. The characters are loveable and easy to relate to. IThe book will definitely capture your heart. It's filled with fun, laughter, found family, second chances and you'll find it hard to put down. Really puts you in the holiday spirit.

Three women at crossroads in their lives are given a second chance.

Riley loves her marketing job in NYC, where she lives with her cat and enjoys time with her handsome workaholic lawyer boyfriend Jack. In the midst of the holiday season, she is stunned to find out that her company is laying off her whole department (they’ve decided to use AI instead of people to get the desired results). The timing turns out to be fortuitous, because later that day she gets an emergency call from her sister Amy back home in Chatham MA. Their divorced mother who runs a bed and breakfast there on the Cape has recently fallen and broken her leg. Amy is doing her best to help, but with two young daughters she has her hands full. Riley is happy to head back to their small town for a little while; she can update her resume there as well as anywhere, and lending a hand at the B&B will take her mind off her troubles. Amongst the current guests are a widower, Riley’s first love ad high school boyfriend Aidan, who is staying there with his young son Luke while repairs are being done on their house, and Franny, a widow in her 70’s who grew up on the Cape but moved away when she married. Her sister Ella had stayed in Chatham, and Franny returned to their hometown to be with Ella in the weeks before she passed away. Ella made Franny promise to stay in town through Christmas, and has left her a quartet of letters hoping to rekindle fond memories of their life together there. Each of the three women will find themselves needing to make a decision about their future, both in regards to where they choose to live and who (if any) to choose for a partner in life. Riley always wanted to leave small time life for the big city, but as she experiences life in Chatham again as an adult will she make the same choice? And is Jack, whose drive to make partner at his law firm means he regularly chooses work over recreation, the type of partner she wants, or is the man she once loved (and whose desire to make a life in their small town fractured their relationship years ago) the person she should be with? Is Beth finally ready to let a man into her life after the heartbreak of divorce years earlier? If so, where in a small town is she to find someone? And for Franny, does she return to the life she created while married to her husband, or will she be tempted to stay in the small seaside town where she was raised? Could there be friendship, or more, waiting for her if she opens her heart and mind to the possibilities?
The Christmas Inn is a cozy romance set in a seaside Cape Cod town that, as many characters mention, looks and feels like something out of a Hallmark movie. As Riley looks to find a new professional direction, she finds that she is questioning other aspects of her life as well. Beth has been absorbed in building her business and of late has also worried that it wasn’t as successful as it had once been (it proves handy to have a marketing whiz for a daughter, though), and hasn’t had the time or maybe the courage to look for someone with whom to spend time, Having to take it a little easy as she recuperates she has time to realize how lonely she has become….but the solution may come right in through the front door. Franny has Ella guiding her via the letters she left behind, and starts to think that spending just a few weeks in Chatham each year may not be enough. If you’re looking for a book full of hot cocoa and tree decorating, good men looking for the right women and a cozy little town with the perfect bookstore, wine and cheese shop and chocolate store rather than broody men looking for a good bodice to rip, then look no further. It’s a quick and frothy read, so get ready to curl up with a cup of cinnamon tea (everyone in the book will) and cheer on the three women as they figure out what it is they want and then work to make it happen. Fans of author Pamela M. Kelley’s previous books will enjoy this outing as well (and may just meet a familiar character or two), as will readers of Susan Mallory, Mary Kay Andrews and Nancy Thayer. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for allowing me early access to a copy of The Christmas Inn.

Title: The Christmas Inn
Author: Pamela M Kelley\
Publishing Co.:
Length: 320 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars
Tropes:
*Small-town
*Second Chance
*Holiday

The Christmas Inn, I have to admit I have a soft spot for a great Christmas story, and Pamela M. Kelley did NOT miss! The Christmas Inn is a small town swoon-worthy second chance, comfy, charming Hallmark's Countdown to Christmasesq book that just gives you all the holiday feels. Riley loses her NYC marketing job just prior to the holidays, which leads her home to tend to her mom, who's injured. The story was cute, fun-loving, and heartwarming, literally had all the characteristics of a sweet-loving family Christmas. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

****review edited on 9/27/2024 - Per Amazon as they would not publish with original wording****

The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelly was another delightful, Christmas story. Riley Sanders loses her job when her company restructures but it turns out to be a good thing for her family. Her mother runs an inn and has just broken her ankle. Her sister asks her to come home and help, which she does. She arrives and loves that she is home and can help her mother, giving her sister a break. What she finds out is that the inn is losing business each year and there are much needed improvements that have been put off. Being a social media expert, she sets up accounts for her mother, and puts some changes in place. With an interesting group of guests, including her high school boyfriend and his 9 YO son, she begins to realize that maybe the big city isn't what she really wants anymore.

As the blurb says, The Christmas Inn is A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night This is definitely a book that needs to be made into a movie. I loved all the characters, even the workaholic boyfriend back in the city. Franny seems to be everyone's favourite. She is a widow who recently lost her sister and is there to remember and relive their youth. Through letters, she visits all their old haunts and I loved seeing her move through her grief. There is romance in this one, not just once, and it is gentle and sweet. The found family aspect that blossoms at the inn, as well as seeing how Rachel and her mom make the guests feel welcome and like family makes me want to visit there. A lovely, uplifting, hope filled Christmas story that I really enjoyed.

Sweet story with likeable characters. The writing brought me right into the story, and I could picture the setting so vividly that I felt I was right there with all the characters.
I enjoyed the subplot of Beth and Sean alongside the main plot.
This is a great cozy read for Christmas!

I already requested the library get this book so that others can enjoy and will be making a staff recommendation!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

I read this as an ARC on NetGalley. I loved this book! When we realize that maybe we were destined to do something other than what we had thought we were meant to do, sometimes it works out for the best. This books was about finding ones passion, family connections and 2nd chances at love. Great read!

I know, I know - Christmas fiction already?! Yup! Starting off the season for me is Pamela Kelley's new novel - The Christmas Inn.
Riley Sanders was stunned when she lost her New York job right before Christmas. But her mom could use her help with her B&B over the holiday, and she's not been home quite a while. Cape Cod is calling to her - it's where she was brought up. And it's where she broke her high school boyfriend's heart. Aidan is still on the Cape...

Kelley does a great job giving many women of all ages a romantic plot line. She also explores friendships and family. I loved the setting and would happily visit the B&B - especially at Christmas. Indeed the characters themselves say it feels like they're in a Christmas movie!

There are bumps on the road to true love, which is expected with this genre. Kelley does a wonderful job of putting all the pieces where they should be. A perfect story to start my seasonal reading.

Definitely recommend for romance readers.

I enjoyed spending Christmas time on Cape Cod (Chatham). The characters are well described and I got involved in their stories. Riley, Beth and Franny had miles to go in their emotional and intellectual journeys to a new beginning that brought each happiness.
This is a lovely holiday story. Content is suitable for most.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to try a new to me author.

This book felt like being in a Hallmark movie! I enjoyed this story and the Cape Cod setting. I liked the Inn and Riley and her mom working together. This a book I enjoyed and felt good when I finished it. Highly recommended for the holiday season!

I absolutely adored this book!! I don't give a lot of 5 star reviews, but this one sure earned it.

I don't believe I have read anything by this author in the past, but I will surely check out future books. This is a heartwarming story reminiscent of a holiday Hallmark movie. The characters feel like good friends, and you can't help but root for them. I have been to Cape Cod in the past, so I loved the mentions of the area, as it made it easy for me to envision things as they unfolded. Some parts may have been a bit predictable, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment. This is a charming story--a must-read for readers looking to get a dose of the holiday spirit.

This is a Hallmark movie in book form. Beautiful setting of Cape Cod at Christmas. Snow on the ground. Riley is hoping for a promotion at work but what happened instead was she was fired from her job and at Christmas. She's not sure what to do. She then learns that her mother has fallen and has a broken leg. So she packs her bags and heads home to help her mother run the Christmas Inn. The Inn has had a rough patch and marketing is Riley's speciality so she goes to work and makes some small changes that helps the Inn become more profitable. Oh and did I forget to mention that Riley has a boyfriend in the city and she thought she might be getting engaged? Now for the Hallmark part. At home her old boyfriend still lives there with his son. Does she still have feelings for him? Does he for her? We also meet some interesting people that come and stay at the Inn including Franny. Franny's sister has recently passed away and left her some letters with instructions of things for her to do. I think there might be a mystery there. Go spend a snowy Christmas in Cape Cod at the Christmas Inn.

The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley is another great holiday book. The idyllic, small Christmas town, a lost love, a close and wonderful family, everything about this book is an irresistible escape filled with joy, nostalgia, and the promise of new beginnings.

This is a sweet holiday story about family, relationships, and discovering what really matters in life. The characters are well developed and you will find yourself enjoying getting to know them better as you delve further into the story. Having visited Chatham at the Cape in the past, I know how delightful the town is and the lovely sense of community it offers. Luke just absolutely stole my heart! He was such a sweet and cute boy and I loved how his father was committed to teaching him proper manners in a positive way. While I’m not a big romance genre fan, this one was very entertaining and would be the perfect read for a cool winter night during the Christmas season. I know it had me wishing for a flake or two of snow and the time to spend with family and friends around a roaring fire with the Christmas tree lights flickering in the window.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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