Christmas In Cranberry Harbor

by Candace Hammond

Genres: Christmas

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Spencer Keasey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word “nostalgic” has a bad rap these days. I’m not sure when, what decade, that changed. For some reason people focus on the “can’t let go of the past” connotation, when in reality, for me, it’s about embracing and honoring the past. Of course ‘past’ can mean everything from yesterday to childhood, but no matter, when I get nostalgic it’s because I love my history, my story and I want to remember it.

I was too caught up in myself last December when Candice Hammond’s book, “Christmas in Cranberry Harbor” hit the shelves so I missed reading it at what might be considered a more appropriate time of the year. But honestly, for over 20 years I’ve ignored Christmas. Outside of pretending for my husband, going to Mass, putting up a fake tree so that we can hang his mother’s cross-stitch ornaments, I’ve let Christmas go. I’d like to blame the divorce thing in middle school, the obligation to schedule time without upsetting one family over the other. But in reality, besides being a slave to work and feeling like the holidays could be a prime shopping time (it never is), it’s because I’ve not been with my family during Christmas time in over a decade.

My hometown of Lititz, PA, is the most incredible Lifetime movie Christmas town, and that’s all I could think about when I dove into Candy’s (we’re friends so I get to call her that) book. I got so caught up, I felt like I was a part of the swirl of snow blanketing this charming Cape Cod town. Of course I live on the Cape, so there was that connection, but at one point I started getting teary (several points really) as the main character, who also had chosen not to go home for Christmas for the past few years, comes back home to experience all of the holiday spirit that I once knew as a child.

There is so much good stuff in the book in terms of it’s plot, the topical issues the Cape is dealing with right now, scary and sad issues, the love story tucked in here (love meaning many things), but what I want to say is simply this: hope and friendship and tradition and joy and spirit are things that make a town and make a family, whether given or chosen.

It’s the middle of June, and I am now so filled with nostalgia, not for the things I’ve lost, like the decades without Christmas spirit, but for the things that once were heartwarming. And most importantly, for the things that I can still have. I can choose to have all those things the characters in the book have myself next holiday season. I’m going to start by stringing popcorn and cranberries for the tree and go from there.

Give yourself a little Christmas in July this year and read this charming book.

[Dcw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small-town cozy romance, not really a mystery. Lizzie finally makes it back to her family on Cape Cod after many years of missing the family holiday festivities. She takes a break from her Boston newspaper job with every intention of returning there and maintaining the workload with diminishing employees. While home, she encounters her ex-fiance who left her and the island after abruptly breaking their engagement and departing for California. Jack and Lizzie are drawn into the family and island festivities with maybe a bit too much of the holiday prepping, eating and nonalcoholic drinking. It sort of gets a little drawn out there. Jack is seeking forgiveness but Lizzie isn’t buying it and plans to return to her Boston job. Jack has returned with revitalization plans in mind and is very energetically trying to gain support and backers. Lizzie, somehow, didn’t see the handwriting on the wall and seemed surprised when she was let go of her Boston job and that newspaper closed. I wish she’d have been a little stronger, making that decision on her own instead of having it made for her. However, she rallies and jumps on saving her dad and friend’s local running of the newspaper with lots of creative ideas. She said she hadn’t known conditions were that dire but not sure how she could have missed even a few signs. So the community sees the benefit of “change” and rallies to move forward to repopulate Cape with people, businesses and ideas. Oh, and yeah, Jack and Lizzie finally take time to listen to each other and grow.

[Nichole Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take me to Cranberry Harbor!!!!

This is a lovely, sweet story set in Cape Cod at Christmas and it will give you all the warm fuzzies your body can handle. It's a decently typical love story but don't let that stop you from diving in as it is dee-lightful.

