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Carrigans of the Circle C #6

A Bramble House Christmas

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Finn Knightly a.k.a. Finn Conrad wants to know why his recently deceased father left his nurse fifty thousand dollars after knowing her a mere six weeks. So he travels to Bramble House B&B in Marietta, Montana to find answers.

But Willa Fairchild is not the conniving woman he expects to find. Before he knows it, Willa-and her six-year-old son Scout-are stealing his heart. And that’s before he finds out Scout’s secret and the real reason this Christmas is so important.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2015

1661 people are currently reading
2797 people want to read

About the author

C.J. Carmichael

107 books830 followers
USA Today bestselling author C. J. Carmichael has written over 50 novels, including two mystery series, as well as romance and women’s fiction. Three of her novels have been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award, including A Bramble House Christmas. A film version of A Bramble House Christmas premiered as a Hallmark Mystery movie in 2017.

Married, with two grown daughters and some adorable grandchildren, C. J. and her husband and their Welsh Springer Jazz divide their time between their home in Calgary, Alberta and the family cottage on Flathead Lake, Montana. C.J. enjoys giving workshops to aspiring authors--her talk on writing a Christmas story is a favorite.

Visit C.J.'s website at http://CJCarmichael.com

For information on C. J.’s new releases and giveaways please sign up for her newsletter.
https://cjcarmichael.com/contact/#sub...

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5 stars
2,109 (47%)
4 stars
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3 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews
Profile Image for Paula.
545 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2020
When Finn Conrad’s recently deceased father leaves his nurse Willa Fairchild (that he only knew for a very short time) fifty thousand dollars in his will, Finn travels to the Bramble House B&B in Marietta, Montana, where Willa is spending Christmas with her six-year-old son, to find out some answers from her. Once he meets Willa and gets to know her, Finn finds that she is far from the gold digger that he thought her to be and falls for both her and her adorable son, Scout.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas romance. It featured a wonderful cast of characters that I really enjoyed getting to know. Finn who was a children’s book illustrator. Willa who was so kind and caring and doted on her son. Her adorable brave son Scout who added so much to the story. Sage, who Willa befriended and who owned a chocolate shop. And the kind and welcoming B&B owners Eliza and Marshall. I loved the cozy setting of the B&B and the festiveness of the Christmas season throughout—the Christmas lights in town, building snowmen, ice skating, tobogganing… There was an interesting secondary storyline that included a mystery surrounding an antique ring and the Bramble family tree. All in all, this was a wonderful and lovely Christmastime read.
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,283 followers
November 21, 2022
4 What's Not To Love Stars
AND IT IS FREE!!!!
* * * * Spoiler Free
You have:
Willa Knightly, a young nurse and single mom with a 6-year-old son who fought and won their battle with Cancer.
A loving elderly patient stricken with the same evil, bond over his fight. He leaves in his will a large sum which causes the family to wonder why...
Egged on by his bitter mom and concerned sisters, Finn Conrad goes to Marietta, Montana to see who this woman is and what hold she had on his father....


Both spend the next 3 weeks hiding their secrets while having this sense of something special for each other...Will new trust be broken and the opportunity to experience authentic love be lost...

We have this love story surrounded by the ever-present warmth of Marietta and all of the ongoing characters. There are questions about an old rumored affair, a secretive Santa, and a little boy with the strength and heart to bring all of them together in the end.

A lovely Christmas read from our Marietta Bramble House family.

A gifted copy was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Profile Image for BookLover.
387 reviews77 followers
November 10, 2017
When I heard this was being turned into a Hallmark movie (my favourite!!!) I moved this up to the top of my reading list. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this Christmas story about Willa and her son, Scout, and their vacation to Marietta, Montana, where they met Finn Knightly. Scout truly stole the show for me and I loved each and every scene he was in. I loved all of the secondary characters and think I will go back and read earlier books in this series.

