If you want a typical Christmas Hallmark in book form, here you have it. A big change for Krista and her daughter, a woman who hates Christmas and is thrown into it, a man she meets instantly, and small town drama that flares into a climax with accusations and questions. I could totally see this as a Hallmark movie.

Personally, I felt the story was a bit rushed and sometimes a little stiff. It’s possible that I could have looked over that, but it greatly lessened my enjoyment that Krista was a divorcee. I’m not judgmental against divorcees, it’s just that the Bible has very clear guidelines concerning them and remarriage (which are not popular in today’s world). Because of that, I wasn’t able to enjoy the story. I didn’t realize this was a book about a divorcee or I wouldn’t have requested it for review, to be fair to the author (there is nothing about it in the blurb.

It was Christian in that Krista clearly remembered a time when she turned to Christ and it was quoted that “all things work together for good,” but it was more of a few comments thrown in at random than an actual Christian lifestyle portrayed.

The whole story with the city council and “Grinch” was interesting. It was a predictable portion of the story, but I still liked it.

*I received this book from the publisher and happily provided my honest review*

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About the Book
Krista Galloway is not a fan of Christmas. After her rough childhood in multiple foster homes, the holiday season just brings too many bad memories to the surface. But when she accepts a job as a city manager in the mountain town of Winter Hill, Washington, Christmas is part of the deal. The small town is famous for its Christmasville celebration, something that the city manager . . . well, manages.

As she tries to make her tiny new apartment feel like home for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily, Krista begins to wonder if this move was a mistake. She doesn’t always feel welcomed in the close-knit town, and Emily continually wonders, “Where’s the snow?” Can a friendly stranger and his family help restore Krista’s Christmas spirit before the big day?

Bestselling author Melody Carlson invites you to spend this holiday season in a town you’ll never forget–and never want to leave.

This is an impossibly hard book to review. It covers so many topics and so very thoroughly and well, I can’t begin to give a cohesive overview. There are chapters on fear, peace, hope, convictions, confrontation, dealing with diverse world views… basically, it is a good book for any Christian to read. It has gotten me to think deeply about many things. I do wish to read it in a slower fashion and not on a review-book deadline, because it’s not the best book to skim.

Personally, I preferred reading the Scripture quotations from KJV (each chapter began with several verses). But the theology was sound, from all I could tell. I highly recommend it.

Just a sample of the quotes:
“Behind every belief is a believer, and behind every question is a questioner.”

“Listening is a vital part of responding. The more and better we hear others, the more and better they will hear us.”

“God has revealed Himself through His Word, through Jesus Christ, His Spirit in the life of the church, and even His created world. Is God hidden?”

“For every person who feels that prayer has not ‘worked’ for him and has therefore abandoned God, there is someone else for whom prayer remains a vital part of her life, sustaining her even when her prayers have gone unanswered, because her belief and trust are not only in the power of prayer but in the character and wisdom of God. When God is the focus of our prayer, I believe He sustains and preserves our faith.”

“There are only two options: either go to God on His terms and find our perfect peace in His acceptance of us, or play God with self-defining morality and kill.” (Speaking of Cain)

“The kings steeped the young men [Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego] in Babylonian philosophy and tried to change their names and worldview. But God’s faithful servants ended up changing the kings’ allegiance and identities.”

“I would suggest that sometime we lose our ability to sense God or see Him at work because we choose not to obey Him.”

“Only when we surrender to the light of God’s truth in our own lives are we enabled to truly see and then be a beacon of hope and healing in our dark world.”

“…Thomas Merton observed that man is not at peace with his fellow man because he is not at peace with himself, and he is not at peace with himself because he is not at peace with God…. So what lies beneath our struggle is a daily routine based on a momentous decision. That decision is to deal with what we do to hurt ourselves, not what others do to hurt us. The attacks of others simply will not succeed if we have taken the protection to guard our souls.”

“… giving all that is your best to God is worship at its core. This cannot be done without the sacrifice of the acclaim and adulation of the world.”

*I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and happily provided my honest review*

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I think one thing I liked the best about this one is Margot’s detestation of feelings and romance. Totally a girl after my heart. I loved how she had to journey through the difficulty of an emotional trial yet rejecting the emotions, and having to learn about being a girl with emotions and calling. Yes, totally my girl.

I definitely didn’t find the romance as strong in this as in some of Roseanna’s other books (which isn’t an issue with me). There was some sap and a couple of kisses, but romance definitely wasn’t the highlight of everyone’s thoughts.

As for faith content, I found the characters to be very historically accurate. They were Catholic, as was historic their genealogy, so a couple of Catholic rituals were mentioned (namely mass and praying the rosary). The characters were portrayed as those who had genuine faith in God and not in the church; a relationship not mere religion. I don’t agree with the Catholic beliefs of salvation and the Bible, but none of the controversial topics were brought out in this novel. At times, I forgot the characters were supposed to be Catholic, until the rosary or mass were mentioned (and coming from my homestate steeped in Catholicism, it didn’t seem authentic ritualistic religion). Some people would have a problem with this, but honestly, I didn’t find any unBiblical doctrine covered in the book.

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Abby is an endearing character who has lived a life unloved and unaccepted. Her journey begins with deep hope and anticipation of being Lord Jonathan’s beloved bride. However, the path to Brakewell Hall is full of twists and turns. As a character, Abby was believable. I’ve known girls who are just like her–hopeful and perhaps slightly disillusioned to the truth.

The Captain, now, is one that I slightly better understand. He is stoic and unrelenting in what he believes is right. Granted, I totally don’t identify with his whole theme of going after highway bandits, but I loved the action and energy those scenes exuded.

The spiritual plot was there. In the beginning, it appeared as if both characters were believers, but then at the halfway point, there were some conversations (pretty much the only solid spiritual conversations in the book) and it seems as if one of the characters gets saved at that point. I was slightly disappointed because, near the end, the entirety of the spiritual plot revolved more around the characters and their romantic desires than anything else.

Speaking of romantic desires… I don’t hide that I’m not a huge romance fan. In some books, I can tolerate more than others, all depending on how it is written. This one had more description than I cared for. There is an almost-rape scene (more than just mentioned in passing–the reader gets a few details of the attack) and a couple of mentions of men’s hands traveling down further than they should, etc.

I really do like Griep’s writing style and her descriptions. As a writer, I can admire the style, even though the content isn’t quite what I fully appreciate.

*I received this book from Celebrate Lit Bloggers and happily provided my honest review*

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