How the Grump Saved Christmas

by Claire Kingsley

Holy Night, Grumpy Night.

Hardworking Isabelle Cook has a serious problem. Her family farm, site of Tilikum’s Christmas Village, is in trouble. Big trouble. And worst of all? The man trying to buy it is none other than the grumpiest, grinchiest man of them all—Elias Stoneheart.

That’s a big nope. She’s not letting him get involved. Not with his heart made of coal.

Elias Stoneheart is in the business of making money, not friends. Especially when his boss is promising a long-awaited promotion. All he has to do is convince one struggling family to sell their farm.

The problem? It’s Cook Family Farm. And Isabelle Cook is his ex.

He might have history with Isabelle, but this is just business. A Christmas-loving farm girl is not going to come between him and his ambition.

And Christmas? He hates it. Christmas Village needs to go.

But as Elias spends time in the small town, holiday spirit—and Isabelle—get under his skin. And she might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Author’s Note: a sassy farm girl takes on a grumpy businessman in this stand-alone, snowy, small-town Christmas romance. Saucy banter, a guard donkey, plenty of holiday cheer, and a heartwarming happily ever after that will make you believe in the magic of Christmas.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2022

About the author

Claire Kingsley is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author of sexy, heartfelt contemporary romance, romantic comedies, and small-town romantic suspense. She writes sassy, quirky heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.

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Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my gawd, Why didn’t I DNF this? I was so bored! So glad that is over! I finally finished this albatross of a book! This was the most boring book in the history of books. Such a trite pile of clichés and overused Christmas themes. Did the world need another banal retelling of a Christmas Carol? No, no it did not. I’ve read three others this year and at least they were mildly entertaining. This was decidedly not. I found it to be quite depressing.
This was about two people who valued work over everything. I THINK the hero was supposed to be the Scrooge but I have to be honest, neither character had many redeeming qualities or was overly generous or giving. The woman Isabel worked on her family Christmas tree farm (yes I know, I rolled my eyes hard when I read it too) at the expense of everything and the man, Elias worked his corporate job and had no friends. So in this scenario I guess small town = virtuous and city = evil? Because both characters acted like big joy kills, but Isabel liked Christmas so I guess she wins?
Isabel ran around her farm shovelling reindeer shit and fixing signs and harped on and on about how her farm was failing and had debt, and blamed it all on Elias. Not once did she pull up an expense report, try to consolidate her debt or ask for help from her friends or town or even try to generate extra income. All we heard from her was ‘Elias and his evil corporation are trying to buy my farm from me’. Elias didn’t make your farm insolvent, your family did, so stop mucking stalls and start working smart.
And Elias was just grumpy and had a shitty personality.
This was not A Christmas Carol. This was not laid out well and this author is not freaking Dickens. This was not original, not entertaining, not heart warming, not funny, not believable, it was depressing as hell and it went on forever.
And all the little Easter eggs for the author’s Bailey Brothers series were obvious and annoying. That series is over, stop trying to sell it to everyone. This was a useless book. Do not recommend. Kudos to the cover designer, that was well done and is the only reason this gets two stars.
Number 1 in my game of ‘read Christmas books with vintage red trucks on the cover’ and no red trucks made an appearance in the text.

[Yana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️ IM IN LOVE WHAT???? this was amazing.

this book not only showered me in fluff & christmas spirit.. but it also had the best characters & plot!!! i adored isabelle so much & elias was the best grump (who was a secret softie) ever. this was also so funny, in the sweetest way too???

the side characters? pls i need all of them to get their own books immediately. alice and cole? perfect. levi and annika? perfect x2!!!! AND MADDIE? my angel!!!!! her friendship w elias was one of my favorite things in this whole book.

idk this just hit the spot. it’s only not a 5 star because i did get a lil bored throughout certain parts but whatever. im in love regardless.

“this sweater is horrible. i love it so much.”
“i’m taking it off as soon as possible.” 💚

[Claire Kingsley]

This holiday romance was such a joy to write. I'm basically addicted to grumpy heroes who clash with sunshiney heroines and this is all that and more! There's a quirky small town, a guard donkey named Horace, a Christmas-hating grump, and a farm girl who won't give up her family farm without a fight. Especially to the Grinchiest, Scroogiest guy she knows.

