Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed on 10/7/2019 + 157 more book reviews

A trademark of Melody Carlson's prolific writing is her yearly Christmas novella and Christmas in Winter Hill is a welcome addition. This is my first Christmas-themed read of the fall and I enjoyed it very much. The small town of Winter Hill, Washington is the perfect backdrop for this uplifting story of family and community. There's a Hallmark feel to this story and I can easily see it in the future lineup of Christmas movies. That's not a criticism, by the way, for I never tire of Hallmark productions.

âIt takes a village to raise a Christmasvilleâ (Mayor Richards). A new city manager who doesn't enjoy Christmas and a town who lives for Christmas ⦠now that's a promising foundation for some interesting storytelling! Although there's a gentle romance woven throughout and the yearly Christmasville production is key, the story's main focus is on Krista and her daughter â difficulties that arise in Krista's efforts to be a good city manager and their need for a fresh start, a place to truly belong. There's a complexity to the characters and Krista's background of growing up in foster homes â some good and others not so good â give a realness to her feelings about Christmas. Krista is easy to connect with and her daughter, Emily, is precious. I loved Krista's approach to the seriousness of her job, as well as the way she brought Christmas into Emily's life in spite of her own feelings.

Christmas in Winter Hill is an easy read, fairly predictable, but that in no way lessened my enjoyment. It's a heartwarming story, with a gentle faith thread â a reminder of God's timing and the need for a childlike faith in God's goodness. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details