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Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe #5
Winter Falls
Holly Raymond’s new role as Manager of Evergreen Lake's Chamber of Commerce is a dream come true, but it comes with a challenge: winning over Amos Winter, the town’s rugged, grumpy, but eligible bachelor. Holly spent summers in Evergreen Lake with her grandmother, and was left Granny’s house, filled with cherished memories. Though she bonded with Amos’s much younger sister, he still sees Holly as the troublesome teen she once was.
A blizzard hits, leaving Holly and festival goers stranded at Amos's farm. The historical farmhouse lacks holiday cheer and is far from festive, but Holly sees its potential and encourages Amos to unearth long-forgotten decorations. Snowed in together, Amos’s gruff exterior gives way to a warmth that melts Holly’s heart. For Amos, seeing Holly as the passionate, caring woman she’s become ignites a spark he can’t deny.
As the storm rages around the farmhouse filled with strangers, firelight and a shared newfound Christmas cheer begins to crumble the walls between them. Holly and Amos are drawn together in ways they never anticipated, discovering the true magic of Christmas—and a love they never saw coming.
#agegap #enemiestolovers #forcedproximity #hefallsfirst
A blizzard hits, leaving Holly and festival goers stranded at Amos's farm. The historical farmhouse lacks holiday cheer and is far from festive, but Holly sees its potential and encourages Amos to unearth long-forgotten decorations. Snowed in together, Amos’s gruff exterior gives way to a warmth that melts Holly’s heart. For Amos, seeing Holly as the passionate, caring woman she’s become ignites a spark he can’t deny.
As the storm rages around the farmhouse filled with strangers, firelight and a shared newfound Christmas cheer begins to crumble the walls between them. Holly and Amos are drawn together in ways they never anticipated, discovering the true magic of Christmas—and a love they never saw coming.
#agegap #enemiestolovers #forcedproximity #hefallsfirst
- GenresChristmas
196 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2024
10 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Shana Gray
57 books500 followersShana Gray writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction that just might make you laugh. With 35+ books behind her, some translated into multiple languages, she’s always eyeing the next story line. Usually she can be found daydreaming about life, and making travel plans to far off lands to feed her wanderlust.
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Visit her online at shanagray.com
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Sign up for her newsletter and receive a complimentary Book Journal download. https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
Join Shana on her Facebook reader page Shana's Shananigators https://www.facebook.com/groups/24552...
Shana is represented by Louise Fury of The Fury Agency.
Visit her online at shanagray.com
Twitter @shanagray_
Facebook: Shana Gray
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 18, 2024
this was bad. hope this helps!
no but seriously why was there no actual plot. why was holly complaining about the snowstorm we know was coming SO much. why was it first person for holly and third person for amos. there was just so much that didn’t make sense.
no but seriously why was there no actual plot. why was holly complaining about the snowstorm we know was coming SO much. why was it first person for holly and third person for amos. there was just so much that didn’t make sense.
September 28, 2024
Such a sweet story!
October 27, 2024
This book is part of the Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe series and the main characters are Amos Winter, the owner of a Christmas tree farm and the family legacy, and Holly Raymond, the new manager of the Chamber of Commerce and in charge of the Christmas festivals in town. She grew up visiting her Nana in this small town every summer, and became friends with Alana, the younger sister of Amos, and Paulie, who she works with at the town hall. Holly had always thought of Amos as Mr Grumpyface, especially when she always took the blame for any trouble the three girls got into, trying to protect Alana from her brother, who raised them after their parents died when they were just kids. Asher and Alana Winter have both left town and made their own lives elsewhere, leaving Amos to continue to run the family farm and tree farm, and he needs them both back this Christmas, as he has a huge decision to make about the family legacy which could bring permanent changes to Evergreen Lake. Holly is highly organised and has list after list of everything that has to happen for all the events at the Christmas festival events, which she neds to go well to ensure she has a job still in the New Year. Amos has been one of the hardest members of the community to tie down as part of the events, with an old steam train being lovingly restored and Holly wanting confirmation that they can have a stop at the Winter family Christmas tree farm, and it being difficult to get any confirmation from him for it.
Amos was only nineteen when his parents died and he had to raise his younger brother and sister, with the aid of the community in the earlier years, but he has locked away his grief and refused to celebrate Christmas or even put up decorations, as it reminds him too much of his mother. Most of the town see him as a loner, but also an eligible bachelor, and he doesn’t visibly have much to do with the community, but secretly makes donations anonymously. Holly follows her late mother’s fascination with the weather, and she is worrying about a big storm that has been forecast for the weekend before Christmas, just as the festivities ramp up in town. Paulie tries to tell Holly to stop worrying, saying her father told her it would only be a light blow of snow. When Holly spots Amos in town, as he comes for a package, she can’t keep her eyes off him for some reason and he catches her watching him and winks at her! This starts an awakening of her former crush on Amos and her seeing another, more friendly side of Amos. A volunteer dropping out of a time slot at the local dog rescue, has Holly finding Amos surrounded by puppies as he sits on the floor, as they both turn up to cover the empty slot. Holly and an uncomfortable event with a lizard ends up on the front page of the local rag and placed her in close proximity with the sexy Amos, as her sleep gets disturbed by thoughts of him! It looks like he has changed as well, but both ignore speaking of the incident the next time they meet, neither quite sure about the other’s feelings.
