Christmas on Crimson Mountain

Crimson, Colorado #7

by Michelle Major

LOVE ON THE MOUNTAIN

Peace and quiet—that's all Connor Pierce wanted from the rented cabin on Crimson Mountain. Yet the caretaker turned out to be lovely April Sanders—a total distraction. As were the two little girls she was caring for. Connor's plan to forget his painful past soon detoured into giving the ladies a Christmas to remember.

Being named guardian of two motherless girls has upended April's world. Add to the mix a mysterious, brooding writer claiming he wanted to be left alone while going out of his way to bring a little joy to the girls, and she has quite the quandary. April had counted herself out of a happy ending. But maybe Santa still had a few surprises up his merry old sleeve…

Genres: Romance, Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin, Contemporary, Category Romance, Ebooks

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 22, 2016

About the author

USA Today and Top 5 Amazon Bestselling author Michelle Major writes swoon-worthy stories full of heart, heat, and guaranteed happily-ever-afters. When she’s not dreaming up romance, you’ll find her hiking the trails (or avoiding housework) in her home state of Colorado.

Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com or come say hi on Instagram and Facebook.

Reviews

[Pam Lowery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one will tear at your heart strings-but in a good way! It has everything, a little sadness, hope, happiness and lots of love. April Sanders has just lost a very close friend to breast cancer, and that friend wants her to raise her two daughters, 12 year old Ranie and almost 5 year old Shay. Connor Pierce is an best selling author who is a recluse who wants nothing but peace and quiet while he finishes his second novel. Now, April is a caregiver, prides herself on that but doesn't think she can take care of the girls permanently, but agrees to take them for Christmas, intending to send them back to their aunt after that. She agrees to also taking care of whatever Connor needs in the cabin next to theirs for the weeks he will be there. He wants nothing to do with the kids at all, he lost his wife and small son in a car accident a few years ago and he has cut himself off from the rest of the world. He wants no noise, no distractions while he tries to undo the writers block he has. April tries to explain the best she can to two grieving children why they have to stay quiet. But that little Shay, she gets to Connor, as does Ranie. April also becomes a muse to Connor and before he knows it, his writers block is gone, and the words flow. You will enjoy watching all four of this characters grow into a family. The love that April and Connor find, when neither were looking, she really helps him come out of a very dark place. Connor helps those two girls with dealing with their grief, they all enjoy Christmas. April love for them all changes her life as well. Come find love on Crimson Mountain. This is my favorite in the series so far.

[My Bookish Delights · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Book Two of 2021 Romance Book Advent Calendar**

Heat Level: Medium kissing, non-explicit sex scene, a couple fade to black sex scenes

This was a pleasant surprise! Only 216 pages and it managed to pack in some decent backstory and emotional moments. This involved kids, which is one of my favorite tropes in romance, especially holiday romances.

All the characters have tragic backstories and they come together in a fictional town in Colorado for some good old fashioned grump/sunshine romance. We've got commitment phobia, self-hatred, surly teens, and lost kittens. It was really good! haha

(Note: I'm not using the CAWPILE rating system on these books. These are rated on enjoyment only.)

[Kerstin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romance developed way too fast.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Christmas on Crimson Mountain from author Michelle Major in a giveaway; it wasn’t an ARC and it did not come with a request for a review. But I enjoyed this sweet story so much I want to recommend it.

The Christmas season should be joyous, cheerful, and happy. But there is not much happiness on Crimson Mountain for April Sanders, Connor Pierce, and 12-year-old Ranie and almost 5-year-old Shay. All of them have experienced significant loss and are in desperate need of some healing. Connor just wants to be left alone. April is a caregiver at heart, but wants to keep some distance, because she doesn’t feel she can provide what’s needed. And Ranie and Shay are just little girls who have lost their mother and need love more than anything else.

As I said, it’s a sweet story. Things don’t go smoothly, especially at the beginning; old hurts and deep pain are hard to overcome. But it’s fun to watch what is happening between April and Connor as they edge toward it, jump back, can’t resist getting a little closer again. April’s caring ways envelop everyone, Ranie and Shay work some magic, and even Connor’s barriers start to drop.

This was the first story I read by Michelle Major, but it won’t read the last. I am going back to Crimson Mountain to catch up with all her books and am looking forward to the next one.

