Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles

Short, light, and sweet! Let go from her prestigious and all-consuming (if unexciting) job, Bella finds herself back in her hometown with her parents, her life at a crossroads. These circumstances throw her in the path of Dean, her brother's high school best friend, who has become a surrogate son to her parents after both of their kids left the nest.

Bella's always been aware of Dean, but also very aware that he never seemed to see her as more than a gawky, tease-able kid. She's determined to guard her heart while she figures out her next moves, but Dean has other ideas.

Pick this up for a delightfully fluffy, low-angst, feel-good read with lots of charm and holiday spirit!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Wild Rose Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a Christmas cookies series. It is a novella. Very short about 80 pages. Bella is an attorney and gets let go and ends up at home. She has held a grudge for many years against Dean (her brother's best friend). This is a 2nd chance and find yourself in a quick way. The cookie sounds fantastic but the book was just ok to me. 3 stars

Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles is an easy read that will fill your heart with so much love for family, friends, the one you thought got away! Once I started reading this book, I was so connected to everyone in the story.
Bella had a fabulous job at a law firm in Manhattan but was fired when cutbacks were made. She went back home to help her parents in a gift shop they own in the small town they live in.
Bella was surprised to see Dean so much a part of her parents’ lives. They considered him like a son. But Bella sees him different he was a huge part of her life when she was younger but one mistake, he made changed that for her.
After finding out the gift shop was in trouble Bella knew she had to help them figure out a way to keep the shop open.
Read this beautiful easy read story to find out what happens to Bella, the gift shop and how Dean helps her.
Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles is part of the Christmas Cookies Series. It is a series of book by various authors.
Thank you NetGalley, Maria Imbalzano and The Wild Rose Press, Inc for this book. This is my personal review.

Loved reading this book and new author for me. If you enjoy Christmas romance. I highly recommend this author and book.

Bella returns home to find her parents' business in trouble but can she forgive Dean for breaking her heart all those years ago? Humiliated and in desperate need of time to think, Bella Simonetti comes home a few weeks before Christmas. She can't find the words to tell her folks she got fired from the law firm in Manhattan. Coming home feels strange but gets downright uncomfortable when she bumps into her brother's best friend and her high school crush, Dean. Her parents worship Dean and his insight. All Bella can think about is how he broke her heart and spirit with cruel teasing and a last-minute cancelation of a prom date. She can't forgive him for what he did to her and won't believe he's changed. Using her expertise in law, taxes, and marketing, she develops a business plan for her parents' shop. Will they agree to all the changes is another matter? Working closely with Dean brings back the love she used to feel for him. Can they heal the hurt and move forward together as a couple or will she break his heart before he can do it to her once again?

Red Velvet Crinkles is a heartwarming enemies-to-lovers holiday romance I devoured in one sitting. Maria Imbalzano takes a few tropes, whips them until they're frothy, and then adds sugar to make the ending on Christmas sweet. The plot moves at a great pace with a close-knit cast of characters. I loved the small town, Bella's parents, and so much more. We get both Bella's and Dean's POV which filled a lot of holes in the story. Dean teased her in high school to keep his distance. His feelings scared him back then and now he has to make amends. There are some meaningful messages in this story, even though it's short. Sometimes what you've been looking for is right in front of you. The romance was so good and honestly written. I enjoyed the push and pull between Bella and her parents. The dialogue is humorous at times with plenty of snark. Red Velvet Crinkles is a delightful holiday romance and one I highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars

Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles is such a sweet holiday romance. I loved both the story and the characters! I’d highly recommend this book for the holidays!

I really loved this story.

I really enjoyed reading this story, and I could truly relate to Bella in so many different ways. When she was talking about/ facing off about how she knew what she was doing but no one wanted to listen to her/ believe her I was right there for that. It hit home for me so hard. I enjoyed the almost second chance like romance and felt the story was really well done and not rushed at all.

a cute story for Bella and Dean once you get to forgiveness. A holiday short to read with a cup of hot chocolate.

Our Review: Author Maria Imbalzano continually treats her many fans to another of her sweet, contemporary romances. This one features Bella and Dean, two people who knew each other as teenagers and now are thrown together when they attempt to help her parents reinvent their gift shop into a cookie haven. In more ways than one, Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles is a story of starting over, putting the past in its proper spot: the past in order to forge a future filled with love and promise and hope.
Based on a scale of 1-5, Red Velvet Crinkles and Christmas Sprinkles earns a 6.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

An easy book to read and most enjoyable. I liked the title as it had special significance to the story. There were problems for the family but it was good to see them solved. A nice book to read and enjoy.

Competitive, work-obsessed Bella Simonetti has just been fired from her high-paying job at a Manhattan law firm. At an all-time low, she returns home and helps her parents at their small-town gift shop, but the business is failing and may not make it past the Christmas holidays.

Successful landscape architect Dean Jackson is like a son to Bella's parents. But he's a persistent annoyance to her—he seems to have forgotten his unforgivable blunder thirteen years earlier.

When Bella transforms her parents' gift shop into a cookie cottage, Dean's generosity and magnetic smile are hard to resist, and those feelings of unrequited adolescent love come rushing back. But can Bella let go of the past and accept Dean for the man he is today?

This was such a cute and festive story. It was short and super sweet. As soon I started reading, I was invested in the characters and the outcome. Lovely holiday read.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet, short read. Loved the book and will definitely be recommending.
Thank you Maria Imbalzano, Wild Rose Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.