This scenic Christmas tale has all the right ingredients, including a sleigh ride. An author from Nashville is on a book tour, taking in some of the smaller venues in Wisconsin. Snow and storms remove one town from the list, so the tour moves ahead of time for CHRISTMAS AT SPRUCE HILL FARM.
 
Lucy Gable is the capable assistant to feted romantic fiction author Brynn Dixon. Lucy can’t book a flight out of state due to the weather, but she can extend the stay for them at the next stop. The two of them, plus Caleb Beauchamp, Brynn’s grown son, descend on the unprepared David McCrae. The Christmas tree farm and inn are quiet at this time, and David’s daughter Grace will shortly be home from college to cater to the guests. Grace asked her idol to make the town of Frost a stop on her tour.
 
All this sounds great, but Brynn is hiding a secret. She’s been getting weak and ill over the past few months and was so woozy that Lucy even had to finish her last book for her. She doesn’t know how serious this is, but the last thing she wants to do is let down her loyal fans. Lucy agrees to take on most of the preparations.
 
The characters are well drawn with contrasts, and snowy Wisconsin, provided you are dressed for it, sounds wonderful. I love the two strong Belgian horses which pull the sleigh. Women take strong roles and fill business posts. The only downside of the story for me is that a lot of time is spent thinking or talking about people we never meet, such as deceased relatives or people in other cities. At the end of the year, it’s natural to think of the wider family or look back on past memories. But it does slow down the action and can come across as padding, while so many childhoods were mentioned this way, I found it hard to keep track.
 
Lucy is a serious-minded person who wants to do her best for Brynn, but once or twice she fears for her job – if Brynn has to stop writing, will she still be needed? She finds herself getting on better with Caleb than expected. Brynn starts spending peaceful time with David, the inn owner, who is in two minds about staying or selling, with only young Grace to consider.
 
Kathryn Springer presents an interesting situation with a clean romance and lots of hot chocolate. CHRISTMAS AT SPRUCE HILL FARM will surely warm your heart.