Audio Book Review: Christmas at Cozy Holly Inn by Meredith Summers

This is a nice, easy Christmas romance.

Christmas at Cozy Holly Inn
Written by Meredith Summers
Narrated by Hollis McCarthy

Run Time: 7h 9min
Release Date: November 14, 2022
Publisher: Leighann Dobbs Publishing
Genre: Christmas, Contemporary, Romance
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Publisher Description
A sweet, cozy small town holiday romance perfect for snuggling up by the fire with a steaming mug of hot cocoa and a cat or two by your side.
When Julie Green’s ailing grandmother asks her to arrange one last party at the old Inn she used to run, Julie can’t say no even though the last thing she wants is to leave the city for middle-of-nowhere Vermont. Even worse, Cozy Holly Inn is in disrepair, there’s a persnickety cat hiding in the basement and the family of grinches who own the competing inn down the street seem determined to ruin her chances of success.
Nolan Miller retreated to Pinecone Falls, Vermont, to heal his broken heart and help his grandfather run Barrington Lodge - a rustic old bed-and-breakfast that has been in the family for generations. This year, though, he needs to find a way to get his Christmas spirit back before he turns into a grinch like his father and grandfather. But even if he gets his spirit back, he’s not letting anyone in again, especially not Julie Green who has made it clear she’s leaving town as soon as she can.
But when Julie needs help, Nolan can’t say no and putting the party together makes Julie realize that small town friendships might have more to offer than big city lights.
Kringle, the cat, only wants a warm home and his forever human. This girl, Julie, does not seem to fit the bill no matter what the nice lady at the animal shelter told him. Julie knows nothing about cats so he will do his best to get her to return him to the shelter. But as the week unfolds, Kringle discovers that people can change in surprising ways and sometimes what you thought you wanted, isn’t what you really needed at all.

Review:
Julie has recently lost her job. She is reluctantly available to arrange a last party for her ailing grandmother at her grandmother’s Cozy Holly Inn in Pinecone Falls, Vermont. Julie has fond memories of visiting with her grandmother, but Julie doesn’t really want to be in remote town instead of seeking to rebuild her life in the city. Working on the party has enough to keep Julie busy without the interference of a fluffy cat that seems to want her gone, especially as Julie keeps threatening to turn the cat over to the local shelter. And then there are the grouchy neighbors who own a competing inn down the street and are inclined to block Julie’s festivities.

Nolan is working with his grumpy father and grandfather to run their bed and breakfast. They are the grinches, not planning to celebrate the Christmas holiday since they have lost their joy with the death of Nolan’s mother. Nolan himself has been recovering from a broken heart and he has no plans to let anyone get close to him again.

Nolan runs into Julie and realizes she needs some help with her big party plans. Despite his family’s animosity, Nolan reaches out to help. And Julie finds that many of the town folk are more than willing to help and to celebrate one of their own. Even the cat begins to sense a change in the atmosphere.

This is a sweet story, and I enjoyed the ‘dance’ as the reluctant characters grow closer together. It is also fun to see how the town folk (and the cat) help out. This was an easy listen and worked for my decision to have a Christmas in July read. I recommend this to those who enjoy Christmas romance.

Audio Notes: Hollis McCarthy does a very nice job with the narration of this work. The narration provides clear voices and emotional energy that fits the characters. I was glad to have this available to listen to.

Source: 12/31/2022 year end purchase at Chirp for $.99. This qualifies for 2023TBR and 2023Audiobook goals.