I received a complimentary copy of “Her Christmastime Family” direct from the author Tara Randel in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Faith is a single Mum raising a son and daughter whereas Roan is a single Dad raising two daughters; if anything, they already share a mutual understanding with each other but I had a feeling Randel was going to draw out the possibilities with them uniting together to give Faith and perhaps Roan too, a chance for personal growth. As she did this with Heidi and Reid as well. Sometimes love has to take a backseat to allow characters to rise into a path of where their hearts are more open to the potential of a connection and those of course, are some of my favourite kinds of relationship-based romances to read.

I positively love when a character like Roan decides for himself that he and only he can choose when he can fall in love - taking out serendipity and the natural ways in which paths can cross and become strengthened through friendship and connection. He's quite the character - he has a massive level of guilt on his shoulders but its coupled with a lot of anger - something I am quite sure I'll see Randel explore in more detail lateron in the storyline. He is a man of few words but its his internal thoughts which give way to his truer feelings which I felt was a kind blessing from Randel to include those in the context of the narrative as it helps guide us towards him rather than find him too obtuse. How he chooses to interact with Faith is half obliged duty and half curiosity which is also setting the scene well towards future interactions between the two but I had a feeling at this junction both of them were more open to exploring their own disciplined outlines for their futures than merging families and activities!

Of course, tucking close to the latest Matchmakers Club meeting was as delish as eating a slice of pie - each of the members had their own motivations for being in the Club but at the end of their meetings, there was one thing they could all agree on: one couple at a time and all for the common good of seeing people well matched. Even of course, if the couples in question aren't interested in steady relationships, these members choose amongst themselves whose meant to be focused upon next and its the follies of their efforts which win over your own heart watching their antics towards that resolution! The Club has expanded its focus past Gayle Ann and Alveda, to where Wanda Sue is the current clubber whose daughter Faith is centerstage whilst Bunny and the retired Judge are waiting in the wings to have their selected persons worked on next which is where the continued growth of the series might expand in future installments. Either that, or any singleton in Golden might be a viable option for this Club! They truly love to meddle (with the best of intentions!) and get themselves into sticky situations when it comes to manipulating events to help steer people into each others' path - that's the folly I love to follow myself and to see how their suggestions lead into relationships!

As we get a more layered perspective into Faith and Roan's lives, we start to see how intricately complicated a few of their entanglements are from the past. For Faith, her ex Lyle is quite the work and he's in a category of his own for an absent and clueless father when it comes to not understanding how to put his children first in his life. Whereas with Roan, I felt aside from his emotional baggage from the loss of his wife, his greatest obstacle are how to balance his life with his children and their life with their grandparents. All whilst, in the background of Faith and Roan sorting out their lives and their growing attraction to each other are the Matchmakers who continue to leave me in a fit of giggles and smirks watching how they continue to intervene in a lovingly manner of randomness to push Faith and Roan closer together.

I personally loved this story - the Christmassy backdrop endears your heart - as you tuck close to Faith and Roan as they cross-navigate how to bring Christmas back into their children's lives; not an easy task for either of them but even as their muddling through it, there is immense random joy which is fully enjoyed by the reader! From tree lightning ceremonies to family friendly community events, this is the type of small towne that goes the extra mile to let everyone - young and old - find the curiously fun joys Christmas can bring into your life. Those moments combined with the relationship being explored between Faith and Roan, make this a lovely new addition to your #ChristmasReads. The best bit too is the joy you'll have watching two neighbours finding out the best gift at Christmas is the one your not expecting to receive.

// This is a quotation of my full review originally shared via jorielovesastory.com

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I love reading Christmas heartwarming books during the Holiday season because they take me away from the world and all its problems fir a while. Her Christmastime Family by Tara Randel is a sweet story you don’t want to miss this Christmas. Faith and Roan were both single parents, but for different reasons. They both wanted to show their children a wonderful Christmas and it was do much fun reading about their lives. Golden, Georgia is a perfect setting for this story, and the Matchmakers Club is the perfect addition to this interesting town. Randel does a wonderful job with each character and their development as the story unfolds, creating a story that will stay close to your heart for a while after you finish reading the story. I highly recommend this Tara Randel story for a few hours of sweet entertainment.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. ( )

Just looking at the cover of this book made me happy, and the story inside certainly added to the joy. This new book by Tara Randel is part of the Harlequin Heartwarming line of books and it truly is heartwarming. A group of older women have a chance to work their matchmaking magic for another couple, and this time The Golden Matchmakers Club choose Faith Harper and Roan Donovan as the recipients. Faith is a single mother of two small children, and Roan is the widowed father of two older girls, prompting the matchmakers to believe that these new neighbors would be perfect for each other. There's just one tiny glitch---Faith and Roan have both been deeply hurt in their previous relationships and neither of them are searching for another commitment.

Her Christmastime Family has memorable characters, holiday traditions, and the challenges associated with raising children in a single parent home. There is also a sweet romance needing to be explored. This is an entertaining story and I recommend it to all who enjoy clean romance.

I received a copy of this book from the author via Prism Book Tours. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts. ( )

4.5 Stars

Christmas in Golden, Georgia brings excitement, holiday traditions…and matchmakers. In Her Christmastime Family by Tara Randel, The Golden Matchmaker Club has set their sights on single parents Roan and Faith, but will all that meddling backfire?

Faith loves her children with her whole heart which comes through again and again on the page as she strives to make Christmas memories with them that will last. Roan also loves his girls, but he’s much more reluctant about the holidays, but he made a promise, and he’ll see it through. Getting help from his neighbor isn’t a bad thing, either. And during the most wonderful time of the year, the chemistry between Roan and Faith warms your heart.

Randel does an excellent job of giving each of the four kids in the book individual personalities. I wanted to see their parents make things work as much for the romance as for the kids’ happiness. Her Christmastime Family is a sweet and family-driven read that drew me in and kept me turning pages until these two families found their happily ever after.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )