Archives

Once Upon A Winter Wonderland by Various

Dec7

Delightful

Once Upon A Winter Wonderland is a delightful collection of four novellas by four Christian authors. Each story deals with the same time period and setting but is told through different eyes. Each story perfectly complements the others. This is a perfectly charming book to read in the run up to the festive season.

A Beautiful Sight by Rachel D Russell shows how nerves can get the best of us in the lead up to our wedding. We all hope for the perfect wedding but a wedding is just one day, marriage is for a lifetime. We need to include God in our marriages. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. We need to give and receive forgiveness and remember to pray about all things. My favourite quote was: “Don’t let fear tear you away from the wonderful plans God has for you.”

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A Cosy Christmas With The Village Vet by Eliza J Scott

Dec3

Heart-Warming

A Cosy Christmas With The Village Vet By Eliza J Scott is a wonderful heart-warming contemporary novel that will swell your heart with love and kindness.

At the heart of the novel is community. It is a community that cares for all its members and looks out for each other. No one is ever left out in the cold. There are always spaces to be found around someone’s table.

The leading characters exude love and kindness. Their easy banter is a pure delight. Add in a couple of dogs and you have the perfect recipe for a delightful tale. The canine characters are as much a part of the story as the humans. We see the unbreakable bonds and the loyalty of man’s best friend.

Loss is keenly felt at Christmas when there are empty places around tables.

There are also characters suffering a different sort of loss – that of broken relationships. We witness the power of words to wound. “Words… the hurt they still had the power to resurrect.” The tongue can be more vicious than any double-edged sword.

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A Mother’s Christmas Wish by Glenda Young

Nov27

Heart Warming

A Mother’s Christmas Wish by Glenda Young is a wonderful, heart-warming historical novel that will fill your heart with love.

The action takes place in 1923 in a small village in the North East. It is here that the reader witnesses love, care and community in action. Living in a village means your business is never your own but it is a small price to pay for all the love and care. If there are problems, there is always a neighbour to run to.

At the heart of the village is the pub. It has been neglected due to grief but a new girl in town is determined to turn the fortunes around and to inject new life into old.

We witness the camaraderie of the women. There is a network of support and love. When the men folk let them down, the sisterhood picks them up.

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Christmas In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Nov14

Second Chances

Christmas In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is a beautiful contemporary heartwarming novel that will make you smile. It is the fourth book in the Bellbird Bay series but can be read as a stand-alone.

All the characters were well drawn, lovable and realistic. I loved the inclusion of a dog who definitely turns a house into a home. There was a beautiful bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter whose youthful enthusiasm was infectious.

I loved the fact that the lead characters were in their fifties. As they entered the latter years of their lives, their outlook was still young as they grabbed life with both hands.

Life is for living. Both lead characters had suffered loss. Grief is not something you ‘get over’ but something you have to adapt to and live with.

We see a marriage on the rocks and also hear of an abusive marriage in the past. There are second chances to be seized, bitterness cast aside and life to be lived again.

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