Absolutely adored Christmas with a Crank by Courtney Walsh! It’s the perfect cozy, Hallmarkish Christmas romance! Grumpy/sunshine is one of my favorite tropes & combined with childhood friends to more & second chance romance is the whipped cream in my hot chocolate. I loved celebrating the last, best Christmas at Pine Creek Christmas Tree Farm with Olive & Liam & all the magical moments including sleigh rides with real life, escaping reindeer, scavenger hunts, & all the lovely traditions as Olive tries to help Liam remember everything he used to love about the farm.

Olive’s seeking a second chance after completely failing at her business venture & winding up in debt. Her artistic abilities & love of all things Pine Creek make her the ideal person to make the last Christmas at the farm memorable before they have to sell it off. Olive’s sweet memories of her childhood & the time she spent with Liam all come rushing back when the man himself unexpectedly decides to stay & help. But, the sweet friend she remembers doesn’t match the grumpy, brooding, although handsome version she sees now.

The last thing Liam wants to do is return home to the farm he wants to forget. The expectations of him taking over were dashed when he decided to go a different direction & become a video game designer. Though successful, he’s never forgotten those sweet memories of the farm or that first kiss with Olive when they were twelve, or the years since as he’s regretted missed opportunities with her. Now that he’s back, he has to decide if he’ll give his family & Olive another chance.

I devoured this book! I loved the idyllic setting of Pine Creek & could almost smell that delicious pine scent as I was reading. Olive’s & Liam’s romance was so good as they reconnect as friends & become more. I loved how they both changed & grew. It was so good seeing Olive regain confidence in herself & her abilities, & Liam become less of a crank as the story unfolded. Those stolen kisses, witty banter, & their hurkle durkle day had me ginning from ear to ear. I loved everything about this story & reading it was like curling up with a cozy blanket.

Highest of recommendations! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author. All opinions are my own & voluntarily provided. ( )