Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin (Book Beginnings & Friday 56)

Friday 56 (share from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice (today pg 56 of the epub) 
& Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader

Amazon Description

This year spend a wonderful Christmas on Juniper Island, where love can melt even the iciest of hearts… 

Piper Chesterfield lives a glamorous life travelling the world and reviewing the finest hotels. She calls nowhere home, she works alone and that’s how she likes it. For long ago Piper decided that to protect her heart she should lock it away. 

So when Piper’s next assignment brings her to the newly opened Stardust Lake Hotel for the festive season, the last person she expects to face is Gabe Whitaker, the man who broke her heart so completely she could never love again. 

But Piper isn’t the only one who has been frozen in time by heartbreak. Gabe hasn’t forgotten the golden-eyed girl who disappeared from his world without a trace. 

Now fate has reunited them on Juniper island, can the magic of Christmas heal old wounds? And can this enchanting town be the one place Piper can finally call home? 

Curl up with this gorgeously romantic tale and let the glistening snow and the roaring fires of Stardust Lake Hotel get you in the festive spirit this Christmas. 

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I can't help the fact that I freaking adore Christmas. I could likely read at least one or two Christmas books a week for the entire year (before into taking into consideration any new releases) and then you would never get a break from my Holly Jolly Ho-Ho-Ho-Happiness. 

Hmmmmm .... Holly Jolly .... Holly Martin ....

I'm beginning to think that the "Holly" is not a mere coincidence.

I don't know if "Holly Martin" is a pen name or her actual legal name but it doesn't rightly matter -- either way, Holly was destined to write feel-good Christmas romances and Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky definitely fits that description. Of course, it's not all mistletoe, hot cocoa and peppermint sticks 

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because it's far more realistic than that (in spite of the gang of Shetland ponies that terrorize the community ... I find them to be a little far-fetched). It's a story of looking back and moving forward and embracing the magic of the season.

I'm not quite done with it yet but so far I'm loving this book. In spite of their flaws (and oh man oh man do they have some), I can't help but root for Piper and Gabe .... and, as part of the package deal, Gabe's adorable 4-year-old Frozen-obsessed daughter, Wren. The setting of the town called Christmas on Juniper Island sounds like a dream come true and, unless you're new around here, you already know that I love books based in and around hotels. I'm super-excited that I already have the next one in the series waiting for me and that it features the hotel's manager, Gabe's sister, Neve. She annoyed me a bit at first, but I've grown to adore her as the pages have scrolled by. (Hopefully the third book will feature their brother Luke. I need to know more about him!)

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The book is being released on September 22nd and once again I thank Bookouture for letting me read early via NetGalley. I sometimes wonder if every time they see that I've requested yet another one of their books if they just shake their heads and roll their eyes.

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Really, though, I typically imagine it to be much more like ....

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(No ... not REALLY really ... I've just been waiting for a good excuse to use the gif)