Book Review - The Best Christmas Choir Ever by Elizabeth Hrib

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Title: The Best Christmas Choir Ever

Author: Elizabeth Hrib

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Afterglow Books

Publication Date: 23rd October 2025

Rating: 5 Stars

'Tis the season of second chances

Music was everything to professional soprano Charlie Ward…until her brother died, leaving her lost in grief. But when her beloved Gram moves into the Glendale Retirement Village, Charlie is cajoled into temporarily volunteering to direct the community’s new choir, whose sights are set on winning the Annual Christmas Choir Competition.

Only, the home’s activities director happens to be the super-cute guy she once spent a hot, hazy, sexy summer with. Julian Guerrero hasn’t forgotten Charlie Ward. Not even a little. Fortunately, he has his hands full with the lively residents who are determined to win, even if they must twerk their way to victory. Amid mince tarts, gingerbread houses and Christmas lights, Charlie and Julian find their way to each other once again…

`Tis the season to sing your heart out in this cozy holiday romance that mixes a dash of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with a pinch of Pitch Perfect—the singing senior citizens are the sugar on top.

What a highly enjoyable story this was, and it was surprisingly quick to read too.  At least I found the pages were turning fast, and the percentage display kept going up at a nice rate too. 

It seems as though retirement villages are the in place to be nowadays, at least for fiction, and Glendale was particularly charming.  

Which is good as Charlie's gran Doris is moving in there, and Charlie is trying to make the transition really painless for her. Which might explain how she ends up being cajoled into being the home's music director on a voluntary basis, ending up with her having to form a Christmas choir from the residents, with her co-choir director being her ex boyfriend Julian.  Julian, who is claiming not to remember Charlie, who is the activities director at the home. 

He also is really wanting to start up a music programme there, for the many benefits music can offer older members of the community, but is up against budgetary issues. 

Whereas Charlie had so far a great music career, alongside her brother Tom.  Tom is ever present in Charlie's chapters, despite dyin a few years before that.  And since has departed, Charlie has stopped being able to perform, which makes leading a choir, that bit trickier despite her experience. 

What really made this book so fabulous was the various residents.  They are cheeky, they are special, they are wonderful and I really came to care for all of them.  And they were also potentially like a group of troublesome teenagers! 

I had a lovely festive feel good feeling from this whole book, as Charlie starts to find out who she is without her brother, and Julian has to try to learn to trust his heart too. 

This is the first book I've read from this author and I was incredibly happy with the experience, and would be keen to read more in the future. 

Just a wholly joyous story to read. 

Thank you Afterglow Books for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.