I took some inspiration from the holiday classic A Christmas Carol, and although there aren't any ghosts, there are some pesky squirrels. It's the romance novel equivalent of wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket in front of a crackling fire with your favorite warm beverage while Christmas lights twinkle and your heart is filled with contentment and joy.

Pick your holiday pleasure - ebook, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, or audiobook!

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback: https://readerlinks.com/l/2959749
Listen with Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0BLP68QF3

A note about reading order: How the Grump Saved Christmas is a stand-alone holiday romance. It takes place in Tilikum, home of the Bailey Brothers, and the timeline overlaps with Rewriting the Stars, Bailey Brothers book 6. You can read Grump before the Bailey Brothers (you won't be lost, promise) or after, either way works!

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies, you will love this book because it is basically a Hallmark movie in book form.

Not nearly enough chemistry or steam, if you blink you might miss the sex scene. Although, I guess that is also how Hallmark movies are so I guess it tracks.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, gimmicky, and the romance was majorly lacking. It’s chick lit, uninspiring chick lit. The best thing about this book is the cute Christmas cover. I didn’t know that this was related to her Bailey Brothers series. Maybe had I read those I would have felt the connection to the characters and to the town. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I found all the nods, references, and character cameos from that series to be annoying. This was also a very H centered book and those are never my thing.

Overall: 1.5

[Sedef · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5'tan 4'e yuvarlıyorum.

Holiday
Small town
Grumpy X Sunshine

Elias Stoneheart... Grumpy karakter için daha uygun bir soyadı olamazdı.
Beyaz yakalı finans adam. Şirketi yeni bir arazi alarak yeni bir yerleşke inşa edecek ama satın alınmak istenen arazinin sahipleri satmaya yanaşmıyor. CFO'luk terfisi için arazi sahiplerini ikna etmek ve bu satın alım işini çözmek isteyen Elias'ın önünde kocaman bir pürüz var.

İkna etmesi gereken aile Cook ailesi... Ailenin kızı Isabelle Cook... Elias'ın eski sevgilisi...

Ailesi ile Noel çiftliği işleten, maddi zorluklar çeken ancak çiftlikten vazgeçmek istemeyen Isabelle yıllar sonra kasabaya geri gelen eski sevgilisi Elias ile şaşkına döner. Bir de onun çiftliği elinden almak talebiyle geldiğini öğrenince olaylar başlar.

Güzel, sevimli bir Noel temalı kitaptı. Elimde biraz sürünür gibi oldu ama yıl sonu iş yoğunluğuna denk geldi valla.

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Claire Kingsley book and I think I need to read her backlist. While this can definitely be read as a stand-alone, it mentioned a couple families that I could tell there was history there.

“My heart tried to do something. Start beating again, maybe. Whatever it was, it hurt and I did not like it. Straightening my shoulders, I swallowed back the sensation. Forced it behind a wall of ice where it wouldn’t get in the way. When she turned to face me, her eyes widening with surprise, I didn’t even flinch. Despite the fact that she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

Elias Stoneheart was the perfect grump that used it to hide the hurt boy underneath. I love this second chance romance that started when Elias & Isabelle were teens and picked up in their 30’s. Definitely unfinished business to take care of between them. Loved this small town Holiday romance.

[Sevgi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çooook güzeldi. 😍 Kitap beni öyle yumuş yumuş yaptı. İki karakterde harikaydı. Yan karakterlerde ayrı güzeldi. Ayrıntılı yorumu sonra yapacağım. Çok sevdim. Canım Grinch'im Elias😍İçinde tam bir pamuk şeker. Kitabı okumak bana eskiden TV de yayınlanan noel filmlerini hatırlattı. Tam türüne uygun ve güzel yazılmış. Epilog ve bonus bölüm ayrı güzeldi.
Bailey kardeşleri de merak ettim. Onları da okuyacağım. 😘

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ This is definitely one of my all time favorite holiday books. It had the perfect amount of fluff and cute moments along with an amazing plot. Second chance romances always do it for me and this book was just perfection. Isabelle and Elias were everything and to see Elias grow throughout this book was so great. He is my favorite grump who is also a softie. This was a hallmark movie with a bit of spice… what more could you want?

