This is a sweet, feel-good holiday romance and a quick read. I can totally picture this as one of those Hallmark or Netflix holiday romance movies I love so much, and I had a great time curled up with this story.

Kenna Hart is a single mother who’s tired of being pitied and treated with kid gloves after her ex-husband was arrested for fraud a year ago. Her two young sons are in her small town’s Christmas pageant, which Kenna, as the town’s music teacher, is helping organize. While working on the pageant, she runs into Tucker McGrath, a former classmate whose mom leads the pageant every year. Tucker’s dad left when he was younger (when Tucker’s mom was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition, the asshole!), so Tucker is wary of getting involved with anyone and disappointing them like his father did him.

I love how much Tucker respects Kenna’s abilities; unlike many of the townspeople, he doesn’t coddle her. He’s also very mindful about not raising unrealistic expectations in her kids, who fall in love with him almost immediately. I also love how awesome a character Kenna is, how she challenges herself to do things even though deep down, she’s also afraid of how much she has to deal with on her own.

Despite touching on some heavy topics — illness, abandonment, incarceration — the story overall is told with a light touch. It’s just an absolutely pleasure to read, a touching reminder of love and family and the spirit of Christmas, and a sweet little treat for the holidays.

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Thank you to Forever Romance for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.