This had everything I enjoy in a great Christmas story—wonderful setting and lavish Christmas descriptions. ( )

Christmas Charms by Teri Wilson
Contemporary holiday romance by Harlequin Publishing. Second chance troupe.
When Ashley’s long time boyfriend rolls his eyes on getting married, Ashley breaks up with him and goes home for the Christmas holiday. She is gifted with a magical charm bracelet that seems to match her experiences at home as she reconnects with prior hometown boyfriend and friends.

Sweet, poignant and magical.
Ashley assesses her life, her goals and her perception of her home town. And Aidan is always there. The decorated home, the snowman and snowball fight, the dog, the ice skating, the good friend are all standard Hallmark trademarks. It doesn’t matter. The author does a marvelous job weaving the story with sentiment and that touch of fantasy that makes it a breathtaking romance. ( )

I love all things Hallmark and this one didn't disappoint! I did feel it was a little better than most actually. Not quite as predictable and the added Christmas magic was a nice touch. I really hope they make this one into a movie for next Christmas season. Ashley was a very fun and lovable main character. The chemistry between her and Aiden was magical as well. I recommend to anyone who loves the typical Hallmark Christmas movies. It will definitely get you in the holiday spirit!! ( )

As you mature, it's so easy to lose the awe and wonder of Christmas. That's what happened to Ashley without her even realizing it. Totally relatable, but that's pretty much where reality ends, and the Hallmark dream world begins in Christmas Charms.

Ashley thinks she knows which direction she wants her life to go: get a promotion at her job, which happens to be one of the biggest jewelry stores in New York, and become engaged to her boyfriend, who is sweeping her away to Paris for Christmas. When life puts a huge wrench in her plans, she decides to come home, after being away from her family and friends for years. On the train trip home she falls asleep only to awake and find an antique charm bracelet on her wrist. Bizarre in and of itself, but things really get turned upside down when the charms start to mirror what is happening in real life. It is these moments that wake Ashley up, reminding her of her true heart's desires, and opening her eyes again to the magic and wonder of Christmas.

The premise is really what hooked me (I mean, who doesn't love charm bracelets!) but I felt like the execution was a little flawed. I know this is Hallmark, and you expect certain things to be a little over the top, but this novel was too unbelievable, and most of it didn't even have to do with the charms coming to life!

I felt like Ashley was way too much in her head, the repetitive introspection highly annoying. Plus the fact that every single thing, down to the clothes each character was wearing and every food that was eaten, was Christmas related, was overkill for me. I also felt like Aidan's character was superficial. Though I have a thing for firefighters, and though for sure I'd fall in love with him, I felt like he was one-sided. Sure, he rescues Ashley, and has some swoon-worthy scenes, but there's no depth. This is the problem I usually have when authors choose to have an entire novel be narrated by one character, and this was definitely a problem for me in this book as well.

In saying all that, Christmas Charms is well written and does have a good flow. This is the first book I've read by Teri Wilson, but I can definitely see reading something else from her catalog. She has a great writing style and tempo that does put you into the story. I truly did feel like I was in Owl Lake.

Honestly, I think this novel would be better interpreted as a Christmas movie, giving the story the magic that it deserves, and taking the focus off the trivial things that bothered me. Yes, sadly, Christmas Charms fell a little flat for me, but I don't regret reading it one bit. The main storyline itself is an adorable idea, the characters warm and inviting, Owl Lake dreamy, and all in all it really was a "charming" read.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own. ( )

Ashley leads a busy life, working in an upscale jewelry store, making her own vintage jewelry, and dating Jeremy. She’s hoping to become engaged when they Paris during Christmas, but then she finds out the ring he bought was for his brother to give to his girlfriend. Jeremy has no interest in getting married. Ashley realizes she and Jeremy are not meant to be, and breaks up with him. She returns to visit her parents in their hometown, and on the way there, she meets a kind but strange lady on the train. Ashley discovers that the mysterious lady left her a delightful charm bracelet, a gift that was left while Ashley was asleep. But the bracelet seems to have some sort of magic in its charms, and it’s the best kind of Christmas magic, for it will show Ashley the way to her own HEA. This well-written and charming tale is full of everything that is delightful about Christmas. It’s about family, friends, pets, relationships, fun, hope, dreams, and love. With a little Christmas magic thrown in. ( )