Book Review: An Apple Butter Christmas by Terry Lynn Thomas

I’m happy to be welcoming Terry Lynn Thomas  to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, An Apple Butter Christmas.

From the USA Today Best-Selling Author Terry Lynn Thomas
An Apple Butter Christmas
A Heartwarming Small-Town Christmas Romance

Coming home for Christmas was supposed to be temporary—until love, legacy, and one unforgettable orchard changed everything.

Welcome to Hartstone, where the snow is deep, the secrets are deeper, and love might just get a second chance under the twinkling lights of the town Christmas tree.

Diana Marchcroft didn’t plan on returning to Hartstone, but when her beloved aunt is injured, Diana leaves the city behind to help save her family’s struggling apple orchard. What she doesn’t expect? The fight of a lifetime and the survival of her family’s heritage. The orchard is at risk of being developed into an exclusive golf course and destination wedding venue.

Alex Kelley thought he’d buried his feelings for Diana after their relationship ended abruptly on the night he planned to propose. When he unexpectedly bumps into her, he realizes that some embers never go out.

With the town busy with visitors for the annual Apple Butter Festival, Diana and Alex discover that sometimes Christmas miracles come wrapped in second chances.

If you love:

• Cozy snow-covered small towns
• Second-chance love stories
• Orchard festivals and secret kisses under the stars
• Family, friendship, and a sprinkle of holiday magic

…then curl up with An Apple Butter Christmas, a feel-good romance that will warm your heart like a mug of hot cider on a winter’s night.

*****

Diana has spent a year away from the hometown she loves as she tries to escape heartache. When the festive season brings her back to Hartstone, she is facing not only the failure of her family’s beloved business, but she must see the man who broke her heart. 

The book had me at the cover. It’s so incredibly pretty and puts me in such a festive mood. 

The story then took hold and from the first page, I became invested in Diana’s story. I wanted her to keep her family’s orchard. I also wanted to give her a big hug. Despite not wanting to run into her ex, Alex, she wants to do everything she can. You can’t help but root for a character like her. 

Alex is someone you hope doesn’t disappoint you. What he does is something I’m not going to reveal in this review. 

The other characters are interesting. Alysse is precious and relatable. Even Meredith isn’t a straight forward character. She’s had her own issues and reasons that power some of her behaviour. 

The setting sounds georgous and magical. Hartstone is a small town with its Christmas traditions and events. It’s a hallmark movie setting in book form – sign me up. The description of the house, the orchard and all those apple trees had me totally falling in love. 

The plot moves along well and gets a lot in for a book that’s less than 200 pages. It doesn’t take long to read but it takes you through all the emotions – anger, frustration, happiness, hope and Christmas wonder. It’s a wonderful way to escape for a couple of hours. 

An Apple Butter Christmas is choc-a-block full of festive warmth, love and humour. It will hopefully leave you with all the Christmas romantic feels. It did for me. 

(Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.) 

About Terry Lynn Thomas –

Terry Lynn Thomas is a USA Today best-selling author who writes contemporary legal thrillers and historical mysteries set in World War II. Her debut cozy Christmas romance, Apple Butter Christmas, will release in November of 2025. Her stories are known for their strong female protagonists and the emotional connection between her characters.

When she isn’t writing, Terry Lynn likes to watch British mysteries, read books about found family and friendship, paint, garden, and take long walks with her husband and dogs.

Say hello to Terry Lynn on Facebook. 

Apple Butter Christmas is part of the Hartstone Romance series and was released in November 2025. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.