The Cranberry Inn – ARC Book Review

An unputdownable, feel-good Christmas romance about fresh starts, the importance of family and learning how to follow your heart. Perfect for fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Rachel Hanna and Carolyn Brown.

As twinkling lights go up and snowflakes begin to fall, Laurel Hanover and her eight-year-old son are going home to the Cranberry Inn in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Laurel can’t wait to leave New York behind to help her father run the family business, and make snow angels with her son, even if it’s just for Christmas. But when she walks through the door, she’s shocked to find the inn in disrepair, and a letter saying her father will be gone until Christmas Eve…

No one in town knows where Laurel’s father is, and she doesn’t know whether to be worried or angry – but she won’t let the inn go under, and nothing will get in the way of the perfect Christmas for her son. Seeing the worn-out wooden bannisters, bare of festive lights, she immediately recruits her childhood friend, brooding local carpenter Joel Hutcherson. They might disagree on whether any walls actually need to come down, but each rip in the carpet makes Laurel more concerned for her father, and Joel is a welcome distraction. And when he admits that Laurel was his first crush, she realises she’s falling for him.

But then Laurel uncovers a card with beautiful, ornate writing amongst her father’s things and learns the real reason he disappeared. And it changes everything. Worse still, she thinks Joel knew the truth all along.

Laurel thought this was going to be the perfect Christmas – that maybe she had found her happy. But now there’s nothing to stop her from running back to New York the moment the baubles come down… is there?

After reading The Lily’s Garden, I decided I want to read more books from this author and so glad I got this book approved by the publisher!

Plot:- After receiving an unexpected phone call from her father, Laurel with her husband goes back to Cranberry Inn, the inn which was run previously by her mother but now in a sort of disarray. She then gets an unexpected guest who wants some time to be himself and so she starts working around the inn, trying to run the inn like her mother used to. Meanwhile, Joel, Lauren’s high school crush who is travelling around the world has returned back to the small town. Laurel then finds a deep secret about her father, finding out the reason why he had run away from the inn. And worst of all, her childhood friend Joel knows about it.

Writing:- The story gave me a feeling of Christmas that I can already feel like I am celebrating Christmas–with the vivid descriptions and everything. This is such a heartwarming tale and talk of second chances, the community get togetherness and of course, Laurel’s budding romance with Joel. The writing was really great and the author actually did a good job drawing the reader towards the story, making the reader feel like they are a part of the story as well. Though I know the ending was predictable, nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book so much that I can’t wait to read more books from this author!

Characters:- Laurel is a favorable character–her devotion as a mother and how she is willing to run the inn, just like her mother used to run. Joel was also another favorable character and I rooted for them as the couple. Well, in fact, the characters in the story are all likable.

Overall:- Overall, this is a heartwarming tale and emotional story with an air of Christmas, that will draw you into the story and is quite unputdownable–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.