Cardinal Cabin (The Winter Series)

This Christmas romance novel was so much fun! Not cheesy the way most in this genre are but just heartwarming and perfect for a winter evening!

A great holiday romance story. Keeps you turning pages and wishing for your own. I can’t wait to read the next one.

In Cardinal Cabin, author Joanne DeMaio transports the reader to the tranquil small New England town of Addison, Connecticut for a heartwarming Christmas tale of family, friendship, and finding unexpected love.Penny Hart is a travel agent at Suitcase Escapes in Addison. She is a reluctant travel agent who doesn't like to leave the comfort of her home. But when her boss Ross recruits her for a holiday travel mystery promotion called "Where in New England is Penny?" Penny finds herself renting a bird-themed cabin (Cardinal Cabin), providing photo clues of her mystery location for two weeks leading up to Christmas at Snowflake Lake, a secluded lakeside community that is Addison's well-kept and treasured secret.Frank Lombardo and his sister Gina own Addison Boathouse, which serves a dual purpose of boat storage on the lower level and a banquet hall on the upper level that has become the town's premier waterfront venue. Between the duties at the boathouse and a side job as a handyman at the lakeside cabin community of Snowflake Lake, Frank has no time for romance. But Gina wants her brother to loosen up, be spontaneous, and take a chance at finding love.A walk in the snow-covered woods of Snowflake Lake provides an unexpected meeting between Penny and Frank that ends in a spontaneous kiss. Who would guess that this secluded lakeside community would help their relationship blossom into something more as a secretive travel promotion, the magic of cardinals and the mystique of little cardinal themed cabin by the lake, and Addison's holiday spirit gives them an unexpected chance at finding love?Cardinal Cabin is a wonderful Christmas story that will tug at the heartstrings and fill the reader with seasonal joy. Author Joanne DeMaio weaves a spellbinding tale set in the quaint New England town of Addison, Connecticut, that captivates the reader's attention with a heartwarming romance. This delightful holiday tale has a rich description of the breathtaking small town setting, holiday tradition, lovely cardinals, Christmas decorations, and delicate swirls of snowflakes. Penny and Frank are given an unexpected chance at love as their story unfolds in a magical way that will make the reader believe in the power of love and friendship, and the joy of the holiday season.There are not enough words that I can express about the simplicity and beauty in which author Joanne DeMaio weaves her wonderful heartwarming and multi-layered stories that are filled with a mixture of love, friendship, family, and life's unexpected special moments, it is simply breathtaking. As the readers follow Penny and Frank's story, they will discover the delightful secluded lakeside hideaway cardinal cabin, it is simply magical!I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much this wonderful story spoke to my heart, especially because of my love of cardinals. When I saw that the author wrote a holiday novel with a cardinal theme, I knew it would become my favorite story, and I wasn't disappointed. The richly vivid description of the town of Addison and the hidden hideaway beauty of the bird-themed cabin lakeside community of Snowflake Lake is phenomenal, you'll yearn to visit the area and watch the lovely cardinals flit among the snow-capped tree branches. Ms. DeMaio has a special gift for transporting the readers into every story that she weaves while leaving them yearning for more!Cardinal Cabin is an enchanting holiday story full of warmth and comfort that will remind the reader of the magic, joy, cheer, and spirit of Christmas. It is a lovely story that will resonate with the reader for a very long time.

I would recommend this to every romantic who loves New England in the winter. Would love to visit a place like Addison.

In her new novel Joanne DeMaio takes readers back to Addison, Connecticut – the setting for a few of her previous novels. It’s a quaint and charming town that always makes me wish I lived there. With this visit to Addison we meet Penny, a reluctant travel agent. Reluctant in that she really doesn’t want to travel but she loves to help arrange trips for other people. Her boss has assigned a publicity campaign for the weeks leading up to Christmas. She’ll stay at an unidentified location and post a daily photo and clue for residents to guess where in New England Penny is staying. The promotion will end when someone guesses correctly or on Christmas Eve when Penny discloses her whereabouts.Although Penny wasn’t sure leaving the creature comforts of her apartment in town was a good idea her mind is changed when she meets Frank. Frank, part-time handyman at the lake cabins where Penny is staying, is kind of awkward but Penny can immediately see he’s a really nice guy with mannerisms that make him seem like he’s from another era. I loved how their romance unfolded as they had such a unique experience of getting to know each other in secret (Penny couldn’t be seen in public during the contest). Frank also is co-owner of The Boathouse, an event location in Addison. He’s a busy guy but soon wants to spend what little free time he has with Penny. Sounds idyllic, right? Well it is until there’s a misunderstanding that could have a lasting effect. Will they figure things out and set things right? You’ll have to read to find out. If you like a contemporary romance with an old-fashioned vibe I think you’ll like Cardinal Cabin. I enjoyed it.

I loved this book! It not only had a good story line, it also had all the cozy Winter elements. It made me feel like I was snuggled under a blanket by a fire, drinking cocoa, and eating Christmas cookies, while putting a puzzle together, and watching the cardinals at their feeders from a nearby window. It also had all the cozy outside Winter activities. Perfect!

Once again another book by this author that I love. I'm about halfway through and I'm always trying to carve out time to read more. It's right up there with whole latte life and snowflakes and coffee cakes. Good read, no bad language and a cute romance. I like how she's trying the books together by mentioning the characters from the other stories. Good cozy read, just what I was looking for. I even listened to the Frank Sinatra album they mentioned just to get in a more festive mood.

Cardinal Cabin is a book that I will add to my collection of Christmas novels that I read every year. This is a tender, cozy, heartwarming romance...perfect to read snuggled in front of a crackling fire. Frank is lonely and a bit forlorn, wondering what all the fuss over the holidays is all about. Penny works for a travel agency, hiding out in a delightful cabin as part of a contest run by a travel agency. Their first chance encounter instantly sets off sparks! Their times together are so charming and romantic, sure to enchant readers. This book is brimming with ambience, love, and Christmas cheer!

Another book in the series that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Penny finds herself in a glorious cardinal cabin all because of the travel agency she works for. Frank is the handyman for the lakeside community, and when out chopping wood one day, he finds Penny who has fallen in the snow. So much more of awesome characters and amazing descriptions.

Very predictable. Her books to date are so special. This one was just so so. Although I liked it I didn't love it like all her previous books.