“Belle.”
“You always do that.”
“Don’t pretend like you know me.”
“I do know you.” 💛

[READ ME ROMANCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect title and book cover for this holiday romance as Claire Kingsley pens what is sure to be a holiday classic, one that you will want to revisit year after year. If you love small towns, second chances, grumpy/sunshine, witty banter, and loads of character growth, then you must read “How the Grump Saved Christmas.”

I truly believe that people aren’t naturally grumpy, that there is something in their past that made them that way. As the story unfolds, you will learn why our hero, Elias Stoneheart, has been a loner, focusing only on work, for most of his adult life. He’s my favorite kind of broody male–gruff on the outside, but soft on the inside with a heart that grows bigger with each passing day, just like the Grinch. He just needed the love of the right woman to help him realize true happiness and all that he had been missing.

And that woman was Isabelle, his high school sweetheart, whom he left after graduation without every looking back. Isabelle and her parents own the Cook Family Farm in Tilikum and turn it into a magical Christmas Village every winter that is the highlight of the townsfolk. And if that name rings a bell and you are familiar with the author’s work, you will be in for a treat, because yes, yes, yes, the Baileys and the Havens make an appearance, as do so many other wonderful secondary characters. I loved Elias’ assistant who also finds love on the Cook farm, his aunt and uncle, her parents and best friends, and the whole crazy town. I even love the squirrels!

When Elias and Isabelle reconnect it’s because the Farm is in financial trouble, and the company that Elias works for wants to purchase their land. Isabelle isn’t having it, she’s trying to save the farm, not sell it, and both our hero and heroine are conflicted as they both have very real feelings for each other that are also at stake. I just adore her sass and work ethics, and how she is not afraid to get her hands dirty and stand up to corporate America.

Claire writes my favorite kind of small town romance because it warms the heart, gives you faith in humanity, and makes you believe that all is right in their little part of the world. The writing as always is excellent and I was absorbed in the story from beginning to end. Elias and Isabelle live and work in different towns, but can she trust him? There is plenty of steam to melt the snow and their physical connection is certainly not an issue. But what are his motives? Does he even want the deal to go through and risk not seeing her again?

The author writes such lovable, relatable characters that evolve on every page. They both have insecurities that, unbeknownst to them, affected their behavior, and as readers, you will route for these two opposites attract the entire time. Elias was able to put some demons to rest and be vulnerable which only brought them closer and helped to melt his icy heart.

I especially loved the extended epilogue in the future that will truly make you believe in the magic of Christmas and appreciate the inner peace and joy that only family can bring.

[Jo Bennesch · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶

Me encantó. Habiendo leído la serie de los hermanos Bailey de la misma autora, el pueblo de Tilikum me resulta conocido, así como los personajes.
Este libro transcurre en paralelo al último, a la historia de Levi y Anika,
Isabelle es una de sus mejores amigas.

En este caso es una historia de segunda oportunidad entre Isabelle y Elias, todo durante la temporada navideña.

Me gustó mucho. Si bien el argumento es bastante simple y clásico, (chico de gran empresa llega a pueblo, chica trata de salvar negocio familiar), disfrute mucho de la historia que tenían en común. Los flashbacks, su reencuentro, la animadversión entre ellos, la historia pasada, etc..

Un romance de segunda oportunidad donde esta bien planteada la causa de la ruptura y ese primer amor que x inmadurez y complejos queda en el camino.
Me gustó la evolución de los personajes, sobre todo de Elias.

Amé a los secundarios. (Por qué Cole no tiene su libro???? 😪)

Amé volver a leer sobre Tilikum y la ambientación navideña es un plus.

Lo recomiendo. ♥️

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite Christmas book this season. It is a sort of jilted romance with Isabelle trying to save her family’s Christmas park. Elias works for a company interested in buying the land and closing the farm. I enjoyed the story line. Best of the 2022 season!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't believe that I will write a long review for this one. I was craving a good Christmas romance and this one definitely offered up a sweet romance with a little redemption. A satisfying and entertaining read.






Goodreads review published 30/12/22

[veronica ☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The squirrels… AHAH this was cute & heartwarming christmas themed enemies to lovers/second chance romance! Elias sounds sexy as f***, no lie. The epilogue was adorable!!

tropes: holiday romance, enemies to lovers

[Seda · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐿️Isabelle’s love—and her sass—had saved me. And that was the biggest Christmas miracle of all.


