Hey there, bookworms! Happy Saturday! I know I’ve been posting on here plenty, but it’s been a little bit since I’ve brought you a book review, so I figured before I began diving into today’s NaNoWriMo’s goal, I’d tell you about a book I’ve read recently. Let’s talk about Once Upon a Christmas by Christina George!

Tis the season!

I know, I know, Halloween JUST ended, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been eyeballs deep into Hallmark Christmas movies for the better part of a week now. I’m not sure why, but once it gets close to Halloween, I’m over Halloween and ready for what’s next. Weird, right?

Anyway, to get into the holiday spirit, I’m thankful that I was given the chance to read this sweet novella, and the second I’ve gotten to enjoy from Christina George.

Is it ever too late for happily ever after…?

Callahan is one of the hottest guys to move into Harper’s Corner in a long time, partly because he’s also a complete mystery.

He keeps to himself and leads a quiet life, rumors swirl around that he used to be in the military…but no one knows where he came from, or what brought him to their small town.

When Stevie’s parents have a health crisis, she’s forced to take leave from her very New York existence: including a high-powered job at a big publishing house and explosive sex life with her wealthy, handsome and appropriately pretentious boyfriend, to step in and ensure the preservation of the family’s longstanding bookstore.

With the first order of business being to fire Callahan, the unqualified shop assistant her dad hired.

Though as many women from Harper’s Corner can tell you, things change when you come back home.

So firing this attractive, brooding, secretive man turns out to be much harder than she originally planned…

And when his past comes back to challenge him, he can’t keep hiding from what happened.

I invite you to tuck into another Harper’s Corner story about finding love when you least expect it…once upon a time in a bookstore…

As a reader, book lover, literary enthusiast, etc., this story was everything I hoped to enjoy and more. I loved the bits about the hustle and bustle of New York because it reminded me of book expo and all that comes with the literary world in the big city, but I also adored the small town vibe with the quaint bookstore where this cast of characters really takes flight.

As is the same with her last book I read, this wonderful story had all the feel good markings of a holiday Hallmark movie about it. I loved the friendship that formed between Callahan and Stevie when it came to their vision of the little bookstore. It all starts innocently enough, but they know there’s something more intense brewing no matter how much they choose to ignore or deny it.

While the bookstore becomes their focus, eventually they give in to what they want and what’s best for the both of them. Stevie has some thinking and growing to do when it comes to her current boyfriend, Gable, and how she’s being treated, and Callahan has to decide whether or not it’s time to put roots down. Being ex-military and suffering through a tragic loss, he’s been better off not developing an attachment to anything or anyone, and then Stevie showed up to take charge of her parents’ bookstore where he worked.

I adored how their working relationship, blossoming friendship, and trust made them grow and find their happiness. This was a quick read but it flowed wonderfully from beginning to end, and while these two certainly had their challenges, every single page just gave you those feel-good holiday fuzzies that we all want to be filled with all holiday season long.

If anything, I just wish this book were longer so I had more to enjoy, but for 100+ pages, this read made me feel quite toasty!

In my case, now all I want is snow, ornaments, baking, shopping, and the joy that borders on cheesy for a month straight thanks to this lovely story. Now, if the season also brings a lovely, gentlemanly man like Callahan to my doorstep, I don’t think I’d say no to the notion of that either. Oh, to find love in the beauty of a bookstore during the most festive season of the year.. now there’s something to dream about!

If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit (if you haven’t already) check out this novella and the whole Harper’s Corner series. You’ll be glad you did!

Happy reading!

My Final Rating: three out of five stars