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After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth. During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure... and so much more. For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.… (more)
User reviews
A very readable and fun story.
Solid, responsible and loving, Simone has taken care of her Grandmother
After Andrea, being the good friend she is has made all the arrangements Simone boards her flight to France. She is blessed with a kind, not to mention handsome, young man named Kyle. He calms her through her panic attacks along the way. They go their separate ways in Iceland but exchange numbers, hoping to meet again in Paris.
Meeting and becoming acquainted with her French side of the “family” is not all joyfulness and affection, but she perseveres and the secrets of her ancestry open up in surprising ways. She finds the treasure her great-grandmother wrote of is not at all what she imagined.
I received this book from Revell in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own.
I previously read The Christmas Swap by the author, as
The cute, artsy cover reminds me of those old-fashioned Christmas cards of years ago, and definitely those cozy Christmas Villages people decorate with. I’ve always wanted them – sadly, no money and no room for them. But, the cuteness, coziness, and whimsiness is there, some nostalgia as well. I was expecting that same content in the book. And, it was sort of there, though not quite.
A small village is where Simone Winthrop is heading after discovering a letter from her great-grandmother, her grandmother’s mother, when cleaning up the house left to her by her grandmother.
Told in third-person from Simone’s POV, the story opens with her cleaning her grandmother’s house. And, to be honest, the Hoarders refence is a theme I’ve seen quite bit. Thankfully, no graphic descriptions. And, it was more “stuff” than “junk”, or “trash”.
There is talk of a treasure that great-grandma wants her to have. And, I thought this was definitely going to be a cutesy and exciting read – treasure and romance. And, for the most part it is – cutesy and slightly romantic. It just didn’t grab me the way I’d hoped, and I didn’t really get interested until around chapter 8 or so. I definitely enjoyed it while I was reading it.
There might be some “trigger” or content issues: hoarding, Alzheimer’s, and the mention of Hitler because of a connection to WWII.
The characters didn’t grab me right off. I definitely thought Simone’s friend Andrea was far too pushy. Thankfully, she doesn’t show up after chapter 5. There were a few questions I had when it came to her. And, still do.
Simone, despite her fear of flying, is wrangled into the trip. Her fear is understandable, but it actually resembled more of anxiety with panic attacks. That is far different.
I was a bit apprehensive of flying in June 2014 when I traveled to New Jersey by myself. And, for the record, I have long said “if I can’t drive there, I don’t need to be there”, yet I flew there – by myself. The last time I flew was in April of 1980 when I was a little girl – so, 31 years between flights.
I can understand the fear, but Simone was definitely far past that (thinking up worst case scenarios even) and I felt, given her “fear” and background – perhaps she should’ve sought help prior to flying. That might’ve prepared her. It wasn’t like she could’ve have had a few professional visits before the trip to fully prepare. In addition, she should’ve researched more.
Anyway …
Her fears are calmed when a sweet guy, Kyle, sits next to her. And, truthfully, he was the best character of them all. Sincerely the absolute best. Though a flight transfer separates the two briefly. Simone falls in love with Paris and the author goes to great lengths to describe it, at times the narrative reads like a tour guide. You can almost close your eyes and imagine the sights.
That’s the only thing I’d have a problem with – being on a flight that long for international travel. Maybe someday. And, yes, Paris is on that list – along with Australia and London.
As far as the rest of Simone’s family that she meets in France – they were a bit … interesting.
The innkeeper, Noel, was a fantastic guy and is through him that Simone meets up with a link to her “Beaumont” family side. And, as it turns out, Kyle is connected to them as well. And, it seems great-aunt Estelle’s likes Kyle far more than she does Simone. Though why?
Despite her great-aunt Estelle’s coldness at first, Simone finally learns the history of her great-grandma’s family. And, she learns the truth about what real treasure is.
Some of the plot involved a clock and watch factory that is floundering and one of the family members wants to change it to something else. Thus, Simone and Kyle work to “save” it. That part I felt kind of detracted from the cuteness and whimsy of the book. There was VERY little “romance” and that doesn’t take part until about 50% of the way in. This is more fiction than romance.
I do have to admit that Estelle showed the best character development and growth overall from the time we meet her until the end of the book, including the bonus chapter. The bonus chapter will be available in books sold through certain retailers. Having never had a book with “bonus content”, seeing the bonus version was interesting and insightful. It didn’t really change the overall tone or message of the story.
With a novella, they are short reads. This was also helped by the shorter chapters. And, this is EASILY a day read.
At times, the narrative seemed to drag on a bit. I had a feeling that there was something in the family background between Simone’s great-grandmother and great-aunt Estelle.
I loved Noel’s mom’s name (yes, my name). Anytime a character has the name MARIE in it, and they’re a good one, I tend to smile a bit.
While distributed by Revell, a Christian/faith themed publisher; there were only a few slight references to prayers in general, some church attendance, and a mention of God. These are definitely not integral to the story.
Some fans of the author as well as the genre might enjoy this read. It wasn’t a bad book, just not too high up on the re-read scale. I likely would read another book by the author though.