🐿️“I don’t want to waste the rest of my life on pointless ambition. What good is the corner office if I’m alone? If I don’t have you?”


🐿️“Is there a rock in your chest?” Maddie pointed a finger at me.
“A rock?”
“Stoneheart.”
“No, honey, that doesn’t mean he has a rock in his chest.” Alice brushed a wisp of hair off her forehead. “That’s just his last name. He has a regular heart.”
“Actually, I might have a rock in my chest. I’ve never looked.”
Still wearing that bright smile, she stepped closer to stand right in front of me, then held up her hand. “Can I feel?”
The furrow in my brow deepened but I crouched so she could reach. She pressed her palm to my chest, her smile fading to a look of intense concentration.
“You have a heartbeat,” she whispered.
“Good morning,” Isabelle said behind me.
“This is my daughter, Maddie,” Alice said.
“Hi, Maddie. Nice to meet you.”
“He has a heartbeat.” She pointed at me again. “I checked.”
Isabelle glanced between us. “Good to know.”


🐿️“You can tell me whatever you want but I think you still have feelings for her.”
“I don’t have feelings.”
“I used to think that but now I’m not so sure.” She tilted her head. “Maddie liked you and she’s a very good judge of character. Or I thought she was. Now I’m doubting everything I thought I knew about the world.”
“Kids don’t like me.”
“No one likes you but apparently my daughter wants to be the one to break the mold.”
“Very funny.”


Çocukluk aşkı, ikinci şans, aşktan nefrete/nefretten aşka dönüşen ilişki, aşırı huysuz bir erkek karakter, noel köyü&çam ağacı çiftliği, karlar içinde bembeyaz küçük bir kasaba… Daha ne isterim?🤌🏻🤌🏻

Daha çıkmadan kapağıyla aşk yaşadığım How the Grump Saved Christmas, iliklerime kadar kıristmıııssss ruhunu hissettiren, yaşatan bir kitaptı. Hem de her hücresiyle Scrooge ve Grinch karışımı bir erkek karakterle başardı bunu😁🤩

Elias Stoneheart, tam olarak soyadı gibi taştan bir kalp taşıdığına kendisi bile çok fazla inanmış; noelden, temsil ettiği her şeyden, bütün noel geleneklerinden nefret ettiğini düşünen bir erkek karakterdi. Ve bu kadar huysuz, sevimsiz görünen bir karakter, okura ancak bu kadar güzel sevdirilirdi. Elias’a bayıldım😍😍 Kitabın geneli onun huysuzluğu ve aksiliği üzerine kurulunca, kıkır kıkır güldüren inanılmaz keyifli diyaloglar ortaya çıkmıştı. Bazen konuşmasına bile gerek kalmadan, homurdanmasıyla, hareketleriyle, iç sesiyle çok güldüğüm bir karakter oldu.

Özellikle asistanı Alice ve kızı Maddie ile olan diyalıglarına kahkahalarla güldüm. Herkesin bir adım geri durduğu adama, Alice’in sürekli laf sokmasını, söylediklerine çatır çatır cevap vermesini; Maddie’nin, Elias’ın ayarlarını bozduğu tespitlerini okumak inanılmaz eğlenceliydi. Çocukların olduğu kitaplar ayrı bir keyifli oluyor bence. Burada çocuk karakterimiz yan karakterin kızı olmasına rağmen kitaptan alınan keyfe katkısı çok büyüktü.

Kadın karakteri Isabelle’in az da olsa Elias’ın gölgesinde kaldığını düşünsem de, özellikle başlarda sürekli laf sokmasıyla ve takır takır verdiği cevaplarla; ailesine, çiftliğe, noel köyüne olan bağlılığıyla; vazgeçmemesi ve pes etmemesiyle severek okuduğum bir karakterdi. Geçmişte yaşadığı olaya ve duygularına birazcık daha yer verilmesi gerektiğini düşünüyorum. Ama neden üstünde çok durulmadığını da anlayabiliyorum. Bu küçük eksikliğe rağmen, çocukluk aşkının duygusu ve o aşkın yıllar sonra nefretten yeniden alevlenmesi güzel yansıtılmıştı.

