Home for the Holidays – ARC Review

Home for the Holidays
by Sara Richardson
Release Date:  September 22, 2020
Publisher:  Forever
Standalone
Number of pages:  320
Kindle Edition
Source: NetGalley ARC
Contemporary Fiction/Women’s Fiction
Rating: PG-13
Read 9/16/20 to 9/18/20

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.

I am a huge fan of this author’s contemporary romance stories. This is the first time I’ve read a book by her that isn’t classified as romance, but I still found it to be wonderful. Honestly, I’m a sucker for romance, so of course I devour those books more quickly. There are sweet and romantic elements sprinkled here and there throughout this story, but overall it’s a story about family and sisters. I didn’t read it at quite the same pace as her romance books, yet I still didn’t want to put it down.

There are some very hard realities these sisters have to face throughout this book. All three of them are going through intense lows, but coming together at their aunt’s house, away from their “real” lives, helps to lift them back up. Dahlia, Magnolia, and Rose begin to rediscover that special bond of sisters and realize they’ve been going it on their own when they could have been leaning on one another.

While each sister has their own journey of self-discovery to take, they’re really not so different. Self doubt and an ingrained need to always be the helper to everyone else keeps them all from doing things that make them happy. They see that characteristic in each other, but have a harder time seeing it when they look in a mirror.

There is a lot going on in this story, but the author weaves it all together beautifully. I’m a stickler continuity and timing issues. The continuity in this story is spot on, but some of the timing gave me pause. In this case, I feel as though the author took artistic license on how long things take to accomplish in order to keep the flow of the story going, and I’m okay with that.

This story isn’t classified as romance, but it still gave me a Happily Ever After at the end, which I love.

4 stars

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

6/19/21
This story is now considered book #1 in the Juniper Springs series.