Christmas in Snowflake Canyon (Hope's Crossing)

I have loved this series from the beginning and look forward to each new book. This is by far my favorite of the series. I was sorry to see it end. Who would have thought that the pairing of Dylan and Gen would have made such a wonderful storyline. I highly recommend it.

i usually like everything by RaeAnne Thayne but this book never really pulled me in. I stopped reading and came back a couple weeks later but never could get really interested. I still have not finished it.

RaeAnne Thayne has created such a fantastic cast of small town characters in her Hope's Crossing series. Christmas in Snowflake Canyon is the sixth book in this series (I do recommend starting with the first book- Blackberry Summer, only because they are all so good, but you can read this book as a stand alone and not feel lost. Enough background is given on back stories for a smooth read.), and if you haven't discovered them yet, I hope that you will start reading them now.

Our heroine in Christmas in Snowflake Canyon is not well liked in her hometown of Hope's Crossing, and she is struggling to overcome her own poor choices. In this story Thayne reminds us that we are all redeemable. Our past may be filled with bad choices, but we can change and do our best to make amends.

The love story is an unlikely one, but that is what makes it so great! Spoiled little rich girl and depressed, injured soldier couldn't be a more unlikely match, but when they get together the sparks fly. They constantly struggle with overcoming the idea that they are not good enough for the other, and they almost miss their chance.

From the first funny raucous scene at the bar where Dylan comes to Gen’s aide…not that she needed his help…until the very last page, I was utterly captivated. This wounded warrior, who’s missing a hand and an eye, takes on the town socialite, who is dealing with her own devastating predicament. These two go head to head as they are sentenced to do community service as penance for getting into a bar fight. They work at together at A Warrior’s Hope, a getaway for wounded warriors, men and women and their families, a free vacation in the mountains of Colorado. This is a chance for this community to give back to those who have lost so much and it just so happens that Dylan Caine, one of their own, doesn’t believe in the program, and now, not by his doing and much to his dismay, he is being forced to volunteer. Genevieve Beaumont is back home in Hope’s Crossing, cut off from her trust account, she had to leave her fancy life in Paris behind. In debt, and running out of options, her nerves frayed, she does the unthinkable, and it lands her handcuffed to Dylan Caine, and in the back of police cruiser. Her sentence…working with Dylan at A Warrior’s Hope.

You could cut the sexual tension with a knife, but this is a clean romance. It didn’t matter; the characters and their dilemma drive this story. This is about two people seeing themselves for what they are, and realizing they have more to offer someone than they thought they did. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this. Gen was a spitfire, a changed woman, someone I would want to have my back. I adored her. Dylan, he puts on a good front, but he’s hurting and it takes this once spoiled, bratty socialite to make him see, that he was ‘perfect’ for her. She had the ‘perfect’ man, who turned out to be an ass, and now she wanted what she ‘needed’, didn’t want to settle, and Dylan was it for her.

What a thought provoking memorable read! I don’t need the bedroom antics, not when the story was as good as this one was. I loved the witty banter, the heartfelt moments, the family aspect and most especially, Gen and Dylan. They were perfect together, even if they couldn’t see it. There are a few side stories, involving the guests at A Warrior’s Hope, and some of Dylan’s family. I loved his father, what a kind sweet man; you could feel the love he had for his son! I had no idea this was part of a series, and now I want to go back and read all the books in the Hope’s Crossing series. I’ve read a few books by RaeAnne Thayne and found them to be enjoyable, but this is by far the best book I’ve read from her. She has grown in leaps and bounds as an author.

Don’t wait for the holidays to read this, the message this book delivers doesn’t need a time of year to define it!

*A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review*

It's been a hectic week around here, with Christmas on the horizon I was actually excited to get a few hours of reading here and there. It wasn't much, but it gave me enough to finish Christmas in Snowflake Canyon my first book by Thayne.

I know it's book six in the series, but Christmas in Snowflake Canyon can actually be read as a stand-alone. I had no problem with the characters nor did it feel like I walked into the middle of a movie. I really enjoyed Thayne's characters and writing.

Genevieve Beaumont is back in town after living in Paris for a while. She comes from a wealthy family and grew up having everything she could ask for, until her father decides to cut her off when she refuses to marry the man who openly cheated on her with a younger woman and got her pregnant. Now, she is back in Hope's Crossing and working on fixing her grandmother's old house, in hopes of putting it on the market.

