Silver Falls is a magical place, even more so at Christmas time. And the Inn that Scarlett’s grandmother owns and runs is the best place to be, ever. But times are hard, and the Inn is losing money, even though Gran doesn’t want to acknowledge that fact. All the family has gathered for the holidays - her grown kids, the grandkids, and more. And after Christmas, they are going to tell Gran that she has to sell the Inn before she loses all her retirement nest egg in trying to keep it open. But Gran is stubborn, and she will not leave the place where she and her late husband lived and worked and raised their family. Scarlett has one hope of saving it, but the man she believes might be interested in buying and preserving the Inn has problems of his own. This complicated and engrossing tale is a romantic page turner, as the relationship between Scarlett and Charlie develops and grows. Nothing comes easy, and some hard decisions are called for, but in the end, the outcome is worth the struggles. It’s a lovely tale, perfect for Christmas. Both the intricate storyline and the life-like characters are quite well written, which makes for an enjoyable and entertaining read. ( )

If you are a Hallmark Christmas movie addict like I am, Christmas at Silver Falls by Jenny Hale will be right up your alley. (I hope there are plans to make this Jenny Hale novel into a Hallmark movie as well.) This book is charming and lighthearted while delving into some more complex emotions as Scarlett deals with the emotions brought about by the future loss of their family inn and falling for Charlie when she's just sworn off falling for guys who need help/fixing. However, Charlie turns out to be a bit more complex as he reveals his own secrets, and Scarlett has to figure out if he's being honest with her about his intentions, or if they are all an act (as her Gran implies).

This is a story about family, tradition, and forgiveness. Maybe a wee predictable (but isn't that kind of the point of these feel-good romances?)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of the book for review purposes. All opinions are my own. ( )

The cover was cute. I don't know if it's because the book was a bit too short for development (263 pages) or if the author just had too much focus on Christmas with not enough time to set things up or what. Also there's a whole stupid plot point with the hero and money and I maybe rage screamed in a pillow. It made zero sense and I just hated it. I also think there was a bit too much going on (another couple, not the main one getting together) that could have been in a separate book if the author wanted to have a series. But trying to shoehorn them into a romance novel when you are supposed to be focused on the main heroine and hero just didn't work. The plot was okay, but execution totally fell down.

"Christmas at Silver Falls" has Scarlett Bailey and her family returning to her grandmother's inn, White Oaks Inn, for Christmas. The family gets together every Christmas and has a huge celebration with the rest of the town. This year though, things are somber. Scarlett and her family realize that her grandmother must sell her business since she's not making enough money to live on let alone run the inn anymore. Scarlett though hears that a rich businessman with ties to Silver Falls, Charlie Bryant, may be living near and she wonders if she can talk him into saving her grandmother's business.

So you may think this is about Scarlett appealing to a Scrooge like character and making him see that love and family are important. Nope, not even a little bit. Charlie is in hiding because of reasons (they are stupid) and at first he's wary of Scarlett, but quickly comes around to wanting to spend time with her and her family. Most of the obstacles are because Scarlett's grandmother doesn't trust him cause rich people, cause, he's a developer, etc. It gets old.

I think the main issue I have is that Scarlett has very little personality. She wants to keep her grandmother's business running. Fine. But I honestly cannot remember what her job is and just passed on looking it up. We hear she picks charity cases as boyfriends, so her grandmother thinks that is what Charlie is (just go with it) and I just didn't care at all.

Charlie's story resonated a bit more with me until we find out why he is in hiding. I maybe went seriously and this is stupid a dozen times.

The secondary romance couple in this one, a long-time friend of Scarlett's and a singing banker were more interesting and I started to wish I was reading about them.

The writing was just okay, there are a lot of plot holes going on here and there and development is lacking for a lot of characters (Scarlett's father, her maiden aunt, etc.)

The setting of Silver Falls reads like a Hallmark Family movie small town. No complaints, it sounded very comfortable and Christmasy.

The ending was a Happily Ever After (HEA) which was nice, but I found myself bored and glad to move on from this one. Do not expect steamy sex scenes or even love scenes period. This is not a Christian romance, but it may as well be. ( )

“Christmas at Silver Falls” lives up to its marketing description of being a “feel-good” heartwarming novel. The story revolves around a family Christmas celebration at their family owned inn, which is in need of repair and renovation. The family seems to have found an investor to take on the project, but then plans seem to fall apart. Several romances and a winter storm add interest to the plot. All is neatly wrapped up in the end. An epilogue adds the final punch to this sweet story that underscores family as the most important aspect of Christmas. The characters and setting are likeable, and the ending is predictable but satisfying.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Scarlett Bailey is joining her family for what could end up being the very last time they celebrate the holiday together at her grandmother’s hotel. The establishment is bleeding money and the family plans on letting Scarlett’s grandmother know the hotel must be sold.

This truly breaks Scarlett’s heart. She has the most delightful memories. She does not have the heart to tell her grandmother. Instead, she is determined to do whatever she can to save the hotel. Christmas traditions are in full force. This is a happy, warm family, and Scarlett does not want these memories to come to an end.

Scarlett thinks she has found the answer when she hears that a rich, well-known property developer, Charlie Bryant, is staying in the town of Silver Falls during the holidays. Scarlett tried to find a way to get Charlie to buy the hotel, while at the same time, keeping her grandmother at the helm.

However, Charlie has something going on. Something deep that changed his life. Despite the fact that is is more than drawn to Scarlett, something is holding him back. Something happens and now Charlie is suddenly forced to face his past.

Charlie is the perfect hero. Oh, he certainly is not a perfect man. As a matter of fact, he was a ruthless businessman. But somewhere along the way he was able to learn some important life lessons. In so doing, what he represented to Scarlett, and ultimately the hotel, and even the town, was truly amazing. Watching a character go through changes that end up for the better is truly endearing.

As we approach the season, a story such as this helps to remind what family is all about. I absolutely loved the emotional impact that this story had on me. I truly love Jenny Hale and have enjoyed every single book I have read by her so far. I look forward to digging into her backlist while remaining eager for future books by this talented author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion. ( )