[Kristyn - Reading to Unwind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Michelle Major book and I loved this one more then the first one!! This book follows April who is the acting caretaker of Crimson Mountain Inn when Connor comes to stay to complete his book. Connor’s major concern is he wants peace and quiet to finish his book, but April just became sort of the legal guardian for two girls who recently lost their mother. Connor comes off as very upset when he sees the girls, but his issues lie much deeper down.

I loved all the emotions that this book created. The author did an amazing job bringing such tragedy to life. I could feel the emotions that the characters where going through in the author’s writing. I felt connected to all of the characters and wanted somehow for them to find peace during this difficult time. I also liked how not all of the tragedies happened very recently, April has had time from her illness and divorce and Connor has had time since his loss. As a reader it was good to see that some time passed between these events that the characters has time to process what happened.

April was such a complex character. First off she comes off as very put together in her new life, but as the story continues we get to see her underlying issues. April is a strong woman, but she doesn’t know her true full strength in the beginning. I loved that April tried so hard to keep everything together even if she didn’t know exactly what was going to happen in the end. April was a very determined character as well.

Connor on the other hand comes off as completely broken in the beginning of the book. He had lost his wife and only child in a car accident and doesn’t know how to act. The author made some great points with that in times of tragedy you never know how someone is going to react or what they need and that sometimes people don’t know what to say. I loved the Connor has strong opinions on how he wanted people to act towards him because it showed how deep down his wounds went.

The setting of the book was perfect for this story. The characters had a lot of time to spend together so the relationships really were well developed. Each main character had their own personality and issues. The author did a great job telling the story of how people can begin to heal.

I would suggest this as a nighttime read. It was a very quick read that kept me wanting more. I did feel like at points I couldn’t put it down, but I wanted to know how everything was going to end up. Also, since there was a lot of emotions flowing it was hard to stop reading at some points because I wanted to see where these emotions where headed.

I received a copy of this book from Barclay Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes a holiday read a winner for me? Beyond the snow, the caroling, and the cookies, there has to be that extra something, that bit that hits me in the heart and leaves me feeling uplifted and renewed. CHRISTMAS ON CRIMSON MOUNTAIN by author Michelle Major hits the marks in every way, and left me feeling just like I'd hoped.

Each of the main characters in this book have suffered loss at a significant level. Sickness, disease, death, all have made their mark on April, Connor, Shay, and Ranie. They have been left the worse for their experiences, and there are so many barriers to break down, but what makes this book a good holiday read is the prospect of hope that it delivers.

Author Connor Pierce has put himself on permanent shutdown since the tragic death of his wife and son. Hoping that the solitude of Crimson, CO, will help him break through a bad case of writer's block, he is less than pleased that the woman acting as caretaker during his visit is also taking care of two young girls. Connor is the epitome of broken, unwilling and unable to connect with people since the loss of his family. Having had a rough time of things themselves, April Sanders and her two young charges need love and compassion more than anything else. In a lovely and heartwarming way, these four broken people find a safe place in each other, and, ultimately, find themselves.

I especially love Ranie and Shay, the young girls in April's care. They are great examples of the resilience of youth, and just blossom under Connor's and April's attention. Ranie is everything you'd expect in a snarky 12-year-old, but, beneath the sass and prickliness, she's just a girl that's had to deal with far too much in her young life. And, Shay, sweet Shay, is like a true ray of sunshine, even having lost so much. These girls do so much to bring Connor and April together, and to make the story that much more lovely.

CHRISTMAS ON CRIMSON MOUNTAIN was my first of Michelle's books, but it will not be my last. If you're having a hard time getting into the spirit of the season, pour yourself some eggnog and snuggle up with this 4.5 'heartwarming, feels like home' star read and prepare to fall in love.

***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, particularly the characters’ emotional conflicts.

Reclusive following a tragedy, Connor, an author, is intent on spending the holidays alone in a secluded cabin writing, but the more he gets to know the cabin’s caretaker, April, and the young girls temporarily in her custody, the more Connor is drawn out of his isolation.

The relationship between Connor and April turned physical sooner than I expected, it seemed to me that with their baggage it could have been more of a slow burn than it was but other than that I didn’t have many complaints here.

The Christmas content offered a little of everything, decorating, baking, ice skating, presents, and a cute bit about Santa’s reindeer. Sometimes books with Christmas in the title don’t have much holiday spirit in them, so it’s notable when you find one that actually lives up to your festive expectations.

