Review: Warm, Lovely & Hopeful for the Holidays
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 26, 2013
When you have an extra “connection” to an author, it makes their stories a bit more special to you. Jane Porter and I are both natives of the San Joaquin Valley in Central California, born in cities about twenty miles apart. We love the beauty of the Valley and all it has to offer the people who call it home. I still live there, halfway between our hometowns, and I know Jane is back in California and visits here as much as she’s able. So I was very pleasantly surprised when our heroine in this book, Harley, has recently left her hometown of Visalia to start a new chapter in her life in Montana. Something I’d give an arm and leg to do myself, so I doubly connected with Harley.Though the Central Valley is Harley’s home, there’s nothing but pain for her there now after the tragic loss of her family. So her solution is to get as far away as possible – to Copper Mountain Ranch in snowy Montana. Through a temp agency she’s found the perfect job to keep her thoughts as busy as possible while she’s housekeeper and cook for Brock Sheenan and his ranch hands. The boss doesn’t talk much and leaves her alone. Just what she’s looking for.Brock has been through his own tragedy. He lives his life strictly and orderly, no fuss and no muss. Christmas is a non-issue for him, he doesn’t celebrate it anymore. No need now. Then there’s this new housekeeper. She keeps the place clean and her meals are tasty, but she’s a bit too distracting and Brock doesn’t like that at all. Out of sight, out of mind as much as possible is the best way to avoid trouble.After a wonderful first week at her new job, Harley’s idyll comes to a crashing end when Mack and Molly, Brock’s twins, show up for Christmas break a week early. No kids. Harley just can’t do kids, especially this time of year. Doing her best to get the children settled before she leaves, Harley soon discovers something is not quite as it should be between father and his kids. Not wanting to get too involved and attached, she tries to smooth things out but Brock doesn’t appreciate the intervention. Usually I don’t care for misunderstandings between characters, but these two have been through so much horribleness that talking about what holds them back is too difficult.But everything comes together as every character involved comes to realizations that will change their lives. And those kids will bring you to tears with their heartfelt insight, just as Harley discovers. Brock and Harley fit so well together, even better once they realize it. This is a wonderful Christmas story, but one that can be read any time at all because of the so very real emotion and life-altering situations. Highly recommended.