Lulu did it again. This book was amazing. I read it first but the audiobook just makes it a thousand times better.
The narration just sucks you in the story and you found yourself giggling and blushing.
I love the Burlington siblings' dynamics, how much they care about each other even when they're bantering and annoying the others they still feel like an unity and that they love each other.
With Haven, she was amazing. I love how caring and good she was with everyone in town. As a people pleaser, i related to her struggles of saying no and putting herself first, and I was cheering for her the whole time.
With Alex, I adored him. He was sweet and amazing even when he was a grump.
Overall, this was a wonderful start for the series, and I can't wait to read more about them.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Lulu for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley anf Dreamscape Select | Lulu Moore for the alc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. Whew this far exceeded my expand had me blushing the whole time. Excited to see where the rest of the story takes us. Very steamy very good.

4.5/5☆

4⭐
Genre ~ holiday romance
Series ~ The Valentine Nook Chronicles prequel
Setting ~ England & Colorado
Publication date ~ November 15, 2024
Publisher ~ Dreamscape Select
Est Page Count ~ 220
Audio length ~ 5 hours 39 minutes
Narrators ~ Shane East, C.J. Bloom
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ Grinch/Christmas lover, billionaire, insta~lust, opposites attract, slowburn~ish, fling, some steamage

Alexander & Haven (25)
Alexander is a Lord in England and has headed across the pond with his brothers to Aspen for the holiday season. He's not too thrilled about it since he hates Christmastime and the reason is super sad. But his brother needs him right now, so off they go.

Haven has a sad backstory, too. She's trying to make ends meet in every way possible, from working at a Christmas shop to selling Christmas trees. Will she ever get out of the debt her parents left after their passing?

I love that the town has a gingerbread making contest every year. And oh my heart with the creation Alex made. It was like the most adorablest ever!

This is marketed as a novella, but at 220 pages/over 5 hours it doesn't read like one. I didn't feel like I was gipped. The character development was great, as were all of the characters. The siblings have brilliant brotherly banter as did our FMC and MMC. Overall, delightful, but cliffhangery.

Narration notes:
Both did fine overall, but her male British accent is much better than his female American accent. He made her sound so breathy 🤣

Series notes:
This is a prequel to the series The Valentine Nook Chronicles, which will follow Alex's family and this introduced the whole family. I'm sad I have to wait until September 2025 for Valentine Nook.

This is another great read for the holiday season! It was adorable, cozy, and just the right amount of spice! This is a prequel to Lulu's new series coming next year, and it gave us a tease of all these wonderful new characters!

Alexander's brother gets left at the altar, and him and his brothers decide to leave London and jet off to Aspen to enjoy the snow and the Christmas cheer. He runs into Haven Wilder, who is a lover of all things Christmas. She soon finds out that he is Mr. Grinch himself. Despite that little difference, they end up spending a very hot week together. Alex has duties to return to in London, and he is finding it very difficult to leave.

This book gave me all warm and cozy holiday feels! I loved Alexander's grinchy vibes! It just made him melting for Haven so much better! Haven was a breath of fresh air. She was so sweet, and her love for Christmas shines through! Alex and Haven were amazing! They had incredible chemistry, and the banter had me giggling! Lulu gives us a little taste of each of Alex's siblings that makes you love each of them already. This is an addictive, fast-paced, quick, easy read that will make you fall more in love with Christmas!

AUDIO: LOVED IT! Like I devoured it in one sitting! Narrated by CJ Bloom and Shane East, and they were amazing! They had me smiling and giddy throughout the whole book. I could listen to Shane's voice all day long! And CJ! She is phenomenal always! I was amazed by how good her British male voice was! Perfect pairing for this holiday treat!

