Christmas at Hilltop Inn

by Pat Nichols

Five months after Hilltop Inn’s grand opening, Erica Nelson finds herself spending Sundays on the golf course with Brad Barkley. When Brad offers her his late wife’s golf clubs, Erica hesitates, worried they might be painful reminders of his loss. But she accepts, and as their friendship deepens into romance, an unexpected tragedy casts a shadow over their future.

Amanda Smith is at her wit's end when a surprising turn of events pushes her into a new relationship with their chef Millie. As if that wasn't enough, Millie sees her new title of chief information officer as a green light to continue her amateur sleuthing at Hilltop. Will her relentless pursuit create chaos, or might it just uncover something vital?

Wendy embraces her new life as Chris Armstrong’s wife and baby Ryan’s mother while still managing her duties as Awesam’s chief financial officer. But when Kayla's concerns about their mother's health surfaced, the half-sisters are drawn closer together in unexpected ways.

Genres: Fiction

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2024

About the author

Welcome to my author page. I'm delighted you stopped by.
Pat Nichols is an award-winning author who is proving it’s never too late to follow your dreams. Having retired from a corporate career, she draws on her experiences working with women from all walks of life to write emotion-filled, faith-driven contemporary women’s fiction. Book one in her new multiple-book series, Blizzard at Blue Ridge Inn, introduces three women who meet for the first time at a historic inn where secrets unravel, destinies collide, and nothing is as it seems. Pat and her high-school sweetheart husband of fifty-plus years live in the Atlanta area. They have two children and four grandchildren. One precious granddaughter lives with the angels. Pat enjoys riding in her hubby’s corvette, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. Her favorite indulgence? Dark chocolate.

I'd love to give you a free copy of my award-winning short story. Simply come on over to www.patnicholsauthor.blog and sign up for my newsletter. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Reviews

[Lia Lorimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the Hilltop Inn gaining popularity, the Awesam team can begin to focus more on their personal lives. Their touchy, inquisitive and irritatingly conceited chef, Millie, is determined to become a voting member of the board, however, and, by becoming a temporary house guest, in addition to her uncanny instincts about people, this ambition, though unwelcome to the owners, appears inevitable.
This book, the fourth in the Blue Ridge series, focuses primarily, but not exclusively, on Erica as she navigates her roles as mom to Abby and friend to Brad, as well as the diplomatic CEO and massage therapist of the Inn.
Ms Nichols is the first author I have encountered who appears to use her titles as the climax of her books, with the reader kept in suspense regarding the occasion. This almost fades into insignificance though, as events in the rest of the book continue to twist and turn the plot, introducing new friends (and possible enemies!), and unexpected surprises, and shocks into the lives of the main characters.
This is my honest opinion of a review copy received from the author.

[Deena · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always fun to catch up with the characters in this series. They have formed a tight family bond but aren’t afraid to be themselves and say what they think - just like real families.

Erica’s new relationship has her questioning what’s ahead for her and then has to re-evaluate everything. Wendy is enjoying life with a new baby, Amanda has to take stock of her life, and Millie is more assertive but is as prickly as ever.

All of these ladies demonstrate how to navigate life’s ups and downs. They are “real” people with the same discussions and disagreements as normal folks. Pat Nichols has a way of developing her characters so that you want to know more about them and each book in the series shows how the characters have changed and grown.

There are twists and turns, some romance and some drama, but never a dull moment. These books always deliver a good read and prepare you for the next one.

I always enjoy receiving an advance copy from the author because I know it’s going to be a fun read. However, my opinions and comments are strictly my own.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat Nichols has once again kept me up too late because I simply did not want to stop reading. I fell in love with the principal characters back in book one and they now feel like old friends. It is also good to see some of those who were in the background step up to fill more significant roles in the story.

Now that Hilltop Inn is a successful bed and breakfast, the ladies who own it stay busy with operating the inn and with their individual personal lives. As a reader, we learn the value of not jumping to conclusions before we know the details and of the importance of forgiveness.

The author does a beautiful job of bringing her characters to life. Even if you have not read the earlier books in this series, you will have enough background to feel up to date when reading Christmas at Hilltop Inn.

I quickly accepted the opportunity to read an early copy of this delightful book and am happy to say that I loved it as much as I have all of her previous books. No promise of a positive review was requested or made and any opinion given here is strictly my own.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These women never fail to amaze me. We would all be so lucky to have friends like these ladies. Strangers becoming family. Of course, things can’t always go smoothly – whose life does? There always has to be that little twist or two – just to keep things interesting. You know who really keeps Erica, Amanda, and Wendy on their toes – Millie. What a great addition she has been. She seriously cracks me up at times. I never want these books to end and am already looking forward to the next one. I received an ARC of this book, but my opinion is my own.

[Sophie Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 of the Blue Ridge Series brings more drama to the Awesam ladies as their new B&B takes off. In this installment, a new romance is threatened, a potential marriage is derailed and Millie becomes increasingly annoying LOL. I'd love to see more of her backstory and explanation of why she is so pushy, haha.
There is a lot happening in this story you don't want to miss, and I look forward to the next story as well as more subplots at the inn.

p.s. When is Gunter Benson going to get his comeuppance? I'm looking forward to that most of all! :-)

[Jill K Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten to know the relatable characters or maybe it’s because of the fast-paced plot, but this is my favorite of the series. Erica does some serious soul-searching, her daughter Abby plays a pivotal role in the story, and Millie is more crotchety than usual. Amanda and Wendy have lesser parts in this Christmas-themed book, which works well. I love how the nefarious Gunter continues to antagonize the friends and that a new villain has emerged. The author never disappoints.

[Sue Librandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series from the beginning. It is good to see how the girls are doing. I am also ecstatic that there will be 3 more books next year. I think my favorite is Millie, the chef. She is a hoot!

[Kathy Dryden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprises still to come

Book four continues the "Awesam" ladies saga...a fire, an auto accident, a new baby, a wedding, and a suspicious worker at the Inn. This has truly been a page turner.

[Beth Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was full of faith, love, optimistic hope, and happiness. This was such a moving story with HEA's sprinkled in.