This was a little out of my comfort zone but I enjoyed it. The story follows Brant and Holland. It is a wonderful story of a rich man falling in love with an ordinary woman. A great Christmas story. Excited to see others in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Hudson Holiday House for the Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a historical romance for everyone. It is a wholesome book with confusion of identity and rebuilding that trust and love.
It is written beautifully and is such a great story.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of A Christmas Dream by Shanna Hatfield

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This was a wonderful Christmas book. I enjoyed it from the very first page!

A Christmas Dream by Shanna Hatfield introduces the Hudson House series with Brant Hudson’s story. Brant, a wealthy man building a dream home in Silver Bluff, Oregon, pretends to be a worker on the house to connect with Holland Drake, a local woman he falls for. While his deception creates tension, Brant’s genuine care for others and his desire to create a welcoming home make him a likable character. Holland, who dreams of working at Hudson House, finds her life changing in unexpected ways.

The story balances humor, romance, and relatable struggles, including class differences and acceptance. Although Brant’s brief dishonesty is frustrating, it’s resolved quickly and humorously. The diverse cast is memorable, and side character relationships add depth. This wholesome, heartwarming tale explores timeless challenges while delivering a satisfying love story.

A Christmas Dream is such a sweet, delightful romance full of love and caring people. I loved that Alex/Brandt Hudson fell for Holland Drake the moment he saw her. He is very possibly every single woman’s dream husband. He is kind, thoughtful, reflective and being wealthy does not hurt. He is somewhat unsure of how Holland sees him, but he did not want to take any chances; so, he did not let her know right away that he was the owner of the house being built. I loved that he, also, sought out her brother to apologize to him for needing him to not share with her that he was the wealthy Mr. Hudson.

Holland is just adorable and described as lovely in heart, spirit, personality and looks. Her own insecurity plays a part in their relationship. And, she does not let him forget that he did trick/confuse her when they first met. There are several laugh out loud moments as Alex and Holland get to know each other.

The secondary characters play a special and important part in this romance, especially Remington, Alex’s friend and butler. You will fall in love with him and his very practical way of seeing and doing what is needed.

If you just need a light-hearted, loveable romance for an evening beside the fireplace any Christmas, this is the book for you!

Clean, Oregon historical...

Set just before the turn of the century, Brant Hudson is three years in to building his dream manor. Think Pittock Mansion set closer to Pendleton in the Gorge. Its a love letter to a mansion that he's building and Brant is super interested when Holland Drake brings lunch for her brother, Denver. He hides that he's the owner and pretends he's just Alex, working on the manor.

I really liked that this was set in Oregon and it captures that timeframe. Holland is pretty and looking for work as a housemaid. Brant knew he was building his dream house, but now that includes Holland Drake.
Recommend.

I was drawn to this book because of the picture of the Pittock Mansion on the front cover. I’ve toured this mansion in Oregon and wondered if was a historical fiction based on a true story of its original owners. It is not that, but I still enjoyed the clean, heartwarming, simple tale of the attraction and romance of two people from very different backgrounds and social classes, but who were both kind, thoughtful people (my idea of swoony, much more than looks or money). Thanks to NetGalley, I received a complimentary ARC copy with no obligation to post a positive review.

If you are looking for a cozy historical romance, this is for you. I thought this book was very well written. Not much happens, it is just a love story of two people finding each other.

Spice rating: 0/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Wholesome Hearts Publishing, and Shanna Hatfield for this opportunity to read and review this ARC!

*Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy reading this ARC!

What a delightful story about two people who compliment each other so well! I loved getting to know Brant and Holland, and follow along on their journey of love. Holland came from a delightful, hard working family that truly loves each other in such an affectionate way, that it's totally understandable how Brant was so drawn to her and the Drake family as a whole. Denver, Savannah, and Eloise were quite amusing as well, wanting the best for their siblings. Family values, generosity, and faith are also key themes here.

I think this is the perfect holiday read... one that isn't a cringy Hallmark Christmas romance. With this being the first of Shanna Hatfield's books that I have had the pleasure of reading, I look forward to reading more and would recommend this book to anyone.

A Christmas Dream looks to be the first in the Hudson House series by Shanna Hatfield. This is Brant Hudson’s story, who is also the builder of the house in the Silver Bluff, Oregon area. The building of the house as well as his relationship with Holland Drake, who grew up the area, has some bumps in the road. He falls for Holland but pretends to be a worker on the house with he has started helping with because of the time frame it has taken to get build. I like both of these characters, somewhat understanding Brant’s reasoning. However, he knew it was wrong, then it is a question of rather his wealthy family with accept her a farm girl. A lovely wholesome story with genuine problems that still exist today.

Taking place in the 1890’s this is a wonderful start to the series. Recommend to all historical romance fans who love a great story with amazing characters.

I’ll be honest with you, I don’t normally reach for novels set in the Victorian era because my blood boils reading about the gender ideology of the time. I can’t tell you why I reached for this one; I’ve never read anything by this author and am interested more in the subgenres of romance fiction. Perhaps it was the beautiful cover! However, this novel was FANTASTIC!

Why I like it:
✔️PNW setting
✔️Christmastime
✔️Spunky female
✔️He falls first
✔️Progressive, forward-thinking characters
✔️Sweet, clean romance
✔️read about the hiring of staff (more connected to them/invested from the beginning)
✔️Focus on building dreams

This is a great chance to start a new series. Don’t miss it! Holland Drake and Brant Hudson will pull on your heartstrings and you’ll be hoping they’ll burst free from societal constraints.

I can’t wait to see what the new year holds for those at Hudson House!

I was gifted this copy by Wholesome Hearts Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.