Thank you, Lulu, Valentine Pr, Netgalley, and Dreamscape for this ALC!
2 likes

4.5 Stars

Once Upon a Christmas Tree by Lulu Moore follows Lord Alexander as he saves his brother from marrying his cheating fiancée by taking him to Aspen, CO where he meets Haven, who is paying all the bills left by her parents' medical expenses. This is an instalove sort of book so they look at each other and are immediately attracted to one another. They just have to figure how to get together as Haven is still working a million jobs knowing that they will only see each other for the holiday season.

I got to listen to it and I thought this novella was so good!! I found it super entertaining, I couldn't put it down. My favorite part was the relationship with all the brothers which I hope we see more of in the future. My least favorite part was that there is no happily ever after, just a "let's meet in a year" sort of arrangement. I did think that the main characters had a lot of chemistry so I enjoyed that a lot. This is my first Lulu Moore book but it will definitely not be my last as I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook. I highly recommend it to all the romance girlies as it is so much fun.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, and Lulu Moore for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Once I decide I want something very little will stop me"

This is the perfect read if you're looking for a spiced filled Christmas story.

Personally, I felt there was too much spice and not enough relationship building. Haven and Alexander are a classic case of insta-love or maybe insta-lust?

However, I did love that our MMC Alex is British!! I love him and all three of his brothers. The relationship between them is what really pulled me in. They tease each other but obviously care deeply. I feel invested in their stories, so I'd definitely continue the series.

This was the perfect little holiday novella. It was so fast paced and I loved it so much!! I am so thankful for the opportunity to read it early!!

This was a perfectly spicy, holiday rom-com. I adored Alexander and think he is so sweet. Haven is a hard working, small town girl and she immediately finds herself attracted to Alex and I don't blame her one bit! Definitely looking forward to reading more about these characters and Alex's siblings in future novels.

The narrators, Shane East and C.J. Bloom made this audiobook outstanding and they were the icing on top of this gingerbread house of a novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select | Lulu Moore for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE a grumpy x sunshine Christmas romance so having a Christmas-hater Alexander instantly fall for “the mayor of Christmas town” Haven, I was giddy to keep reading!

This book, while a romance for A&H, is more of an introduction to the Burlington’s - Lando, Alex, the twins - Miles and Hendricks, and their sister, Clementine. I wish this book ended in an HEA and/or that the next book was still of A&H, but while I’m bummed it isn’t, I give Lulu credit because now I’m COMMITTED to this series just off the epilogue 😂

🎄Grumpy x Sunshine
🌲Holiday Fun
🎄Opposites Attract
🌲 Vacation Fling for him
💚 Novella - Start of a Character Series

“ I like her love of all things Christmas, because her parents loved it. Her parents died and they loved Christmas, so she loves Christmas. My dad died, and it killed any love I had for Christmas. The irony. I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s why I made her store out of gingerbread. It had been one of those lightbulb moments where you can’t quite pinpoint exactly where it came from.”

I loved the Epilogue being a teaser of the next book! I can’t wait to get more of Lando’s story and who this mysterious actress he’s about the fall for 🤩 LULU, give me these books faster! 🙏🏼 pleaseeeee

Final Rating: 4⭐️, 2.5🌶️ - Read this if you want a cute and spicy Christmas novella, but know it’s not an HEA and this couples full length book isn’t til the second of the series (book one is out September of 2025).

Thank you Lulu Moore, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I was really looking forward to this read during the holiday season and it didn’t disappoint! What a better into to a series then a few British royals heading off to a trip that gets an unexpected turn!

We are introduced to a charming small town where Alexander meets Haven, a hard working small business owner!

This has festive fun, laugh out loud moments, swoon worthy moments, and the spice of course! 🤭

I can’t wait to dive more into this series and what an amazing way to start! The audio was done by @shaneeastreads & @ CJ Bloom! And I enjoyed every second!

Thank you @lulumoorebooks , @netgalley , and @dreamscape_media for this audio in advance!

