Can a struggling candle company
kindle a Christmas romance?
Kate Taylor knows what she wants in life: to one day run her family’s candle business, which is at the heart of the close-knit community of Bayberry, Vermont. But the company isn’t doing well.
Wesley Adams is on the fast track to be an assistant vice president at his financial firm in Manhattan. Before the promotion is announced, he’s sent to this small town from his past to do an analysis of the candle company.
He doesn’t expect to bump into his childhood crush, Kate, and when he does, sparks fly. As he spends time in Bayberry, he falls for the town’s Christmas traditions—and for her. But he has a responsibility to submit an honest report. Will it extinguish Kate’s dreams…along with any chance they have for a future together?
Title: Christmas in Bayberry
Series:
Author: Jennifer Faye
Genre: Romance
Published: July 7, 2020
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
My Rating: 4.5 stars
I adore Christmas Romances and will happily read them any time of the year. In fact, I’ll often (especially in this crazy world right now) re-read one of my favorites whenever I need a pick-me-up, go back to a happy place type of experience. So, you could say I’m addicted to Christmas Romance – which makes the new ‘Christmas in Bayberry‘ an extra special treat right now.
Kate wants to take over the reins from her aunt of the candle company that is the center of this small town and is a major employer for most of the residents of Bayberry. But her aunt isn’t quite ready to pass over control and has in fact asked for a review of the books and operations from a financial firm in New York. Unfortunately, the candle company is in trouble which means the town is in trouble as well. She’s looking for a solution without alerting anyone of what may become their new reality -and also without letting Kate know why she’s not ready to step down. Of course, nothing stays secret in a small town, ever. And when Kate realizes exactly why Wes is in town her attraction to this man, and the reality of perhaps not seeing her dream come to life is a bit at war with each other. She’s full of ideas to keep the candle company viable and profitable – some great, others not so much so – but she’s trying to save not only the company she loves but the town as well. Her greatest fear is that either she or the man she’s come to love will have to give up a dream to keep them together longer than the Christmas season.
Wes is returning to Bayberry, a small town he briefly lived in during the years when his father would move the family to greener grass far too frequently. His dream is a promotion, a corner office, and a place to stay, to set down roots forever and this assignment could be the final part he needs to get that promotion officially announced. He didn’t count on running into his high school crush, or to fall for the town, its residents, or its traditions while knowing that the best financial option was to sell the company that was the glue of this community. He might have found the person he could have that forever with – but the cost of destroying each of their dreams would be a price that neither can afford.
I fell in love with ‘Christmas in Bayberry‘ quite quickly. Kate, Wes, Aunt Penny, and a town full of quirky, likable, relatable people pulled me in and never let go. There is a depth to these characters, a need to see a solution for everyone found without destroying dreams that I found both charming and insightful. I’ve enjoyed Jennifer Faye’s work in the past, and she brought her best to this Christmas romance. Expect a few twists, a surprise or two, and a love that feels so real that emotions jump off of the pages. There was no one here that I didn’t like in some way, simply real folks dealing with reality as best they can while two very special people discover that love can grow anywhere, that it’s not the location but the people involved that truly matter. I had such fun and would recommend this trip to Bayberry to any Romance reader at any time of the year. Hallmark movie? Oh, yes, please!
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
Available in a variety of formats including your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle
