Review: "Holiday Gifts" (Castle Mountain Lodge) by Elena Aitken

Synopsis:

Fall in love with Christmas at Castle Mountain Lodge!

Ever since Ryan Morrison has taken over as Customer Service Manager at the famous Castle Mountain Lodge he’s witnessed the ‘magic of the Lodge’ and couples of all kinds falling in love around him. Is it the backdrop of the majestic mountains? Or maybe just the luxuriously rustic setting? Either way, Ryan’s convinced it won’t ever happen to him.

For Julie Pitts her number one focus has always been raising sixteen-year-old Shay. Julie would do anything for her daughter, including organizing a special Christmas crafting retreat at Castle Mountain Lodge as a way for them to spend the holidays in the mountains the way her daughter has always wanted.

Shay has also always wanted her mother to fall in love and when she sees a potential love match between the handsome manager and her mom who is long overdue for some romance in her life, she sets out to give the ‘magic of the Lodge’ a little festive help. After all…what’s more romantic than Christmas at Castle Mountain Lodge?

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Review:

Holiday Gifts is a sweet novella that returns you to the magical Castle Mountain Lodge for Christmas. I really enjoyed the book because both characters are relatable. Ryan is feeling that life is starting to pass him by and is interested in finding a woman and getting married. Julie has been relying on herself to raise her daughter alone for a long time. She isn't looking for love but finds it when she all but trips over it. Julie was especially relatable because every step in her relationship with Ryan was fraught with anxiety and second-guessing his feelings for her as well as her feelings for him - a very realistic emotion for someone who has been fending on her own for so long. Sweet story with a Christmas theme and a precocious teenager. 

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:

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About the Author:

I’ve been writing in one form or another since elementary school but although I always knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, instead I earned university degrees in Marketing and Psychology and writing got put on the back burner. After my twins were born I was buried in diaper changes, middle of the night feedings and mountains of laundry—obviously it was the logical time to start writing again. I guess it took me while to grow up. 

I turned to non-fiction and became a regular contributor to local parenting magazines, published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, and a compilation by Seal Press. It wasn’t until 2005 that I tried my hand at writing fiction and wrote my first novel. It’s buried on my hard drive where it should be, and ever since I just keep writing more.

Like a lot of my readers, I’m a busy mom. It often feels like life is pulling us in a million different directions, which is why I love to write romance!

There’s nothing better than knowing you have an escape waiting for you at the end of a long day in the form of a good book.

I’m lucky enough to live in the shadow of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the foothills of Alberta, where I can write the stories I love. Whenever I get the chance, I escape into those amazing mountains and I can usually be found sitting with my feet in the lake, working on my next book. As well as contemporary romance novels, I also like to write women’s fiction and my collection of stand alone novels are all part of the Escape Collection. I’m always trying something new, so stay tuned to see what’s next!

Website: http://elenaaitken.com/