Dylan is the town's war hero, a war veteran that has lost a part of his arm (below the elbow) and one of his eyes when a mission went very wrong. He comes with a full package of a brooding man with survivors guilt who has a hard time adjusting to his home in Hope's Crossing.

When Genevieve get's into a fight at the bar over Christmas songs and Dylan steps in to rescue her, he doesn't expect to be carted off to jail and slapped with 100 hours of community service along side the beautiful but perfect Genevieve Beaumont.

Such a sweet story. I have to admit, it started a bit on a slow side for me but once I got into the story I had a difficult time putting it down. I have the biggest soft spot for military men, and Dylan was just wonderful. Yes he comes with a lot of problems, he doesn't think his perfect and has a hard time dealing with the fact that he lost a couple of things back in Afghanistan. But beneath the surface, the man really does have a heart of gold. I couldn't help but root for the both of them, it was so touching to watch just how much Genevieve has changed. I would never have liked her myself if I had met her before she came back from Paris and started rebuilding her life. She had taken advantage of the fact that she had money, but when things got stripped away from her she came out as a strong and independent woman who was just in search of her real self.

I adored the fact that Genevieve fell in love with Dylan's heart and accepted the stubborn man with his flaws and imperfections inside and out. It really was touching that a woman like her could look past what he had lost and even at one part of the book has helped similar military man in need.

Wonderful story, beautiful one for Christmas time. Thayne really made me think with this one. I think if you really fall in love with the person on the inside, it shouldn't matter how they look on the outside. If the person got hurt after you fell in love and is now disabled, it melts your heart when their partner stands by them because their love is that strong that the two can in fact survive anything life throws at them.

I got a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Title: Christmas in Snowflake Canyon

Series: Hope’s Crossing book 6

Author: RaeAnne Thayne

Genre: Contemporary, Holiday Romance

Holiday gifts don't always come in expected packages... especially in the town of Hope's Crossing.

No one has ever felt sorry for Genevieve Beaumont. After all, she has everything money can buy. That is, until she discovers her fiancé has been two-timing her and she's left with two choices: marry the philanderer to please her controlling father or be disinherited and find a means to support herself.

Genevieve's salvation appears in the most unlikely of prospects: Dylan Caine, a sexy, wounded war vet whose life is as messy as hers. Dylan's struggling to adjust after his time in Afghanistan, and the last thing he needs is a spoiled socialite learning about the real world for the first time. True, she may have unexpected depths and beauty to match. But he knows he could never be the man she needs…and she knows he could never be the man she thinks she wants. So why are they each hoping that a Christmas miracle will prove them both wrong?

Well she did it… RaeAnne Thayne has written another brilliant book! Ms. Thayne opens the book in her “Dear Reader” comments by saying “it is our flaws and our failings – and the dignity and grace with which we strive to overcome them – that make each of us beautifully human. This is the lesson both Dylan Caine -and Genevieve Beaumont must learn.” WOW – I love this!

Two years have passed since book 5 and Gen has been in Paris recovering from her cancelled wedding and avoiding growing up. When she is forced by her father to return to Hope’s Crossing she and the people in her small home town will learn that none of us are the same as we were 2 years ago. Things happen on a daily basis that change our lives, the kind of people that we are and the path that we will follow. Dylan has spent the time holed up in Snowflake Canyon with his dog and his misery avoiding life in general because he sees himself as a “washed-up army ranger with several missing parts”. With about a 6 year age difference between Gen and Dylan they do not know each other well, only by reputation. But a chance run-in involving Christmas songs and a bar fight and these 2 will end up handcuffed together and forced to complete community service at A Warrior’s Hope – the last place Dylan wants to be.

From her behavior in previous books, I didn’t think it would be possible but RT made me love Genevieve Beaumont! About a quarter of the way into the book, I could feel Gen’s desire to stand on her own two feet and prove her worth as someone other than the mayor’s spoiled daughter. About half way through I was cheering for Gen to turn Dylan’s heart from a block of ice to a squishy marshmallow. And by ¾ through I was cheering for the great people in Hope’s Crossing and beaming with pride because once again they pulled together and showed what unconditional support is all about. At the end of this book I think RT taught many people in the town that “it is our flaws and our failings – and the dignity and grace with which we strive to overcome them – that make each of us beautifully human.”