Ufak tefek gereksiz ya da eksik bulduğum, biraz fazla klişeye kaçmış detay vardı belki ama bunların hiçbiri umrumda olmadı. Hikayenin genel keyifli havasının arasında kaynadı. Yazarın mekan ve karakter tasvirlerini özellikle başarılı buldum. Karakterleri kıyafetlerine, tavırlarına, duruşlarına, mimiklerine kadar hayal ederek; çiftliğin, noel köyünün karlı soğuk havasını ve sıcak aile-arkadaş atmosferini hissederek okuması çok kolay ve keyifliydi. Çalışanlar, arkadaşlar, aileler ve bir eşekten🫢 oluşan yan karakterlerin çeşitliliği de bir diğer hoşuma giden özelliğiydi. Yazarın kalemiyle ilk kez bu kitapla tanıştım. Ama son olmayacağı kesin. Önümüzdeki yıl, aynı kasabada geçen diğer serisini de mutlaka okuyacağım. Bu kitapta çok kısa gördüğüm, düşman aileden aşıklar Levi&Annika’yı çok merak ediyorum🤩


🐿️Alice sighed again. “She’s not going to like that.”
“I don’t like her.”
“You don’t like anyone.”
“That’s not true.”
“Name one person you like.”
I opened my mouth to reply but for a second, nothing came out. “You’re wasting my time.”


🐿️“For some reason, everything slows down this time of year.”
“Well, yeah, it’s the holiday season.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s just an excuse.”
“What do you expect people to do? Just ignore that it’s Christmas?”
“When it gets in the way of business, yes.”
She shook her head. “When did you become Ebeneezer Scrooge?”
“I’m not.”
“You kind of are. Everything is about the numbers. I can imagine you sitting in a cold house, refusing to turn the heat on, while you count gold coins and lock them up in a box.”
Her refusing to turn the heat on comment hit a little too close to home.


🐿️“Merry Christmas,” a customer said after I’d helped load her tree into the bed of her pickup truck.
“Merry Christmas,” I muttered in reply.
“Aw, look at you giving out holiday greetings,” Alice said behind me. “Did it hurt?”


🐿️”Thanks again.” Alice went to the truck and got in with Cole and Maddie.
“Damn,” Elias said under his breath.
“What?”
“I’m definitely going to lose her to the farm guy.”
“They do make the cutest little family.”
“I keep telling myself that assistants are replaceable but I don’t think she is.”
“But you still offered to watch her daughter so she can go on a date.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately.”🫢🫢


🐿️Maddie hadn’t stopped grinning at me.
“Why is she smiling like that?” I asked.
“I’m going to see Santa,” Maddie said.
I eyed her. “Let me guess. You’re going to wish for world peace.”
She giggled. “No. I want a `merica doll.”
My brow furrowed. I had no idea what that meant.
“She means an American Girl doll. They have one with crutches but they’re not exactly affordable. I guess whether or not Santa can bring her one depends on whether Mommy gets a holiday bonus this year.” Alice gave me a smug grin.
My gaze moved from her to Maddie. She still smiled at me with those big, hopeful eyes. “Well played. You’ll get a bonus.”
“Thanks, boss.”

🐿️I picked her up and she draped an arm lightly over my shoulder. We went into the kitchen and I pulled up a recipe for sugar cookies on my phone.
”Was Cole nice?”
“He’s always nice. He smiles a lot. Not like you.”
That almost made me laugh. “I guess not.”
She took the cup of sugar I handed her and dumped it in the bowl. “He kissed my mommy.”
“Did he?”
She wrinkled her nose. “On the mouth. Don’t tell Mommy. It’s a secret.”
“I won’t.” I scooped out some baking powder and handed her the spoon. “Is it okay with you that Cole kissed your mommy?”
She dumped it in the bowl. “Yes. Do you kiss Isabelle on the mouth?”
I cleared my throat. “Um, yes?”
She erupted in a fit of giggles and covered her mouth. “Ew.”
“I don’t know. I can’t read big words. Only small ones.”
“It’s easy to forget you’re only five.”