A second ride on the Christmas train ride to the Winter’s farm, has the snowstorm hit in full force, with them only just making it there and not being stuck part way, which would have been a disaster for Holly’s job. Amos, Asher, and his worker Caleb, come to the rescue with their horse drawn sled and soon everyone from the train has to be ferried to his family home, as there is no chance of the train getting ack to town. Amos begins to enjoy the sounds of twenty plus strangers in his family’s home, with kids racing around and sounds of laughter it hasn’t heard for years. The spark between them is ignited further with their close proximity and Holly challenges his grief and tries to get him to move on, in ways that he reluctantly can’t deny. Love has come for more than just Amos and Holly, in this winter storm, that none of them saw coming. A lovely tale of people who grew up with one opinion of each other and years later come to realise that they have grown up into someone they now like and come to love for who they are. The magic of Christmas brings them together in ways they can’t avoid and what she once saw as grumpy, she realises was hidden grief he hadn’t allowed himself to express, while he learns the truth of who was really to blame for all the trouble Holly got into as a teen that he had blamed her for. Nice to see Amos rethink his bland and lonely life, now he has another reason to find joy with the start of a new family with Holly and a renewed connection with his siblings, allowing him to process his parent’s loss in a more positive way. Two people who dealt with loss in such different ways, coming together as their attraction sparks to life, and finding a HEA ending together.
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Amos was only nineteen when his parents died and he had to raise his younger brother and sister, with the aid of the community in the earlier years, but he has locked away his grief and refused to celebrate Christmas or even put up decorations, as it reminds him too much of his mother. Most of the town see him as a loner, but also an eligible bachelor, and he doesn’t visibly have much to do with the community, but secretly makes donations anonymously. Holly follows her late mother’s fascination with the weather, and she is worrying about a big storm that has been forecast for the weekend before Christmas, just as the festivities ramp up in town. Paulie tries to tell Holly to stop worrying, saying her father told her it would only be a light blow of snow. When Holly spots Amos in town, as he comes for a package, she can’t keep her eyes off him for some reason and he catches her watching him and winks at her! This starts an awakening of her former crush on Amos and her seeing another, more friendly side of Amos. A volunteer dropping out of a time slot at the local dog rescue, has Holly finding Amos surrounded by puppies as he sits on the floor, as they both turn up to cover the empty slot. Holly and an uncomfortable event with a lizard ends up on the front page of the local rag and placed her in close proximity with the sexy Amos, as her sleep gets disturbed by thoughts of him! It looks like he has changed as well, but both ignore speaking of the incident the next time they meet, neither quite sure about the other’s feelings.
A second ride on the Christmas train ride to the Winter’s farm, has the snowstorm hit in full force, with them only just making it there and not being stuck part way, which would have been a disaster for Holly’s job. Amos, Asher, and his worker Caleb, come to the rescue with their horse drawn sled and soon everyone from the train has to be ferried to his family home, as there is no chance of the train getting ack to town. Amos begins to enjoy the sounds of twenty plus strangers in his family’s home, with kids racing around and sounds of laughter it hasn’t heard for years. The spark between them is ignited further with their close proximity and Holly challenges his grief and tries to get him to move on, in ways that he reluctantly can’t deny. Love has come for more than just Amos and Holly, in this winter storm, that none of them saw coming. A lovely tale of people who grew up with one opinion of each other and years later come to realise that they have grown up into someone they now like and come to love for who they are. The magic of Christmas brings them together in ways they can’t avoid and what she once saw as grumpy, she realises was hidden grief he hadn’t allowed himself to express, while he learns the truth of who was really to blame for all the trouble Holly got into as a teen that he had blamed her for. Nice to see Amos rethink his bland and lonely life, now he has another reason to find joy with the start of a new family with Holly and a renewed connection with his siblings, allowing him to process his parent’s loss in a more positive way. Two people who dealt with loss in such different ways, coming together as their attraction sparks to life, and finding a HEA ending together.
I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout, and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
November 17, 2024
Pluses and Minuses
This book had aspects I liked and wasn't so wild about. Frankly, I didn't really warm up to it until the end, unfortunately. This is an age-gap, best-friend’s-brother romance with a grumpy hero (though the heroine is not quite sunshiny!). Both the hero and heroine are orphans, the hero having become one as a young adult becoming the de facto parent to his younger siblings while the heroine having become so in the last few years. The heroine wasn't from the small town, Evergreen Lake, where the story takes place, but her grandmother had a home there, which the heroine inherited after her grandmother's passing. She moved to this small town and is now the manager of the Chamber of Commerce. While the heroine didn't grow up there, she and the younger sister of the hero were fast friends whenever the heroine visited her grandmother. The two young women had a wild side, usually spurred on by the heroine’s best friend, and the hero was frustrated with both his sister and her friend when they were growing up.
What didn't I like? The book felt a little crude at the beginning, with a few F-bombs. I never like to see those in books, but they feel particularly wrong in holiday romances, as it feels disrespectful to the reason for the season. At least there weren't many in this book, and there didn't seem to be as much toward the end, thank goodness! I also disliked how the hero and heroine had repetitive thoughts about their feelings for/thoughts about each other. You can't constantly sense the beginning of the ice melting around your heart or of walls coming down. That only happens once! Here, it happened with both of them several times! One detail that seemed odd to me is that the heroine seemingly had never been to her best friend's house when she visited Evergreen Lake as a child. At the end of the book, she has cause to be in that house, and it is very clear that this is supposed to be her first time seeing it all. Just strange.
