Book Review: A Christmas in the Alps by Melody Carlson

Posted September 5, 2021 by WendyW in Blogging, Book Review, New Release / 10 Comments

A Christmas in the Alps
A Christmas in the Alps
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

by Melody Carlson
Publication Date September 7, 2021
Published by Revell
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Genres: Fiction / Christian / Romance / General, Fiction / Romance / Clean & Wholesome, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Pages: 176
Format: ARC

After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.

For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.


My Review:

A Christmas in the Alps by Melody Carlson is a sweet Christmas novella, that takes the reader to a gorgeous town in the snowy French Alps. It’s a quick read, with enough depth of characters to make this a very satisfying holiday read.

Simone Winthrop has just lost her grandmother and is cleaning out her grandmother’s home when she discovers a letter from her Great Grandmother, also named Simone. Her great grandmother’s letter tells her to go to her hometown in the french alps to collect the treasure that she left behind after leaving hastily. Simone’s great-grandmother had rescued an American navigator who had bailed out of a plane and landed near their home in France, and after he received his injuries, they fell in love and he brought her back to America to make a life together.

Simone doesn’t really believe there is a treasure left for her. But, her friend convinces her to sell her Grandmother’s home and go to France to check out the claim of the treasure. Simone reluctantly agrees, even though she is very afraid of flying. On the plane, she meets Kyle Larsson, who is traveling to Europe also. Kyle helps Simone deal with her anxiety about flying and they hit it off on the long flight.

I enjoyed the setting and the description of the small alpine town, and the watchmaking factory. I think this could have been a good dual timeline book, as the action in the past is just as emotional and exciting as the action in the present. Simone and Kyle were both sympathetic characters and their romance seemed real and not too rushed. I did wish for a longer, more detailed ending, but, it’s a novella, and there was not enough room for that. There are subtle references to Christianity and the characters’ beliefs, but it’s not overwhelming.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of sweet romance and Christian romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

10 responses to “Book Review: A Christmas in the Alps by Melody Carlson

  1. I do enjoy Melody Carlson’s Christmas stories and this one sounds good. My interest is definitely piqued about what the treasure might be. Wonderful review, Wendy.

  2. I’m wondering what her grandmother left behind. I like the sound of this, the setting and the fact that it’s not that long. Sometimes I just want a quick romance! It’s easier to fit in to my schedule, too.