Evergreen Christmas

by Janet Dailey

Tucked away in the Appalachians is Noel, North Carolina, known as “America’s Christmas Tree Capital.” In Evergreen Christmas, Jordyn moves to Noel looking for a home in a small town with big community feels. She spent most of her life bouncing from one home to another in foster care—no real home, no love, and certainly no Christmas trees. Jordyn establishes herself as a winning barrel racer and earns enough to buy a small house with acreage. Her goal is to breed horses and teach barrel racing.

A group of four women, known affectionately in the community as “The Nanas” immediately take her under their collective wing to help her get established and fit in. They also encourage her and mentor her with the goal of defeating her neighbor Nate in Noel’s annual Christmas Competition. He has won the Christmas Crown nine years in a row, but the Nanas think Jordyn could change that by entering “Fabio Fraser,” a fir tree on her property in the contest. There are actually 12 Christmas themed contests involved in winning the crown.

Nate is a handsome tree farmer who sells Christmas trees and has a gift and decorations shop on his property with his brother Tucker, a bull rider. Together they are raising Nate’s daughter Roxie. She is an adorable, polite, and kind six year old. Her mother died in childbirth and Nate has made himself “unavailable” to local women to protect his own heart and Roxie’s.

The story is a delightful adventure through many of the Christmas contests. Jordyn and little Roxie develop a friendship. Jordyn and Nate struggle with their attraction for each other, both wanting to do what is best for Roxie. The Nanas are in charge of the Christmas Competition which they champion to encourage town spirit. Except for one family who only appears in a few of the contests, all of the characters are people you would want to know making this a fun, clean Christmas romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Romance

Notes: #1 in the Frosted Firs Ranch series. Evergreen Christmas gives a hint at the end of the book that the next book in the series will probably feature Nate’s charming, handsome brother, Tucker.

Publication: September 24, 2024—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

She smiled full blast, her worries melting away like a mini marshmallow tossed into a blazing bonfire.

Life can be scary and painful—but the unexpected gifts it gives us along the way, especially when we’re not looking for them, make it all worth it in the end.

“The Nanas care about people. They help them when they’re in need, look for ways to make other people’s lives better. They fuss over you, bring welcome baskets if you’re new to town and”—she winked—“knit wool caps for your head so your ears don’t get cold.”

Jordyn buys sight unseen a home for herself and her horse, she's a former barrel racer, now retired. She has a beautiful white horse, and she just wants Noel to be the first place she can relax and call home. Growing up going through the system she has never had that.
I loved the Nana's four women, the grandma type who run the Noel Christmas festival and contest every year. They swoop in and give her loving advice on how to win as the same person has won many years in a row.
Nate is a widower of six years and still desperately grieving his wife's death. His six-year-old daughter is smart as a whip and precocious.
The Nana's are trying to matchmake between Jordyn and Nate but he's not ready to move on. There was an insta attraction between our two main characters, but I thought Nate was too slow and stubborn to move on. The book would have been enriched so much more if our MC'S had had a sweet Christmas romance right from the start. I liked a lot about the book, the descriptions of decorations, the relationship Jordyn has with Roxie, Nate's daughter, she's so sweet and kind to her, the small-town vibes, the Christmas contest. There were also some things I wasn't crazy about, I didn't particularly like Jordyn, she was too sugar sweet and didn't seem to have a backbone and the book despite being in full gear with so much going on with the Christmas contests It dragged for me a good bit and I had trouble keeping my attention on it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Noel North Carolina takes Christmas seriously. The four Noel Nanas are the elderly busybodies who organized the Christmas competitions that culminate with the Christmas tree contest. When newcomer Jordyn Banks is corralled into joining the contest to wrestle the Christmas crown away from the Nine time winning sexy neighbor, the friendly enemies can't resist each other. The main characters are interesting and the kid is cute but the old ladies will steal your heart. This sweet single Dad, love-at-first-sight romance will delight Holiday romance lovers. I can't wait to read the next book in this new series.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Jordyn and Nate. Jordyn has moved to Nate’s hometown. Jordyn is going to set up a barrel racing at her new ranch. Nate runs a Christmas tree farm with his brother and daughter. He is widower. There is an instant attraction. They each have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

A heartwarming and festive novel that captures the spirit of the holiday season. I loved the charming town of Noel, and its inhabitants. The characters are well developed and relatable, each bringing their own unique charm to the story. I loved Nate’s devotion to his daughter.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Noel North Carolina, a quaint Christmas town that reminds me of a Hallmark movie!! Jordyn Banks who was in foster care her whole childhood and then becomes a barrel racer has finally found a home. She arrives in Noel just in time to participate in the Christmas contest. The 4 Nana’s (We should all be so lucky to have them in our lives!) take her under their wings and the handsome widowed neighbor Nate and his adorable daughter Roxie will all have a special place in your heart by the time you finish reading the book! This was such a feel good Christmas story and I can’t wait for the next one!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for the pleasure of ready this story in exchange for an honest review!

Evergreen Christmas by Janet Dailey has set the stage for an excellent holiday series.