Despite my frustrations with the book, by the time I reached the end pivotal extended scene, I was fully on board with what was going on! The book exudes Christmas spirit from beginning to end as the town has its multi-week-long Christmas and New Year's celebration. This is also about family, too, especially reinforced at the end when a family that had drifted apart and hadn't been open with each other came back together with so much love, forgiveness, understanding, and even healing both the past and present. Again, this seems to embody the Christmas spirit as a time of charity, goodwill, and family. For me, an end like this is better than watching a gooey Netflix or Hallmark Christmas movie! I'll admit I read the ending chapters and sections for longer than I had intended this morning just because I wanted to see how it was all coming together and would resolve. I was not disappointed, and I'll admit it brought more than one tear to my eye. Recommended with reservations, so long as you don't mind what I mentioned in the prior paragraph.
I received a free digital copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
This book had aspects I liked and wasn't so wild about. Frankly, I didn't really warm up to it until the end, unfortunately. This is an age-gap, best-friend’s-brother romance with a grumpy hero (though the heroine is not quite sunshiny!). Both the hero and heroine are orphans, the hero having become one as a young adult becoming the de facto parent to his younger siblings while the heroine having become so in the last few years. The heroine wasn't from the small town, Evergreen Lake, where the story takes place, but her grandmother had a home there, which the heroine inherited after her grandmother's passing. She moved to this small town and is now the manager of the Chamber of Commerce. While the heroine didn't grow up there, she and the younger sister of the hero were fast friends whenever the heroine visited her grandmother. The two young women had a wild side, usually spurred on by the heroine’s best friend, and the hero was frustrated with both his sister and her friend when they were growing up.
What didn't I like? The book felt a little crude at the beginning, with a few F-bombs. I never like to see those in books, but they feel particularly wrong in holiday romances, as it feels disrespectful to the reason for the season. At least there weren't many in this book, and there didn't seem to be as much toward the end, thank goodness! I also disliked how the hero and heroine had repetitive thoughts about their feelings for/thoughts about each other. You can't constantly sense the beginning of the ice melting around your heart or of walls coming down. That only happens once! Here, it happened with both of them several times! One detail that seemed odd to me is that the heroine seemingly had never been to her best friend's house when she visited Evergreen Lake as a child. At the end of the book, she has cause to be in that house, and it is very clear that this is supposed to be her first time seeing it all. Just strange.
Despite my frustrations with the book, by the time I reached the end pivotal extended scene, I was fully on board with what was going on! The book exudes Christmas spirit from beginning to end as the town has its multi-week-long Christmas and New Year's celebration. This is also about family, too, especially reinforced at the end when a family that had drifted apart and hadn't been open with each other came back together with so much love, forgiveness, understanding, and even healing both the past and present. Again, this seems to embody the Christmas spirit as a time of charity, goodwill, and family. For me, an end like this is better than watching a gooey Netflix or Hallmark Christmas movie! I'll admit I read the ending chapters and sections for longer than I had intended this morning just because I wanted to see how it was all coming together and would resolve. I was not disappointed, and I'll admit it brought more than one tear to my eye. Recommended with reservations, so long as you don't mind what I mentioned in the prior paragraph.
I received a free digital copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
November 9, 2024
Oh I just loved this! Grumpy sunshine with all the feels!
Amos runs his family's Christmas tree farm, but the season doesn't mean what it used to. He and his siblings lost their parents in a car accident twenty years ago, just before Christmas. He was only 19 at the time, and had to raise his two younger siblings, not to mention run the business. He's pretty much been known as the town grump ever since.
Holly moved to Evergreen Lake two years ago, and was the Manager of the Chamber of Commerce. She had been planning the Christmas Festival for months, and it was finally here. She had even gotten Amos to participate, providing sleigh rides in town, and having the train stop at the tree farm for activities. He was so grumpy, never even cracked a smile. Holly had visited her grandmother here during the summers when she was a kid, and had gotten into plenty of trouble with Amos' sister. He was a grump even then.
Through some mishaps and awkward moments, and a blizzard that throws a wrench in festival activities, Holly starts to see a different side of Amos, to the kind and caring man he is. Can she get him to come out of his shell and embrace the season?
Watching Amos struggle with his feelings for the holiday that has plagued him for two decades was bittersweet. He absolutely had reason to hate it all because of the memories it dredged up, but he had never really healed from the trauma of his loss. Add in Holly, trying to push him out of his comfort zone, forcing him to confront the past, and he didn't know what to do with all the feelings.
This was a fun story, with a grumpy tree farmer, and the Christmas obsessed woman who warms his heart.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amos runs his family's Christmas tree farm, but the season doesn't mean what it used to. He and his siblings lost their parents in a car accident twenty years ago, just before Christmas. He was only 19 at the time, and had to raise his two younger siblings, not to mention run the business. He's pretty much been known as the town grump ever since.
Holly moved to Evergreen Lake two years ago, and was the Manager of the Chamber of Commerce. She had been planning the Christmas Festival for months, and it was finally here. She had even gotten Amos to participate, providing sleigh rides in town, and having the train stop at the tree farm for activities. He was so grumpy, never even cracked a smile. Holly had visited her grandmother here during the summers when she was a kid, and had gotten into plenty of trouble with Amos' sister. He was a grump even then.
Through some mishaps and awkward moments, and a blizzard that throws a wrench in festival activities, Holly starts to see a different side of Amos, to the kind and caring man he is. Can she get him to come out of his shell and embrace the season?
Watching Amos struggle with his feelings for the holiday that has plagued him for two decades was bittersweet. He absolutely had reason to hate it all because of the memories it dredged up, but he had never really healed from the trauma of his loss. Add in Holly, trying to push him out of his comfort zone, forcing him to confront the past, and he didn't know what to do with all the feelings.
