The Christmas Cottage and Ever After by Samantha Chase

I ended up DNFing this book about halfway through The Christmas Cottage. Ava is the most immature heroine I’ve read in a long time. She came off as shallow and selfish. I also wish the author had been more creative with word choice. How many times is everyone going to gently kiss? This just wasn't for me, and that's ok! I can see some readers loving it, especially if they enjoyed the Hallmark movie (although they are quite different from one another).

THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE/EVER AFTER are two contemporary novels that have the Christmas Cottage at its core. The stories flowed from one to the other which was an interesting concept and kept my interest from the first page to the last.


Chase's THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE had Ava being a bridezilla right before her wedding when her and her fiancé, Mason, didn't seem to connect on any level and were poles apart in what they wanted in a marriage. She was driving her best friend and maid of honor, Lacey, crazy with her attitude and her demands especially as it related to the Christmas Cottage that would be where the honeymoon night takes place. Unexpectedly Mason's best man bails and Ava's brother, Ean, whom Lacey has had a crush on for years and hasn't seen in twelve years is asked to step in. That's when the fur flies and things heat up especially when their paths unexpectedly cross. As they are thrown together over and over and reconnect as adults and not kids things get interesting and it was fun to see them get to know each other and get closer. There was a lot of playfulness in the book as well as aggravation, anger, tears, announcements, romance and love. There is an unexpected twist at the end that gave nice closure and the epilogue tied it up nicely.

EVER AFTER picks up where the first book leaves off but this time it is much more Ava's story. She of course is still fixated on the Christmas Cottage and thinks she needs the magic of the place in order to find her happily ever after. Brian, the ex-best man, expresses his feelings to Ava and she doesn't seem to know what to do about it since he and her ex are best friends. It was fun to watch how much he understood her even better than she knew herself at times and definitely better than Mason ever did. She and Brian had nice chemistry and it was interesting to see them get to know each other and the sparks fly. I liked that Lacey, Ean and their families were woven into this story as well. There were some twists and turns to their relationship but once again the epilogue tied up the loose ends and gave closure.

Chase is an author whose books I enjoy. I have previously read the first five books in the MONTGOMERY BROTHERS SERIES and look forward to the next book, I'LL BE THERE. I've also enjoyed the first book in the SHAUGHNESSY BROTHERS SERIES. I look forward to reading more of her books.

Fantastic! A great read with lots of fast paced action. Lots of great characters. Laugh and enjoy!

This was a set of two stories, each following a friend in regards to the legend of the Christmas Cottage.
Both stories were a reissue by the author, put together just in time for Christmas. Both stories were cute and had had the same holiday magic that has me watching the Hallmark Channel each December. The were quick reads and a delight. I recommend to anyone that likes this genre.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

2 short christmas stories in one book means 2 HEA and feel goods all through both stories

This book features two short stories that take place in The Christmas Cottage, which legend says will guarantee a happily ever after. Both stories are light and entertaining.

In the first one, I felt that main character Lacey, had an unreasonable best friend. The demands on Lacey regarding the Christmas Cottage were pretty unrealistic, but Lacey did her best to fulfill her friend's wishes. As she works with the best man to make the wedding couple happy, she finds her own romance.

The 2nd story, featuring Ava and Brian, is a touching second chance at love romance. I enjoyed watching them find one another again.

These two enchanting stories have been re-released to please readers who enjoy Christmas and Happy Ever After romances.
The first story, The Christmas Cottage, focuses on interior designer Lacey and software businessman Ean. Lacey’s best friend, Ava, who is Ean’s sister, is so stressed over her upcoming Christmas wedding in Raleigh that she has turned into a bridezilla of the highest magnitude. She does pause in her havoc to occasionally apologize for her atrocious behavior, and since they grew up together, Lacey loves Ava enough to forgive her. The deep cause of her terrible conduct is not the wedding itself, but the fact that she and her fiancé, Mason, are not in agreement on almost anything. Is it the wedding or is the cause deeper?
Ean lives in Boston and seldom comes home to Raleigh, but he’s starting to feel burned out with his business and sneaks home before Thanksgiving to try to unwind. He goes to the family’s mountain cottage to hide out for a while, away from work and family stress. Unknown to Ean, Lacey is at the cottage trying to decorate it to Ava’s strict guidelines for their wedding night. Ava believes there are magical properties associated with the cabin that will ensure her marriage to Mason is loving and successful. There is a bit of mystery about why Mason “fired” his original best man, Brian, and asked Ean to step in.
The main themes of the story revolve around communication, beliefs and compromise. The question for Ava and Mason becomes how many compromises they can make without communicating their real desires without their relationship flying apart. The question for Lacey and Ean is centered on communicating what each wants for their own futures before they can even consider a future together.
The ending is delightfully satisfying with at least one HEA and a Christmas to remember. I really enjoyed this story very much and am pleased it is being re-released for those romance readers who may have missed it the first time around.
The second story, Ever After, continues where The Christmas Cottage left off. This is Ava and Brian’s story about a second chance at love. We get to revisit Lacey and Ean, who have some good news for the families, and find out why Mason and Brian had a falling-out previously. Ever After contains a wrap-up of the two stories and grants everyone who spends a night in the Christmas Cottage their happy ever after, magic or not.