Title: A Heartfelt Christmas Promise
Author: Nancy Naigle  
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Vanessa Larkin was supposed to be spending Christmas in Paris, France on a business trip she hoped to enjoy as a working vacation. Instead, she’s been assigned to Fraser Hills, North Carolina—home of the Best Fruitcake in the USA—to convert her company’s property into warehouse space and shut down Porter’s, the fruitcake factory. Offering retirement packages and selling locals on new job opportunities may not spread holiday cheer, but Vanessa believes she’s helping secure the town’s future.

Mike Marshall’s family founded Porter’s. For decades, the factory served as the lifeblood of the community until his grandfather sold the business to a Chicago corporation. The sale cost the town its independence—and the Marshalls their family ties. A horse farmer, Mike was never involved with his grandfather’s company, but still felt Fraser Hills lost part of its identity. And as a widower raising a teenage daughter, he’s suffered enough losses in one lifetime. News of the factory’s closing means losing another piece of the town’s legacy.

Far from the skyscrapers and rapid pace of the city, Vanessa finds herself enjoying the easygoing rhythms of rural living. With Mike as her guide, she learns to appreciate the simple pleasures found in shared holiday festivities among friends. Fraser Hills is a town she is growing to love—and Mike is someone she is falling in love with. Now all Vanessa needs is a Christmas miracle to give her newfound friends and home a gift they’ll cherish for many New Years to come.

This was a sweet, easy read that made small-town life sound appealing. And I kind of wanted to sample that magical fruitcake!

I liked that Vanessa wasn’t portrayed as a stereotypical uncaring city girl, but as someone truly trying to do her best to help the people and town of Fraser Hills. I thought all the characters were well-done and believable, the setting was realistic and charming, and this was a solid, enjoyable read.

Nancy Naigle lives in North Carolina. A Heartfelt Christmas Miracle is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

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