This was a fun story, with a grumpy tree farmer, and the Christmas obsessed woman who warms his heart.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 9, 2024
Holly Raymond has come back to Evergreen Lake, where she spent summers with her beloved Grandmother. When she passes away, she leaves her home to Holly and she took on the job of Evergreen Lake's manager of the Chamber of Commerce. She has won over the town with all her event planning, with exception of Amos Winter, who comes across as a grumpy fella. She has known him since she palled around with his younger sister back in the day. She needs him on her side for a couple of events for Christmas. Which she does, until the weather has her and the visitors on the Christmas Train stranded at Amo's Christmas tree farm and he has to accommodate strangers into his home.
The spirit of the season is in both of these people and while the storm rages outside, its warming up the hearts of Holly and Amos and Christmas magic does it's thing for Holly and Amos.
This was a delightful story, full of the spirit of Christmas that will give you a warm glow and get you in the mood for the holiday season. I loved that Holly and Amos had a bit of a pass and that each grows on the other towards a new beginning for both of them. Throw in kids, Christmas train rides, people pulling together to make the best of a situation and the romance of Christmas and you have a wonderful warm, funny and romantic read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The spirit of the season is in both of these people and while the storm rages outside, its warming up the hearts of Holly and Amos and Christmas magic does it's thing for Holly and Amos.
This was a delightful story, full of the spirit of Christmas that will give you a warm glow and get you in the mood for the holiday season. I loved that Holly and Amos had a bit of a pass and that each grows on the other towards a new beginning for both of them. Throw in kids, Christmas train rides, people pulling together to make the best of a situation and the romance of Christmas and you have a wonderful warm, funny and romantic read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 20, 2024
This plot line had so much potential, and i don’t necessarily believe that it missed the mark, but I do feel like it needed to be longer in order to really show the character growth and romance that the MCs needed.
It absolutely gives that cozy Hallmark movie vibes with a sweet christmas story surrounding a christmas tree farm, a christmas train, a snow storm and being snowed in. It has the grumpy / sunshine vibes and had all the aspects but needed another 100 pages in order to really flesh out the plot and characters.
I feel like the first 20% of the book was somewhat dry and dragged. I wasn’t able to really lock in with the characters because they felt pretty surface level, but loved the idea of the christmas train and the grumpy/sunshine vibes.
I felt like the ending was really abrupt too. It felt like once the train full of people got snowed in so much happened within 30 pages and it felt way too rushed.
My other issue is it felt a little POV confused. You got a lot of the story from the FMC’s POV and then you got aspects of what seemed like third person POV of Amos and it just didn’t jive with me. I would have preferred the entire story as first person or a dual POV book, but that’s just my preference.
Overall, I enjoyed the storyline, but I just was wanting more from the story overall.
It absolutely gives that cozy Hallmark movie vibes with a sweet christmas story surrounding a christmas tree farm, a christmas train, a snow storm and being snowed in. It has the grumpy / sunshine vibes and had all the aspects but needed another 100 pages in order to really flesh out the plot and characters.
I feel like the first 20% of the book was somewhat dry and dragged. I wasn’t able to really lock in with the characters because they felt pretty surface level, but loved the idea of the christmas train and the grumpy/sunshine vibes.
I felt like the ending was really abrupt too. It felt like once the train full of people got snowed in so much happened within 30 pages and it felt way too rushed.
My other issue is it felt a little POV confused. You got a lot of the story from the FMC’s POV and then you got aspects of what seemed like third person POV of Amos and it just didn’t jive with me. I would have preferred the entire story as first person or a dual POV book, but that’s just my preference.
Overall, I enjoyed the storyline, but I just was wanting more from the story overall.
October 24, 2024
Winter Falls is a heartwarming holiday romance that blends small-town charm with a touching story of second chances. Shana Gray brings the festive spirit alive through Holly Raymond, who returns to Evergreen Lake, ready to make her mark as the new Chamber of Commerce Manager. Her determination to win over Amos Winter, the rugged and initially gruff bachelor, forms the emotional core of the story. Gray’s descriptions of the blizzard that traps them together, along with the transformation of Amos’s farmhouse, set a cozy, atmospheric tone perfect for holiday reading.
Holly’s growth from a "troublesome teen" in Amos’s eyes to a confident woman helps shape the slow-burn chemistry between them. The way Gray reveals Amos's gentle, caring nature beneath his tough exterior adds depth to his character, making the romance feel both genuine and satisfying. Their shared moments, snowed in during the storm, provide ample opportunities for banter, emotional vulnerability, and holiday warmth, bringing the festive magic of Christmas alive.
The story is a delightful escape filled with holiday traditions, nostalgic memories, and the cozy comfort of finding love in unexpected places. Winter Falls is a perfect read for anyone looking for a sweet, feel-good romance set against the backdrop of Christmas charm and community spirit.
Holly’s growth from a "troublesome teen" in Amos’s eyes to a confident woman helps shape the slow-burn chemistry between them. The way Gray reveals Amos's gentle, caring nature beneath his tough exterior adds depth to his character, making the romance feel both genuine and satisfying. Their shared moments, snowed in during the storm, provide ample opportunities for banter, emotional vulnerability, and holiday warmth, bringing the festive magic of Christmas alive.
The story is a delightful escape filled with holiday traditions, nostalgic memories, and the cozy comfort of finding love in unexpected places. Winter Falls is a perfect read for anyone looking for a sweet, feel-good romance set against the backdrop of Christmas charm and community spirit.
