A recently divorced woman and
her daughter look for a fresh start by moving to a small town that embraces
them in ways that only fate and the magic of Christmas can explain.
Sydney Ragsdale is divorced, but her husband is still calling the shots. In an
attempt to shake free from his hold, she and her daughter, Ray Anne, head for
tiny Hopewell, NC to the only asset her ex has no control over – a decaying
farmhouse that once belonged to her grandparents. She finds solace at The Book
Bea, the bookstore she’d loved as a child during her summer stays.
Kevin MacAlea, Mac to his friends, is the local high school history teacher and
baseball coach. Father of a twelve-year-old son, he’s Hopewell, North
Carolina’s most sought after bachelor. His young bride abandoned him and his
son just before Christmas and has never come back. It has left his son bitter
about Christmas which is hard for Mac who loves the magic of the season. He’s
been the Santa here in Hopewell since the year Seth was born.
But when a catastrophe forces The Book Bea to close before the end of the year,
everyone in the small town is feeling the loss. While Sydney is already
off-balance by the bad news, her ex-husband breaks a promise to their daughter
that sends Ray Anne running away. As Sydney tries to figure out what her next
steps are she discovers all of the answers are right here in Hopewell.
Release Date: October 10, 2017
St. Martin's Griffin
Contemporary Romance
Review copy provided by publisher
Liza's Review:
Hope at Christmas is the newest release from
author Nancy Naigle. Ms. Naigle is my go-to author for sweet and emotional
romances and she delivers
every single time.
I have to say that after all Sydney's ex had put her through, I
loved she decided to move her daughter to Hopewell to start over. Hopewell is a
small town and honestly made me think a little bit of the small town where
I grew up. My favorite part of the story was the fact that Sydney felt at home
again in Hopewell once she found The Book Be was still open. I especially
loved Bea who owned and ran the bookstore. Honestly, if felt a bit
like the bookstore itself was a character in this story.
My heart broke for Ray Anne and how her father kept
breaking promises to her over and over again. I loved that with Sydney's love
and new friends in Hopewell, Ray Anne started to find her footing in their new
town. I really loved that Seth; Mac's son seemed to become Ray Anne's new best
friend. As she was a bit of a tomboy, it made total sense she would have a best
guy friend. I also loved the fact that the kids kept pushing their parents
together so they were able to spend more time together.
Both Mac and Sydney had really bad experiences with love in
the past. Granted Mac's bad experience had been many years ago. I loved
how patient he was with Sydney in giving her the time she needed to be
ready for more than just friendship. I did love they were friends before
they moved into a romantic relationship. Not that everything was completely
smooth sailing for them, but I loved that Mac was willing to give Sydney the
time and understanding she needed after everything she had been through
with her ex.
Nancy Naigle writes emotion filled sweet romances. I've always
thought her books would be perfect for the Hallmark Channel and have to
reiterate that fact with Hope at
Christmas. I highly recommend Hope at
Christmas to romance readers who love sweet romances.
Rating: 4 Stars (B+)