Lizzie is headstrong in her career as a journalist in Boston and is dead set on NEVER moving home to the Cape - so much so that she has steered clear of holidays with her family the last few years. But, this year she is to go home for TWO weeks - yikes! Fast forward to rekindling friendships from long ago and running into her ex-fiance. Lots of holiday cheer, warm fuzzies, miscommunications, small town traditions, misunderstandings, reflection, and big decisions are what you will find in the story. There's even a hashtag #bringbacksimple which I fully intend to utilize in my own life.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christmas in Cranberry Harbor by Candace Hammond leaves me feeling a lot of things. My perspective is that of someone living in "Cranberry Harbor." I so wanted to love this book, but being seventy years old, I was raised in a different time and while far from conservative, I found this book to be preachy with less storyline content and more radical, I want to say, New Age ideas because woke may be too strong a word to use. I felt no connection to any of the characters, maybe a little for the protagonist, but no one else. The young people in this town seem to have little respect or gratitude towards the over 65 age group and while many of the issues discussed are important in the real "Cranberry Harbor," having the solutions constantly bombarding the reader made me want to DNF the book. The only thing I really liked about this book was the wreath making. It was not a warm, fuzzy Christmas read. I think it should have been a YA book. It was a little romance and a lot of science and weak characters.

[Janae O'Shields]

I received a complimentary copy of Christmas in Cranberry Harbor through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program; my review is voluntary.

This story is what it claims to be: cozy. It’s cute, sweet, and exactly what you’d expect from the cover. The story progresses in precisely the formula of a small-town holiday romcom. As one character says, “I think schmaltz is kind of baked into the moment.”

Where I found the story lacking was in conflict. The conflicts present were few and were very clearly going to resolve in one way from the beginning, and I felt this removed any stakes or intrigue. I found it difficult to read because I didn’t feel invested with no stakes. Maybe that’s part of the coziness, having nothing to worry about resolving. If in fact that was the author’s intent, then job well done. If you want a low-stress holiday fluff piece, then this book may be exactly the ticket.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute Christmas book! I really enjoyed getting to know Lizzie and Jack and the background on their story. I was so pulled into the story and was rooting for them. The town itself, Cranberry Habor, is a main character in the book with beautiful descriptions of the town residents and their Christmas activities. I want to spend my next Christmas vacation there! Living back in my small hometown again as an adult allows me to relate to Lizzie and the draw of community and family. People not from our local area are called ‘come from aways’, similar to the ‘washashore’ in the book. Overall, I enjoyed it thoroughly and highly recommend.

[Sarah Massouh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a lighthearted book about good people enjoying life’s blessings, this is the perfect choice, especially during the holiday season when you want to avoid extra stress. As a Cape Codder, I find that many of the issues addressed in this story resonate deeply with my own experiences. It’s an enjoyable read that brings a smile while touching on the challenges facing my community. I often find myself missing our local paper and wishing the Cranberry Harbor Gazette were real. This book beautifully captures the essence of what my town could be, and I truly love that about it.

[Chris O'neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great novel and even though it appears to be a romance it really covers a lot of important issues facing communities on Cape Cod. The author is a true gem and is able to describe the great points and the challenges of this very special “spit of land”. Looking forward to the 2nd in the series.

[Laurel McGinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

"a cozy novel" this is NOT!
I could not even get into any of the characters or the storyline, as every other paragraph was about climate change, affordable housing, social justice, the environment, clean wastewater, plastic-free, reusable resources, and health food.... not my idea of a Christmas Romance!

[Cynthia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It kept me awake many nights because I could not put it down. Not the usual type of book I read but well worth the diversion from the usual.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although I was expecting it to be cheesy, I couldn't handle the awkward writing style.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m giving this a 5 star review because my copy was signed by the author and I read it while celebrating Christmas on cape cod ☺️

[Judy]

I didn’t even make it 10 pages because I hated the writing style so much.

[Amy CK Sweeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didactic. And main character laments a huge mistake she made in the ending of a relationship then does the exact thing again! Read like characters were 14 not 32. The descriptions of the Christmas festivities and of the Cape were what saved the book.