Pine Creek Lodge: A Sapphic Christmas Romance

by Lynette McCornan

Working through Christmas isn't exactly Nathalie Bergman's idea of holiday cheer, but with her family's bakery struggling after a devastating fire, she'll do whatever it takes to help. As a chalet girl at the upscale Pine Creek Lodge, she's used to catering to the wealthy elite of Aspen. But nothing prepares her for Sofia Holloway—the stunning tech CEO who arrives alone, armed with a frosty demeanor and a determination to avoid all things festive.

As a snowstorm traps them together in the Colorado mountains, Nat discovers there's more to Sofia than her icy exterior suggests. Between rescue missions involving an abandoned kitten, shared bottles of wine, and the kind of conversations that last until dawn, the walls between guest and staff begin to crumble.

Nat knows better than to fall for a guest, especially one far out of her league, but what starts as a cold shoulder turns into a warm embrace, and she breaks her one cardinal never get cozy with the clientele.

In a town where the temperatures may be sub-zero but the romance is red-hot, "Pine Creek Lodge" proves that love, like a perfectly baked sourdough, just needs the right ingredients and time to rise.

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Christmas, Holiday, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2024

Reviews

[cloverxheart · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐
This was lovely.
So so sweet and comforting.

I really liked the characters and of course the little kitty.
I really like the authors writing, except for the sex scenes, and I'll definitely pick up more of their books if they publish more.
Lots of sweet quotes that I highlighted, just like I did with the authors other book.

[Kexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chalet lady looks after super rich guest who arrives alone…. I wonder what happens? Writes well, gets the emotions flowing. Fine.

[Vic · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kitten is endearing. The story is simple and sappy. The romance is as cold as the snow outside our couple's cabin. Pass on this one. There are better holiday stories available.

[KeeAirRuhh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute fast paced romance, and it definitely could have been about 10 chapters shorter. It just felt like it was never going to end. While also having nothing happening at the same time.

[Toya (thereadingchemist) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute and steamy sapphic romance that is perfect for the holiday season! I love that it takes place in Aspen, CO. 🥰

[Judy - JC · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book today, January 17, 2025; however, I am marking it as read last year because I read more than 70% of it in 2024.

The story unfolds quickly, as the theme itself allows for it. Needless to say, it's an insta-love. Despite being a short story, several ideas and characters are developed, which I believe adds a bit more depth to it.

[C.M. Chafin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a piece definitely inspired by The Price of Salt/Carol and it shone through beautifully. I especially enjoyed it being through solely Natalie’s perspective as it kept an air of mystery around Sofia. However, I did find their relationship dynamic to be a tad odd, but I felt the same about Carol.

[Melanie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The best thing about Pine Creek Lodge is the cover art (really beautiful) and the kitten. Overall, the story had potential but fell flat. The dialogue and “scenes” were boring. There’s ex-girlfriend and work drama that’s over the top. And the book could have been 30 to 50 pages shorter because there wasn’t really anything being added although the book kept going on and on. The kitten was cute though.

[Kate Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3 Stars
Format: Digital
Series: Stand Alone
Steam Level: Steamy

I read this for the 2025 Sapphic Book Bingo reading challenge for the prompt Trapped Together.

This is the my first time reading this author and while I wasn’t overly impressed with this first offering, I did enjoy it and I’ll be picking up more by her in the future.

Quick Thoughts:
- This was a fun, low angst, steamy holiday read. Nothing overly dramatic, it felt like a warm hug
- The set up for this romance worked really well and I bought into it though it did go a little fast for my taste but that’s just a personal preference. Though foreshadowing of it is set up by Sofia saying she’s only had committed relationships
- Not only can Sofia’s Ex get itchy rashes for the rest of her life for how she treated Sofia, but also she needs to regularly step on legos barefoot for how she treated Nat
- Loved Moxie! That cat stole the show in every scene she was in
- I wouldn’t say there was no third act break up but more like a third act misunderstanding and insecurity
- Adorable ending and it was fun to see how things played out
- The misplaced quotation marks were pretty numerous throughout the book
- This book didn’t feel like a rough draft per se but not the final draft either. There were word for word repeated lines just a couple paragraphs away from each other, a couple of timeline inconsistencies (like how long Sofia was booked to stay then how long she was scheduled to stay), a few story bits that contradicted itself (like the selling of the apartment but Sofia has own a townhouse for four years), and a few story points that were repeated like it was brand new information (like Nat’s dream business)

Overall this story has the bones to be really fun and fluffy, it just needs a little more work. I’d be interested to read another story by this author to see how she’s grown. I’d say if the synopsis sounds and you keep in mind that it’s not totally polished, absolutely go for it but if you’re meh on the premise I’d suggest skipping it.

