Book Review: A Cross-Country Christmas

A Cross-Country Christmas is a sweet holiday romance. Courtney Walsh creates believable characters with conflicted pasts. It was easy to put myself in the main character's shoes because many of her hang-ups felt familiar. I especially related to her efforts to safeguard her heart by only approaching men she'd never consider. Years of unrequited interest led to self-protection mode. So if you're in the mood for a forced proximity, love-hate-love progression, give this seasonal tale a try.

Lauren Richmond rarely goes home for the holidays. Her family of origin doesn't inspire warm fuzzies. When her brother, Spencer, begs her to come home for the birth of his first child, she cannot avoid accepting a ride home with Spencer's best friend, Will Sinclair. This is the same Will Sinclair she pined for endlessly until he broke her heart in college. Or is he the same Will Sinclair? For some reason, Will keeps drawing out the trip, and Lauren can't decide if he deserves a second chance or not.

I expect marvelous stories from Courtney Walsh. This book is well-written and expertly paced. Even though it is a romance, and the reader can bank on a happy ending, Lauren keeps you guessing which way she'll land. I noted, too, that the book has garnered over 23,000 ratings on Goodreads. Now, that's a popular Christmas story. Although I'm eager to read the sequel, A Cross-Country Wedding, I think I'll jump first to her other holiday tale, Christmas With a Crank, before the holidays evaporate. I'd say I'm having more luck than usual in finding worthwhile Christmas stories.