Will Jordyn and Nate be more than just competitors for the Christmas competition?
The Christmas Competition has twelve events that end near Christmas Eve so that the Christmas tree that wins the competition can be displayed for the whole town to celebrate and marvel over. Will Nate, Roxie, and Tucker Reed's tree win for the tenth year in a row, or will newcomer Jordyn Banks beat him? Only time will tell on that front.

Jordyn Banks
Jordyn Banks bought Chestnut Ridge while finishing her last circuit in the Rodeo before semi-retiring to set down some roots somewhere. She arrives in Noel, North Carolina, on Black Friday and falls in love with the town. As time passes, Jordyn falls in love with the town and their competitive spirit for the competition. I love Jordyn and how she pushes Nate's buttons in a good way that draws out his competitive spirit and maybe a little spirit he hasn't had for the season since before his wife died. Jordyn is awesome.

Nate and Roxanna Reed
Nate Reed has been raising his daughter Roxanna (Roxie) with the help of his baby brother Tucker for the past six years since his wife passed away. He thinks winning the yearly competition will help his daughter feel closer to her mom. Nate doesn't realize that he's been hogging the glory by being the winner for too long. Not only that, but he hasn't been living either. Roxanna is just the cutest little six-year-old who knows who her mom is and is ready for her dad to do more in his life than just how he has been living. These two are the cutest little family pairing ever, and I love how Roxie unintentionally gravitates to Jordyn for help with things like a daughter would with a mother.

The Romance and Family
The romance between Nate and Jordyn was more of an instant connection that Nate denied. Jordyn respected his wishes, especially during the competition, but she couldn't help how her feelings for him kept growing. Nate's own feelings for Jordyn kept increasing as well. These two are so cute together, and how they helped each other during the competition events was cute. Nate, Roxie, and Jordyn as a family unit are adorable since they began feeling like a family at the first event, even if they were still denying it.

Five Stars
My rating for Evergreen Christmas by Janet Dailey is five stars. Evergreen Christmas by Janet Dailey is the first book I've read by Ms. Dailey, and I loved her writing style and how jumping between being with Jordyn and Nate happened seamlessly so that it didn't make me go, "Wait, what is going on?". I can't wait to see what happens next!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Evergreen Christmas by Janet Dailey.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

This was a unique Christmas read. I adored the relatable characters and the sense of community throughout the book. I love a small town, Christmas romance. This book was full of holiday magic!

If you're looking for a unique holiday romance then I definitely recommend this book.

Evergreen Christmas (Frosted Firs Ranch Book #1) by Janet Dailey
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Genre: Romance
Published: September 24, 2024

Evergreen Christmas is the first book in the new Frosted Firs Ranch series by Janet Dailey and it was so much fun!

This book is on the top of my Christmas books this year! The story is magical and filled with wonderful characters! I loved reading this book! I loved the small town and their Christmas competition!

I will be gifting this to all my bookish friends because it is a must read!!! What a great way to bring in the holiday season! Evergreen Christmas feels like it could be the next big Hallmark Christmas movie!!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5⭐️ I loved the Christmas games that the whole town participated in and the close knit family feel to the whole book. The Nanas were great and added a little something extra. Most of the characters were likeable and I can't wait to read the other books in the series! This book will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit!
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS is still another book released under the name of Janet Dailey whose family is now authoring stories using some of the manuscripts left after her passing. It has been several years now, and many books are popping up. If I look at the list of reviews I’ve penned Janet Dailey appears quite a few times.
Historically her works framed small town life and characters that keep the home fires burning. There is a lot of love that comes through in practically everything she has written and published while alive. And now it seems as if that tradition just may be carrying on.
EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS is unapologetically romantic. No subterfuge, just straight up matchmaking at it’s best. Of course that is carefully disguised. It is a story framing the holiday season. Rich with lovely characters.
Nate and Tucker Reed along with Nate’s young daughter Roxie run a farm with a gift and Christmas tree shop. Jordyn just purchased the farm next door. The town of Noel has welcomed Jordyn and four townswomen better known as the Nanas have made it their business to see to it that Jordyn falls in love with their small town. But we’re smarter than that, aren’t we. We can see through their plans that they have an interest in the lives of Nate and Roxie. The town has seen how absorbed Nate is in his grief over losing this incredibly young wife. His reluctance to move on is on everyone’s mind.
Small towns are notorious for gossip, and so Nate has unwittingly fed a great deal of gossip by turning away from any possibility of a relationship. His life is full. He is dedicated to his daughter. It is intrinsically important for him to avoid any risks that might hurt either one of them. So he takes the uncomplicated way out.
But in EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS the author treats us to a wonderful tale that includes love, family, traditions, friendship, humor, and dreams. All thing considered EVERGREEN CHRISTMAS just may be one of the best.

