The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson charms and delights with this uplifting Christmas story full of old memories and new beginnings.

The Author

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Book Review

I always look forward to Melody Carlson's Christmas books! They're always so cozy and perfect for the holiday season. While I must admit that there are others that I enjoyed more than this one, this was no exception--- bringing holiday cheer and inspiration! As the story begins, we meet Madison as she's returning to her family's Christmas tree farm after spending several years teaching overseas. The area has a lot of fire damage and needs some help--- but her sister and co-owner Addie does not seem to want to put in the effort. I must admit, I wasn't Addie's biggest fan throughout most of the story and that probably impacted some of my enjoyment of the story. However, I feel like those complicated family dynamics can be very true to life (and even to the holiday season), so I didn't appreciate that aspect at least. I did enjoy the relationship between Madison and Gavin (and his spunky daughter), even with its additional complications as well. I would have loved to see more between them. Still, I enjoyed the story overall and found that it had all the Hallmark type vibes that I adore---especially at the holiday season!