Simone Winthrop (a wonderful name for the main character) meets Kyle on the flight to
“A Christmas in the Alps” is a very nice, if slim, Christmas romance by Melody Carlson. I loved a lot of things about this book starting with Simone – her despair over the loss of her grandmother and great-grandmother is very real and I felt for her as she struggled to rebuild her life. I also liked the character of Kyle, although he was not as fully developed a character as Simone is. And that is the one thing that I really didn’t like about this book. While Carlson is a very descriptive writer – the scenes where Simone flew for the very first time are very well done and Carlson’s description of Avre is so well done that I felt like I was there – this book is very slim and some things felt rushed and not fully developed. A case in point is Simone’s relationship with Kyle – one meeting on a plane and they are practically engaged. I wish the book was longer and that Carlson had taken more time to develop their relationship. (Yes, this is a novella but I think it would have been better as a full-length romance.) The same goes for Simone’s relationship with her long-lost relatives – that too felt rushed and not fully developed. Still, as a Christmas romance, this isn’t a bad way to spend a few hours reading.
“A Christmas in the Alps” is a short but sweet Christmas romance.
I've enjoyed a handful of this ChristFic
While this tale starts off with some redundancy and spends too much time on an early matter that isn't necessary to the plot, the book becomes more interesting once Simone makes it to her destination. It's ultimately the plot that gives this Christmas story its strength.
Plus, it does indeed remember it's a Christmastime tale, with festive and sparkling depictions of the holiday season in the City of Light.
Now, the story's style is simplistic at times, and I never found the narrator's exclamation points to be necessary. There's also some last-minute melodrama that leads to a speedy wrap-up, and the Happily-Ever-After ending becomes excessive with its repetitive descriptions about the "happy" characters living on "happily" in their "happy" circumstances.
On an even more technical note, my editor's side would have cut down on the number of sentences that begin with "And" and "But"—by at least half.
Nevertheless, this short and sweet read with a thread of family mystery delivers the kind of warm and wholesome holiday story that many readers will find uplifting.
________
Revell provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
Author: Melody Carlson
Pages: 176
Year: 2021
Publisher: Revell
My rating: 4 ½ out of 5 stars.
Melanie Carlson’s latest Christmas novella is about a woman who is on the threshold of learning more about her family. The book starts with Simone Winthrop
Simone meets a caring man on the same flight named Kyle Larsson who is looking to find an apprenticeship with a clock maker. However, there are a couple of tasks Kyle must do before he arrives in France. When they both end up in France, the enticing scenery, food, and mystery sets them both on a path neither of them ever expected!
The novella is a tale filled with mystery, romance and faith that is sure to captivate and charm readers. It captures the imagination from the first page until the very last! I hope readers will enjoy the book and share it with family and friends. The book does contain some French words and phrases that sometimes inhibited my enjoyment of the story, although the author does let audiences know what is being said by the context, direct translation or in characters conversation.
I recommend Melanie Carlson’s other Christmas themed tales such as A Christmas by the Sea, The Christmas Joy Ride and The Christmas Cat just to name a few.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.
Review Copy Gratis Revell Books
If you love Hallmark movies, you will love this novel that begs to be its own movie. Several love triangles make for romantic tension and swoon-worthy reading. Team Kyle or Team Noel? Team Sylvie or Team Simone? How will the love triangles affect the loyalties and action and other relationships in this beautiful story?
*Sigh.* I don’t reread books. But I just may have to make an exception!
I received a copy of this book from Revell Reads. All opinions are my own.
I received a copy to read, the review is mine.
Reading Melody Carlson's annual Christmas book has become a tradition for me, and A Christmas in the Alps certainly doesn't disappoint. Simone, Kyle, and Tante Estelle are especially memorable characters, there is a light mystery surrounding the treasure, and I especially enjoyed the description of the Christmas decorations around Paris and the French countryside. There's also a spiritual reminder that earthly possessions aren't our true treasures!
A Christmas in the Alps is a fast, enjoyable Christmas read and I recommend it to all who enjoy clean romance stories centered around the holidays. Four stars for this well-written novella!
This book was provided courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews. All opinions are my own.
Many reviewers compare this to a Hallmark movie. What is wrong with that? There are several love triangles in this story. How will they affect the outcome of the story? Will Simone find her grandmother’s “treasure”?
Check out this little novella. I understand Melody Carlson has written other holiday novellas. I will check them out.
We meet Simone while she is cleaning out her great
This story is doing a bit of genealogy and a bit of romance. So far, it is excellent. It looks like Simone has made at least two friends. There seems to be a mystery going on as well at this point. Is Leon's Aunt related to Simone's Great-grandma, or does she know anything about her Great Grandpa rescued during WW2?
Will Kyle and Simone find love with each other? Will Simone find the true treasure and family? There seems to be a family feud or a rift in a relationship. Can Simone find a solution and fix the relationship with her great aunt? To this end, you will want to read more from this author. Melody Carlson will bring you in to enjoy the culture of her lovely books and Christmas books. This one is no different.
Every component—from the mysterious letter to the
The French Alps provided the ideal backdrop for Christmas. I could almost physically feel the cold, see the icy landscapes, and imagine the breathtaking views.
The faith component was understated and subtle. However, it complemented the story well.
A Christmas in the Alps is a novella which makes it the ideal book for a quick read when you are feeling nostalgic for Christmas, or during the holiday season.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I am voluntarily leaving this review.
This is one of those feel-good holiday novels. To me, it has a Hallmark movie feel to it. By about halfway through the book, I knew what the ending was going to be (well, at least in part).
I would say you have to
But what is real treasure? Is it jewels or riches? Is it family connections? Is it doing something you love? Is it finding true love? Is it helping to preserve something you love? Is it some combination of any or all of these?