The Christmas Tree Farm: (A Sweet Second-Chance Holiday Romance Novel)

While the setting and premise of this novella should be a slam dunk for any and all Hallmark Christmas movie fans, the preachy tone of Melody Carlson’s The Christmas Tree Farm didn’t do much for me.

Madison McDowell returns home to her family Christmas tree farm to discover the business is in trouble, according to her sister Addie. While Madison has been away exploring her passions and career, Addie has been saddled with the farm–a place she never cared for, even when they were children. Addie hasn’t invested in or done much to improve the farm, so Madison pitches in to try to right the sinking ship.

Property adjacent to the farm is under construction to become a dirt bike track for a precocious eleven-year-old named Lily. Her widowed father, Gavin, was close with Madison in high school, and now Addie has a crush on him–so the plot thickens. Or does it?

The truth is there isn’t much intrigue here, and their references to church, and Jesus’s example felt very heavy-handed as the inevitable ending approached. However, if you like the faith based Christmas-y vibe of books like there, then The Christmas Tree Farm won’t disappoint.