The Christmas Makeover
by Susan Lute
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GENRE: Sweet, small-town romance
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BLURB:
He’s ready for the lights…
Baker Grant Reed loves discovering new Christmas recipes, making people smile, and Angel Point—not necessarily in that order. But when his editor turns down his proposal for a Christmas cookbook, he must show her how serious he is about becoming the premier pastry chef in the country. He turns to his best friend, Faith—if anyone can give him a complete makeover that will turn heads, she can.
She knows how to make things sparkle…
In her past, Faith Hathaway was a costume designer for some of Broadway’s most prestigious plays. Now, after moving to Angel Point to help her grandfather, she owns and operates a vintage boutique and helps out at the local theater. When Grant asks for a makeover, she’s torn—she loves him the way he is, mismatched socks and all.
In exchange, he promises to show Faith, who has never enjoyed the holiday season, the magic of an Angel Point Christmas. But as the two grow closer, Grant can’t help but wonder…has he got his Christmas wish all wrong?
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Excerpt:
“Don’t wait too long to decorate. The mayor is having a Christmas window display contest. The winner will get an angel trophy. Wouldn’t it be great if we were the first winner to display the trophy for the whole year?”
Boxes of decorations in the storeroom were stacked as high as the ceiling. All Faith could see was her granddad falling off a ladder and breaking his leg again. “I’ll get it done. I promise.”
“I’m sure Grant will help. That boy loves Christmas,” Esther said with a sweet smile before following Stuart out of the shop.
Faith rolled her eyes. This wasn’t the first time Esther had made up an excuse to throw her and Grant together. It probably wouldn’t be the last, either, which should have bothered her but didn’t. What was a teeny-tiny crush between friends, anyway? Still—
“Maybe that’s not a bad idea,” she said to the now-empty store. Grant was decent, kind, and responsible. Look at how he took care of his grandma, though Faith was pretty sure Esther would protest loudly if she had an inkling of his subtle oversight.
And if there was a moment here and there when Faith wondered what it would be like to have his complete, undivided attention, no woman worth her salt would blame her for the tiny tremors that made her heart unstable whenever he tempted her with one of his experimental pastries.
Grant, with his neon shirts and mismatched socks, made sense to her. If they weren’t such good friends, she’d fall for him in a hot New York minute.
Another Christmas book is under my cap. Boy have I been reading a bunch of them this year. And most of them have been really good, too. This one is no exception. Just the right amount of Christmas, slow-burn romance, and enough pastries to keep my sweet tooth in check. Plus, it has one of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers. And this one has all the feels for me. Longing between Grant and Faith, at times meddling grandparents, Christmas contests throughout the town, and a classic Christmas play to boot.
I really enjoyed getting to know Grant and Faith. I couldn’t help but laugh when Faith described Grant’s choice of everyday attire. Mismatched socks, even if it was a tribute to a relative. It was cute and I’m glad that he kept that after the makeover. And Grant was a baker. In most books, it’s the woman that bakes but I really liked how Ms. Lute flipped the switch and it worked. I just wondered where the other bakery was and where he would have a third.
Faith was a tougher nut to crack. I liked her and her interactions with her grandfather are great. But honestly, I didn’t feel that her heart was into the actual town of Angel Point. It wasn’t until Grant truly showed her how wonderful the town was that she actually got into her store, Faith’s Attic. I would love a store like hers in my small town. But then, that’s were some of the conflict was. Her disconnect with the town. She liked Grant and they were best friends but in the end, she needed to truly find what made her happy and was going to keep her in town. I’m glad that she figured it out in the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Grant and Faith’s story. It was heartfelt, funny in places, and watching the grandparent’s romance was a blast. When I finished the book, I didn’t realize that this was the 3rd book in the series. I can’t wait to read the others in the series.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Susan is an award-winning author of contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and dystopian romance. Like all children of military families, she spent her childhood moving from one duty station to the next. She likes to say she is first and foremost a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, dreamer, and novelist. These days, when not working as a Registered Nurse, she remodels her house and writes whenever she can.
Website: http://susanlute.com/
Newsletter: https://www.susanlute.com/new-release-alert
Instagram: authorsusanlute
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sidella/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Susan-Lute/202040233153546
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1252907.Susan_Lute
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanLute
DIGITAL:
Tule Bookstore: https://tulepublishingshop.com/products/the-christmas-makeover
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088NC2KXB
B&N Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-christmas-makeover-susan-lute/1137030508
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-christmas-makeover/id1521503916
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-christmas-makeover-1
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Susan_Lute_The_Christmas_Makeover?id=eyrwDwAAQBAJ&hl=en_GB
Amazon Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088NC2KXB
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Susan Lute will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Such a lovely cover.
Thank you for hosting The Christmas Makeover! Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, so of course Grant and Faith’s story, set in the fictional town of Angel Point, had to be told through the lens of this magical time. I love the friends to lover trope as well. As a writer, nothing is more fun than taking the expected and turning it upside down. Happy holidays!
Thanks for hosting!