Christmas in Cardwick: A Sweet Holiday Romance

by Racquel Henry

Love. Christmas. Second chances. Heartbreak. Greyson Reeves. These are the things Chanel Baldwin has quit. As far as she’s concerned, Greyson Reeves is The Grinch Who Stole Romance—a.k.a. the guy that broke her heart. Since then, music’s been her main squeeze, and she’s become one of the most renowned flutists in the world, traveling the globe for performances. When Chanel finally makes it home for the holidays, her meddling mother asks her to help write a song for the neighboring towns’ annual “Song of the Season” Contest. All Chanel wants to do is get the holidays over with, but she agrees to help—only to discover that the person she’s helping is The Grinch himself, Greyson. She’s not expecting her heart to drop the equivalent of ten stories when she sees Greyson—or that the more time they spend together writing songs, the harder it is to stick to that quit list.

One look at Chanel after so many years and Greyson Reeves is done for, never mind how many times he’s talked himself into believing their epic love story was over. It was his fault things ended anyway. Chanel was going to travel the world as a principal flute with cream-of-the-crop orchestras, and he was going to do the same as a conductor. It would already be tough to make it work, and he wasn’t about to stand in her way back then. Fate had not ruled in their favor. And it broke his heart too. But now? Let’s just say working with her for the annual Song of the Seasons Contest isn’t just creating a song on paper but in his heart.

What if the same person who splintered your heart is the same one piecing it back together?

***Christmas in Cardwick is a novella and NOT a full length novel. It's a heartwarming romance very much like a Hallmark Christmas movie with no explicit scenes.***

Genres: Christmas, Romance

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 17, 2022

Reviews

[Desirai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet holiday second chance romance. I really enjoyed the family dynamics as well. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked out this book from Kindle unlimited because I saw that the main characters had professions as classical musicians. I've always hoped for a book with classic musicians as the main characters. So many people write about bakers, marketing directors, and tree farmers, why not flutists? Because of my high expectations, I came in ready to critique. Off the bat it was unrealistic in that 2 classical musicians don't have any Christmas gigs. The progression of the story took care of that. Overall I felt the author portrayed their jobs pretty well. The story was okay. The characters were flawed and a little annoying sometimes in their immaturity.

[Alyson Grauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet familiar Christmas romance!

Racquel Henry nails the spirit of the season and the feel of old passions reigniting with this little story. Chanel swore she's never let Greyson back into her life, but the holiday concert back home has other plans for both of them. Ho ho ho!

[ajournalforbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This week on song writing, macocious town people and second chances.

We meet Chanel. Twelve years after Greyson Reeves broke her heart, Chanel has developed a quit list. Things she intends to quit in her life like Christmas and Greyson. But when visiting home for the holidays, she runs into none other than Greyson Reeves and they’re forced to work together to write a Christmas song. Can Chanel forgive him for hurting her or will he remain on her quit list forever?

My first impression of this novel was, it’s giving Hallmark meets the Caribbean because this book gave me all the Hallmark feels, with a hint of Trinidad.

Chanel’s and Greyson’s story embodied a Christmas romance. From the song writing, the Christmas traditions and the hot chocolate. Everything about it gave off warm, cozy vibes.

It was my first time reading a Christmas novel that had hints of how Christmas is celebrated in the Caribbean and that blew me over. The feeling of nostalgia overwhelmed me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Scrapsandsass]

If you love romance or Hallmark's Christmas movies, this book is a must-read. Grab a cup of cocoa and settle down, getting ready for the holiday season. It's super sweet. As I read along, I could totally imagine/picture the Hallmark production of it in my head. There are also great touches of cultural traditions that are lovely to read about (and would be a much-needed addition to the Hallmark lineup).

I wish my grandma was still alive so she could read this since she loved Holiday on Park so much. Racquel Henry has a gift for cute romantic moments and sweeping gestures, and I can't help but wonder if there will be a follow-up Cardwick book about Penny (a secondary character).

[Rosemary Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a treat. I’m so happy I read this leading up to christmas. It’s a second chance romance and I loved that it had dual point of view. This is a very sweet small town hallmark romance novella. You get to see Grey and Chanel find each other in their small town after twelve years being apart. You get to see them getting to know each other as adults. You get to experience forgiveness for the hurt that was caused years ago. You get to see Chanel fall back in love with Grey.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet Christmas novella! Be sure to read it if you want:

🎄 Trinidadian characters and traditions
🎄 Second chance romance
🎄 Hallmark vibes
🎄 Small town setting
🎄 Meant-to-be musicians
🎄 Supportive friends/families

[Weekend Reader_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎶

Small town romance, second chance, home for Christmas, Hallmark short. Sweet and endearing with a little miscommunication that was resolved with a good pep talk. The grand gesture at the end melted my heart

CN: heartbreak, work burnout, family pressure

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance

Twelve years have passed since they broke up. Now they need to write a song for the town to win a contest.
Will Greg be able to get her back?
A well written story with strong and believable characters. joy943

[Sophie Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute & Captivating

Absolutely adorable! Great start to the holiday season that was just enough meet-cute, and realistic drama. Hope to read more from R. Henry. Rating: 4.8

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this one! I felt like I’d step straight into a Hallmark Christmas movie.
It was so sweet and romantic. A new Christmas favorite for sure!

[Shouty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THE CLASSICAL MUSIC ANGLE IN THIS ONE!

[Briana B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet read. Despite the length, story was well paced and the plot had a realistic timeline.

[sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute novella

Very cute story, likable characters, PG level spice, BIPOC representation. Loved the arc. Feels like a cozy hallmark movie! #secondchanceromance #holidayromance

[Kerri Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grayson & Chanel ♥️

Cute holiday, small-town romance with Trinidadian holiday traditions.

Second chance romance where two high school sweethearts are forced to work together to help the community after 12 years of avoiding each other.

The story flowed well. I think Grayson should have had to grovel a little more, but they were meant to be together ♥️