After being away for years in Mongolia, Madison returns home to her family's Christmas Tree Farm. Her sister, Addie, has been taking care of things, along with caring for her grandmother before she passed away. Now, with different ideas on managing the farm, can they find a solution they can agree on?

I loved how the family united and Madison tried to hold onto holiday traditions. All the characters were well-developed with lots of layers. They were relatable and made it the story come alive. There are beautiful moments of tenderness, empathy, and a second chance at love.

There are many unexpected situations, joy, and the true meaning of happiness. I loved the ending.

I received a complimentary ARC from Revell and a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

Carlson’s latest Christmas novella was a sweet read, but not just full of tropes and predictability. I thought the main characters were flawed in their own ways, and yet came together in the spirit of the season to mend old wounds. Madison and Gavin were old sweethearts who are unexpectedly brought into each others’ lives again, only now they have family members having to adjust to living near the tree farm again…and all that entails. Secrets and misunderstandings are brought to light, and we are left with hope for the future.
Is it ever too early in the year to start reading uplifting Christmas stories? I think not! This was a great place to start.
Thanks to NetGalley and Baker Book House for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

A story of second chances, family memories, and good neighbors, Melody Carlson weaves in a good, old-fashioned Christmas. Maddie had been overseas teaching when the wildfires hit the area near the family farm. She is ready to come and help rebuild her life, and hopefully the family Christmas tree farm. Her sister, Addy, has other ideas. She wants to sell and get out of there. Maddie decides to invest her own money into the farm and try to give it a go. With a widowed neighbor, Gavin, and his daughter, Lily. They work hard to get to Christmas past. Not only with the trees. Addy and Maddie are at odds, add in their mother, and then Gavin's other daughter, Lucy, things become strained. Will everyone be able to pitch together to make this Christmas, the best old-fashioned Christmas? Love, love, love, me some Christmas stories any time of the year. This one really put me in the Christmas spirit. Thanks to Ms. Carlson, Revell Publishing, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book. Loved it!

🎄🛻🎄
📖Review
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 48/100
📚The Christmas Tree Farm
💫Genre:
Fiction/Romance
✍️Author:
Melody Carlson

📝Synopsis 📝
Madison returns back to her family’s Christmas Tree Farm after teaching overseas for a few years. Her grandmother & father have passed leaving her and her sister Addie the family business, but a fire nearly destroyed their farm. Addie has been picking up the slack while Madison was living her life, but Madison is set on staying and seeing the farm succeed. There’s just one thing coming between them, Gavin her childhood crush.

My thoughts 💭
This was such a cute Hallmark Movie type of vibe and the perfect Christmastime read. It was clean (no smut), cozy, and a fast paced holiday read. I really enjoyed the plot and all the characters. I love family drama and the dynamics on this one was perfect! I loved Madison and Lily's relationship the most, and loved how they were able to be there for each other. Add this one to your December tbr list and thank me later 🫶🏻

🎄QOTD🎄
What is your most anticipated September read?

✨Thank you @netgalley and @revell
for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📌Publication Date:
September 3, 2024
✨✨✨✨

🏷️🏷️🏷️🏷️
#fictionbooks
#bookstagrammer
#bibliophile #netgalleyreviewer #qotd🌸 #readersofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #netgalley #bookstacommunity #givenourhistory
#bookrecommendation
#romancebooks

Melody Carlson can always be counted on to provide readers with a feel-good story, and the Christmas Tree Farm is no exception.

Just look at that cover! A Christmas tree looks so good on that top of a red jeep (also in the back of a red truck). I really enjoyed this inspirational, wholesome, holiday read. Here are four things I liked:

🎄The McDowell Christmas Tree Farm has been around for 75 years. Love the many family traditions that have become a part of the farm's yearly practice. Can Madison reinstitute some of her favorites after years of family tragedies?
👯 Madison and sister Addie are quite different. One wants to keep the farm in the family and the other wants to sell after several rough years. What will happen to the farm?
👩‍❤‍👨There is a second-chance romance, but it is not the primary part of the plot. The biggest conflicts will be Madison regaining her confidence in her work on the farm and repairing her relationship with her sister.
📚It is short and sweet. I was able to read it in one day. That is one thing I love about many of the holiday reads coming out in novella size. Gives the opportunity to read more!

