This is my favorite Christmas series. It has everything you want in a feel good Christmas book. It is just a warm telling of Christmastime at a hotel and the people who celebrate there. ( )

“Everything is an ingredient of something else. These flowers are ingredients for holiday memories, just like flour and sugar.”

I discovered this series last Christmas and was immediately ensconced in comfort imagining the private hotel in Timberton, Montana, where hospitality is not simply a word but lovingly created for those needing to be away from home for various reasons. It seems hard to believe that it was merely a year ago that hotelkeeper Betty had invited Mist to stay as resident chef and artist with total freedom. Accordingly, a new level of joy and enchantment has been brought to the Timberton Hotel from the moment guests enter the door. Returning or 1st time overnight guests delight in the comfortable, cozy accommodations, the exquisite decor throughout the hotel, and guests and townsfolk alike enjoy delicious breakfasts and/or dinners at the Moonglow Café with unique menus accommodating those with allergies, special diets, and dietary preferences (i.e., vegan, gluten-free).

The author has created a tantalizing setting in Timberton, Montana, and I can't help but wish it was possible to be a recurring guest. The prospect of the cozy hotel, genuine caring by Betty and Mist, the combination of hotel holiday activities and small-town celebrations or simply reading in a cozy room or downstairs by the fire are comforting to imagine. The beauty of Deborah Garner's storytelling gives a new perspective and outlook through Mist's character that not only cheers townsfolk and guests with all of her ingredients during their visit making hearts lighter and also bringing solace and peace to readers. I could easily read the novels all in one holiday season but for now I find it adds to the peace of December as like some of the hotel guests there is an empty chair at our home with the loss all the more poignant at Christmas. ( )