As I mentioned at the top of this review, I was impressed by how the author handled the characters’ emotional conflicts, I thought their responses to situations, things like Connor’s anxiety attacks, April’s reluctance to take the girls full-time, and the girls’ fluctuating moods, those felt realistic when you considered their past experiences and how it would shape their thoughts and fears.

I also really just loved the girls, twelve-year-old, Ranie, and six-year-old, Shay. I know some readers don’t like kids in romances, but most of my favorite moments in this book involved the kids, I especially enjoyed their interactions with Connor, sweet yet never cloyingly so.

I’m so glad I received this book for Christmas, it was a heartwarming way to end the year and introduced me to an author I’d like to read more from in the future.

[Isha Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Add a spoonful of heart, a dash of hope and a sprinkle of drama to bake up a batch of memorable romance. A little balance never hurts, so a double dose of cuteness will add laughter to the heartbreaking moments. Michelle Major gives readers something to thing about with her heartwarming brand of storytelling. While in the most trying of circumstances Connor and April learned the meaning of hope and discovered that an open heart can lead you to the place you were meant to be, HOME. I've read Michelle Major long enough to know that her recipe for success is simple. Christmas on Crimson mountain proves the power of her method.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story of loss, love, and healing. Connor, April, Shay, and Ranie have all been beaten down by life. Connor, who suffers from writer's block ever since the tragic deaths of his wife and son, has come to Crimson Mountain for the peace and quiet he feels he needs to finish his book. April is the caretaker of the cabin where he is staying and is tasked with providing his meals and whatever else he needs. She has also recently lost a good friend to cancer and is caring for that friend's two little girls. Twelve-year-old Ranie and five-year-old Shay are dealing with the loss of their mother and the uncertainty of their future.

The pain is evident from the beginning. April is on her way to her cabin with the girls. A breast cancer survivor herself, she is reeling from the loss of her friend and her fear of caring for the two girls. How can she commit to raising them when she can't be sure she won't get sick again? Both girls are suffering from the loss of their mother, though little Shay seems to be handling it well. Ranie, on the other hand, is snarky and sullen and determined to be as contrary as possible. When they arrive on the mountain, April discovers that Connor has gotten there first. To say that he isn't happy when he sees the girls is putting it mildly. Connor comes across as a veritable Scrooge, wanting the girls gone, and only reluctantly agreeing to their staying if they stay quiet and don't disturb him.

I hurt for Connor. He had lost his wife and young son in a car accident several years earlier. He blames himself for their deaths and has shut himself off from the world because of it. Just hearing Shay's laughter brings all that pain to the surface and he lashes out at April because of it. I loved that April stood up to him and forced him to see that he was unreasonable.

I ached for April, too. She comes across as having her life all put together. She's organized, friendly, warm and caring. She has made a place for herself in Crimson, and yet she holds a part of herself away from everyone. Her past has shown her that it hurts to care too much. The one person who should have stood by her, her husband, instead walked away in the middle of her treatment, unable to deal with her disease and its consequences. She's afraid that if she gets sick again, the next person to walk away will destroy her.

I loved the development of their relationship. April's innate kindness and compassion have her wanting to help Connor see that withdrawing from the world is not the way to honor his family. I loved seeing her and the girls slowly draw him out of his shell. It isn't easy on him, and his occasional panic attacks are believable and understandable, as the emotions he has buried for so long begin to reappear. There is also an unexpected attraction that flares between them. Connor is a bit freaked out by the depth of his need for April, as he still considers himself too broken, but he accepts April's declaration of "it's right for right now." In spite of his feeling broken, there's a tremendous amount of sensitivity in him. I loved how he showed April that she is beautiful even with the outward scars of her disease. Over the next few days and their stolen moments together, the feelings for each other deepen, but neither is ready to believe in a future.

