I do not particularly enjoy books about time travel, but I do Christmas stories. This one certainly surprised me; it has wonderful characters from each time period who were tangled up in family and was just a really sweet story.
Thank you to Netgalley, Wild Rose Press and Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a good book!! This one had me hooked from page one! I could t put it down. I loved the writing style of this book. I lived the characters and they had great chemistry.

It was a cute christmas read with funny elements and a strong family bonding note. Eli and Cat had an extremely cute chemistry and definitely a sweet future! Eli really is a gem and definitely a fantastic human. It also touched on a beautiful note of how one generation's unwound relations can affect the next generation and so on. I love the ornament time travel concept as well.

Thank you Netgalley for this lovely read!

5* A sweet Christmas time travel story. I didn’t like Cat to start with but as she travelled back I began to warm to her.
It’s a quick festive read where things aren’t always what they seem.

Cat is happily single, much to her meddling mother’s dismay. But as Christmas approaches, her first without her beloved grandmother, Cat stumbles upon something unexpected while sorting through cherished ornaments—she’s transported back in time. Suddenly, she’s face-to-face with a young, spirited version of her grandmother and finds herself drawn to a kind, handsome man named Eli.

Through this heartfelt journey, Cat discovers that even the people you think you know best have their own untold stories, and that love doesn’t have to mean conflict and heartache.

This charming, Christmassy blend of sci-fi and romance was such a joy to read. Cat and Eli were endearing and relatable, and the nostalgic holiday vibes made it even sweeter. A perfect seasonal read for anyone who loves a little magic with their romance!

Thank you, NetGalley and Wild Rose Press, Inc., for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

“A Very Retro Christmas”, by Pamela Spradlin Mahajan, is a cute, sweet story where a pragmatical young woman finds love in a time travel, despite her mother’s efforts for matchmaking.
I liked Cat’s personality and how she dealt with her mother’s meddling, undesirable suitors and life in general.
The love for her grandparents was heartwarming. I liked how the travel shed a new light on events and relationships.
Eli is a great hero, dealing with emotional scars. I liked that there was no drama about his decision and that it even helped the healing. It also shows the depth of his feelings for Cat: “any life with Cat by his side was worthwhile”.
There are some funny moments, for example the scene in the restaurant while sharing the meal.
A quick, enjoyable read.
Goodreads, Amazon - December 5, 2024.

A Very Retro Christmas by Pamela Spradlin Mahajan, if Kat didn’t want to remain single after watching her mom and dad‘s marriage implode in the marriages and seeing the misery of her friends she definitely has no use for true love. When her mom secretly sets her up on a date with an overly eager want to be Suter,she agrees to go because after all that’s the civil thing to do. Especially when he corners her and shows up while her and her mom we’re having dinner. Before the dinner was even over he was naming the children and cat wanted nothing to do with him nor these imaginary kids. It’s Christmas time and cat can’t help but to think of her mama Lana who recently passed away and while putting up some of the Christmas ornaments given to her in her inheritance she finds one that blast her to the past… Literally because the next thing she knows it is 1936. Where she just so happens to run in to future local boy and famous architect Eli Lake, who also has sworn off love.. She’s also in front of the restaurant where her 19-year-old future grandma Lana is working and they make fast friends. When new friend Lana learns cat has no place to stay and has lost her luggage she offers up Eli‘s extra bedroom in the little cottage behind his home and this is how Cat’t finds herself getting to know one of the most captivating men she has ever met. The only problem is he has just been through a humongous heartbreak and oh yeah… She’s also from the future. This was such a great read I loved cats mom I did fine cats reaction to Eli’s mom invert she said about her to be a little offputting because I really like cat in my opinion she should’ve just kept her counsel because she was in a different time and place. I mean I get it she was going off of gossip people do that today and she wasn’t supposed to do anything to change the future at all not that she did I am just saying I still absolutely love this book and found it to be such a great Sonny romance. #NetGalley,#Wild Rose press, #PamelaSpradlinMahajan, #AVeryRetroChristmas,

This was a short, but cute, read. I would be interested to see some of the adventures and travels of others in the family line. In this story, we visit the 1930s, a much simpler time, and see the protagonist's grandmother as a much younger woman...a perspective that helps our protagonist understand and come to grips with some of the more difficult-to-process things that have happened in both her and her mother's lives. It's a sweet glimpse into the past and would be a terrific first installment to a series of time-travel books about the women in this family.