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: ⅘
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5)

What I'm Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 I’ve finally read a Lulu Moore! I’ve been wanting to for quite some time.
🤩 Did this prequel novella get me interested in this family and their HEAs? Yes, yes it did.
🤩 These scrumptious voices are fabulous!! I need more Shane East in my life & CJ Bloom is always my most favorite!
🤩 Take me to Moonshine!! All the small, mountain town fun!!
🤩 Christmas lover & Christmas hater!!
🤩 Steamy goodness! ❤️‍🔥🥵

What I'm Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I really wanted to try a Lulu Moore, finally. But I was nervous from the start—she introduced the book as HEA to be continued. What?! 😳 Same time next year?! 🫨
💫 The epilogue is a different MMC—a bit confusing in audiobook with the same narrator.
💫 Valentine Nook! Yes, I wanna go!

Once Upon A Christmas Tree is the prequel novella to the new Valentine's Nook series. It was a good start and a great introduction to the Burlington brothers. They are an absolutely swoon worthy bunch, I need to get myself a British aristocratic man. it had all the right Christmas vibes but teasing us perfectly with what's to come in the rest of the series and it's highly promising.

Alexander & Haven have undeniable chemistry, they are absolutely hot together, the tension was palpable and the banter was hilarious. I loved that in the short amount of pages Lulu still let us dive deeper into these characters and see a more vulnerable side of them. See them live through their grief, see Alex start to find the joy of Christmas again.

This was a super fast paced Christmas novella. Perfect if you want a shorter book to make you laugh, swoon, sweat and kick your feet in happiness. The vibes were perfect !

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia & @lulumoore for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to preview this gifted ALC.

If you're looking for a little bit of a Christmas story with a heavy amount of spice, this would be the story for you!

Alexander arranges for his brothers to take their private plane on an emergency getaway to Aspen after his brother catches his fiance sleeping with his best friend the night before the wedding.

The relationship between the brothers was the best part of the story! I wish we had more time to spend with them. From what I gathered from the story they don't get to spend a lot of time together so the trip was a great bonding experience.

Alexander feels he was the cause of their father's death 20 years earlier during the holidays. The guilt has turned him into quite the grinch and he hates everything about the holidays.

Haven's family ran the local Christmas Tree farm and Christmas shop that were left to her after the passing of her parents. She was also left with a mountain of debt and has been working multiple jobs to pay off the debt.

Alenader and Haven connect a little in an emotional way, but mostly in a physical way (3 Open-door scenes). She helps soften him towards Christmas a little.

My frustration is Alexander's family is loaded and he could have easily worked a Christmas miracle and taken care of some of Haven's debt and stress. Instead it was just a promise to see you this time next year. I feel like it was a missed opportunity!

The audio was a dual POV and both narrators did a great job. The male narrator had a British accent which fit with the vibe of the story.

Romance Content: 3 Open-door scenes and explicit language

Perfect fast paced holiday romance! Thank you Netgalley and Lulu Moore for this ALC. Shane East and C.J. Bloom were great. This novella had banter, Christmas vibes, and spice. I cannot wait to read The Valentine Nook Chronicles as they come out. The family had me laughing throughout the whole read. The brothers banter and relationship with each other was great, and the chemistry between Alex and Haven was perfection.

Holiday romance
Billionaire
Grumpy / Sunshine
Instalove
Small town
Spice
British MMC

Okay well I’ll be counting down the days until September when more of this series comes out.

This was a great introduction to the Burlington Family. Lando is running away from his wedding and his brothers Alex, Hendricks and Miles take him to Aspen for the week! This is a prequel book to introduce you to the family and follows Alex and Haven. Haven runs a Christmas tree farm and loves all things Christmas while Alex hates Christmas. The immediate connection and chemistry between these two 😮‍💨 I absolutely loved watching Alex do some of the Christmasy things and find some joy in Christmas because of Haven.

