Home for the Holidays

Score: 4/5 Bookmarks

Thank you to Forever Publishing for gifting me a review copy of Home for the Holidays by Sara Richardson. This book was exactly what I needed to read at this time of year. It was cozy, and sweet, and heartwarming.

Three sisters, Dahlia, Magnolia and Rose head back to Colorado to spend Christmas with their aunt after not visiting for fifteen years. They all have fond childhood memories of their time there, but when they arrive it is certainly not like they remember—and neither are the three of them.

Each of the sisters is dealing with her own troubles, soul-searching, or big life decisions. Dahlia is dealing with divorce and finding who she is now besides a mother and ex-wife. Magnolia is dealing with an infertility struggle that has been ripping her (and her marriage) apart. Rose is engaged to a man who’s perfect on paper, but she’s not sure it’s the life she wants. All three of them finally open up to each other, and are able to draw on sisterly support and wisdom along with some (often interfering) actions and advice from their aunt to sort out their own feelings and find a way forward.

I really loved the way the author created all of the characters and will definitely be reading more from her. Every one of them felt relatable in their own way and as if you’d known them for years.

I was also 100% into the idyllic mountain resort setting in the Colorado Rockies (where we lived before moving to Seattle), although it made me extremely nostalgic for winter wonderlands and the way small-down Colorado goes all-out for the holidays in a way that a big city really doesn’t.

There’s some heartbreak, romance, and a lot of sisterly love all tied up with a pretty holiday bow. Definitely get this onto your holiday TBR list! You can grab your own copy by clicking the button below.

Synopsis:

The Buchanan sisters all share special childhood memories of their Aunt Sassy’s beloved Juniper Inn. There, they frolicked in the snow, baked sugar cookies, and celebrated the town’s annual Christmas extravaganza. They haven’t been back to Colorado in nearly fifteen years, but when their aunt invites them for one last Christmas, they can’t say no . . .

With her ex-husband whisking her children away for the holiday, Dahlia decides it’s time to do something for herself. Juniper Springs is just as beautiful as she remembers, but it’s also full of surprises — including the town’s handsome doctor, who makes her feel like herself again for the first time in years.

To the outside world, baker Magnolia has the ideal marriage. Only the pain and sorrow of infertility have strained her relationship with her husband, perhaps beyond repair. But a holiday miracle is about to change her life.

After a whirlwind romance, youngest sister Rose is about to be married, but as the wedding draws near, she’s unsettled by her fiancé’s expectations that she become a society wife. Spending Christmas with her family could be a necessary reality check — or the beginning of a brand-new happily ever after.

Thanks to the strength of their sisterhood, some mistletoe, and the love of their Aunt Sassy, the Buchanan sisters will discover what it is they truly want this Christmas.