Christmas at Holiday House by RaeAnne Thayne
christmas at holiday house
official blurb
arc review
This New Year will bring widowed nurse Abigail Powell a fresh start in a different city. Excited about the chance to create an unforgettable Christmas for her young son in picturesque Silver Bells, Colorado, Abby has been hired to take care of her dear friend’s recuperating grandmother. But sprightly senior Winnie insists she doesn’t need looking after. What she does need is help decorating her historic mansion, Holiday House, for a seasonal town fundraiser. Abby warms to the festive task, but she’ll have to contend with her own personal Grinch: Winnie’s prickly grandson, Ethan Lancaster. Ethan Lancaster is good at a lot of things. Relationships surely aren’t one of them. His ex-fiancée convinced Ethan he was incapable of love, and he believes her…up until the moment he impulsively kisses Abby. What is it about this vibrant woman and her sweet son that knocks his world off-kilter? He knows they’re leaving town after Christmas. He just didn’t expect they’d be taking a little of his heart with them. But as he and Abby work together on the magical Holiday House through the record cold weather, visions of a different future dance in his head…one filled with warmth, love and a new beginning for them both.
3 out of 5
🔥 out of 5 steam level
This was my first book by this author. I am all about Hallmark and Christmas and this book delivered with those vibes. Instead of having a dual point of view, I was surprised to find this featured three POVs. The main two POVs you read are between Abigail and Ethan. I liked Ethan overall but found Abigail to be less appealing. There was a specific scene regarding sledding and her fear of heights. Personally, I have a huge fear of heights and don't even like standing on a chair - but am easily able to go sledding. For this reason, that scene felt unrealistic and a tad eye rolly.The third POV was from Ethan's sister, Lucy. I actually found I liked her story the best even though it was featured the least.I liked that the book featured diverse characters, from a latinx family, to a character with down syndrome.Overall this book fell a bit flat for me, but if you're looking for a sweet holiday read with low steam levels then this one's for you!Content warnings: loss of a loved one, violence (very little described on the page)