Coming Home for Christmas

By: Jenny Hale

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Coming Home for Christmas is a beautifully observed story about the importance of family, the magic of Christmas, and falling in love one snowflake at a time.

Fans of Trisha Ashley, Susan Wiggs, Carole Matthews and Susan Mallery - and anyone who loves the sound of carols and the twinkling of lights on the Christmas tree - will adore Jenny Hale's feel-good debut.

Christmas is a time for family... isn't it?

Allie Richfield loves Christmas, so when she lands a job as House Manager for the amazing Ashford Estate - which includes organizing the Marley family festivities - she is in her element. With a budget bigger than her life savings and a team of staff, how hard can it be?

As one-by-one she meets the Marleys, she’s about to find out...

Allie’s new boss, Robert, might be gorgeous, but he’s also colder than the snow outside and refuses to come home for Christmas. Robert’s playboy brother, Kip, flirts with her relentlessly; and his sister, Sloane, arrives home with baggage - both the divorce-kind and the Louis Vuitton kind. Their ninety-two year old grandmother, Pippa, spends her day grumbling at them all from her mobility scooter.

With Robert intending to sell Ashford, it’s the Marley’s last chance to create some happy memories in their family home - and Allie is determined to make it happen... even if it takes a little Christmas magic! With the festive spirit in full swing, she might even discover a little happiness of her own...

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A christmas story

Any additional comments?

It is a perfect story for anyone looking to read a heartwarming story of love and the holidays. As you listen through this love story you will be swept away with Ms. Hale's captivating words. You find yourself questioning which leading man will win Allie's heart. A true Christmas story.

Syrupy Sweet Pleasant Romantic Story-Very Nice

Would you listen to Coming Home for Christmas again? Why?

*

This is a very sweet, romantic book about selling a house that has been in the family for many years many generations.

Allie is hired to the household of a family generational estate until it is sold. During that time she has a bit of a love triangle with the two brothers who are trying to sell it. Kip is always around and she likes him very much. However Robert, a globetrotter and businessman has her heart racing whenever she sees or speaks with him.

Allie is easily and quickly feeling the sentimental value that the matriarch of the family has for this home.

Relationships are quickly formed and decisions are made including Allie trying to find a way to keep the house from being sold without showing her intent.

Very nice, sweet romance for any audience. It is without any graphic descriptions, there is no premarital sex or inappropriate behavior. There are no swears or suggestive inappropriate situations or positions.

A really nice read especially during the holiday season.

Terry gives a great performance based on the many characters and the diversity of them that she is required. From the elderly matriarch of the family to adult men and women & children. They are all immediately recognizable based on her performance. If I shut this off for a few hours and had to dive back in, it only takes a few sentences for me to understand who is speaking and I am quickly caught up with where I left off. A fantastic performance.

Notes: no warnings here, light and sweet romance

Credit worthy/$: I like my books a bit more racy so I so I probably would not spend any money or a credit for this book. However I would highly recommend it to any of my friends or family without pause. It is worth the money or credit if this is your genre.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my thoughts, feelings and opinion laid out above.*

Thank you for reading and if you found this review helpful. Please select yes below this line thank you

Which character – as performed by Teri Schnaubelt – was your favorite?

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Well .....

Anyway ..........
Of course, there has to be a happy ever after ending, which, I admit was nice, unfortunately it took the creation of a series of ludicrous and tedious scenarios to achieve this.
Since writing this, I checked out a few Amazon reviews, seems I am greatly in the minority, it feels like they all read/listened to a different story to me.

Narrator

Teri Schnaubelt did a wonderful job, causing a tedious story to be more easily tolerated, she has a pleasant, easy to listen to voice. Her excellent characterisations leave the listener in no doubt as to which character was holding forth. Who could ask for more? Her performance was tip top, I will certainly be interested in any work she puts her name to.
She is now one of my tip the balance narrators, in favour of an audiobook when I am undecided.

This audiobook was gifted to me in return for this, my honest opinion

loved this

A touching, romantic story of family, priorities, and love. This was a wonderful story. Looking for more by author now.

an EXCELLENT book

I loved this audiobook! The story flows so great. the narrator did a most EXCELLENT job in reading the story. Did great with the different voices, spwed and fluctuations were spot on.

Ratio, Sweet Christmas Story

Perfect story to put the listener in the mood for family, romance and the holiday season.

Great reader

Hale's voice made the story line feel at home. Very good read. Can't wait to read more from her.

Great story of true meaning of family!

Any additional comments?

I just finished listening to Coming Home for Christmas, which is a grea story of the true meaning of family. The main theme of this story is that money clearly does not buy happiness. In a family born of "old money," we find three siblings: the workaholic older brother, the playboy world traveler youngest brother, and the country-club young mother whose husband is cheating on her. Obviously their wealth has lead to estrangement and no concept of reality.

In comes Allie who is hired by the eldest as a house manager while he sells the family estate over the holiday season. Allie is a former nanny who soon ingratiates herself into the household and the hearts of all family members. Although financially poor, Allie's spirit and belief in the power of family is contagious and eventually brings the disfunctional family together.

Teri Schnaubelt narrated and did a fantastic job. She had differing voices for all of the characters, including the young and elderly. Teri really enhanced my enjoyment of the story and I can't wait to listen to another of her productions. Well done!

Boooooring and much too long

No story this inane and uneventful should stretch 8hrs in audiobook. This story could have been half it's length and still be too long.

Nothing interesting happened to these people, ever. I have more excitement in the grocery checkout line.

The characters are 1 dimensional and you can't muster any urge to care what happens to either of them.

The narrator was good and tried hard to save this absolutely nothing story. But there's just so much anyone can do.

I am only adamant to finish it because I want my Audible Escape subscription to be well used...

ANOTHER FUCKING LOVE TRIANGLE UGHHH

The narration is amazing, but sadly the plot is hackneyed. I am sorry but love triangles are soo high school and writers should REALLY stop including them in their plots. If the narrator wouldn't have been so good, I would have given this book a 1 star. Also, the main character pisses me off. She's is basically another Bella Swan, upset that her Edward is away and trying to distract herself with Jacob, but without the build up. Twilight, to me, is one of the worst books written in the last 100 years. If I can say Twilight at least had a build-up... you know how bad this book must be! If you are over 12 years old, please stay away!