Christmas at Rainbow Falls: A Sweet Small Town Romance by T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod

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Posted on by by Women Using Words

The details…

  • Title: Christmas at Rainbow Falls: A Sweet Small Town Romance
  • Authors: T.B. Markinson and Miranda MacLeod
  • Publisher: T.B. Markinson (November 19, 2022)
  • Publication date: November 19, 2022
  • Available formats: ebook, paperback 
  • File size: 1654 KB
  • Print length: 264 pages
  • ISBN: B0BN2TLNXN
  • Genre: Romantic Comedy 
  • Themes: Christmas, holiday romance, small town, community, women loving women, finding true happiness 
  • Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity 

The blurb from the publisher…

Christmas at Rainbow Falls is a sweet small town romance written in the style of your favorite holiday movies, so grab a cup of cocoa and snuggle in for some yuletide cheer!

When a disastrous mistake at work puts her career in jeopardy, Natalie Dunbar retreats to the small Vermont town of Rainbow Falls to settle the estate of an aunt she hardly knew. As the sole heir of half a building on Main Street, complete with an independent bookstore and second-floor apartment, Natalie hunkers down to figure out how to save her future. 

The problem? Her new neighbor, who owns the other half of the building, hates her at first sight. 

Celeste Wagner has wanted to leave small-town living in the rearview mirror since the day her mom dragged her to sleepy Rainbow Falls as a teenager to open a bakery and cafe. With her mother’s death the previous year, Celeste has been itching to sell and go back to New York City where she might finally feel like she belongs. 

The problem? She needs the new bookshop owner to agree to sell her half of the building, too, but the woman refuses to see reason. 

When an unexpected crisis forces the two women to team up to bring the town’s Christmas on Main Street festival back to life, Natalie and Celeste just might discover there’s more to the other woman than meets the eye. Could it be they’re both exactly where they need to be after all?

My thoughts…

TB Markinson and Miranda MacLeod advertise themselves as a sapphic romance writing duo that writes heartwarmingly hilarious happily-ever-afters filled with quirky characters and smile-worthy snark, and I more than agree with this description. That’s their niche and they are stand-outs. The AM Show, last year’s release, dominated the charts and earned them a Golden Crown Literary Award. As I write this review, their most recent collaboration Christmas at Rainbow Falls: A Sweet Small Town Romance is currently seated at number one in its genre only two weeks after its release. Stay tuned: I’ve no doubt it will earn literary praise as well.

As I read Christmas at Rainbow Falls, I began to wonder why it was that everything these two tapped out on the computer turned to gold. Sure, they’ve got a writing chemistry that many would sell their soul to have, but what makes their books successful?

Answering the question is simple: They have talent and good instincts. Their stories have a large appeal because they know how to connect with readers on an emotional level. The readers relate to the characters and their journey matters to them. It’s as straightforward as that.

In Christmas at Rainbow Falls, Markinson and MacLeod hook readers right in those first few pages. The audience immediately connects with Natalie Dunbar and her situation, which is a forced “vacation” from work due to a PR bungling of her client’s account. Readers empathize with Natalie’s bouts of self-doubt and deteriorating self-confidence. Everyone has felt the crush of failure at one time or another. When Natalie throws herself into reviving the bookstore, and ultimately the town, the readers can not help but get behind her. They want her to succeed; she’s too adorable to resist.

The readers also connect with Celeste Wagner, even though she appears to be the grump to Natalie’s sunshine. Her Ebenezer Scrooge persona is an image she likes to project to the world at large, but it’s just a shield. She uses it to cover what truly lies within, a generous and caring heart of gold. Hiding behind the grumpy facade provides her with a layer of protection. It allows her to avoid confronting her feelings, and those are something she’d like to keep buried, no matter what. However, that all changes when Celeste and Natalie’s lives—and livelihoods—cross paths. The result is something that would inspire the likes of a lesbian Hallmark movie, one that would stir romance and holiday cheer in its wake. Celeste and Natalie have readers eating right out of their hands as soon as they enter the page and it doesn’t stop until the final scene. The pair have loads of chemistry, making this small-town tale a charming and enchanting read.

Final remarks…

Christmas at Rainbow Falls: A Sweet Small Town Romance has tons of personality. Holiday cheer and romance burst from its pages, leaving readers feeling good. This magical tale should not be missed; it’s a must-read for this holiday season.

Strengths…

  • Charming romance 
  • Delightfully told
  • Witty dialogue 
  • Well-scripted scenes
  • Lovely story arc
  • Great character development 
  • Wonderful story world 

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A bit about T. B. Markinson…

TB Markinson is a best selling author who lives in New England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or reading. Not necessarily in that order.

Besides being a writer, she is an advocate and proud promoter of sapphic fiction. She cohosts the Lesbians Who Write Podcast with Clare Lydon and runs the I Heart SapphFic website with Miranda MacLeod.

A bit about Miranda MacLeod…

Originally from southern California, Miranda now lives in New England and writes heartfelt romances and romantic comedies featuring witty and charmingly flawed women that you’ll want to marry. Or just grab a coffee with, if that’s more your thing. Before becoming a writer, she spent way too many years in graduate school, worked in professional theater and film, and held temp jobs in just about every office building in downtown Boston.

Connect with the authors…

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