Tinsel Town by Holly Schindler

 

I love love love Ruby's Place! I look forward each year to reading what's happening in the town of Sullivan, Missouri. Author Holly Schindler takes us back to a simpler time. A cozy time. A time when families seemed to be closer. A time when Christmas was a magical event and everyone looked forward to celebrating it. Especially those who gathered at Ruby's Place. Ruby's Place itself is magical. A moment in time when people can gather together and remember the past, celebrate with those that have been long gone, and regain the Christmas Spirit that sometimes disappears with the passing of a loved one. 

I loved this quote in the first chapter:

"They'd forgotten all but one thing. One small, singular detail rang out clearly in every single memory of every single person who had ever spent a Christmas Eve in Ruby's:

They remembered Ruby's homemade marshmallows and cocoa.

Because, as everyone knows, you never do forget something sweet."

Truth! You don't forget the sweet! As the author described the decadence of those homemade marshmallows my mouth watered! Ruby's isn't special just for the sweet treats though. It is special for the sweet family and friends that gather there every Christmas Eve. 

This year banker Scott Drummond is just not feeling the Christmas spirit. A new investor is coming in to tear down and rebuild the bank. The vault that holds all of Sullivan's secrets is going to be taken out. People have lost their Christmas spirit. It looks like Ruby's may not have the grand opening that Angela was hoping for. 

I enjoyed the back-story woven throughout the more current day happenings. Scott's father Walter and his best friend Petey gave more background to the town of Sullivan. While each Ruby's Place book can be read as a stand-alone I think reading it's entirety helps the reader get a better understanding of just how special Ruby's Place is. 

Another quote I liked:

"And then, there was dinner at Ruby's Place. Always Ruby's Place, the perfect ending to the perfect Christmas Eve."

Do you have any special Christmas Eve traditions that bring nostalgia to the forefront of your mind? I do! Do you have your own Ruby's Place that you go to each year to celebrate with loved ones? Take time this year to relax during the busy Christmas season. Find a cozy spot, grab Tinsel Town, make a sweet cup of hot chocolate(with marshmallows of course!), and enjoy the magic of remembering...find your Christmas joy and spread it around!