Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“No matter what happened tomorrow, she would always have the memories of the good things that happened today. What more could she ask for?”

What a truly delightful Christmas read! I am well and truly getting into the Christmas spirit, even though we’re still a bit early… (hehe!) It’s rare to find short, easy to read books for when you just want to relax and not use too much brain power, and this book was just the delightful, feel-good book I needed right now. So happy to be sharing my review of Countdown to Christmas, the first book in the Holiday Countdown Series by Dianna Houx!

About the book

When Grace is told it’s unlikely Granny will live to see another Christmas, she comes up with a unique plan to transform her home into a festive inn for the holidays, offering an authentic, old-fashioned Christmas experience to her guests. To make her plan a reality, Grace must convince her small-town community to get on board and help her bring her vision to life. Along the way, she meets a diverse group of people who all have their own issues and struggles, but they come together at the inn to celebrate the holiday season and find hope and joy in the midst of their challenges.

The beginning

Oh my goodness, how can only one chapter of a book instantly fill me with hope, love, joy, warmth and the magic of Christmas?! Not only that, but it just felt like a really cosy Christmas book from the very first few pages – I knew I’d love it. I knew I’d be reading it each night under a blanket with a hot chocolate. Can I put my Christmas tree up yet?! At the start, we’re introduced to Grace and her Granny, and what delightful Characters they were. They were so easy to visualise and felt so loveable. But what instantly broke my heart was that this Christmas would likely be Granny’s last according to her doctors. I’m close to my own Grandmother and this storyline really tugged at my heart. Grace has such a moving and exciting idea to make her last Christmas the best ever. The idea of the whole community coming together to make this possible completely warmed my heart and had me wanting to jump into the pages myself to help make it all a success!

“Only eight days to go. She took a deep breath and looked around the room at all the excited faces. She wasn’t alone, and with their help, she could do this.”

Grace’s “Old-Fashioned Christmas” sounded absolutely magical. The whole town (plus her Granny’s huge house) would soon be transformed into the perfect winter wonderland, and with the very generous Hunter Parrish coming to stay from New York, offering his help and a bit of extra cash, I had a feeling things would get pretty interesting. I loved how each chapter was a different day in the countdown to Christmas, something really unique that always had me eager to jump into the next. There were always jobs to be done and decorations to be put up, and there really wasn’t a dull moment. We’re always learning about one character or another, and as Granny confesses a shocking truth to Hunter and marketing wizard, Molly, the book takes a whole different turn. I loved how things flowed so well; there was no ‘fluff’ or unnecessary parts of the book to make it longer. Just straight to the point, feel-good, pre-Christmas cheer. Ahhhh 🥰

The middle

It wasn’t just Grace and Granny who had their own interesting stories; we also learn more about Molly as the husband we didn’t know she had turns up at their doorstep. I loved how the author has given us little side stories like this to keep our minds occupied, to make us think about much more than just Christmas (even though I could happily read about Christmas forever!) Each of these characters are flawed in some way (aren’t we all?!) and it was just so great digging deeper into their lives and watching them grow before our very eyes. It all adds to the heartwarming feeling in a book like this. Grace seems to be rather keen on Hunter, and their date-but-not-a-date gave Grace more fun than she’d had in a while. But I really wished we could see more of this relationship develop. So far, the exciting moments they share together happen in between chapters, so we don’t actually experience them first hand. I really wanted to read more about this relationship and how it develops, so hopefully we get more of this later!

“She was starting to understand why Granny treasured her childhood memories so much. It wasn’t the fact that it was Christmas or even the activities she talked so much about. It was because she had spent time with her family.”

From shopping for the perfect (and biggest) Christmas tree to having a snowman making contest, the middle of the book was filled with making memories, sharing conversation and laughter, and pretty much having fun, making the most of each moment. With all guests settled in and getting into the Christmas spirit, I felt so at home and filled with that Christmassy feeling you always hope for with a book like this. The author’s Christmassy descriptions always managed to take me straight to a time and a place, and I really looked forward to what came next for these characters. I really felt attached to Grace here, the way she’s always checking up on everyone to make sure they’re having the best time, ironing out any issues, giving relationship advice and simply being a friendly face. She was someone you’d love as a friend, but someone who needed to give themselves a little more credit. I really hoped she’d begin to see her worth soon and just how much she’s loved!

The end

Granny seemed to be making the most of their old fashioned Christmas, and reading of how she was enjoying herself instead of feeling under the weather in bed really made me happy! Each chapter felt so uplifting and I had a smile on my face each time I picked this book up. There were snowy carriage rides for all the guests where we learn so much more about this little town’s history from Granny when she was in her prime. I loved all the activities that Grace and her team had planned, and to be honest, I was pretty jealous of it all! Despite me still wanting more detail and exploration of Grace and Hunter’s blossoming relationship, I was still satisfied with it and how Grace’s life was changing for the better. I loved how Christmas had brought these two opposites together, and I wanted more than anything for Grace to have her own happily ever after, especially after she’d been so selfless and caring all her life. I couldn’t wait to see how things ended!

“I don’t want to see you miss out on all the wonderful memories you’ve been creating because you’re spending all your time hiding from people you should be embracing.”

There’s plenty of emotion and uncertainty towards the end of the book which makes Grace feel deflated and sad. The author does a great job of passing these feelings onto the reader and I was desperate for things to be put right. Carl, another guest with an incredibly moving story shares some of his own life experiences with Grace that put so much into perspective. I loved how the message of making traditions and spending quality time with the people close to us is so clear throughout the whole book, and the ending was the perfect finish. There’s so many uplifting moments, tears of joy and immense happiness from all characters – really, what more do you want in a book about Christmas?! If you’re due to start your Christmas reads soon but aren’t quite sure what to pick up, I guarantee this will get you into the Christmas spirit. A nice easy read filled with so much love. Definitely recommend!

Overall thoughts

Countdown to Christmas is a magical, feel-good book that will capture your heart and fill you with Christmas spirit (it’s never too early for me!) There’s such a big focus on making new Christmas memories and traditions in this book, and the author effortlessly makes you fall in love with each and every character she creates. Grace is a truly wonderful main character, her growth and her journey to believing in herself and knowing she deserves happiness something that is guaranteed to tug at your heart. And her relationship with her Granny was something so warming and just lovely! It really does feel like a hug in book form – a real special Christmas read!

You can purchase your own copy of Countdown to Christmas by Dianna Houx right now on Amazon, available on Kindle and in paperback. Make sure you’re following the author over on Instagram for more updates. You can also read my author interview with Dianna here!

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