The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.

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September 2024; Griffin; 978-1250283610
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); women's fiction

Now that I'm on Christmas vacation, I can dig into a few of the Christmas books I saved to feature this month as part of our 25 Days of Christmas Reading. Up first, is The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley. 

I discovered Kelley last summer when I read The Bookshop by the Bay and followed it up this summer with The Seaside Sisters. While these books are billed as part of a series, they are all set in Cape Cod and characters from these books make appearances. It's not necessary to read the previous books, but having these characters appear makes the community Kelley has built feel more real.

Now, if you've read my Christmas reviews over the years, you know I love Nantucket at Christmas. So I was excited to see how Christmas in Cape Cod would compare. If you are a fan of Nancy Thayer or Elin Hilderbrand, then you should try Pamela Kelley.

The plot was pretty predictable, but the characters are great and I enjoyed spending time with them. There is no major relationship drama that you might get with a romantic comedy as this is more women's fiction and, therefore, more about the characters finding their way in life.

At first glance, the story seems centered on Riley who loses her job right before Christmas. Once she arrives in her hometown of Chatham though the story pulls in two other women. One is Riley's mom Beth who has broken her leg and needs help around the inn that she owns. The other woman is a guest at the inn. Franny, who grew up in Cape Cod, returned to spend time with her terminally ill sister. After her sister passes, Franny stays to follow the letters her sister left her.

This book has everything you want in a good Christmas book - a heart-warming plot, plenty of friends and family, a touch of romance, SNOW (I live in the south so it's the only way I get snow at Christmas), and lots of festive moments.

Buy The Christmas Inn at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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