November 4, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars
Tropes:
- Age gap
- Forced proximity
- Enemies to lovers
- He falls first
Holly’s new role as Manager of Evergreen Lake's Chamber of Commerce is a dream, one that comes with a bug challenge: winning over Amos Winter, the town's rugged, grumpy, BUT eligible bachelor. 😏
A blizzard hits town leaving Holly along with festival goers stranded at Amos's family farm. The historical farmhouse lacks holiday cheer but Holly sees the potential and encourages Amos to bring out old decorations.
Can being snowed in together help Amos see holly for the passionate caring women she’s become rather then the troublesome teenage he used to know? Will her holiday cheer help melt away his gruff tough exterior? You’ll have to read to find out! 😉
I love love LOVE a little forced proximity in a book so when I tell you I ate this book UP!!! I also really enjoyed the character development between Holly & Amos, they both had preconceived ideas/opinions do the other that weren’t necessarily nice. But throughout the book you get to see how the more they interact the more they realize there’s more to each other then they ever knew. I would sell my left foot to live in Evergreen Lake, with each book I fall more and more in love with the town and all of the characters along with it!
Thank you so much for letting me review this ARC! 🥰
Tropes:
- Age gap
- Forced proximity
- Enemies to lovers
- He falls first
Holly’s new role as Manager of Evergreen Lake's Chamber of Commerce is a dream, one that comes with a bug challenge: winning over Amos Winter, the town's rugged, grumpy, BUT eligible bachelor. 😏
A blizzard hits town leaving Holly along with festival goers stranded at Amos's family farm. The historical farmhouse lacks holiday cheer but Holly sees the potential and encourages Amos to bring out old decorations.
Can being snowed in together help Amos see holly for the passionate caring women she’s become rather then the troublesome teenage he used to know? Will her holiday cheer help melt away his gruff tough exterior? You’ll have to read to find out! 😉
I love love LOVE a little forced proximity in a book so when I tell you I ate this book UP!!! I also really enjoyed the character development between Holly & Amos, they both had preconceived ideas/opinions do the other that weren’t necessarily nice. But throughout the book you get to see how the more they interact the more they realize there’s more to each other then they ever knew. I would sell my left foot to live in Evergreen Lake, with each book I fall more and more in love with the town and all of the characters along with it!
Thank you so much for letting me review this ARC! 🥰
October 22, 2024
Holly is manager of Evergreen Lake's Chamber of Commerce, and as such is in charge of the annual Christmas Festival and as many small towns, faced challenges of most young people leaving for college and never returning...so was always looking for ways to engage residents and making them want to be part of the community as she came back to home since had many good childhood memories from Evergreen Lake...Amos Winter ran a Christmas tree farm, orchard and now a burgeoning vineyard, having lost his parents at nineteen, then being sole parent for 12 year old brother Asher and six year old Alana, squashing his own dreams of world travel for managing their heritage farm after siblings grown and left the town to pursue their own dreams...The unlikely age gapped duo were thrown together as Holly convinced Amos to let a replicated train run to his farm for bonfire and hot chocolate after donating the town tree and several others for decorations all over town despite his memories of her getting in all sorts of mischief with his younger sister Alana...with him saving her from lizard who escaped into her coat at pet adoption event...but could a blizzard trapping them together light both their fires???? I voluntarily read this book as an Advanced Reader Copy.
October 26, 2024
A part of the Evergreen Lake multi-author series, Winter Falls is a Christmas themed age-gap romance between a single businessman/farmer and the city manager. Their personalities are polar opposites, and they have a history of conflict that underlies their interactions. Despite this, there's an attraction that neither can fully dismiss. There's more background given regarding Amos, and therefore I was able to embrase his character and actions easier, and understood his mindset.
The story was told in dual POV, switching between Amos and Holly, though headlining the chapter would have made it easier to denote the narrator (especially after having to step away from the book temporarily). Regardless, the descriptive writing and interactions drew me into the story. Personally, the initial part of the book moved slower than I like, and the later part seemed a bit rushed (especially by comparison). Overall, though, it is a very pleasant Christmas romance that leaves you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face.
I received a gift copy of this book and voluntarily provide this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚
The story was told in dual POV, switching between Amos and Holly, though headlining the chapter would have made it easier to denote the narrator (especially after having to step away from the book temporarily). Regardless, the descriptive writing and interactions drew me into the story. Personally, the initial part of the book moved slower than I like, and the later part seemed a bit rushed (especially by comparison). Overall, though, it is a very pleasant Christmas romance that leaves you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face.
I received a gift copy of this book and voluntarily provide this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚
October 10, 2024
If you are looking for a Hallmark type of Christmas novel then look no further. Shana Gray's Winter Falls is a wholesome small town, Christmas tree farm, Christmas train-themed holiday romance, with underlying themes of returning home, finding family, and refining one's Christmas spirit.
What to Expect: small town, age gap, childhood friends big brother, grumpy x sunshine, Christmas, Christmas tree farm, Christmas-themed train, rescue animals, snowed in with 20 strangers...
TW/CW: grief after the death of parents (in the past a few years for FMC and 20 years for MMC).
This book got a 2.75/5 star rating (rounded to 3) because the standard Hallmark premise was there but the character development for neither of the MC's was. It felt a little abrupt in the "he's a grump/she's a thorn in my side" to "oh maybe I misjudged him/she lights my world".
Please remember that this rating is for an advanced reader copy and many of the issues could be resolved by the final.
Thank you to Shana Gray for the earc to enjoy.
What to Expect: small town, age gap, childhood friends big brother, grumpy x sunshine, Christmas, Christmas tree farm, Christmas-themed train, rescue animals, snowed in with 20 strangers...
TW/CW: grief after the death of parents (in the past a few years for FMC and 20 years for MMC).