[Ellie ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I loved this novella! Two attractive lesbians, stuck in a luxury chalet in Aspen because of a snow storm? It’s the perfect plot if you ask me. And it was well-developed for a novella. Sofia and Nat are perfect together, I love their dynamic. They can’t keep their hands off of each other but they also have great conversations. And let’s not forget Moxie, the cutie kitten! It was a warm, cozy and spicy read!

[Hope Freed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 2 stories by this author one after the other, largely because they were both set as Christmas and because I really enjoyed the first, Staging Love. Having read both I came to the realisation that the writing style is very similar (understandable) and all four MC’s are barely indistinguishable from each other. Two ‘Ice Queen’ types get melted by two sweet and loving lesbians. I liked both stories but, unlike me, I’d suggest you read something else between to get the most out of them!

[Chelles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pine Creek Lodge

I really enjoyed this holiday romance! 🎄🥰

Ice-Queen turned sweetheart by way of rescuing an abandoned kitty out in the snow. That storyline alone was super cute. It also sparked the connection between Sofia and Nat. It had all the elements of a small-town, warm and cozy, holiday romance...loved it!

[Lou Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second novel from Lynette McCornan and I am not disappointed!

Sofia and Nat journey is quite a fast one however, Lynette wrote so eloquently that I almost forgot most of their shared experiences happened within 2 weeks, and what a sweet rollercoaster it was.

Moxie seriously topped it for me! She added to the story, I fell for Moxie first 🤍

⭐️ 4.5 Stars

🫶🏽 Lou from NZ

[🦋 Semaj 🦋 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love how this started and the cozy christmas vibes i felt while reading. Sophia coming alone had me very intrigued and I wanted to know exactly why. Nat really made me love how she rides for her family and how the accepted Sophia!! There could have been a little bit more build up but it was a cute christmas read

[JLNicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely dreamy romance

While I dont think things like this happen too often, its so nice to read the dreamy fantasy of poor vs rich and love happening. Its like lesbian pretty woman. Only hold the hooker motif. I enjoyed the characters and the landscape. Great quick read.

[Kim Tunney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas magic

Meeting the ice queen guest CEO who didn’t know what it felt like to belong in a family
and watching gently as the ice melts into a passionate relationship lived it 🌈🌹

[Samz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was easy to follow and at times a bit predictable. The language was repetitive and left something to be desired in the descriptions of scenes and settings. Overall it was an light, enjoyable, queer, holiday romance.

[L E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not one for Christmas/Holiday's anything but for some reason this book caught my attention and well, I enjoyed it very much. I loved the family dynamics and what can I say about Zoey! Glad that Sofi found her made family.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a happy book to read, definitely something to cheer up on sad days. 
It had a few writing mistakes, and the intimate scenes felt off to me, but other than that, I really enjoyed it. ❄️🤍

[murph · Rating 4 out of 5]

🧑‍🍳👩‍💼❤️🎭🥹

[Emma Thingsted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming setting, great side characters, a cute love story with lots of chemistry and wonderful spice. I’m a happy little bean!

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! I really wanted a little proposal to happen that would've been cherry on top!

[Ian Sellers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters were cute enough but the overall plotting felt rushed and paper thin. Like a cliffs notes of a deeper narrative.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. I liked the first half better than the second. Still cute nonetheless. It didn’t make me cringe like a lot of sapphic romances

[Emily Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

80th book finished and damn was it good.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute read. Perfect for this time of year. Great character development and of course, I couldn’t write this without mentioning Moxie, who absolutely steals every scene.

[J. Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story

This is a sweet, happy story with little angst or conflict. They have better communication than most romance characters. Great feel good read.

[Shazh76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great low angst

Great low angst book, perfect for a quick read on your day off. Feel good feels and sweet with it. Enjoy.

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25. That was cute. It was a little hallmark movie. Spice was decent. I’ll read more by this author.

[Pia · Rating 5 out of 5]

sehr cute story, mag die Charaktere sehr, auch süße side charaktere, romantisch mit bisschen smut , wholesome