Patti and Mark Addison lost their son in a car accident 4 years go. Since then, they have slowly drifted apart. Patti has engrossed herself in her work. It all changes when she meets 5 year old Emily. Breaking the rules to bring her home with her is just the start. Patti watches Mark melt around the little girl and soon finds herself in the same spot. Now she can only hope that she can find a way for them to be a family. Hope finds her and Mark in another way with a gift that is long overdue.
Ms. VanLiere puts heart into a story that makes your own heart melt. The characters have their faults but learn to work through their problems. Also her characters seem to have a lot to work through but that's what made it come across as so real to me.
I really loved Patti's dedication to her job. She truly loved what she was doing but had lost how to communicate with her husband in the process. She had to find a new balance all over again. Mark was a sweet heart but he could only take so much. Emily couldn't believe her mom was gone but having attention sure helped as well as love from the people around her whether new or old. I loved Emily's neighbors Greta and Hal. They were the cutest old married couple. They kept me in stitches throughout the novel and warmed my heart as well.
This was a great book and I loved seeing repeat characters even if they only had a line or two. I am curious to see how the next book goes and I won't wait till next Christmas either. Hope and Love should be celebrated all year long. I am keeping this short so that I don't give too much away.
Donna VanLiere/ Christmas Story/ Fiction/224 pages/ 5 out of 5
I watched the movie and despite a few changes I really liked it. There was one thing I really didn't like and that I won't give away cause it is central to the story. You know about it but I like the way it was handled better in the book than in the movie. Oh, well, you can't win every day! Tomorrow I start Before Anne of Green Gables by Budgie Wilson. I have heard great things about this.
FTC: This book is one I borrowed from a family member.