This book got a 2.75/5 star rating (rounded to 3) because the standard Hallmark premise was there but the character development for neither of the MC's was. It felt a little abrupt in the "he's a grump/she's a thorn in my side" to "oh maybe I misjudged him/she lights my world".
Please remember that this rating is for an advanced reader copy and many of the issues could be resolved by the final.
Thank you to Shana Gray for the earc to enjoy.
October 10, 2024
Lovable Christmas miracle. This is another great addition to the Evergreen Lake series. Holly is back in her hometown after quite some time. She has her dream job but is stressing over the coming events due to a possible snowstorm coming in. Amos Winter would prefer to hide away from the world and do what is needed on his farm. But Holly is trying to get him involved in the holiday events. But he has a lot on his mind right now that will affect the rest of his life.
These two have known each other for a long time. She was the little girl getting into trouble with his sister. But Holly has also had a little crush on Amos. Will the Christmas storm bring these two together when they get snowed in together or will something Amos is hiding bring that all to a stop?
I absolutely loved this storyline. It was well written with two great characters you can't help but root for. One of the best parts was the incident between Holly and Amos with the lizard.
These two have known each other for a long time. She was the little girl getting into trouble with his sister. But Holly has also had a little crush on Amos. Will the Christmas storm bring these two together when they get snowed in together or will something Amos is hiding bring that all to a stop?
I absolutely loved this storyline. It was well written with two great characters you can't help but root for. One of the best parts was the incident between Holly and Amos with the lizard.
November 10, 2024
After her grandmother passed away Holly returned to Evergreen Lake and has been hard at work planning the Christmas celebrations for the town. Due to inclement weather the celebrations take a turn when they find themselves stranded at the tree farm trying to still make it a joyous experience even though Amos, the owner, wants nothing to do with the holiday and has distanced himself from the townspeople.
Christmas hasn’t been an enjoyable season for Amos for years due not only to the passing of his parents but that he is alone running the tree farm. He has a preconceived notion of Holly due to actions when she was a teenager but as they are forced to spend together he begins to see what he has been missing out on.
This is a heartwarming story about two very different people with very different personalities who finally see each other for who the other is and find love and happiness along the way.
Christmas hasn’t been an enjoyable season for Amos for years due not only to the passing of his parents but that he is alone running the tree farm. He has a preconceived notion of Holly due to actions when she was a teenager but as they are forced to spend together he begins to see what he has been missing out on.
This is a heartwarming story about two very different people with very different personalities who finally see each other for who the other is and find love and happiness along the way.
December 1, 2024
Snowed In
Amos & Holly have known each other for yrs. She was friends with his sister & twelve yrs younger than him. He thought of her as the one who always got his sister in trouble. She thought he was the grumpiest person she knew. They have clashed several times in planning for the Christmas Festival, but are beginning to see each other in a new, softer light.
Amos lost his parents twenty yrs ago & raised his siblings on his own & managed the family tree farm. Holly had spent her summers in Evergreen Lake & moved there when her grandma passed & she inherited her home.
A snowstorm gives them the chance to really get to know each other & care for the many strangers that are stranded with them at Winter Tree Farm. Amos needed to find a way to deal with the loss of his parents & I think Holly was just what the dr ordered.
This was a charming, sweet, forced proximity, age gap, sister’s best friend romance & it was very nice. Enjoy!
Amos & Holly have known each other for yrs. She was friends with his sister & twelve yrs younger than him. He thought of her as the one who always got his sister in trouble. She thought he was the grumpiest person she knew. They have clashed several times in planning for the Christmas Festival, but are beginning to see each other in a new, softer light.
Amos lost his parents twenty yrs ago & raised his siblings on his own & managed the family tree farm. Holly had spent her summers in Evergreen Lake & moved there when her grandma passed & she inherited her home.
A snowstorm gives them the chance to really get to know each other & care for the many strangers that are stranded with them at Winter Tree Farm. Amos needed to find a way to deal with the loss of his parents & I think Holly was just what the dr ordered.
This was a charming, sweet, forced proximity, age gap, sister’s best friend romance & it was very nice. Enjoy!
September 15, 2024
My Christmas miracle was you...
Holly Raymond is a small town, big heart kind of woman. She has her dream job, but like any job it comes with complications. One complication in particular is Amos Winter. Holly is determined to change his mind about opening up his farm for Christmas celebrations. Amos is prickly and testy, but he is also very handsome and single. She has known him since she was a teen, and unfortunately he still sees her that way.
Amos runs his family farm and he has a strict routine and is happy or so he believes. Holly has him rethinking everything in his life. When Holly and others end up being snowed in at his farm, they both realize they are attracted to each other. The Christmas spirit has them realizing they have something special together.
A charming small town romance best read by a roaring fire and cuddled up in a blanket.
Holly Raymond is a small town, big heart kind of woman. She has her dream job, but like any job it comes with complications. One complication in particular is Amos Winter. Holly is determined to change his mind about opening up his farm for Christmas celebrations. Amos is prickly and testy, but he is also very handsome and single. She has known him since she was a teen, and unfortunately he still sees her that way.
Amos runs his family farm and he has a strict routine and is happy or so he believes. Holly has him rethinking everything in his life. When Holly and others end up being snowed in at his farm, they both realize they are attracted to each other. The Christmas spirit has them realizing they have something special together.
A charming small town romance best read by a roaring fire and cuddled up in a blanket.
October 11, 2024
3.5 rounded down to 3
Holly and Amos team up to bring a little extra Christmas cheer to the town of Evergreen Lakes. She's the sunshine manager of the Chamber of Commerce. He's the grumpy, reclusive bachelor farm owner. When a blizzard strikes and strands the Christmas tour group at the farm, will the tension between them bubble over into something more?