[Ayca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallmark filmleri tadında keyifli ve sıcacık bir Noel kitabıydı. Ana karakterlerin yormadan gereksiz triplere girmeden sorunlara çözüm bulmaları kitabın akıcılığını güçlendirdi. Ayrıca yan karakterler de çok güzellerdi. Hepsini okumaktan büyük keyif aldım. Hazır yılbaşı yaklaşıyorken okumak isterseniz kaçırmayın derim.

[Anne OK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful holiday adventure when a citified Grinch returns to his small-town roots after ten years with plans that could ruin one family’s Christmas -- a family he once had romantic ties to their daughter.

Appealing and evocative, this is a compelling story filled with characters you truly care about and adore. A story that celebrates love, generosity and the spirit of Christmas.

It doesn’t get any better than a second chance at love during the most magical time of the year. Vibrantly festive, charming and delightful. And with both an Epilogue and Extended Epilogue, this holiday gem is sure to warm your heart.

[aycicegininkitapligi · Rating 5 out of 5]

2.kez okusam da yine çok keyif aldım, çok güzeldi😍 Bu yazar ne yazarsa okurum❤️ Şimdi sırada yeni serisi var❤️

[TrippyBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
5/5 audio

When the 🐱 so fire u dont hate Christmas anymore

This is a pretty cute Christmas read if you love Grumps who grow into softies for their woman.
This is a second chance Romance

There are a few flashbacks that I honestly found more interesting than the present day story.

The smut is so lukewarm it might as well have been fade to black (in case u wanted to know)

Good audio

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so sweet and I loved that this Ebenezer got his Belle. At long last! Very heartwarming and I loved being back in Tillicum and seeing some new sides of it.

4 stars
1.5 on the spice scale

CW: discussion of miscarriage

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't talk to me, I'm in love with this book and the people, I want to live in tilikum😩🤧

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved! This is the Hallmark movie but with spice vibes I want to read about during the holidays! Happy reading!

[Simge · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Yılın ilk kitabını sevmek kadar beni tatmin eden bir şey yok🥰

[EJ Summers · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is so boring. No heat between the MCs, snoozefest sex scenes, one-dimensional MCs whose personality trait appears to be that they are workaholics. I’m bummed because I love a good Christmas romance. Oh well, boring people deserve their HEA too.

[Brittanica Bold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite times of the year, because fantastic authors like Claire Kingsley deliver lovey-dovey holiday stories that us devoted readers can gobble up!

This year, Claire allowed us to travel back into Tilikum (home of the Bailey brothers and the Haven heathens) with How the Grump Saved Christmas. Once I saw that red, snow-covered truck with the Bailey Brothers logo I was a goner! I knew I had to get my hands on this small-town romance.

What I liked about the book:
1. Let’s start with the obvious, this setting is to die for! I love Tilikum and I love holidays with snow, so this was a slam dunk for me!

2. I love Grinchy holiday romances! I love watching the person that hates Christmas end up having the best Christmas of all and spreading all kinds of holiday cheer as they save the day. Elias’s transition was so fun to watch, from his care for his assistant’s daughter with cerebral palsy down to his little lumberjack outfits!

3. I liked the MCs enough. I loved that this was a second chance romance and this couple definitely had hard history together.

Isabelle is hardheaded and throws herself into work, to the detriment of the rest of her life. I liked her determination and I liked her rationale for doing this once we found out what it was, but I also thought she was too hardheaded at times when it came to Elias. One moment she was too hard on him and the next she was falling into old habits. I get it, she was conflicted, but it was a little annoying the way it played out at times.

Elias was fun to watch transition from grump with nothing to jolly guy with it all. He was definitely sarcastic and an ass at times, but he had a great heart when he it let it shine. He was good, but he doesn’t have anything on those Baileys!

4. I really liked Elias’s assistant Alice and her daughter Maddie. For me, they really made this story glow. I loved how Alice was one of the only ones Elias would let in, how she gave him shit, but still did a killer job not only in the office but as a single mom to Maddie. Honestly, I wanted so bad to see her end up with a Haven. But that other guy is cool I guess…

Maddie was probably one of my favorite Claire Kingsley characters to date. A little girl full of joy with cerebral palsy that she didn’t let get her down and the brain of a thirty-year-old; it doesn’t get much better than that!

5. The thing I loved the most about this story was how Claire overlapped the timeline with her last book in the Bailey Brothers series Rewriting the Stars. So many of the conversations, events, and moments from Rewriting the Stars were given a new viewpoint and twist in this story, and I loved watching them match up!

