Christmasland

                            

Title: Christmasland

Author: Anne-Marie Meyer

Published: Sweet Escape Publishing, LLC, November 28, 2022

Pages: 192

Genre: Holiday Romance

When Emilia told me she won an all inclusive trip to Christmasland, I laughed. Outloud.

Surely a place like that didn't exist.

Boy, was I wrong.

Now I'm stuck on holiday repeat where everywhere I turn there's Christmas carols, sledding, cookie decorating, and holiday cheer. All of which, I'm told, is part of the "experience" of Christmasland. But I can't believe that. A whole town dedicated to recreating a Christmas movie for all of its guests? You've got to be joking.

Until I start checking off the list of events.

Rescued by a Handsome Stranger who's Back Home from the Big City ✓
A Overzealous Town Busybody who seems Determined to Change my Grinchy Spirit ✓
A Baking Competition I Couldn't Possibly Win ✓
A Montage of Feel Good Christmas Events ✓
An Interrupted First Kiss... ✓

Now I don't know what is real and what is fake. I know I have feelings for the grumpy Hero, but I can't tell if he returns them.

In a place that peddles in fake realities, this is the first experience I wish was real.

I want to believe in a Christmas miracle, but my holiday history has told me, Christmas comes with nothing but disappointment.

I've never gotten a happily ever after and I doubt that will change now.

So cute. Such holiday. Much romance. I'm not shocked this was made into a movie, it read very much like I imagine a Hallmark Christmas movie screenplay reads. My only real complaint about this is that there was an obvious "villain" in this book. And instead of just leaving it at that, there were quite a few contrived villains that kept popping up. And somehow all of them were women...which just feels really misogynistic for a genre aimed toward women. But like...it is still a cute little Christmas romance.

Ratings

Stars: 3/5