‘ONE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS’: A Hallmark-esque Novella with Charm for Days

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‘ONE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS’: A Hallmark-esque Novella with Charm for Days. Review of the sweet Melissa Tagg novella rom-com. Text © Rissi JC

If you’ve read any of my reviews, you’ll have probably recognize one of my more popular reading habits is lighthearted and happy. If ever there were a time when this would be truer than is routine, that’d be the Christmas season. It’s fortunate then that one of my all-time favorite romantic-comedy authors has written a sweet as sugar novella to pair with the holiday season.

The story is, as its author, Melissa Tagg claims, semi-autobiographical and revolves around an author falling in love with her cover model. Maren Grant is an instant success as a mystery writer, but she didn’t realize that a person could fall head over heels in love (or close to it) with the model representing a hero created from a figment of her imagination. Yet that’s just what Maren does. She meets Colin Renwycke and enjoys one magical date with him, and a year later, she wonders about him. This brings her to his small Iowa hometown where Maren spends the second most enchanting night of her life with a Renwycke. But as the story’s narrator  would so aptly tell us, this Renwycke might not be the guy you think it is.

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‘ONE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS’: A Hallmark-esque Novella with Charm for Days #christmasfiction #christmas #christmasreading #bookarchives Click To Tweet

As is her signature, Melissa weaves together a charming little story that is not to be missed. It’s cozy and romantic in a Hallmark movie sort of way (this I mean as the highest compliment) while managing to tell a story with a sense of completeness the Christmas TV movies fail to achieve. I loved the characters and the sense of familiar (Maple Valley is the novel’s home setting). 

What shines through this, short or not, is Melissa’s brilliant humor, even saying that doesn’t do the story justice. Really it’s more like wit that works itself effortlessly into every conversation in addition to the 40s era films that somehow compliment the contemporary. From the meet-cute to the breath-catching first kiss possibility, this is a must read for fans of sweet romances.

Saying more about this might spoil the charm other than to say this: go read One Enchanted Christmas. It’s as enchanting as its title would suggest which means picking it up along with that favorite warm drink. It’s the ideal fireside read penned by a lovely talent.♥

About the Book:

Author: Melissa Tagg
Publisher: Larkspur Press (Indie)
Source: Author Provided
Publication Date: 2015
Find the Review elsewhere: Goodreads
Add the Book: Goodreads
Genre: Fiction; Christmas, Novella
Rating: ★★★★★

Sincere thanks to the author, Melissa for providing a complimentary e-copy of One Enchanted Christmas for reviewing purposes.

About Rissi JC

amateur graphic designer. confirmed bookaholic. bubbl’r enthusiast. critical thinker. miswesterner. social media coordinator. writer.

9 comments

    1. Hi, Pam. Thanks so much. I appreciate you reading and the comment. Wishing you happy reading – this novella is definitely perfect fireside a.k.a Christmas reading. Enjoy! :)

  1. Oo, looks so great. I've been wanting to put together a post of a bunch of mini reviews for Christmas novellas- I've only read two though so I think I'll add this one to my list of to-be-reads! Thanks for sharing, Rissi, your reviews are always a delight. :)

    1. That would be a fabulous post, Bekah! I hope you can do that mini review collection. I always intend to read more Christmas stories this time of year, but alas, that never goes as planned. :)

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