Happy Friday Bookworms!
Welcome to the Reviewer Tour for Maid at Christmas by Bell Renshaw, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Maid at Christmas
Series: Lockwood Lodge #1
Author: Bell Renshaw
Publisher: Pine Mountain Publishing
Release Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday Romance
Maid in Manhattan meets Safe Haven in this Hallmark Christmas-style series starter, Maid at Christmas, featuring sweet romance and a cozy holiday atmosphere with just a touch of tension.
She wants a fresh start. He's looking for purpose. Can Christmas at the Lockwood Lodge show them the future is brighter than the past?
When Sonora Jackson searches for a way out of New Orleans—and away from her ex-fiancé—she ends up exchanging beignets for a broom when she accepts a position in housekeeping at the Lockwood Lodge. The picturesque mountains of Vermont, and the luxury of the lodge at Christmastime, is exactly what she needs, but she didn’t bargain for the handsome, bookish man she meets there.
Graham Hastings needs a vacation more than he needs the worry over selling his company, but the two come hand in hand as he arrives in Vermont for an exclusive retreat for others just like him: billionaires. Focused on relaxing and recovering from yet another failed relationship, he’s not ready for the near-instant attraction he feels for Sonora. At least she’s like him—rich—and not likely to date him for his money.
Set against a snow-drenched backdrop of Vermont mountains and the quaint small town of Middlebrook with its own set of quirky characters, love blooms even as the truth separates. Can Sonora admit her status as a low-income maid and explain why she lied? Will Graham see past her profession to the heart of her feelings for him? And will he be able to keep her safe when her past comes calling?
Maid at Christmas is the first book in the Lockwood Lodge sweet romance series. This small-town holiday romance features tropes like billionaire romance, age gap, and he falls first. There is a slight suspense thread included in this book, but it does not overshadow the cozy Christmas setting or aspect of sweet romance.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
My Review
I typically reserve my Christmas reads for the holiday season but there are books that intrigue me so much that I can’t wait to delve into them, which is exactly what happened with Maid at Christmas.
An annual gathering at Lockwood Lodge allows the upper echelon of society a week of total freedom. For one week every year each person that is invited is allowed total autonomy. This gives them time with no pressure and the freedom to just be themselves, which is exactly what Graham needs. As the week kicks off, Sonora is starting her new position at the lodge as a maid and is also trying to escape her past and start all over. What neither Graham nor Sonora expect is the instant spark that happens between the two strangers and how quickly that spark ignites a fire.
I am a sucker for a good meet-cute which is exactly what we get from Graham and Sonora, and it just gets more charming as the story progresses. It definitely gives a Hallmark-esque feel which I love, and the scenery is alluring in its depiction. All of the characters are inviting and relatable and it was easy to get lost in the narrative. I know one thing, it definitely put me in the holiday spirit, even if I am a little early this year.
About the Author
Bell Renshaw is a pen name for Emilie Haney. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has a love for the outdoors that matches her love for the written word. She turned her passion for stories toward writing at an early age, finding entertainment and adventure in made-up worlds fed by the books her parents read to her as a child. Now, she's still getting lost in those worlds, but they are of her own making.
She believes that—no matter what—love fights for what's right.
Connect with Bell/Emilie at emiliehaney.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
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