Grade: A
Review by: Jeananna
[...]

Holiday gifts don’t always come in expected packages…especially in the town of Hope’s Crossing.

Genevieve Beaumont is back home after being dealt an ultimatum by her father.

Dylan Caine, a sexy, wounded war vet, is learning to cope after being injured in Afghanistan by a bomb explosion in which some of his friends lost their lives.

A chance meeting in a local bar brings Gen and Dylan together and could change both their lives if they can just realize it.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
I broke my own rule about reading series book in order but I so needed to read a Christmas story and this one just called out to me. In fact once I started reading I couldn’t stop.

As a person with a disability Thane’s stories just hit me right in the heart. All of her characters have their flaws and like Taryn in Woodrose Mountain there are people in this story dealing with physical disabilities. This time it is wounded veterans including Dylan Caine who was wounded in Afghanistan and is struggling with so much.

This story was just what I needed to read. So many characters went through transformations. Not only Gen and Dylan but a wondrous gift was given to a supporting character that brought tears to me eyes. Love can conquer anything and in this story it does. This author is excellent at developing her characters. The emerge and grow at a perfect pace. The reader can feel their struggles and their internal battles to change what they can and accept what they can’t.

While this is a Christmas story, don’t think you need to wait until next year to read it. There is still plenty of blustery weather left for you to curl up with it this winter or it can help you cool off when the weather is warmer too. It is a feel good story for any time of year.

I understand this may be the last book in this series but because I broke my own rule it will not be my last trip to Hope’s Crossing. I will happily be visiting again soon when I read the stories I skipped.

There's something insanely comforting about a holiday romance novel. Really. I don't know what it is but I love them, and I must not be the only one because there are quite a few out there. Who wouldn't want to get a nice mug of cocoa (spiked of course), sit by the fire, and read a lovely book? And this one fit the bill, albeit a little unconventionally at times.

After spending her credit cards to the max, Genevieve Beaumont is tricked into coming back to the States by her father who seeks to put her on a shorter leash. He wants her to fix up her grandmothers house for sale and actually start taking some responsibility for her life. However, plans go awry when she starts a bar fight over Christmas carols and ends up having to do community service with the dark, dashing, and wounded Dylan Caine. Dylan is a war vet who lost his eye and arm to a blast and has come back Hope's Crossing to live a quiet life in the mountains. So he is less than pleased when he has to do Community Service at a local charity for wounded warriors that his sister helped create. And he is even more displeased at his growing attraction to Genevieve.

These are some flawed characters. But in a realistic way. You've got your wounded war vet, who pushes people away from him thinking they won't like him since he isn't "complete." You've got your spoiled socialite who just wants to go back to France and shop her days away. And you've got your supporting cast making sure that these two fall in with each other every chance that they get. It's a good mix. I actually did like Genevieve despite her materialistic tendencies. She wanted to do good, she just seemed a little lost.

The situations were pretty realistic too. I mean, how much more realistic can community service and punishment get? No romantic meeting on mountaintops for these two. Just bar brawls. Although there was one thing that troubled me about the bar scene, and this may just be showing my ignorance of how the law works. Why is it that only Dylan and Genevieve got in trouble? The ADA was the one who made the first physical contact. I would think that they would have been charged for assault as well. But oh well, we probably didn't want to see them doing community service anyway. The writing is quite humorous. There were a couple of lines in there that made me laugh out loud. Especially the one at the front involving cookies. It's great, look for it. And there are no explicit sex scenes, but there is a lot of romance and cussing. So it's not one of your "tame" romances.