So, looks like it's Christmas in September with this book set to publish on the 1st of the month. Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas tree farm is a e-arc and it’s also my first read by Melody Carson.

I’m a HUGE Christmas lover so getting an advanced copy to read this summer before it’s released in September is perfect!

This was a very quick and easy read! The way Melody writes it just flows. This made me feel all the “feels”. Just like watching a Hallmark movie! It gave me all the cozy feelings. A breathe of fresh air. Please tell me this will be a movie?!?!

I will be reading more from Melody and can I say I hope there’s a follow up to this book???

This is out for publication in September of 2024, this is a must read if you love a good Christmas story.

I received a free copy of, The Christmas Tree Farm, by Melody Carlson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. When Madison McDowell returns home from Mongolia, a lot had changed, fire has damaged the town, and their tree farm. Madison wants to help her sister with the farm, but Addie wants to sell, they both also like the same man. This was a really good, read, short though.

Another great novel by Melody Carlson and I hope this one is turned into a made for TV movie as well. This heart warming Christmas story begins when Madison returns to her Grandparents' farm to help her sister Addie after a fire that destroyed part of their Christmas tree farm. Addie leads Madison to believe that they need to sell the farm. However, Madison isn't willing to give up that easily and decided to replant a huge area that was lost to the fire. Before too long, Madison discovers that a former crush/boyfriend, Gavin, is living next door with his daughter Lily. As the holidays approach, Madison is working to save the Christmas Tree farm and dealing with her sister, mother and Gavin's older daughter. I read this in one sitting because I had to see if Madison and Gavin would rekindle their teen-age love and if the Christmas Tree farm would survive. I highly recommend this book.

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson is her Christmas novella for 2024, and it's such a sweet story!

After working in Mongolia for about five years, Madison returns to the McDowell Family Christmas Tree Farm where she and her sister, Addie, spent their summers and holidays with their father and grandparents. Addie and Madison have inherited the farm, but a fire has destroyed a lot of their trees. While Madison wants to keep the farm and try to make a go of it, Addie wants to sell it and move on. How will the sisters be able to resolve their differences? And what about their next door neighbor, Gavin, who had Madison's heart during high school and is now a widower?

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Revell for an advanced e-pub of this book.

All opinions herein are strictly my own.

#TheChristmasTreeFarm #NetGalley

Melody Carlson hits all the right notes in this story about a family Christmas tree farm and the daughter who wants to keep it running and in the family. Madison returns home from teaching in Mongolia and finds that her younger sister Addie just wants to sell the family farm, and the books look so bad that it may have to become a reality. Madison works hard to try to make the farm profitable, hoping to change Addie’s mind. In the process, Madison meets her boyfriend Gavin from her high school years and his rambunctious daughter Lily. With a dirt bike trail imminent for Lily and Addie’s determination to sell the farm, Madison’s plans to snuggle into her old home and relax are definitely put on a back burner. I really enjoyed the story, the family drama, the developing romance, the relationships between the sisters and the relationship that Lily and Gavin had. There are some really heartwarming scenes, like dinner outside by the fire pit and siting on a bench by the river. This book is one with a lesson in forgiveness and letting go of the past as well as moving forward. Faith is a part of the story but it doesn’t take over the plot but is woven into it as the families attend church and talk about their Christmas plans. I enjoyed getting to know each of the believable characters, but mostly I enjoyed visiting the Christmas tree farm where dreams can come true if you want to work for it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Revell, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of this book, ‘The Christmas Tree Farm’, by Melody Carlson.

I’m just going to say it; I love Hallmark Christmas movies, and I can see how this could be one. In this book Madison returns to Oregon from working overseas most of her adult life. Her grandparent’s tree farm is now in the hands of her younger sister and a devastating fire has destroyed most of her favorite area. She has decided it is finally time to go ‘home’. After a frosty welcome from her sister, Madison settles in, determined to help save the farm. Of course, the neighboring property is inhabited by her old ‘summer’ flame, Gavin, with a young daughter who is determined to build a dirt track and other amenities, that would be loud and distracting. To make matters worse, her sister, Addie, has desires for Gavin.