Now I want to read more Christmas stories! Great read.
Profile Image for Jessica .
2,622 reviews16k followers
December 1, 2021
3.5

This was a sweet Christmas romance about a single mom whose son just recovered from Leukemia and a man trying to figure out what happened to his dad in his last days. Finn's dad had cancer and didn't tell anyone in his family, so they were surprised when he passes away and leaves $50,000 to his nurse. Finn and his siblings don't understand why he would leave his nurse that much money, so Finn plans to meet her at Bramble House where she's staying with her son to confront her. Of course, Finn sees she's as mom and gets to know her and the two start to fall for each other. This is a short and sweet romance, but I do wish that Finn told her about who he really was before things got physical between them. I did enjoy the extra drama of Finn's dad's family and all of the people at Bramble. And I loved how Willa was a single mom! Her son Scout was adorable and I loved how he was believing in Christmas again and learning so many new things with Finn. It was a cute romance!
Profile Image for UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish.
1,097 reviews1,760 followers
September 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this sweet, poignant, romantic Christmas tale, and look forward to reading more in the series. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but right now it's free for Kindle! http://amzn.to/2c504Ma

Blurb:

Finn Knightly a.k.a. Finn Conrad wants to know why his recently deceased father left his nurse fifty thousand dollars after knowing her a mere six weeks. So he travels to Bramble House B&B in Marietta, Montana to find answers.

But Willa Fairchild is not the conniving woman he expects to find. Before he knows it, Willa-and her six-year-old son Scout-are stealing his heart. And that’s before he finds out Scout’s secret and the real reason this Christmas is so important.



Profile Image for Tammie.
1,607 reviews174 followers
December 7, 2022
After seeing the Hallmark movie version of this book and loving it, I decided I wanted to read the book that inspired it. To me this is one of the best Hallmark movies I've ever seen. It wasn't cringe worthy or cheesy like a lot of them are. It had more substance. The story tackles some heavy subjects, like cancer and losing a parent, but in the end it left me with such a heartwarming feeling. It's one of the only ones that I've watched more than once, and it had me tearing up a bit each time. 

I ended up enjoying this book almost as much as the movie. I have to admit that the actors brought the characters to life and added just the right amount of emotion to their roles. I felt a little more connected to the characters on the screen than I did while reading the book, but the book is still very good. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the movie stayed pretty true to the book. There were a few things left out, or changed of course, but most of the book, and the same lovely message, was there. 

This is actually part of a companion series, but works fine as a standalone. It did get me mildly interested in reading about some of the other couples in the book though. If you're looking for a holiday romance that isn't as cheesy as a lot of them can be, then give this one a try. I recommend the movie and the book.
Profile Image for Robin.
1,977 reviews98 followers
December 24, 2018
Finn Conrad wants to know why his father didn't tell him and his siblings that he was dying...and why he left a family heirloom ring and $50,000 to a nurse he had only known for a few short weeks. Finn tracks down Willa Fairchild at the Bramble House Bed & Breakfast where she is staying with her young son for the Christmas holiday. Right away Finn figures out that Willa is not the kind of woman who would con a sick man out of his money. As he gets to know Willa and her son, he finds that things are not what he expected.

I picked this book up when it was offered as a Kindle freebie last year. I saw that it was made into a movie this year, so I figured I'd read the book before watching the movie. This book reads exactly like a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. Fortunately for them, the Hallmark Channel is where I found the movie. The story was OK, but nothing great. The couple are thrown together under secretive circumstances, fall in love, then break up after the big secret comes to light, only to get everything straightened out before Christmas is over. I found my favorite character was five-year-old Scout and old Aunt Mabel who says whatever is on her mind. Now I'm off to check out the movie and see if it actually sticks with the book. My rating: 3 Stars.
Profile Image for Luucy.
53 reviews64 followers
November 11, 2015
LOVED IT! <3
It's soo sweet and fun :D I usually don't like Christmas books but this one was wonderful! <3 I could feel all the love the characters had with each other and the feeling that it was Christmas in my own house :P
Scout is my favorite character by far! He's a little and sweet gentleman <3 I love him and in a lot of moments I just wanted hug him tight :) But all the characters were really nice and fantastic too :D
It's really good and easy reading :) You should totally read it now that is Christmas in just a month :')
Thank you so much http://www.lolasblogtours.net/ for giving me the opportunity to review this book <3
Full review: https://makingdaysbetter.wordpress.co... :D
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
1,101 reviews27 followers
November 21, 2015
What a wonderful Christmas book! It had all the good feelings I look for in a Christmas read and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it was a great way to begin the season.

