Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I expected this book to be a straightforward romance with schmaltzy references to Christmas but I was very wrong. The setting of Wishing Tree is so Christmassy with the place names and devotion to scents, decorations and even the emotions of Christmas. The romances are completely realistic, with downs as well as ups making for a very good, engaging read. The characters are interesting and completely believable, even over-the-top Helen! Well worth reading, this stands out as a very good Christmas tale.

I dnf'd this book at 50%. I really thought this was going to be a hit for me when I initially started reading it but I grew tired of the slowness at the couples starting to be interested in one another and date and I was like we are 50% through this book and it seems like they all have insta love/lust for the other in their respective couples but dont want to say it. I just found the men there for plot points and tbh that the women weren't interested in being in a relationship but just wanting to be with someone who sparked an interesting which is disappoint. At the end of the day I was 50% in and nothing had happened yet except some weird plot line with a dog which really made me bored so I think this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Home Sweet Christmas by Susan Mallery

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Mills & Boon and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Until Camryn Neff can return to her “real” life in Chicago, she’s in Wishing Tree to care for her twin sisters. She’s not looking for forever love, not here. But handsome hotelier Jake Crane is a temptation she can’t resist, so she suggests they pair up for the season. No golden rings, no broken hearts. At his side, she sees her hometown through Christmas-colored eyes. The cheer is cheerier, the joy more joyful. She thought she had put her future on hold…but maybe her real life was here all along, waiting for her to come home.

New in town, River Best is charmed by Wishing Tree’s homespun traditions and warmhearted people. When she’s crowned Snow Queen, she’s honored but wary. Dylan Tucker, her king, seems like the stuff of sugarplum dreams, but she can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something big. As they perform their “royal” duties—tasting cookies, lighting trees—Dylan’s good humor and melty kisses draw her to the brink of love. But she can’t let herself fall until she uncovers his secret, even if her lack of faith means losing him forever.

My Opinion

I first visited Wishing Tree in The Christmas Wedding Guest and ever since I have been eager to return - it was so nice to once again spend Christmas was the residents. This is a great holiday read, with lots going on. A lovely, warm, festive Christmas read that will leave you wanting more.

Rating 4/5

This book was my first book by Susan. I enjoyed all the festive aspects and i feel its a book i will pick up again. I loved her relationship with her siblings as im an only child i love reading about families and their christmas traditions.

A fun festive read….. I liked the writing and how the story didn’t stale at all, just kept pushing through and intrigued me with the diverse cast of characters their interactions.

We are in Wishing Tree where Camryn has had to return to help look after family. It’s full on festive with the community feel. Throw in a potential love interest for her too.
Jake’s Mom is on a mission to try and find him a wife to settle down with.
A true festive read and great to Imagine how Americans might celebrate Christmas.

Trust and romance collide in this newest Christmas Novel. Susan Mallery brings the holiday spirit to life, only to find distrust and loss issues. This is an amazingly good story, with heart felt and broken hearts along with a sweet little Tinsel to melt the hardest heart. Do not miss this one, it put me in the mood for some holiday cheer.

A perfect feel-good light read for the festive season! I cannot fault this, and I highly recommend this read!

Set in the America town of Wishing Tree. Camryn lives in Chicago, has a great job and a handsome boyfriend. Then her mom dies and Camryn moves back to her home town and becomes legal guardian to her twin teenage sisters and takes her the running of her mums wrapping business.

This is not the 1st book in the series, it is the 3rd, but you can read it as a standalone.

Very charming story, loved the relationship between the sisters, catching up with Reggie and Shaye, and new character River.

This was my first book by this author and won’t be my last. Always good to find new authors to read. This was the second book in the wishing tree series but could definitely be read as a standalone as I hadn’t read the previous book and it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

I was soon drawn into the magical world of wishing tree and it’s inhabitants. This was a gorgeous story about friendship love and romance and also covered a lot of other sensitive topics as well and was so much more than just a Christmas read and would make a fabulous hallmark film or Netflix series.


This book would make a perfect holiday read while snuggled up with hot chocolate underneath a blanket on the sofa. I am really looking forward to the next instalment of this series

Very Susan Mallery. So too saccharine for me in parts. And the dog trope in romances leaves me cold. And the coyness is twee beyond belief. But the sense of place and community is excellent. So very much a curate's egg as far as I'm concerned.

