I was very disappointed in The Christmas Cottage. I went in thinking it would be a book about Christmas(which its really not) and about a cottage(which its not). Now lets talk about the actual book. It was crazy boring. The only reason I was able to finish was because I actually liked the narrator. If it wasn't for the narrator, I would not have finished.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

The Christmas Cottage is a story by Davis Bunn. In Miramar Bay the town is trying to dig out and recover from the flooding and mudslides caused by torrential rains. With washed out roads and devastating damage, the townspeople bond together for each other as well as those stranded in town. In the aftermath two former residents return after their lives came crashing down only to be welcomed back to town.

In this story of destruction and redemption some interesting characters are introduced as well as some unusual happenings. In my opinion this was more novella than novel. It is a good story that will please followers of this genre.

Ahh so super cute. I’m still kind of into the spooky Halloween reading but this was a quick and light Christmasy tale that will be sure to get you excited for the holiday season ahead!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Christmas Cottage, the ninth installment in the Miramar Bay series, offers a heartwarming journey back to a cozy coastal town and is an absolute treat for fans of small-town holiday romance. Although I was unaware it was part of a series, I quickly fell in love with Miramar and its charming community. The author’s skill in bringing each character vividly to life made it easy to visualize and connect with them right from the beginning.

The story centers around Olivia and Dylan, two ambitious individuals who left Miramar to chase their dreams, only to find themselves drawn back to their hometown after career setbacks. The timing of their return is striking—they arrive shortly after a devastating storm has hit Miramar. Through this, readers get to witness Dylan and Olivia as they navigate past misunderstandings, rekindle old friendships, and find new purpose in the place they once left behind.

The romance element adds an extra layer of warmth to the story, and while I won’t spoil the twist, it brings a delightful surprise. It’s reminiscent of a classic Christmas Hallmark movie, with heartfelt moments and satisfying resolutions. Everything wraps up beautifully, leaving readers with that cozy, feel-good glow.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Miramar Bay and am eager to explore earlier books in the series. The Christmas Cottage is a quick and uplifting read—perfect for the holiday season.

3.5 Stars: Dillon Farrow left Miramar when he was seventeen. He built up a successful investment business, until a betrayal by a friend brought it all crashing down. His only choice is to move back to Miramar and live in the family cottage while trying to rebuild his life. Olivia Greer, Dillon's high school sweetheart is recovering from a divorce and heads back to Miramar. She hasn't been home since her mother died and the family cottage has sat empty ever since. She plans to move in and figure out what is next in her life. As they are both returning, a winter flood sweeps away all the roads in town, and they are forced to take refuge in the local jail. This reunion brings back sweet memories, and will change lives for more than one person in Miramar.

This was a sweet story set at Christmas. I have only read one other book in this series and enjoyed it. This was fine to read as a standalone, although it is book #9). The mayor of Miramar is an old friend, and the ex-wife of Dillon's best buddy growing up. They all work together to rebuild Miramar, as well as their lives. This is a slow moving story, and besides being set at Christmas, there isn't a lot of festive activities. This is a story of forgiveness, new beginnings, working together, rebuilding, friendship and some romance. I enjoyed this one, but would have liked more Christmas.

The Christmas Cottage by Davis Bunn is not your typical Christmas story. The book is a slow starter, and I was unable to connect with either of the main characters. I liked Elena, the mayor’s precocious ten-year-old daughter who is a math prodigy. While I get that Elena was mature for her age (behavior does not change her physical age), I did not feel that she should be referred to as a woman (several times). There is one line that I felt was unneeded. Dillon gets off his phone after texting with Elena and he says smiling, “I was busy flirting with a ten-year-old.” The romance between Dillon and Bailey, the town’s mayor, is rushed (blink and you will miss it). Dillon and Elena become instant besties (it’s strange). I liked the secondary characters. It was great how the townspeople were working together to make the best of a terrible situation. A lot of time is spent talking about the flooding, the enormous amount of work that needs to be done, the lack of housing, quality of the food, and the FEMA grants. I wanted more Christmas. The ending was unsatisfying. The Christmas Cottage addresses the topics of loss, grief, love, redemption, friendship, second chances, and community spirit. It is a nice story, but it is not of the same caliber as this author’s earlier works.

Olivia Greer arrived in Miramar burdened by a sense of defeat. The life she had built for herself was over and she returned empty-handed to the world she had struggled so hard to leave behind.
Dillon Farrow also returned in defeat. They both find healing as they help Miramar recover from winter storms. Similar to other books in the Miramar series of broken people finding new lives.
A feel good story.

The Christmas Cottage by Davis Bunn is a wonderful Christmas read. Davis Bunn writes novels that get to the heart of a town and people. Miramar is a special town with people who care about others. This novel focuses on the return of Dillion and Oliva during a huge storm.

Dillion couldn’t leave fast enough when he was 17. He had determined that he was going to go and do things that would be so unlike his father and mother. He worked his way through school and discovered that betrayal is real and left him with no choice but to go home.

Olivia left to find her fortune and went south. Her marriage fell apart as her husband lost everything. She was left with nothing and went home thinking to lick her wounds. The only place left to sleep is in the jail.

Dillion and Olivia used to be an item, but now they are wounded and having to start again. Each has some strong skills that they use to help the town. The storm caused huge amounts of damage. Many roads are blocked, houses moved off their foundation, and the cliff walk is gone. There is no electricity and everybody is struggling. Between the mayor and other people, requests to FEMA and, they need major number sense…Dillion.

The town needs to document the damage and show the humanity of the need. This is where Olivia comes in with her ability to take pictures that tug at the heart. Olivia and Dillion end up helping the town when the town needs them. Both left in a hurry and have come back in time.

The novel’s ability to tug at the heart, cheer for the underdog and allow hope to grow is the gift that David Bunn gives again and again to his readers. The Christmas Cottage is a good read.

Well – that was quite an opening chapter, as opening chapters go... The weather set the scene, causing massive traffic delays – but that was nothing compared to what awaited the traveller in Miramar itself. Let alone the consequence of all that on the traveller’s plans...Not only a dramatic opening, but an even more dramatic closing - & we’re still only one chapter into the book!
Later. Okay, so I have mixed feelings overall : we are seeing Miramar through quite a different lens this time, which does maintain interest throughout. But at the same time, the main storyline does not go as expected - & I don’t know that that is convincing. It’s as if the book had two precis, & only one worked. Certainly a very evocative opening...but then a somewhat abrupt ending – I couldn’t believe there wasn’t another page...or two... Also : there seems to be a disconnect between the title, & the book itself – not what one would expect, at all.

The Christmas Cottage is a heartwarming story about starting over, and finding your home.

Despite being about a community facing the devastation of a storm, this was a gentle and uplifting read. The writing style was smooth and engaging, and I found myself absorbed in the story. While relatively low stakes, the story wasn’t overly predictable, which I really liked. There was a strong, friendly and established small town community feel and I look forward to returning to it with other books in the series.

I enjoyed this both as an ebook and audiobook. The narration was soothing, with a gentle pace, and animated characters, which made it both relaxing and easy to follow.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

The Christmas Cottage by Davis Bunn is a story of healing and learning to find faith and purpose in yourself as a person. It’s the story of 2 characters, Dillon and Olivia, once very much in love with each other, who want nothing more than to escape their past of living in Miramar Bay to find success and accomplishment elsewhere. After both fail, one in business, the other in marriage, they each return to Miramar Bay as a last resort only to find the town in a total upheaval. A winter storm has destroyed the town and brought chaos to everyone. As the town tries to rebuild, it brings everyone together and gives new found purpose to the 2 main characters. This story centers around the Christmas holiday and it was an uplifting read to see how a town full of displaced people could come together in a time of hardship and still rejoice the holiday season. I’d like to thank Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to be an early reader. I enjoyed reading this book and I’m giving it a 4 star rating.

