Best in Snow:

by K.C. Bellinger

This Christmas, Snowfield’s staging and decorating firm is having a friendly competition. Shuman’s Designs will join the Parade of Homes contest for the best-dressed holiday house for a chance to win a trip to the Bahamas.

Joelle Nickelson, a highly sought-after designer, is poised to win. But when her boss slips her a clunky key to the largest dilapidated manor in town and a list of unrealistic rules, including her team members, she fears the only sun she’ll see is out her office window.

Now, besides her own clientele, she is responsible for decorating a vacant mansion with the grumpiest employee at the firm. Can Joelle restore a historical building and her faith in love, or is she destined to suffer through the holiday season alone?

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 30, 2025

Reviews

[Margery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this story and the characters! Joelle works for a home design company that show cases homes. Joelle was put in charge of the companies Halloween parade display with decorations and candy being passed out. She figured she would have a day to rest, but there is no rest for Joelle. The big boss Sara has called a meeting for the first thing the next day. There will be a Christmas stroll thru several houses, and the winner goes to the Bahamas. Three houses are directly assigned to Sara's daughter, Joelle and her best friend Jessica. Each of these 3 homes offer different era models. Joelle's team is to spruce up an old mansion in disrepair and her team consists of 2 men from the warehouse. Dylan is perpetual grump and Jonas is cheerful, but they are friends and get what ever job in front of them gets done. There is a lot to learn about the abandoned mansion and it's history. Layton house has happy stories, as well as tragedy. The odd thing is where is the faint music coming from? Why are there so many hidden rooms, doors and grand staircases?

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This storyline has real promise but it needs some tweaking. I know the emotions the author was trying to invoke but I just couldn’t quite get there. While I enjoyed the characters, I never quite connected with them. I didn’t FEEL their emotions like I suspect the author wanted. I actually got annoyed at Joelle and how she almost cried every time she thought of Remy. Jonas was funny but I wanted more substance and his story didn’t really go anywhere even though he likes the librarian. Dylan’s character can be great if it’s reworked a little. I feel like there needs to be more. More banter. More emotion. More time with Joelle. More everything with them. You also don’t get to “see” the end results of the other 2 contestants homes. I know we got a general theme of Joelle’s friends house but nothing on Polly’s.

3 stars but could be more!

[Margarita Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dylan is helping Joelle decorate an old mansion with a sad history. Joelle secretly has a crush on Dylan but is gun shy when it comes to men. Her ex was a lying deceitful cheat. Dylan has his own demons to deal with. Can they get the house ready in time? Will they ever take the next step? It's a sweet romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 4 out of 5]

They won so much more than a trip. - Likeable characters and a believable storyline make this Christmas-themed sweet romance with a hint of mystery an enjoyable read. Dylan and Joelle are oil and water until they are teamed up for a work project. Snowed in atop a mountain together, they uncover some secrets from the past and reveal the secrets of their hearts.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mark Menard · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Okay Read, But Nothing Memorable
This was a decent story, but it didn’t stand out. It lacked the excitement and drama I was hoping for. The characters were fine, but they felt underdeveloped—I never really got to know them, and as a result, I struggled to feel any real connection.
I received this book as an ARC, and this is my honest review.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It was a good effort and I liked the story plot. However I felt it needed more.

[Patience · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super cute read overall.

I finished this around 2 o’clock in the morning, but it was definitely worth reading that late.

While I could easily see the little twist with the characters by halfway, it was still a really enjoyable plot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.