This was a wonderful story that was so close to getting 5 stars I rate it 4.5 stars. Mills and boon have certainly modernised with this great read and that has put a smile on my face. This story line was brilliant it was so heartwarming and exciting. It was also funny in places it just felt so right. It certainly made me happy. At the start of the novel you might think oh no an interfering mother trying to find love for her son. I know where this is going or I am not going to like this but stay with it that thought will soon disappear. And to be fair she was certainly put straight early on. The characters were loveable, very realistic and developed so well. There was wonderful friendships and romance that felt so right so natural. I loved how Christmasy this book was it was the perfect fit for me and really got me in the mood. There was plenty of Christmas decorating and present wrapping a very Christmasy business. The end was fabulous but im not going to give anything away. It had a wonderful pace to it that fitted it so well. I really can't recommend this book enough. If you love beautifully wrote, fun, modern heartwarming romance then this book is definitely for you. 

So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a wonderful Christmas story with characters that you will just love. Especially when you find out his hidden secret. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/home-sweet-christmas-by-susan-mallery-mills-boon-4-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

My first Christmas read of 2022 and my first visit to Wishing Tree and what an absolute winner it was. Feel-good, festive and focussing on 2 couples so double the romance, Home Sweet Christmas is full of heart, humour and just the right amount of drama. Definitely one to add to your Christmas TBR pile.

This book calls for a blanket and a hot chocolate to Cozy up with for a delightful Christmas romantic read, Uplifting and loads of feel good moments it’s like having a hug in a book. I loved this book.’ and who can resist a Christmas story

Romance and keeping secrets are difficult if you really love someone., In Wishing Tree, it is almost impossible

as everyone knows everyone.. This is a feel-good story with plenty of Christmas cheer and festive tastes and

smells as two happy couples navigate their new relationships and cement trust issues..

This is a heartwarming story of new beginnings. A very enjoyable read.

Another absolutely gorgeous book and a wonderful addition to the series. It was wonderful meeting up with the characters again and meeting some new ones too. I always love a series where it feels like you know the characters. The setting of the book is wonderful. I would absolutely love to visit this fictional place. I also really enjoyed the feel good and utterly festive and romantic storyline.

I do love Wishing Tree! I've read all the books in this series so far and none have disappointed. They're all set around a town that celebrates Christmas all year round.

This story has two main storylines. One is about Cam, who grew up in Wishing Tree, but moved to Chicago to follow her career. She moved back to Wishing Tree to look after her 15-year old twin sisters when their mother died. They own the Wrap Around the Clock gift wrapping store (I would love to work there!) and have a happy life in Wishing Tree, albeit still getting over missing their mother. The other storyline is about River, who is quite new in town. She's a computer whizz who investigates people online, legally now, although not always so! She had health problems when younger and missed a lot of school so is quite naive in a lot of things, and takes most things at face value, not 'getting' any nuances.

The two love interests are Jake (for Cam) and Dylan (for River). Jake and Dylan have been best friends since they were young. Dylan didn't have a very good upbringing so he's more like Jake's brother than a friend, and Helen, Jake's mother, is more like his mother, as she took him in as a teenager when his mother left town. Jake and Helen are very wealthy and Jake runs their hotel in Wishing Tree, but isn't providing his mother with any grandchildren, so she starts up operation find Jake a bride, which Cam unwittingly gets involved in! Dylan is also looking to settle down which Helen 'helps' with, pulling a few strings so Dylan and River end up the Snow King & Snow Queen for the town over the holiday celebrations, turning on Christmas lights etc.

Cam did irritate me slightly with her '3 year plan' to move back to Chicago so she can't get involved with anyone in Wishing Tree. She was very blinkered and didn't appreciate the life she had, but she got there in the end. You always know how these stories are going to end up, but it's just such a lovely journey getting there! If Wishing Tree were a real place I think we'd all be moving there! Lovely book. I can't wait for the next installment.

Oh what joy! Loved this from start to finish. The whole community was so lovely and I really wish I was part of Wishing Tree, that town sounds so perfect and supportive.
Camryn and Jake were a perfect couple and I really liked how he gave her the time to step back and assess her fears and her new life path. His mom was great too, her meddling was not really needed, just dropping the hunk of an idea and everyone still fell into place to got their happy ending. Dylan and River were a lovely couple and I really enjoyed watching Dylan coax River out of her shell.

A perfect Christmas feel good read.

True Susan Malley fashion. Couples that fall in love, have difficulties, and then have a happily ever after. I love her books. This one has two love stories set at Christmas time. What else could you ask for?!

Great book, I loved the town, all the Christmas names and the general festive ness of the town.
Jake reminded me of Dermot Mulroney, he sounded very gorgeous, kind and he over his mum. Camryn was Julia Roberts with her gorgeous red hair, she’s infectious smile and figure.
This was a great book, I was hooked and read it all in one go.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.