Love feel good Christmas stories, and Evergreen Christmas is no exception. a charming great start for a new series I hope to continue to read. The witty banter amongst characters and the quirks of town residents is great.

the town of Noel sounds like a place I would enjoy.
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and easy to read. The Noel Nanas are a trip!
Great book to get you in the mood for Christmas and in the Christmas spirit.
Thanks to the author and Net Galley for the advanced copy

Noel, North Carolina is known for their exquisite Christmas competitions. Newcomer Jordyn Banks decides to take on the resident Christmas tree decorating champ/next door neighbor, Nate Reed, who is also a single dad to his daughter Roxie.
Jordyn is ready to put roots down and finds an adorable place with land for sale for breeding horses. She doesn’t have any family other than her horse, Star. All of the Noel Nanas welcome her with open arms as she starts to navigate life in this community.
Nate lost his wife whenever Roxie was born & has devoted himself to their ever thriving Frosted Firs Ranch. Roxie is quickly enamored with Jordyn & Nate realizes all too soon that he is falling in love with her. He can’t help but wonder if he’s truly finished grieving his wife’s passing & is ready to open his & Roxie’s hearts to someone new.
All of the characters are lovable, especially Jordyn, whose personality truly leaps off the pages & blossoms as the book goes on. The Noel Nanas are unmatched. Nate is the ultimate single dad, has everything going for him, protector, provider, etc. This is truly a feel good Christmas novel that will leave you wanting to jump into the pages & go to Noel, North Carolina yourself.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for a copy of this book. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Evergreen Christmas, by Janet Dailey, follows the story on twenty-something Jordyn Banks as she and her barrel racing quarter horse Star arrive in Noel, NC, to move into the only home she’d ever known at Chestnut Ridge. When Jordyn first arrives in Noel she encounters the Noel’s Nanas, a group of four senior ladies that watch over the town and its residents.

Jordyn came up through the foster system and, while some of the families she spent time with were fine, she never felt as though she was “home.” When she aged out of the system, Jordyn joined the rodeo circuit as a barrel racer and has finally saved the money to establish roots. Upon learning Jordyn’s story, the Nanas take her under their wing. The first thing they do is convince Jordyn to enter Noel’s Christmas Competition to best Nate Reed and his family’s Frost Firs Ranch this year as they have taken the crown the past nine years. When Jordyn meets the broody widower, his adorable daughter Roxie, and his former bull riding brother Tucker, she begins to crave the competition but she just might crave the cozy family more.

This is a lovely holiday story set in a perfect mountain community that makes the reader want to call home. The characters are well described making each one special. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

This is a beautiful book and it is so amazing, the story is so lovely and very enjoyable to read. i loved everything about this book and i would recommend to anyone who loves reading to give this book a go. it is a lovely book and i will read other books from this author.

This book was good. The idea of a Christmas romance isn't new, but I think the way it was told was perfect. Jordyn moves to the town of Noel, North Carolina, after a career as a barrel racer in the rodeo.

I think the characters of Nate and Jordyn are good, Nate especially, as the widowed father who is afraid to put his heart of the line, for fear of introducing a new woman into his daughters life, and then it not working out. And Nate's daughter Roxie, who never knew what it was like to have a mother (Her mother, Macy, died after giving birth to Roxie...). Jordyn's character, as the orphaned girl, who bounced from foster home to foster, and never knowing either of her parents, or what having a stable home was like until moving to Noel.

Of course, Jordyn and Nate wind up together at the end of the book. But it's the perfect holiday romance.

Jordyn Banks is a horse breeder who has recently moved to Noel, North Carolina. She decides she wants to win the Christmas Crown by entering this year’s many holiday competitions. But the reigning champs are her handsome single neighbor, Nate, and his charming daughter, Roxie.

As the competitions heat up, Nate needs to decide if he is ready to fall in love again. If his brother and the local Nanas have anything to say about it, his story will end up tied up with a bow.

Why Kirsten loves it
Can I move to Noel? All the hilarious Christmas competitions made me wish I really could move to this charming small town. This sweet romance only had a kiss or two, but featured the sweetest family I’ve read in years. That Roxie is a treasure!

A sweet second chance romance. Both Nate and Jordyn are starting over in their own way. He still hasn’t been able to move on from his wife, who he tragically lost during childbirth. Jordyn is finally planting roots. As a foster child, she never really had a home.

The Nanna’s bring some funny moment, but also cause some problems, even though they mean well. During the Christmas competition, Nate and Jordyn get to know each other and she lets the fact that she wants to be with him known, he pushes her away. Roxie, Nate’s daughter grows attached to Jordyn immediately and that scares him even more.

The interactions they have, as well as the conversations, make the speed of their relationship seem believable. My heart broke for them because I understood where they each were coming from. Just when he realizes his true feelings for Jordyn, she decides that she would rather stay friends than lose him forever. His grand gesture to prove his feelings was perfect.

I really enjoyed this book and hope to see a book for Nate’s brother in the future. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

I think it is wonderful that Janet Dailey had notes left behind allowing her legacy to continue for more generations. I enjoyed this holiday romance and the town of Noel. The Noel Nanas were fantastic. Nate is the attractive widowed dad with an adorable little girl to tempt Jordyn into putting down rots. Highly recommend this one to get into the Christmas spirit.

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