When Madison befriends Gavin’s daughter, Lily, who helps her with activities at the tree farm, it causes more tension with Addie. Even though the plot is very predictable, this is a very pleasant Christmas story, with a nice outcome.

I had high hopes for this, but was sadly let down.

I just couldn’t find anything relatable in this story, nothing seemed realistic. The characters were unlikeable, and I thought the romance and ending were rushed.

Being a novella there isn’t a lot of character development and it would be great to explore the motivations of some of the characters more.

I appreciated the Christmas vibes sprinkled throughout the book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, and all opinions are my own.

I have really enjoyed all of Melody Carlson‘s holiday books today and this was no exception. While being very predictable, it was a very enjoyable read. I really love how so to speak. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. One sister didn’t want anything to do with the Christmas tree farm and the outdoors and the other one saw it as her escape and as her home. Everyone truly does have different gifts and different passions and I think that works to our advantage. I would recommend to get in the holiday spirit.

Short and sweet! I really enjoyed the relationship between Madison and Lily. The other family dynamics made the story interesting as well.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

It wouldn't feel like the Christmas season without a new holiday themed release from best selling author Melody Carlson. I've come to look forward to these titles every single year, and usually I'm not left disappointed. The premise of this one sounded sweet and adorable, and I loved the idea of the setting being a beloved family Christmas tree farm. Unfortunately, I ended up feeling like this wasn't one of the better books I've read by this author, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting or hoping for.

It definitely has many cute Christmassy feels, and felt very Hallmark movie esque. While I did enjoy the main character, Madison, and the big heart she has for her family and friends, I'm sorry to say that the supporting characters kind of ruined it for me. Madison's sister Addison spends most of the story acting like a childish brat, and not much changes in her behavior by the end. Her attitude was extremely off putting, and the sisters' mother is just as bad, if not worse.

My other big complaint was that while I understand that this is more of a novella length story, there were so many issues that never seemed to be resolved, and the romance ended up feeling rushed and very insta lovey.

It was a cute read overall, but it's not a new favorite by this author, and it's one I don't personally see myself rereading.

If you enjoy clean, contemporary Christmas stories, this might be the book you're looking for, but I'd personally recommend Melody Carlson's other lovely Christmas stories over this one.

Final Rating: 3/5.



Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

There is something about books with the setting of a Christmas tree farm that brings to mind a real sense of Christmas spirit that I enjoy, and I found this book hard to put down and was a quick read. This story has some real family struggles with underlying and unresolved issues that are brought out when Madison returns from a five-year contract teaching in Mongolia after hearing how the area was hit hard by wildfire. Her sister Addie has stayed at the farm helping her dad and grandmother for the time period but now both are dead, and Addie is overwhelmed and honestly, quite ugly and childish acting towards Madison. She has given up working the farm, so Madison works to revive the farm by replanting trees and opening it for Christmas tree sales against Addie's wishes. I was not a fan of Addie especially when Gavin, an old high school crush of Madison's, and Lily, his daughter, get close to Madison and Addie is jealous. But this story ultimately is about forgiveness, healing, grace, love, and faith tied in with the spirit of Christmas as more family members join together to celebrate the holidays.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

The Christmas Tree Farm is a cute story, but it has huge leaps in relationships that aren't even necessary to the story. The ending is ridiculous, which I won't spoil, but honestly, totally unnecessary.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC or an honest review.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to recover from a fire. This family Christmas tree farm is finding that out in this holiday read. This family and their neighbors have definitely had their ups and downs but they are pulling together during this holiday season! Great book!

This story had all the makings of an authentic Hallmark movie. The storyline was interesting. It covers sibling disputes/resolutions and how sisterly love always prevails in the end. There is the chance for unrequited love to reignite. Characters were engaging and realistic. My only pet peeve is based on title/cover I was expecting more Christmas and was disappointed it was only a small part towards the end. However, the huge surprise at the end left me speechless.