Part of their growing relationship is the way they work together to make Christmas special for Shay and Ranie. Connor's initial antagonism is breached by the adorable Shay, who refuses to let his grumpiness keep her down. He is also drawn to the sulky Ranie, whose grief is so like his own. The two of them bond over an ice skating lesson. Connor fights it at first, but both girls wiggle under his defenses. I love his gentleness with Shay and his way of teasing Ranie. April is awed by his ability to help them and saddened by his refusal to believe that he can love again. April fights her own fears regarding the girls. She knows their mother wanted her to raise them, but she thinks that she is unfit to do so. She has come to love them and isn't looking forward to giving them to their aunt. As Connor and April accuse each other of being unwilling to risk their hearts again, a crisis with Shay causes a ceasefire. I loved that April finally saw the truth of her feelings for both Connor and the girls and that she embraced what needed to be done. I ached for both her and Connor as his fears sent him running. I loved his return and seeing him finally open his heart completely. The little bit with the pinecone figure was especially sweet. The epilogue was a wonderful opportunity to see how much life had changed for all four of them.

*copy received in exchange for honest review

[Happily Ever After Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance

Christmas on Crimson Mountain is the seventh title in the Crimson, Colorado series, and brought (for me) the most emotional, heartwrenching romance of this series, so far. We met April when she and Sara first came to Crimson. She’s Sara’s best friend, yet soon became an integral part of the community, even if she has held herself back a bit, a little off to the side, claiming that she had no need nor use for romance in her life as friends found their happy ever after endings.

Right now, she’s way outside of her comfort zone, as she’s been named guardian to her friend’s two little girls, Raine, a twelve-year-old with wisdom and pain far beyond her years, and Shay, a delightful little almost five-year-old with a smile that lights up any room. They’ve come to spend the holiday season with April, as their aunt and her family are on vacation. April firmly believes the best place for the sisters is with their aunt and not her. She’s wrong, but it’s going to take some Christmas magic, a very grumpy author, and allowing herself to believe in a future that has always had a cloud hanging over it before she’ll embrace the found family she has right in front of her.

Connor is a best-selling author, an author who needs to get his latest book written as he’s on a deadline with little to show for his editor. He’s a man who has had to face an unimaginable tragedy, a man who has fenced off his emotions and is in a constant survival mode of living, if you can call what he’s doing right now actually living, more like existing. He’s looking for peace and quiet to write, but what he’s about to get is more like controlled chaos with a woman who has her own fences firmly surrounding her, and two children who have lost their anchor in life and need so much from Connor and April, more than either believes they have to give. The perfect setup for disaster… or, perhaps, to find a found family for them all that will give them a different future, yet one still worth embracing.

Christmas on Crimson Mountain by Michelle Major touched my heart in so many ways, and has lingered in my mind long after that final page. There is pain and heartache in this story; there is also hope, and new beginnings should April and Connor take a few very difficult risks on themselves and each other. I can completely understand why this story was a RITA award winner. If you love a well-written, completely emotional romance that will tear your heart apart before mending it once again in a new direction, with believable characters and realistic situations, then you’ll be a perfect fit for this couple’s journey.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

[CatherineF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novel in a Nutshell - April has been given guardianship of her best friend's two young girls after she passed away. April doesn't feel able to take the girls on long-term, but plans to give them a Christmas to remember in a lodge on Crimson mountain. At the same time, April is being caretaker to the lodge next door where reclusive author Connor Pierce is working on his new bestseller following a family tragedy. Can the mismatched group help each other work through their issues, and will there be a sprinkling of romance for Connor and April in the process?

My review - I LOVED this book. It really gave me a cosy Christmas feeling. The fact that it was set in a lodge on a snowy mountain was a huge tick for me on my perfect Christmas stort checklist, but the rest of the book didn't disappoint. You really get to know the characters, and watch them grow and change throughout the course of the book. I particularly liked the relationship between Connor and Ranie, and the way this pair of lost souls really connected with and supported each other was beautiful. Overall this was an amazing Christmas read that I can be sure to come back to again and again in future festive seasons.

[Kathleen Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really beautiful read. All the main characters felt loss and were healing, or wallowing in their grief. But in this story they need each other to heal.

Conner living in solitude, not wanting to associate with others, not feeling deserving of happiness and love since the car crash that took away his wife and son. He still feels guilt about this, that it should have been him.

April is a survivor of cancer and divorced from the douchebag of a husband who should have supported her through it. But shes still grieving, still not living, not prepared to make proper roots and make things permanent.

Ranie and Shay are two little girls who just lost their mother, a friend of April's, to cancer. And now they're with April for Christmas and Conner is in the Cabin next door writing his novel. These four people need each other, and together they begin to heal but will it be enough for them to stay together? This will be a Memorable Christmas on Crimson Ranch.