“Like Theo James soaked himself in a vat of honey. Is it possible to be turned on by an accent?” Listen. Shane East and CJ Bloom narrate this one. And if you love listening to a narrator with an accent? Shane East is excellent! And how can you not love CJ Bloom? I got the audio halfway through reading it and had to listen for the accent!

Warning though - this is a HEA to be continued. And I know their story doesn’t continue in the first book of this series but I’m betting on book 2!🤞🏻 Thank you to the author, Valentine PR and Dreamscape for my #gifted copies of this book. All opinions are my own.

Shane East goes with Christmas audiobooks the way peanut butter goes with jelly. Then, add in CJ Bloom’s hilarious narration of Haven, and you have a super funny and extra hot holiday prequel novella with a “happy for now” ending. Haven and Alex were so perfect, and I’m beyond ready to hear how their story progresses. This was my first Lulu Moore book, but I am HOOKED now!

Once Upon a Christmas Tree by Lulu Moore is a delightful little Christmas novella that’s perfect for cozying up with a cup of hot cocoa. It's got all the right troupes for a festive read: a grumpy hero, a sunshine heroine, and a whole lot of holiday cheer.

Haven, our Christmas-obsessed heroine, is a breath of fresh air. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile at her love for all things Christmas. Alex, the grumpy billionaire, who despises Christmas. Their one night stand was steamy and full of chemistry.

The narration by Shane East and C.J. Bloom is fantastic. East’s British accent is spot-on, and both narrators bring the characters to life. I really enjoyed the pairing of these two narrators for this story.

If you're in the mood for a quick, fun, and steamy Christmas read, Once Upon a Christmas Tree is definitely worth checking out.

While it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger per-say, you will need to read the first book in this new series to get more of these two.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an ALC of this audiobook. I voluntarily read it and gave an honest review.

The story is everything I love in a holiday romance! It was an absolute delight that I devoured it in a day! The chemistry between Alex and Haven was electric! The setting of Aspen added a cozy, wintry touch that made me want to curl up with hot cocoa while reading.

Alexander, Lord Burlington, is the ultimate holiday skeptic. His disdain for all things Christmas adds humor to the story, especially when contrasted with Haven Wylder’s enthusiasm. Haven is a ray of sunshine with her warm personality and genuine love for the season. She’s a character that’s easy to love, resilient in the face of hardship yet full of holiday cheer.

The narration of the audiobook was spot on! The narrators, C.J. Bloom and Shane East, brought the story to life and captured the nuances of their personalities. If you’re looking for a holiday romance with charm, humor, and a touch of spice, Once Upon a Christmas Tree is a must read/listen!

I had the pleasure of listening to the Audiobook version of Once Upon A Christmas Tree and oh wow was it amazing! The narrators did a spectacular job of bringing the British mmc and American fmc to life! This book was a chance meeting between two people who lead polar opposite lives on different sides of the world who have both had recent struggles and find their way to each other when Alexander travels to Aspen and meets local girl Haven. Lulu definitely knows how to leave a reader hanging with how this book ended, I need to read the next one in this series immediately.

Book Title: Once Upon A Christmas Tree
Series: A Valentine Nook Chronicles Prequel
Author: Lulu Moore
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Shane East and C.J. Bloom
Publisher: Dreamscape Select
Genre: Christmas Romance
Pub Date: November 15, 2024
Rating: 2 Stars
Pages: 220

Haven Wylder is a very busy lady , She is either working on her ranch or in her Christmas store and taking on every other job she can, She had no time for fun but the one thing she does love are the holidays and the annual gingerbread decorating competition.

Alexander, Lord Burlington, hates the holidays.

Haven has no idea who Alex is but she has a goal to change his mind about Christmas.

Haven wasn’t the only one clueless as I mistakenly thought this was going to be a sweet cozy Christmas story. This author is new to me but after reading reviews from readers who love her it was expected.

It didn’t work for me-
I was immediately disappointed. with the profanity.
Lessons learned -
Don't judge a book by its cute cover and title!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for granted me this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 15, 2024.