Once Upon a Winter Beast by Monique Brasher: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

He’s all thorns; I bring the twinkle lights. Together, we make the season sparkle again.

I run a tiny photo studio that smells like balsam candles and hot cocoa, where kids grin in front of a fake tree farm because I can’t quite afford the real thing. Which is ironic, considering the real thing lives ten minutes away—quiet, breathtaking, and owned by the one man I promised myself I’d never orbit again.

Aiden Wheeler used to be all warmth and evergreen. Now he’s gruff edges and locked gates, a tree farm that hasn’t felt like Christmas since the day his world cracked. Mine’s cracked, too—leaks in the ceiling, bills snowballing, a daughter who deserves more than a mom patching life with towels and hope.

When a desperate favor turns into a ridiculous proposal—marry him, on paper, to save the farm he’s shouldering and the season I’m drowning in—I should laugh and walk away. Instead, I say I’ll think about it. Because under the flannel and the frost, I still spot the boy who once made everything look easy. And when he shows up with cookie supplies for my daughter like it’s the most natural thing in the world, something stubborn in me thaws.

Maybe love isn’t ballrooms and grand gestures. Maybe it’s learning the breaker box together, hanging lights on a porch that hasn’t glowed in years, and finding out some castles don’t crumble—they just need new beams and brave hands.

This winter, I’m photographing other people’s magic while trying not to admit I’m standing in the middle of my own: a Christmas tree farm waking up, a town that refuses to let me fall, and a man who looks at me like home is a place we can build—one evergreen at a time.

This book was previously published as Love at the Christmas Tree Farm, but has been altered and expanded to fit the fairytale it was originally meant to be.

Once Upon a Winter Beast is a cozy, closed-door, (light) magical-realism Christmas romance featuring a marriage of convenience, second chances, small-town charm, holiday magic, a single mom, a Christmas Tree Farm, light grief themes, one bed, and a Beauty and the Beast winter enchantment that brings them back together.

The Author

Monique writes sweet, no-spice, small town romances. While they might have a smidge of angst, you'll always find a happily ever after with swoony couples and character growth. When she's not writing, she can be found watching The Big Bang Theory or Friends (or a Marvel movie), on the water with her family, or reading a book. She lives in Texas with her husband of 18 years, four kids, two dogs (Thor and Loki), and a cat.

Book Review

When I first read Chloe and Aiden's story back around Christmas '24 (as Love at the Christmas Tree Farm), I absolutely adored it. Marriage of convenience and a second chance romance with a fantastic Christmas tree farm setting? What could be better than that? And if you've read it before, there are definitely many aspects of their story that is going to feel very much the same... but once again Monique has taken a story that I already adored... and made it even better, well worth the reread! Of course, a little fairy tale magic will always make every story a little better, but this one definitely went beyond just that. Yes, I loved the added magic- lighter than what we see in Enchanted Hollow, but still very present- and the little nods to Beauty and the Beast were fantastic as well...again, this is definitely where Monique shines... but their story expanded even further, giving us a beautiful tender romance that was filled with healing and growth, even more so than I recall from the original. I loved seeing the way these two supported and helped each other work through their grief and their pasts... if you have ever felt you were only worth what you can offer, this one is definitely for you. It may be past the Christmas season, but I found myself loving this one just the same, no matter the season! If you love fairy tale retellings and stories that will leave you with a sense of healing, this is one not to be missed. 

Once Upon a Winter Beast is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language. It is part of the Once Upon a Time in Colorado series but can be enjoyed as a standalone as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4qLZki5