What could have been better:
1. This was not spicy at all! Claire doesn’t usually go crazy with graphic sexual situations, but I was expecting something at least! The “spicy” scenes left a lot to be desired, especially for a second chance romance.

Final Thoughts: It’s fun, it’s festive, and it has a lot of heart, just like all other books by Claire.

Final Rating: 4 grumpy stars!

[Kymmie Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad Claire decided to write a Christmas book! Seriously, you guys. This book is everything you’ve ever wanted a Hallmark Christmas movie to be, and then some.

You start with the aptly nicknamed Grinchy Scrooge. Elias Stoneheart (also fitting) hates Christmas, the whole Christmas season. He ends up having to go back to his childhood (well, teenage) home to try and purchase some land so his boss can build a new data center. But the land he’s supposed to buy just happens to be the home of the girl he loved as a teen, before his heart really turned to stone. He left after high school, and never came back.

Isabelle has lived her whole life on her parents’ farm in Tilikum, WA, which transforms into a Christmas Village every year. Isabelle loves the farm, and especially the Village. But it hasn’t been doing well, financially. And her parents may have to sell. Isabelle will do everything she can to keep that from happening. Even try and bring some Christmas spirit to the man she once loved.

If you’ve read Rewriting the Stars, book 6 in the Bailey Brothers series, you’ve seen the Christmas Village before. This book happens concurrently with RwtS, actually, so you’ll see some familiar scenes, and a lot of familiar side characters! And a few new ones, especially those who help bring Elias’ Christmas spirit out. I swear, I almost wish Claire would write nothing but grumpy heroes. She does them so well! They’re really all cuddly cinnamon rolls inside, once their heroines break through. Isabelle’s got her work cut out for her, though, after Elias has been away so long.

Of course, Claire’s amazing steamy scenes make their own appearances, too. Let’s just say that the tension between Elias and Isabelle really, *ahem* explodes in a moment of passion. And then a few more!

But what about the Christmas miracle? And why does Elias’ boss want that particular piece of land anyway? Do they have to sell? And why did Elias leave in the first place? Well, you’re just going to have to read it to find out!

This book can (technically) be read as a stand-alone, but I think it’s better read after having finished the Bailey Brothers series. You’ll be familiar with the town, and the feud, and the squirrels, which adds to the experience of the story.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, but have already pre-ordered a copy to keep.

[Tilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Christmas romance I’ve ever read, and I am in love! This book was all the feels with a solid CK HEA.
Strong character development, steamy scenes and just being back in Tilikum again was EVERYTHING. Getting a glimpse of the Baileys and Havens again left me swooning so hard!
You don’t have to have read the Bailey series before this, but you absolutely should read it!

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

How the Grump Saved Christmas is a super charming, second chance, holiday romance! In this one the hero is the grump who doesn’t like Christmas and the company he works for wants to purchase the heroine’s family’s farm and land. It’s even more layered since he grew up in the small town and they were highschool sweethearts!

Elias Stoneheart hates Christmas. When he overhears his boss is wanting to purchase a farm in Tilikum, Elias mentions he grew up there and his boss sees this as the perfect opportunity for Elias to go there and schmooze the owners into selling. Elias then finds out it’s for the Cook family Christmas tree farm and things get complicated since he used to date their daughter Isabelle in highschool. Isabelle’s family farm is in financial trouble and the company wants to buy the farm’s land and turn it into a data center. Isabelle is determined to save the farm and their Christmas Village. This was super cute and fun, I loved the premise and how it all played out. The longer he stays around, the less he wants to convince her or her family to sell their farm. Her parents wanting her to have a life outside of the farm, Elias and Isabelle haven’t spoken in 11 years and still have feelings for one another, his assistant and her daughter who has cerebral palsy, the guard donkey, just so many sweet and fun moments!

I had only read the Miles Brothers series by this author in the past and had thought those were okay, but I was excited for a holiday romance to try and enjoyed this so much more! This book exists in her Bailey Brothers series, which I haven’t read but didn’t feel lost either. I definitely do want to check out that series now though after meeting some of the characters in it in this book.

CW: miscarriage (in the past)

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute!!