Read if you like:
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Best Friend's Brother
-Forced Proximity
I enjoyed this book. Grumpy x Sunshine and Best Friend's Brother will forever be some of my top tropes. Sprinkle on Holiday vibes and a sudden blizzard and I'm in. But the difference in the POVs was jarring. Holly's was first person and Amos's was third. It was almost like reading two different books. Adjusting to that change took me out of the flow of an otherwise enjoyable story.
Holly and Amos team up to bring a little extra Christmas cheer to the town of Evergreen Lakes. She's the sunshine manager of the Chamber of Commerce. He's the grumpy, reclusive bachelor farm owner. When a blizzard strikes and strands the Christmas tour group at the farm, will the tension between them bubble over into something more?
Read if you like:
-Grumpy x Sunshine
-Best Friend's Brother
-Forced Proximity
I enjoyed this book. Grumpy x Sunshine and Best Friend's Brother will forever be some of my top tropes. Sprinkle on Holiday vibes and a sudden blizzard and I'm in. But the difference in the POVs was jarring. Holly's was first person and Amos's was third. It was almost like reading two different books. Adjusting to that change took me out of the flow of an otherwise enjoyable story.
October 20, 2024
Fresh snowfall, train rides, a horse drawn sleigh…A quintessential small town holiday themed closed-door romance! As the manager of the Chamber of Commerce, Holly’s livelihood depends on the success of Evergreen Lake’s festival but the looming bad weather could derail everything. Gruff and grumbly Amos is grappling with his own troubles with his family farm. The scenarios that bring these two together make for a warm and cozy holiday read. The novel is written with a dual PoV (Holly’s in first person, Amos’ in third). The tropes of small town, grumpy x sunshine and an age gap combined with the holiday setting do make for a Hallmark story. 3.75 stars. Thank you to the author for an early copy.
October 20, 2024
I'm so sad that Evergreen Lake is a fictional place because I just want to live there and experience all of the magic! This is a cute Christmas novella and while it doesn't have spice like the others do in the series, it's just as wonderful and whimsical. I love how this book explored grief and how Amos and Holly helped each other while also falling for each other. This book does feature Holly's POV in first person, and Amos's POV is in third person, which is a little different than I am used to. Overall, it was a really cute and nice holiday read! Thank you to Shana Gray for the ARC of this book.
-Small town
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Age gap combined with the
-Holiday setting
-Hallmark story
-Enemies to lovers
-Grief
-Snowed in
-Small town
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Age gap combined with the
-Holiday setting
-Hallmark story
-Enemies to lovers
-Grief
-Snowed in
October 22, 2024
This is part of the Evergreen Lake series.
This is a delightful Christmas story. Holly grew up coming to visit family in Evergreen Lake and now lives and works there. Amos and his family have lived and been a part of Evergreen Lake for a very long time. He is known to be a bit grumpy and serious after losing his parents and having to raise his brother and sister. Holly talked him into being a part of the Christmas festival the town holds for the first time since his parents had been gone. Their story is one that takes you on a journey of finding Christmas spirit when you haven’t had it in a while. Their story is often sweet and heartwarming. It is also a bit about Amos and his siblings finding the way back to each other. You definitely will want to read this Christmas story.
This is a delightful Christmas story. Holly grew up coming to visit family in Evergreen Lake and now lives and works there. Amos and his family have lived and been a part of Evergreen Lake for a very long time. He is known to be a bit grumpy and serious after losing his parents and having to raise his brother and sister. Holly talked him into being a part of the Christmas festival the town holds for the first time since his parents had been gone. Their story is one that takes you on a journey of finding Christmas spirit when you haven’t had it in a while. Their story is often sweet and heartwarming. It is also a bit about Amos and his siblings finding the way back to each other. You definitely will want to read this Christmas story.
October 22, 2024
Winter Falls
By Shana Gray
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holly is the manager of her small towns chamber of commerce. She is all about the Christmas spirit and making her town of Evergreen Lake the epitome of joy during the holidays.
Amos keeps to himself and tends to be the town grump. He does help during the Christmas festival but mostly in the background. When the town train gets stuck on the tracks behind his house, he welcomes the passengers into his home as a warm escape. As Holly tries to help everyone stay calm, she finds the kindness in Amos hidden under his tough exterior.
I loved the way these two found their way to each other and developed an appreciation for what each other brought to the table. A perfect holiday love story!
By Shana Gray
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Holly is the manager of her small towns chamber of commerce. She is all about the Christmas spirit and making her town of Evergreen Lake the epitome of joy during the holidays.
Amos keeps to himself and tends to be the town grump. He does help during the Christmas festival but mostly in the background. When the town train gets stuck on the tracks behind his house, he welcomes the passengers into his home as a warm escape. As Holly tries to help everyone stay calm, she finds the kindness in Amos hidden under his tough exterior.
I loved the way these two found their way to each other and developed an appreciation for what each other brought to the table. A perfect holiday love story!
October 22, 2024
Holly Raymond is the Manager of the Chamber of Commerce of Evergreen Lake.
Amos Winter is a rancher and farmer in Evergreen Lake.
Pauline is Holly’s colleague and best friend.
Alana is Amos younger sister.
Asher is Amos younger brother
Holly and Amos have a past thru her friendship with Alana.
Holly asks the business community to help with this year’s Christmas Festival.
There is an attraction and chemistry they both try to ignore, but fate has other plans, to ignite their passion.
Can The Festival be successful with the on coming storm? Can the have a Happily Ever After?