Davis Bunn does it again with an uplifting holiday novel that’s sure to become a Christmas tradition. Well written, engaging, and full of lovely holiday touches- don’t miss it!

What a beautiful, heartwarming and very different Christmas story. It will fill you with hope and inspiration as you journey with Olivia and Dillion back to their home town as they begin again and start over. Love this small town of Miramar and all it's charming residents. This is very much a feel good story even though both have suffered loss and now a natural disaster in the form of a flood. Wonderfully written and so entertaining, this book will capture your heart and leave you with all the feels.

A story set near Miramar California where they're trying to recover from a storm that has devastated the area. This story is a very slow moving, sweet story that includes forgiveness, romance, and second chance friendships. The two main characters, Olivia and Dillon, have returned to Miramar for personal reasons. They at one time had a romantic relationship and throughout the story we watch a healing friendship take place.

Thank you to Davis Bunn, Kensington Books, and netgalley for allowing me this arc version in exchange for my review.

The Christmas Cottage is actually about starting over, returning home and making a difference in life. I found this first book that I have read by Davis Bunn to be an interesting one especially the characters. Because while it is the weather that is the backdrop it is still a character driven story.

Also, while it is the Christmas Season this is not your usual Christmas story. That’s okay. This story highlights when it is not all bright and merry so that there is no place to wait out the flooded roads, opening the jail is all you can wish for at that moment. A different take from what the title indicates. This is a surprise story.

I really wish this book had a different name. For me there just weren't enough Christmas elements in it to have Christmas in the title. The story was good. I loved the characters and the growth shown in them from the past, the way they conquered the hardships they were enduring and the way the whole town worked together after a devastating storm. I was intrigued at the thought of living in a jail as the main characters did after the storm destroyed their homes. I absolutely loved the old guy who ran the store and the little girl that was way more mature than her age. To me, this just should not have had Christmas in the title.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for the copy of this e-book. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a beautiful story of hope and coming together in the town of Miramar. The town had been ravaged by storms and mudslides which seemed to bond the community together in their time of grief.

It was also a beautiful tale of Olivia and Dillon, who both had returned to Miramar, lost, conflicted, and trying to find themselves again. Olivia lost her home and had to sleep in a jail cell with some other families because there was no place else to go. She had lost everything before she arrived in Miramar. She had no job and her husband or should I say ex-husband was gone too. I liked that she never lost her strength. She started taking pictures of everyone and was able to captivate the community in their time of grief as she seemed to bring them hope.

I really enjoyed reading the story and imagining Olivia's photographs. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

Miramar Bay is a place for second chances. Two people - Dillon and Olivia - who were sweethearts in their youth have returned to town after both having suffered devastating financial losses. But Miramar Bay is suffering too, from winter floods that have destroyed roads and buildings.

This book is a bit unexpected. The setting is dreary though it does offer flickers of hope in a tough holiday season. The relationship development between the two lead characters is atypical of this type of book.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to lovers of stories about starting over.

Family friendly.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced copy of The Christmas Cottage.

Olivia has had a rough time lately, her husband was cheating on her and left her and then he ended up passing away. She is still reeling from her feelings about him when she has to file bankruptcy and she loses everything. She decides to go back to her hometown but when she arrives she finds it has been devastated by a horrible storm that has caused much damage to her childhood home. Can the town come together to rebuild? Will she find what she is truly looking for?

This book was not it for me, I honestly felt like I started reading a book in the middle and never really got much of a background on anyone. I was not a fan of the writing style and I could not connect with the characters at all.

Can one go home again? Both main characters left Miramar only to return when the town is being destroyed by rain. A charming story of how a town pulls together to recover. Interesting characters, especially the young girl. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.