I received a copy of this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

[Brookelyn Mae · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been going through the Heaving Bosoms podcast, because I like to keep a simple read on my phone for times when I'm waiting in line and have forgotten the physical book I'm reading.

This one was rough. HOWEVER, if you like fanfiction where everyone is traumatized and cheesy things happen? This will be fun for you. It's very beauty and the beast meats trauma and Christmas. This book was honestly more about trauma than the romance. I feel like a lot of scenes were cut, or things just jumped around with no explanation. I didn't super believe the romance, maybe because we hardly got any, AND they got married after LITTERALLY only knowing each other a few days?. This story also heavily relies on the kids, so if you're not a kid person. This story isn't for you. In this book the MC's skin is described as "milky" or "creamy" way too many times (once is bad enough).

I don't really recommend this book, but I recommend reading it then listing to the Heaving Bosom's episode on it, because they were hilarious in going through the book.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in time for the holidays, we get to visit Crimson at Christmas once again! Michelle Major's characters always catch my heart and this story is no exception. April and Connor both have major events from their pasts to overcome, but with the help of two adorable girls who need their own Christmas miracle, love wins the day. The subject matter of both April and Connor's pasts are difficult, but Ms. Major touches on them with her usual tender understanding with a nice dose of humor to keep it all in perspective. I love all the Crimson books and highly recommend the series if you haven't had explored them!

[Phylis Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connor is an author who has come to Crimson Mountain Mountain to finish his book. He's trying to forget a painful past and wants no distractions while he is writing.

Along comes a main attraction, April s the caretaker of the cottage and she is to do the cooking and cleaning for him during his stay. She now has her two nieces who she is responsible for because their mother has passed away and left her as the guardian.

This book made me feel sorry for the girls because they have lost their Mom, and they are trying to learn to cope with that, now they have to learn to live with April. A really touching book

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a string of unlikely occurrences, April, a yoga teacher/vacation rental caretaker, must take care of two little girls whose mother has just died. In two weeks, the girls will be handed over to their cranky, selfish aunt, who'll raise them from then on. Meanwhile, a cantankerous writer, Connor, has rented one of the cabins for two weeks. It's April's job to cook and clean for him, as well as keep those danged kids quiet and far away from him.

The girls were adorable; don't remember why they don't have a dad. April and Connor are emotionally stunted due to terrible traumas they've experienced. The setting is super sweet, and there's a happy ending.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christmas on Crimson Mountain (Crimson Colorado) by Michelle Major is a feel good, quick reading, stand alone holiday romance. I downloaded to the story and just couldn't put the book down. In this book April is thrown into parenthood when her friend passes away from breast cancer. April meets Connor when she is hired to take care of him while he writes a his book. Tragedy from both their pasts make it hard for them to move forward. Learning to trust and believe make this a wonderful holiday romance.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book set at Christmastime! April, who just became the guardian for her friend's two girls, is slated to cater to Connor's whim when he comes to Crimson Mountain to stay at the cottage and finish his current book in progress. The baggage that they both had made getting together near impossible, but they pulled out their HEA in the end.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet and heartwarming romance about two protagonists with some major baggage that find unexpected hope in each other. The contrast of sulky preteen and joyful kindergartener kept the kid dynamic interesting. And the things in the hero and heroine's pasts made their fear of commitment understandable.

[Sue Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connor and April - 2 truly troubled souls after dealing with life's hard hand, but what an incredible story as they coming together in a truly touching Christmas story to try and bring some hope for 2 motherless little girls. Excellent read!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story. Would read more of this series.

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off promising, but then once they got together, I got a little bored midway through.
The kids were really cute though and realistic. More like 3 1/2 stars.

[Beverly S · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great holiday romance story even though chose to read it in August.

[Tambra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Michelle Major, Love her books. Great characters.

[NKA]

This is a heaving bosoms episode, read then listen to the ep at chistmas.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

***1/2

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooey gooey cheese-kids, kittens and Christmas

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this signed book from a giveaway by the Author! I totally loved this sweet Christmas romance! Read it in ONE sitting!!

[Paula Genereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great novella. It keep me wondering and I loved all the heartfelt moments in it.

[Mary Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good escape. A story of second chances and blended families.