Name: Kristen Claiborn's review of The Christmas Wish by Sharon Sala
Item: The Christmas Wish
Rating: 2
Author: Kristen Claiborn

Sharon Sala

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala delivers her first holiday romance in the Blessings, Georgia series, where the glow of a small-town Christmas and excitement of a winter love story will warm your heart! Wade Montgomery said goodbye to Blessings a long time ago, but he's never forgotten the way his hometown embraces the Christmas spirit. He only intended to come back to rebuild after a devastating fire almost cost the family business, but being back in Blessings reminds Wade of all he's been missing. And once he lays eyes on old flame Bridgette "Birdie" Knox, he's more than ready to start fresh. But Birdie's giving him the cold shoulder. Birdie Knox has had more than her share of ups and downs in life, and has only just reunited with her siblings. The family secrets that tore them apart are still raw, and they're not sure how to handle the holiday cheer. She can't pretend she's ready to trust again so soon--or that she even believes in things like happily ever afters--and now here's Wade back in town, re-igniting the wishes and dreams of a much younger Birdie. Wade left Blessings once before, and there's no guarantee he won't leave again. But the more she prepares for Christmas, the more she realizes that she wants to let Wade back in. In fact, she might have been waiting for him all this time...her own personal Christmas miracle...

The Christmas Wish

Brittany Jenkins

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala delivers her first holiday romance in the Blessings, Georgia series. Fans of RaeAnne Thayne and Debbie Mason will feel right at home in this emotional winter love story: Uplifting second chance romance Tight-knit small-town community Characters that jump off the page Heartwarming Christmas spirit Authentic Southern setting Wade Montgomery's visit to help his family brings him back to Georgia just in time for the holidays. But once he lays eyes on his old friend Birdie Knox, he can't stop thinking about calling Blessings home again...this time forever. It's been years since Wade Montgomery stepped foot in Blessings, Georgia, but the Blessings Christmas spirit is just like he remembers it. The whole town has come together to help his uncle after a disaster nearly destroyed the family business. Being back in Blessings reminds Wade of everything he's been missing, especially when he runs into his old flame, Birdie Knox. Birdie Knox isn't so eager to jump into the holiday season. Every year, she's reminded of the secrets that tore her family apart. But with Wade Montgomery back in town, Birdie is starting to believe in Christmas magic. There's no guarantee Wade will stick around, but if Birdie had her wish, she'd never have to say goodbye to him again. Praise for the Blessings, Georgia series: "Sharon Sala is a consummate storyteller. Her skills shine in her Blessings, Georgia series. If you can stop reading then you're a better woman than me."—DEBBIE MACOMBER, #1 New York Times bestselling author "Sharon Sala's Blessings, Georgia series is filled with unforgettable charm and delight!"—ROBYN CARR, #1 New York Times bestselling author "[Sala's] Blessings, Georgia series is full of heartfelt emotions and laughter."—Fresh Fiction "Sala makes Blessings, Georgia, a vastly entertaining place to visit."—Bookpage

Kristen Claiborn

I fell in love with the Blessings, Georgia years ago when one of the books ended up on the Brenda Novak Book Club’s reading list. I hate picking up a series in the middle, even when each book is billed as both a part of the series and a stand-alone. I binge-read this entire series and fell in love with the town and the people in it. Unfortunately, I hadn’t had an opportunity to revisit the series in quite some time, but August of 2022 found me without any of my TBR list available, so I decided to check and see if Sharon Sala had added new books to this series. To my utter delight, there were two! Woohoo!
	I grew up in a city, then I moved to an even bigger city, so I have little to zero knowledge of small towns. I have certainly been to small towns, and I know people from small towns, but that’s the extent of my experience. I know even less about small towns in the South. Based on the cheesy romance novels I read, small towns are all very tight-knit, everybody-loves-everybody, everybody is family types of places. The previous books in Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series have included tales of heroism, community, kindness, and giving. While this book includes similar themes, the similarities genuinely end there. 
	The word that I kept thinking of while reading this book was “saccharine.” Annoying saccharine. The beginning of Wade and Birdie’s relationship was so unrealistic, I wondered if I was even reading something by Sharon Sala. It didn’t have the same overall feeling that the previous books had. It was so insincere it became cringey. Every time Wade called Birdie “Darling,” my eyes rolled so hard I briefly lost vision and threw up in my mouth a little. There was a scene with Birdie in the hardware store where she works where she was faced with disgusting misogyny. Instead of putting the perpetrator in his place because she is a strong capable woman, she issued a threat on behalf of her fiancé. I was hugely disappointed. Women should be able to stand on their own merits, not because their big strong boyfriends are going to beat up the bad guy. Just ugh. 
	I’m going to keep reading this series, and I still love Sharon Sala’s books, but seriously, skip this one.

Alexis 

3/5 Stars 

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I will admit it was cute and very hallmark-like, which I absolutely enjoyed. However, I also felt like nothing really happened. Everything felt very okay. I would say there is a lot of plot or that this is really character-driven. It felt just a little boring for me because I felt like there wasn't a whole lot keeping my attention. This all being said this is very much a cozy read. It's easy to read and perfect for an inbetween book.

Brittany Jenkins &
The Christmas Wish by Sharon Sala

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Brittany Jenkins &The Christmas Wish by Sharon Sala

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Brittany Jenkins &
The Christmas Wish by Sharon Sala