This book is #6 in a series. I have only read books 1 and 2, so I was a little skeptical that I might not understand some of the book. However, there was nothing in this story that I felt like I didn't understand. The story contains so much love, forgiveness and happiness that it will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Profile Image for Ivy.
1,201 reviews58 followers
December 13, 2021
Finn Conrad wants answers. Egged on by his bitter mother and his concerned sisters, he visits Bramble House to find out why his recently deceased father didn’t tell his children that he was dying and left a family heirloom and money to the young nurse who knew him for only six weeks.
Willa and her six-year-old son Scout are spending Christmas at Bramble House. Finn soon finds that she is not the gold digger he expected, that the secret she’s hiding actually is about Scout and that’s why this Christmas is so important…

I have seen the Hallmark movie last year and kind of knew what to expect here. The book actually reads exactly like a Hallmark Christmas movie. I didn’t expect to find that I liked the movie more than the book, though. Somehow Scout’s story was thrown under for the average romance with single mom whose son recently recovered from Leukemia and a man trying to find out what happened before his father died.

I did like the cozy festive setting and cast of characters, most of all Scout – he really added so much to the Story. But the man meets woman, his secret revealing in a wrong moment (seriously, why didn’t he just tell her?!), the break-up, the make-up plus the Bramble-heirloom storyline felt so much more present than Scout and his special Christmas.

It is a cute Christmas read but can easily be skipped for watching the movie.
Profile Image for Stacie.
2,550 reviews274 followers
December 22, 2023
Super sweet Hallmark Christmas story with just a touch of Lifetime movie thrown in. Lots of snowball fights, ice skating, cookies and hot coco. I adored Scout. I always love the kiddos. This one was a pleasure. Happy reading!
Profile Image for Carrie.
3,557 reviews1,693 followers
October 31, 2015
Willa and her son Scout have traveled to Marietta, Montana to stay at the lovely bed and breakfast called the Bramble House for the three weeks before Christmas. Willa is a nurse who had a very generous patient leave the prepaid trip, a ring and fifty thousand dollars to her in his will after he passed away. Her son Scout had just beaten cancer so she felt the two needed the getaway to help Scout feel normal again.

Finn Knightly is the son of the patient that left Willa such a generous amount in his will. Finn and his three sisters and mother believe that Willa had to scam their father so Finn has decided to book the same bed and breakfast to check out Willa for himself. What Finn doesn't count on is falling in love with Willa and her son.

Such a beautiful story in a beautiful setting. Marietta and it's small town charm really makes me want to head somewhere on a Christmas trip of my own. Scout and his story would bring tears to my eyes thinking how the little guy had fought so hard and just wanted to be a normal kid. Also couldn't help but feel for Willa and her over protectiveness with Scout, how much she had gone through with him just pulls at the heartstrings. Finn was also a wonderful man who adored children and even when learning the truth didn't run from Scout the way his own father had.

Overall, highly recommend this wonderful Christmas romance.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....


Profile Image for Jonel.
1,717 reviews311 followers
November 1, 2015
Goodness, I love Bramble House! It’s one of those rare story settings that I feel a need to visit. Carmichael returns to it with this sweet, emotional Christmas tale, painting it in all its glory. Throughout this well written novel Carmichael not only brings Christmas in Marietta to life, she also tells a tale that both broke my heart and gave new meaning to Christmas and forgiveness. I loved the many aspects that came together to create this complete picture.

Finn & Willa were quite the pair in this story. Both kept secrets, and both fell in love without meaning to. They were also entertaining individuals. Finn’s need to know what happened to his father while also being true to himself really drew me in. Willa’s past & fears made her real and into someone that I truly cared for. Scout broke my heart. His little fighting nature was the perfect addition to this Christmas tale. And one can’t forget Kris Krinkle. This secondary character definitely made Christmas so much sweeter.