This book has suspense, intrigue and a chance at love.
Great Job. Shana Gray!!!
Amos Winter is a rancher and farmer in Evergreen Lake.
Pauline is Holly’s colleague and best friend.
Alana is Amos younger sister.
Asher is Amos younger brother
Holly and Amos have a past thru her friendship with Alana.
Holly asks the business community to help with this year’s Christmas Festival.
There is an attraction and chemistry they both try to ignore, but fate has other plans, to ignite their passion.
Can The Festival be successful with the on coming storm? Can the have a Happily Ever After?
This book has suspense, intrigue and a chance at love.
Great Job. Shana Gray!!!
November 9, 2024
Winter Falls is a grumpy/sunshine romance between Holly, who is preparing for the Christmas festival as the town's Chamber of Commerce manager, and Amos, the owner of a farm and vineyard which became his responsibility after his parent's death as well as becoming the caretaker for his younger brother and sister. The holidays have been without cheer for Amos and his siblings until Holly convinces him to participate in the festival which results in her and others stranded on his farm during a storm. This is a charming Holiday Read which shares the Christmas spirit.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 17, 2024
⚠️TW - death of parents mentioned, ⚠️
Oh Evergreen Lake, why must you be a fictional place? I loved that we got to see a little behind the scenes of the festival in this book. I enjoyed reading about the train, and all the work that Holly put into making the festival what it has been in all the other books.
While I enjoyed reading Holly and Amos' story, I felt like it lacked something that the previous books had. I'm also decidedly not a fan of this book switching between first person POV to third person POV when it switches between Holly and Amos. 3/5⭐
Oh Evergreen Lake, why must you be a fictional place? I loved that we got to see a little behind the scenes of the festival in this book. I enjoyed reading about the train, and all the work that Holly put into making the festival what it has been in all the other books.
While I enjoyed reading Holly and Amos' story, I felt like it lacked something that the previous books had. I'm also decidedly not a fan of this book switching between first person POV to third person POV when it switches between Holly and Amos. 3/5⭐
October 22, 2024
Shana does a wonderful job setting the scene. I could imagine it all: the train, the blizzard, the homestead, all of it was so wonderful and perfect for a snowed-in winter read! That being said, it did take me a little bit to get into Winter Falls. The tension between Amos and Holly felt off at the beginning, but once I got into the book a little more, the developing romance was cozy. Switching between first person for Holly and third person for Amos was a little jarring, but once again, it got better by the end.
I received an ARC for my review, all opinions are my own.
I received an ARC for my review, all opinions are my own.
October 24, 2024
Thank you for the chance to read this ARC for my honest review!
This was just ok for me. The beginning felt like it dragged and it was a tad too Hallmark movie for me. I think if it was a little bit longer that could have helped too.
Also this is my own personal opinion but I do not like when POVs change per chapter. Let me clarify: I like dual POVs but I don't like when one MC's POV is in 1st person and the other MC's POV is in 3rd person. Why would we be doing that in a book? That throws me off and takes me out of the story.
This was just ok for me. The beginning felt like it dragged and it was a tad too Hallmark movie for me. I think if it was a little bit longer that could have helped too.
Also this is my own personal opinion but I do not like when POVs change per chapter. Let me clarify: I like dual POVs but I don't like when one MC's POV is in 1st person and the other MC's POV is in 3rd person. Why would we be doing that in a book? That throws me off and takes me out of the story.
October 17, 2024
Thank you Shana Gray for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was a sweet Christmas small town romance that touched on grief and how it can change/ effect the bound between siblings. I really loved how Holly and Amos had a past that was centered around Holly's friendship with his younger sister and how their opinions of each other changed as the story went on.
Another great addition to the Evergreen Lake series !
This was a sweet Christmas small town romance that touched on grief and how it can change/ effect the bound between siblings. I really loved how Holly and Amos had a past that was centered around Holly's friendship with his younger sister and how their opinions of each other changed as the story went on.
Another great addition to the Evergreen Lake series !
October 19, 2024
I went into Winter Falls expecting more than it delivered, but it still had a lot of potential. Holly and Amos’s story is cozy and festive, but it felt a bit rushed for me. The age gap and enemies-to-lovers trope were fun, but the chemistry didn’t hit as hard as I hoped. That said, the snowed-in setting and Christmas charm were enjoyable, and I loved Holly’s determination to bring some holiday spirit into Amos’s grumpy life. I’m giving it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4!
October 22, 2024
Grumpy Amos doesn’t celebrate Christmas anymore. His farm is his entire life. When Holly, his sister’s friend from childhood, asks him to participate in the town’s Christmas festival, he begrudgingly does. Her childhood crush on Amos comes raring back even though he is still Mr Grumpyface. Due to festival activities and a blizzard, these two find they have so much in common. Sweet small town romance with a Christmas theme.
October 29, 2024
A cute, heartwarming romantic story.
Typical Christmas themed. The new town Commerce manager, Holly, used to visit the town in her younger years and now lives here. She has been friends with the grumpy Amos's sister and now needs to befriend him, but he isn't keen to engage. Add a storm and being host to unwanted guests stranded at a Christmas tree farm for shelter, Amos needs to be encouraged to get into the spirit of this time of year.
Typical Christmas themed. The new town Commerce manager, Holly, used to visit the town in her younger years and now lives here. She has been friends with the grumpy Amos's sister and now needs to befriend him, but he isn't keen to engage. Add a storm and being host to unwanted guests stranded at a Christmas tree farm for shelter, Amos needs to be encouraged to get into the spirit of this time of year.
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