I really enjoyed this story and didn't even realize it was the sixth book in a series. Obviously it can be read as a stand alone but I think I'll enjoy seeking out the first five books.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon
Copyright 2013
362 pages

**This book was received as part of a Good Reads Giveaway**

Review by M. Reynard 2013

By: RaeAnne Thayne
Published By Harlequin HQN
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Series: Hope's Crossing #6
Review:

"Christmas In Snowflake Canyon" by RaeAnne Thayne was a wonderful Christmas romance that once I started it I couldn't put it down until the end. This author did some job with the "retelling of the 'Beauty and the Beast fairytale" ... with Genevieve Beaumont being the Beauty and Dylan Caine being the beast. This was definitely a story of "a sensitive portrayal of severely injured people that were both personal emotional and physically hurt." For Dylan who had gone off to war and come back broken and not only in spirit...for he had lost his eye and hand in Afghanistan. We will see that Dylan's family of five older brothers, a sister and father who wants him to get out and socialize but he is not really for that. Then their was Genevieve who was the mayor daughter of , back from Paris 'trying to get over her fiancé who had two timed her...now back home due to parents call...now trying to fix up and sell her grandmother home. We will find that .... well is Genevieve Beaumont the 'cold hearted bitch' we though she was? Guess what happens when they are both end up at "Hopes' Crossing.' When Dylan and Genevieve had met this wasn't a happy meeting... now having to serve some community service at the 'Wounded Warriors' and this is where this story really picks up. We find....and this is where I say you must pick up "Christmas in Snowflake Canyon" to see how this author brings it to its all out to her readers. You will find this a well written script and I think is the ending to this Hopes Crossing series. You will find from this novel will truly touch your heart from the beginning till the end. You will see where people can change if they have the mind to as in the case of Genevieve... who would have believed it of her from previous series? I really enjoyed how this author was able to give us a inside view of the 'Wounded Warriors Program' that was simply beautiful and so very touching. All of the characters were so fantastically well developed and so very captivating... leaving me only to say Wow...what a amazing read that I would recommend.

I adore fleshed out, complicated and misunderstood characters and Thayne gave me two very memorable characters in Genevieve and Dylan. Dylan is so smexy and totally not your typical hero. He is a wounded veteran, having lost vision in one eye and his left arm below the elbow. He is facing survivors guilt, esteem issues and he was just so damn sexy. He sports an eye patch and loves his dog. Gah! You will adore this complicated soul. Genevieve from the outside looks like a spoiled child of privilege, but the truth is most of her snark and attitude mask insecurities anda longing to be loved. Parents, siblings, and a few wounded veterans added to the tale making me giggle, shed a tear and swoon. A few characters made me angry at their stupid; prejudice and neglectful arrogance all of which made me flip the pages in need of my happily ever-after. The romance was complicated, sweet, and dripping with sexual tension despite the fact that this tale was squeaky clean.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon offered so much more than a holiday romance. I loved the town of Hope’s Crossing nestled in Colorado and all of the secondary characters we meet. In fact, I have added this series to my wish list and cannot wait to read them. Dylan and Genevieve were wonderfully flawed, hurt characters who see growth throughout the tale as their friendship grows and develops into something sweet and magical. It is a book about hope, second chances, depending on others and realizing one’s own self-worth. I loved the facility for wounded vets, and Thayne’s grasp of their inner turmoil, struggles, and their enormous courage and perseverance. Christmas in Snowflake Canyon touched me on so many levels and filled me with the magic of love, the holiday spirit and good will towards men. ARc received from publisher and complete review published at caffeinated book reviewer in exchange for unbiased review.

3.5 stars

Part of a series, this chick-lit contemporary romance can easily be read alone. It is about the familiar trope: bad boy vs. spoiled little rich girl. Dylan Caine and Genevieve Beaumont met in a dive bar when she has had one drink too many. She came across as a bumpkin without a filter and made a few stupid mistakes. Dylan then came to her rescue and they both landed in jail.

The result is they have to perform 100 hours of community service, before Christmas, to avoid having a permanent record. And, where of all places, but a wounded veterans recreation center. This was a sore spot for Dylan because he had returned home from fighting in the Middle East minus a hand and with the loss of one eye. Working side by side is not what either wants but boo-hoo.

Over a period of days, these two learn from the strengths and weaknesses of other veterans. Dylan is recovering at his own pace when he sees men and women whom are worse off them he is; it is humbling. Genevieve loosens up, shakes up and grows up. She becomes a better person and, at the same time, never loses her quirkiness. This is a heartwarming story that will make you appreciate what you have.

Summary:

Genevieve Beaumont the Mayor of Snowflake Canyon's daughter has always gotten the best of everything whether it be clothes, guys, homes you name it. However, things change when her dad takes away her cash flow and trust fund forcing her to come back to the one place she never thought she would have to step foot in to sell her Grandma's Pearls house.