Once again Carmichael has brought the spirit of Christmas to life with the tip of her pen. This was a fun, family Christmas story with one heck of a twist.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for romancejunkie.
390 reviews86 followers
October 7, 2019
Willa and Finn meet when they are in the Bramble House B&B for the holidays and become little by little in love with each other, but the real motive he first approached her for could do damage to their new found love if he doesn't tell her the truth immediately.
A Bramble House Christmas is a cute and heart touching story.
262 reviews3 followers
December 6, 2022
A Christmas story that has been made into a Hallmark Christmas movie. Very typical of the Christmas movies, but I'm a sucker for them. It has everything you need for a feel good quick read getting you into the holiday spirit.
Profile Image for Eva • All Books Considered.
427 reviews73 followers
December 21, 2021
Review originally posted at Snowbound in Montana and loved it! A Bramble House Christmas was even more magical -- set in the Bramble house B&B in the heart of Marietta. I loved the traditional Christmas activities (sledding, pond skating, strolling through down the main drag) and the coziness of the B&B. Usually I'm not a huge fan of books with babies and kids but this one was so well done!! Finn and Willa really got to know each other over the course of the book and everything felt right. All I can say is that I wish Marietta existed and that I could spend Christmas there!!

Mable shook her head at him. "My dear boy. Do you think chances for love and happiness come along all the time? Most people are lucky if it happens once. And if they are foolish enough to let the chance slip through their fingers, then they have only themselves to blame if they end up alone and bitter."

"You're preaching to the choir, Aunt Mable. I know I"ll never meet anyone else like Willa."

"Then what on earth are you doing standing here?"
Profile Image for Trish R..
1,772 reviews58 followers
September 28, 2017


I love Christmas romances and this was a cute one. I really liked Finn and Willa. And I adored Willa’s brave little boy, Scout.

It was the story of misunderstanding as to why a patient of Willa’s gave her a Montana Sapphire ring and $50,000 before he died of cancer, and Finn’s attempt to find out if Willa swindled the money from his father, or just what happened. It was interesting and fun.

There were a couple of unanswered questions and the story ended rather abruptly but overall I liked it.

There were a few kisses but that was all, and there wasn’t one swearword. It was very G-rated. Maybe a little too G-rated for me.

I would have listened to the audio but I can’t spend $7.49 for 226 so I just read it instead.
Profile Image for Lisa Baillie .
310 reviews14 followers
October 1, 2016
Brilliant feel good Christmas romance. Normally I'm not keen on this genre. But I just loved this book. Loved the setting it sounded perfect to be spending Christmas. The characters were lovely and easy to get to know. Loved the plot also
Profile Image for Kira.
1,032 reviews32 followers
June 21, 2022
A Bramble House Christmas is a contemporary romance set near Miracle Lake in Marietta, Montana.

I was a bit confused for a couple of chapters in the start because I couldn’t understand what was happening and if it was because I hadn’t read the previous books. But this can be read as a standalone and I really enjoyed the story once things fell into place and characters were introduced properly along with their back stories.

Willa is a single mother to scout whereas Finn is an illustrator.

The mystery about Finn’s father and how everything was related to each other kept me engaged with the book, Willa and Finn seemed right for each other. But I had the same problem I have with many other such novels, things moved way too fast.

I wish it was a bit longer and spaced out over what happens after they return from the vacation and then the HEA.