Dylan Caine a wounded veteran has come back to Snowflake Canyon to escape to his house on top of the mountain and to have little interaction as necessary. Things change for him one night when he steps in to help Genevieve kick butt against the ADA district attorney who won't stop playing annoying Christmas songs on the music players. This lands these two unlikely people having complete a 100 hours of community service with the local Wound Warrior Organization.

This Christmas season breaking law won't just bring happiness and joy to the wounded veterans and their families but also the start of something more for Genevieve and Dylan.

My Review:

This was my first book by RaeAnne Thayne so other than romance story set in the christmas season I wasn't sure how much I was going to like the book. I ended up really loving this book. I liked how RaeAnne added humor, love, pain and new beginnings all into one book. I started this book and never wanted to put it down at night. If it wasn't for having to go to work during this week I would have finished this book alot faster. I am very interested to see what she has in store for the next book in the series and I defiantly want to go back and read the rest of this series to read about the other characters in the book. This book had me laughing, smiling and at times feeling sad for the characters when something bad was happening.

I would defiantly recommend this book to my friends and family.

Now on to the next Christmas book!

Christmas is fast approaching and at the Speckled Lizard bar, carols play on the jukebox. Some people are already tired of carols, and an unlikely altercation between two women results in unexpected entertainment.

Genevieve Beaumont is the little rich girl, and she's come from Paris to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado. She didn't expect to be handcuffed and taken in for disorderly conduct. Dylan Caine, who had tried to separate the ladies, is about to be cuffed when the cop realises she's got a problem; Dylan's missing a hand. She cuffs him to Genevieve to keep him still. Maybe it's not what every officer would do, but Hope's Crossing is a small town. Genevieve suddenly faces a reality check; she's squandered her internships in Paris socialising, and now her father the mayor is going to kill her.

From this lively start, Genevieve and Dylan are ordered to carry out community work in lieu of jail time. A support group for disabled veterans needs assistance... veterans like Dylan, who is missing a hand and an eye. First, the pair help decorate mountain cabins for Christmas. The sulky girl opens up a little, a contrast with Dylan's more basic upbringing in Snowflake Canyon. Eventually they've relaxed enough that Dylan offers to help her strip wallpaper from an old house her parents are giving her to redecorate.

The arrival of the guests is a good reminder that some people's lives have changed irrevocably and they need to learn to cope with everything, including family holidays. Aching after her active day, Genevieve wishes for a hot tub; however we can see her growing and learning by her interactions. Her former fiancé is still in town, and the girl has to be polite to everyone, even those who she believes have wronged her. RaeAnne Thayne tells an interesting story, with life lessons and well-drawn characters. CHRISTMAS IN SNOWFLAKE CANYON is an unusual seasonal romance novel and a fine read.

4.5 stars. A really sweet, heartwarming story without being sappy or treacly. This is my first book by this author but won't be my last.

Set in Hope's Crossing, Colorado, veteran Dylan Caine is missing not only one eye and part of one arm, but a sense of wholeness and connection with others. Dragged out of his man-cave to meet his brother for a drink, he's about to lose it over some sadist who has chosen to play every possible version of The Little Drummer Boy over and over again on the digital jukebox.

Spoiled rich girl Genevieve Beaumont loses it for Dylan, first trying to physically block said Christmas carol fetishist from queuing up more songs, and finally popping the woman in the nose, which quickly degenerates into a bar brawl. Handcuffed together, there couldn't be an odder pairing.

Assigned to do community service at A Warrior's Hope, these two both come to grow, personally, AND fall in love. No sex, but plenty of steam and sexual tension. Plus all the things we want in a holiday romance: Christmas carols, snow, tree-decorating, families coming together, even a beautiful Christmas wedding (NOT theirs, another good thing, the romance doesn't move too quickly, insta-love-insta wedding/engagement which always annoys me). It's part of a series, but it doesn't feel like there is any info-dump or slog where we're being caught up to speed on what's happened to everyone else, it happens organically. Really a delightful read.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by Raeanne Thayne
Genevieve Beaumont has returned from Paris and she has a deal with ther father that she can have her trust fund after she's
cleaned up and flipped her grandmother's house. Gen is an interior designer but one night she's had enough and heads to the local
bar where she looses it and ends up punching the assistant DA. Her and Dylan Caine both end up in jail.
His brother gets them off the charge with 100 hours of community service at his sisters cabins-Warriors Hope and she needs the cabins
decorated for the holidays before the warriors come for a few weeks time to recuperate from their wounds. Dylan has been there done that and just wants to put his time in but he's forced to do that with Gen and they are rather complete opposites.
As they spend more time together he can't help but love to hear her just talk and that gets him in trouble with her as he fantasizes about her. He thinks she's disgusted by his stump as he is an amputee...
Loved hearing the reception the warriors receive on their road to mending by learning how to ski, snowboard, etc.
Gen reaches out to a woman who got dumped and she plays matchmaker because she thinks Trey should not be alone for Christmas.
Love how the whole community comes together...
I received this book from Net Galley via Harlequin HQN in exchange for my honest review.

I loved how this novel began – with a bar fight on the day after Thanksgiving. The fight was started by a young socialite when someone wouldn’t stop playing the same rendition of The Little Drummer Boy over and over. It’s also the scene where Genevieve and Dylan meet. Now that is an unusual start for a Christmas romance!

Gen and Dylan find themselves thrown together when the judge sentences them to 100 hours of community service to begin immediately at a local resort for wounded veterans. This was not the way either had intended to spend the time leading up to Christmas.

RaeAnne Thayne’s novel is a sweet and emotional story of hope for more than just these two people who’d stopped believing they were worthy of being loved. If you like Christmas romances set in a small town I think you’ll enjoy Christmas in Snowflake Canyon. I did and now want to catch up with the series.

*I received a review book from the publisher

Hott Synopsis:

Dylan is losing his mind. He must be if he’s stepping into a fight that the superficial Genevieve Beaumont just started. Sure, he agrees that “The Little Drummer Boy” has no place in The Speckled Lizard but a girl fight over it? So not worth it!
There must be something wrong with him – besides his obvious missing parts – that causes Dylan Caine to take up for the underdog. Boy, he’s going to need an attorney to get him out of this mess!

Hott Review:
What I liked: I loved this book! Though it’s not at all as the synopsis makes it sound. This book is about a superficial girl finding out that maybe there is more to herself than she ever thought possible. It was tremendously endearing & re-readable!
What I didn’t like: There were times when the book was a bit confusing because it was pulling characters and events from the rest of the series and was a bit overwhelming.

More…
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Source: Harlequin via Netgalley
Grade: A
Steam: Nada – just a bit of language
Series: Hope’s Crossing

This is another good story from RaeAnne Thayne. I have read many of her other books, especially the ones featuring many of the characters in this book. This is a stand-alone book, but many of the characters have their own stories in other books that she has written. I enjoyed this one a lot. The characters were flawed but interesting and likeable. It was fun to see the way they changed over the course of the story. As usual in RaeAnne's books, the story flows well and the book is very well edited. It is romantic, but there are no sex scenes (thank you, RaeAnne). There was a lot of swearing, which I don't appreciate, however. I don't remember her other books having so much vulgar language.

I would recommend this book to others. She is one of my favorite authors. Thanks for another good story, RaeAnne Thayne.

Christmas is fast approaching and at the Speckled Lizard bar, carols play on the jukebox. Some people are already tired of carols, and an unlikely altercation between two women results in unexpected entertainment.

Genevieve Beaumont is the little rich girl, and she's come from Paris to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado. She didn't expect to be handcuffed and taken in for disorderly conduct. Dylan Caine, who had tried to separate the ladies, is about to be cuffed when the cop realises she's got a problem; Dylan's missing a hand. She cuffs him to Genevieve to keep him still. Maybe it's not what every officer would do, but Hope's Crossing is a small town. Genevieve suddenly faces a reality check; she's squandered her internships in Paris socialising, and now her father the mayor is going to kill her.

From this lively start, Genevieve and Dylan are ordered to carry out community work in lieu of jail time. A support group for disabled veterans needs assistance... veterans like Dylan, who is missing a hand and an eye. First, the pair help decorate mountain cabins for Christmas. The sulky girl opens up a little, a contrast with Dylan's more basic upbringing in Snowflake Canyon. Eventually they've relaxed enough that Dylan offers to help her strip wallpaper from an old house her parents are giving her to redecorate.