But I enjoyed it for what it’s worth so.
Profile Image for Regan.
795 reviews4 followers
November 27, 2022
An endearing holiday read. Willa is a single mother who was a private nurse at night because her son had leukemia so she couldn’t work regular hours. Her last patient was dying of cancer and when he found out about her son, Scout, he left her $50,000 in his will and booked them a trip to Montana in a B&B for Christmas. He also gave her a ring that ends up having mysterious ties to the Bramble family.
When the ex of the man finds out that he left a woman he knew six weeks such a large amount, she insists her son go to Montana to find out how she swindled him. Finn is a children’s book illustrator, including Scout’s favorite series. Now that he’s cancer free, all he wants is to be a normal kid… and maybe a hockey player. He doesn’t want his mom to tell anyone he’s been sick, but it seems like the whole town is out to teach both Scout and Willa that there’s life after cancer.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone.
Profile Image for Chelsea Dorge.
74 reviews
December 27, 2024
LOL it’s the way i didn’t even realise this was the 6th book in a series until literally after i finished it. but this was actually so sweet and wholesome i really enjoyed it! and brought the christmas vibes big time
Profile Image for Delene Yochum.
131 reviews9 followers
October 30, 2015
A Holiday read that will pull your heartstrings! Willa and her son Scout are celebrating Christmas in Montana. Left the trip in a former patient's will and a large check, this is also a celebration for Scout after recovering from a serious illness. Finn follows Willa to Montana, his family wants to know why their father left this nurse the money. A little Christmas magic, cookies from Kris Krinkles, a beautiful Montana Sapphire ring and the chance to revisit former characters from all the Marietta Montana/Tule Publishing Series makes for a great read!

I received an ARC from the Publisher and NetGalley for a honest review
Profile Image for Emily (Mrs B's Books).
1,727 reviews83 followers
November 15, 2019
3.5 Stars
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Tule Publishing for an honest review**

I would say that this is the best book of the series which is kinda of sad, because it leaves us with questions unanswered which annoyed me.

Willa is a nurse who helped Finn's dad in his dying days, it is only because his dad left her some money in his will that Finn knows anything about Willa. His dad also gave Willa a ring and bought her a trip to Marietta, Montana for christmas before he died.

Following Willa to Marietta, Finn gets more than her bargained for. He suspects a bit of a gold digger. What he gets is a compassionate single mother with a son who is only just in remission from cancer and with big debts to pay.

The romance was sweet and it was nice to see who these characters ended connecting with the previous characters.

What did annoy me though was the added element of the rings and a necklace. We find out that at one point the Branbles had four rings and a necklace made. We find out where two of the rings are, but nothing else. This makes you think there are going to be more books to find them, however as this book was published four years ago with no other follow ups, its safe to say we will never find out what happened to them.

It is a brilliant feel good book for the holidays, which you can now find as a film too.
Profile Image for Yaritza.
750 reviews133 followers
November 9, 2018
An outstanding romance that I will cherish forever. This was such a touching story with Willa and her son Scout. There story tugged at my heart. Willa is a strong character that has went through a lot with her son and her patients. Finn was upset that Willa took advantage of his poor father before he died because he left her fifty thousand dollars. Scout was a true hero in this story. He overcame cancer and was able to be himself and enjoy life as a kid. Willa and Finn both had a secret when they met but love overcame the hurt and deception. A story you will need some tissues while reading.
Profile Image for Donna.
Author 7 books33 followers
October 31, 2018
Five stars. Bramble House B&B is where Willa and her son, Scout are spending Christmas. Finn is also there. Santa is there with all his magic baking cookies and making wishes come true. Love is in the air because Bramble House has its own magic. Finn, Willa, and Scout become very good friends but they both have secrets that could destroy their budding romance. Wonderful Christmas story. I recommend.
147 reviews
July 24, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This was a wholesome novel set at Christmas but appropriate anytime. I liked all the characters in this book which is unusual for me and it was quite well written. I am anxious to see the movie adaptation with Autumn Reeser, one of my favorite actresses.
626 reviews6 followers
December 26, 2019
Pretty good story, but the timeline was a little crazy. They were there for 3 weeks. At some points in time, Finn spoke with his mother and then with 2 of his sisters. And not immediately. And, yet at some other point (not the last day), he thought that he hadn't spoken for weeks.
Profile Image for Jenn.
501 reviews20 followers
November 28, 2017
Cute little cozy Christmas read. The ending could’ve been longer but looking forward to seeing the Hallmark movie based on this
Profile Image for Patrice.
965 reviews46 followers
December 2, 2023
Celebrating a cancer free Christmas

Warm and wonderful characters dot this story. The town of Marietta, Montana is a quaint, tight-knit community that, along with Bramble House, is the story’s backdrop. A little boy, finally “cured” from leukemia and the fairy tale vacation gifted to he and his mother by a former patient and friend; brings them to Montana from Arizona and into a new winter wonderland.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews

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