The arrival of the guests is a good reminder that some people's lives have changed irrevocably and they need to learn to cope with everything, including family holidays. Aching after her active day, Genevieve wishes for a hot tub; however we can see her growing and learning by her interactions. Her former fiancé is still in town, and the girl has to be polite to everyone, even those who she believes have wronged her. RaeAnne Thayne tells an interesting story, with life lessons and well-drawn characters. CHRISTMAS IN SNOWFLAKE CANYON is an unusual seasonal romance novel and a fine read.

4.5 stars. A really sweet, heartwarming story without being sappy or treacly. This is my first book by this author but won't be my last.

Set in Hope's Crossing, Colorado, veteran Dylan Caine is missing not only one eye and part of one arm, but a sense of wholeness and connection with others. Dragged out of his man-cave to meet his brother for a drink, he's about to lose it over some sadist who has chosen to play every possible version of The Little Drummer Boy over and over again on the digital jukebox.

Spoiled rich girl Genevieve Beaumont loses it for Dylan, first trying to physically block said Christmas carol fetishist from queuing up more songs, and finally popping the woman in the nose, which quickly degenerates into a bar brawl. Handcuffed together, there couldn't be an odder pairing.

Assigned to do community service at A Warrior's Hope, these two both come to grow, personally, AND fall in love. No sex, but plenty of steam and sexual tension. Plus all the things we want in a holiday romance: Christmas carols, snow, tree-decorating, families coming together, even a beautiful Christmas wedding (NOT theirs, another good thing, the romance doesn't move too quickly, insta-love-insta wedding/engagement which always annoys me). It's part of a series, but it doesn't feel like there is any info-dump or slog where we're being caught up to speed on what's happened to everyone else, it happens organically. Really a delightful read.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by Raeanne Thayne
Genevieve Beaumont has returned from Paris and she has a deal with ther father that she can have her trust fund after she's
cleaned up and flipped her grandmother's house. Gen is an interior designer but one night she's had enough and heads to the local
bar where she looses it and ends up punching the assistant DA. Her and Dylan Caine both end up in jail.
His brother gets them off the charge with 100 hours of community service at his sisters cabins-Warriors Hope and she needs the cabins
decorated for the holidays before the warriors come for a few weeks time to recuperate from their wounds. Dylan has been there done that and just wants to put his time in but he's forced to do that with Gen and they are rather complete opposites.
As they spend more time together he can't help but love to hear her just talk and that gets him in trouble with her as he fantasizes about her. He thinks she's disgusted by his stump as he is an amputee...
Loved hearing the reception the warriors receive on their road to mending by learning how to ski, snowboard, etc.
Gen reaches out to a woman who got dumped and she plays matchmaker because she thinks Trey should not be alone for Christmas.
Love how the whole community comes together...
I received this book from Net Galley via Harlequin HQN in exchange for my honest review.

I loved how this novel began – with a bar fight on the day after Thanksgiving. The fight was started by a young socialite when someone wouldn’t stop playing the same rendition of The Little Drummer Boy over and over. It’s also the scene where Genevieve and Dylan meet. Now that is an unusual start for a Christmas romance!

Gen and Dylan find themselves thrown together when the judge sentences them to 100 hours of community service to begin immediately at a local resort for wounded veterans. This was not the way either had intended to spend the time leading up to Christmas.

RaeAnne Thayne’s novel is a sweet and emotional story of hope for more than just these two people who’d stopped believing they were worthy of being loved. If you like Christmas romances set in a small town I think you’ll enjoy Christmas in Snowflake Canyon. I did and now want to catch up with the series.

*I received a review book from the publisher

Hott Synopsis:

Dylan is losing his mind. He must be if he’s stepping into a fight that the superficial Genevieve Beaumont just started. Sure, he agrees that “The Little Drummer Boy” has no place in The Speckled Lizard but a girl fight over it? So not worth it!
There must be something wrong with him – besides his obvious missing parts – that causes Dylan Caine to take up for the underdog. Boy, he’s going to need an attorney to get him out of this mess!

Hott Review:
What I liked: I loved this book! Though it’s not at all as the synopsis makes it sound. This book is about a superficial girl finding out that maybe there is more to herself than she ever thought possible. It was tremendously endearing & re-readable!
What I didn’t like: There were times when the book was a bit confusing because it was pulling characters and events from the rest of the series and was a bit overwhelming.

More…
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Source: Harlequin via Netgalley
Grade: A
Steam: Nada – just a bit of language
Series: Hope’s Crossing

This is another good story from RaeAnne Thayne. I have read many of her other books, especially the ones featuring many of the characters in this book. This is a stand-alone book, but many of the characters have their own stories in other books that she has written. I enjoyed this one a lot. The characters were flawed but interesting and likeable. It was fun to see the way they changed over the course of the story. As usual in RaeAnne's books, the story flows well and the book is very well edited. It is romantic, but there are no sex scenes (thank you, RaeAnne). There was a lot of swearing, which I don't appreciate, however. I don't remember her other books having so much vulgar language.

I would recommend this book to others. She is one of my favorite authors. Thanks for another good story, RaeAnne Thayne.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon was my first book from this author. It was recommended by one of my favorite authors, so I thought I would give it a try. I absolutely LOVED it!

Dylan is my new fave hero! <3 him to pieces. RaeAnne Thayne did an amazing job in character development in this book. The story was perfect with our imperfect hero. Scarred and missing part of an arm, we watch as Gen sees the real Dylan behind his mask. Gen was a pampered princess finally trying to find her place in the world from behind her "ice princess" walls. Dylan showed Gen who she was and that who she was was worthy of love. I loved watching Gen grow throughout the story and loved how she helped Dylan learn to cope with the new direction of his life. I totally didn't want the book to end.

Hope's Crossing is a small town filled with close knit and caring people except for Genevieve Beaumont who is willful and spoiled. She has made many poor choices in her life. When she discovers that her fiancée is cheating on her, she has to make a difficult decision. She can still marry him as her controlling father wants or she can stand on her own two feet and make a living. Dylan Caine was injured in Afghanistan. Now he's back and injured both physically and emotionally. He wants to be left alone. Then he meets Genevieve. Can they help each other? RaeAnne Thayne's masterful story telling captured my emotions. She writes characters that I empathize with and care for. This book tells of love, forgiveness and healing. It is an uplifting story that made me feel good.

At this time of year I read Christmas romances. Lots of them. (If I could find Kwanzaa, Hannukah, Yule, or other winter solstice holiday romances I'd read those, too.) Because I love themes of family and redemption that are so often present in these books. It's a fairy tale, but it's a fairy tale I really enjoy.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon brings me all the things I want in a holiday romance. It's got a disabled hero who is recovering from his injuries and the war that caused them (and an excellent presentation of disability), a heroine who absolutely has to grow up and comes to realize that on her own, matchmaking, and lots and lots of family fun.

I'll be looking for more by RaeAnne Thayne.

(Provided by publisher)

Set in beautiful Colorado, Christmas in Snowflake Canyon is the tender love story of two damaged individuals who find the strength to overcome their personal tragedies and love again. This author does not disappoint.

Beautiful, Gentle read with characters you will fall for. It was easy to make an emotional connection with the beautifully drawn characters in Ms. Thayne;s offering. Though flawed, they were true to themselves and became more and more open to the love they deserved as the book went on. I found it o be a beautiful twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast, and was so satisfied by the happily ever after. If you like a well written story that has depth, this one's for you.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Just finished this book. Loved it! What a great couple. Even though Gen was supposed to be a crazy witch, she was charming and sympathetic. And exactly what Dylan needed. My only complaint is I would have loved a prologue. What did her parents think? Everyone else that seemed so nervous about them together? Would have loved to see all the reactions in a wedding scene.

I just love this series. Once I started this book I didn't want to stop. I get easily distracted sometimes when I'm reading, but this story sucked me right back in when I tried to do something else. It was nice to read about characters that you don't really like in previous stories turn into someone you root for.

Another an amazing story from the Hope Crossing series. Dylan wounded in the war and feeling story for himself. Genevieve a spoiled rich girl who has a whole amazing person inside of her. Put the two together and watch for the fireworks. The story will make you laugh and cry. I had a hard time putting the book down because I had to find out what would happen next. A great story for the Christmas season.