All he wants for Christmas is a family… To make his little nephew happy, this bachelor will need help… After his nephew, Cole, is orphaned, Jake Sanders vows to give the little boy the best Christmas possible…except Jake doesn’t know the first thing about kids! So when Cole’s preschool teacher, Emma Mullins, offers to pitch in, Jake’s grateful for her guidance. But while Jake and Emma … But while Jake and Emma share an immediate connection, their blossoming love must first survive the secret she’s hiding…
From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Wander Canyon
Book 1: Their Wander Canyon Wish
Book 2: Winning Back Her Heart
Book 3: His Christmas Wish
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Y’all. This story undid me in every way. And the reason can be summed up in three words: Emma, Jake, and Cole. Oh my heart. These three characters tugged on it in nearly every way imaginable, sending me into giggles, swoons, tears – and a few times where my stomach bottomed out in the way it does when you read shockingly sad news about dear people. I was fully engaged in His Christmas Wish from beginning to end and everything in between.
First, Cole is just all kinds of adorable. He is the perfect blend of precocious, loving, and cute without being overdone. And the kind of grief he’s living through – the loss of his parents – is something no little preschooler should have to endure. But through his “fun” uncle Jake and his warm teacher Emma, he IS living through it. I really appreciated how the author addressed this theme throughout the book. His grief isn’t passed over – it’s brought out into the open in ways that felt natural for a boy his age – and with Jake & Emma as a support network (along with nearly the entire community of Wander Canyon) readers know he’s on his way to healing.
Jake and Emma each have their own separate grief to deal with – Jake is grieving the loss of his sister (Cole’s mom) and Emma is still grieving the loss of her own family in various ways. Their shared bond & love of Cole gives them an instant connection, and watching it develop into sparks and deeper feelings is a lot of fun to read about. The magic of Christmas, the hope of the season, the beauty of can’t-resist-any-longer kisses – all of it combines to deliver an inspiring and heartwarming romance that will linger with you long after you’ve finished the book.
Bottom Line: In His Christmas Wish, Pleiter has crafted an exquisitely tender story of love, family, Christmas, grace, grief, restoration, and of course romance. Vivid, layered characters will grip your heart and involve all the emotions, from laughter to tears. The charming setting (one particular Scroogette not included lol) adds to the warm tone of the book, and the reminder of the true meaning – and healing power – of the season is icing on the cake.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
His Christmas Wish by Allie Pleiter
Wander Canyon Series Book Three
Emma Mullins loved living in the small town of Wander Canyon. She was a preschool teacher at the church and was hoping to become the new director, as the current one was retiring. Not everything about the town was perfect. There was gossip and Norma Binton. A bitter woman who wanted her niece in the director position and was all around unhappy.
Jake Sanders was a happy bachelor. He owned half of a company with his friend Bo. And then, everything changed when his sister and brother-in-law were in an accident…murdered. Not only did he lose his sister, but he also gained guardianship of his nephew, Cole. Something he struggled with. Being a parent and working through grief.
Emma and Jake were pushed into an arrangement of her helping out with Cole. She had plenty of secrets from her past that she kept to herself, but it helped her connect with Jake and Cole. Life is so much better when you can share your troubles with others. Emma learns that a bit too late. Wonderful story. **Tissue alert
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2011/09/allie-pleiter-booklist.html
This was an emotional Christian Christmas romance that discussed loss, forgiveness, healing, and love. I felt for young Cole who recently lost his parents to senseless violence and has to find a new way forward with his bachelor uncle Jake. His preschool teacher Emma was warm, welcoming, kind, creative, dealing with her own loss of her family, and worried about what the townspeople will say about her association with Jake. She takes care of Cole after school so Jake can continue working and helps both of them to heal, forgive, and love. I got teary eyed at several points in this book. There are intense moments that made me hold my breath and feel some of the pain the characters are experiencing. I loved the live nativity, which made me smile and laugh at the antics of the animals and the sweet children who tell it like it is.
I will be honest I am not sure how authors write gut wrenching stories with out tears. This to me was on of those stories. Cole was young but some of the stuff he dealt with were way beyond his years but he also had such a sweet personality he was easy to fall in love with. With Jake and Emma each having their own secrets but both tryin to find their way through trials. Emma and her story just broke my heart.There is a twist I can honestly say at first I did not see coming and it definitely throws you for a loop. Over all this book is a good clean read, tough topics but over all is so worth the read. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
You’ll need a box of tissues!
I couldn’t wait to read the third book in the series and I loved every page of it. This story made me smile and cry and laugh out loud. A gripping and a very emotional novel that will remind you that “Wander’s always watching.”
You’ll learn about:
– turtles
“Any idea how to tell the boy turtles from the girl turtles? I’d prefer to avoid hosting a turtle romance.”
– uncles
“The fun kind of uncle. A cereal-for-dinner, stay-up-late, drink-milk-out-of-the-carton kind of uncle.”
– Wander Canyon
“Some days Wander Canyon’s ability to stick its collective nose into other people’s business made him want to snarl.”
– tragedy, grief, forgiveness, healing, and so much more…
I received an ARC of this book for review. I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions in this review are my own.
When tragedy strikes, Jake Sanders steps in to care for his nephew. But with an already full plate, can he give Cole the security and home he needs. And when does Jake get his time to grieve? Emma Mullins understands Jake’s and Cole’s grief in a way few others can.
In His Christmas Wish, Allie Pleiter once again invites readers to Wander Canyon with its community that is both loving and overwhelming (in both the best and the worst ways).
Little Cole steals this story, but the romance between Emma and Jake is perfect. While some may consider some of the themes in this story of grief, guilt and healing a little heavier than most Love Inspired books, it does make for a richer story. As Emma and Jake learn, the deeper the pain, the greater the joy found in embracing God’s grace.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
Allie Pleiter is a great author and I just love her books. I liked this book (her new release) except for the way the death of Cole’s parents and then the way Emma’s brother ties into it, it is just too tragic. It’s too bad because Cole is just adorable with his love of turtles, Jake seems like a great guy but for me it is almost too much to get past.
What a sweet story! His Christmas Wish is the perfect read to put you in the Christmas spirit. I can always count on Allie Pleiter to deliver a heartwarming read that leaves a smile on my face. This is my favorite one of hers yet.
The characters were great. The connection between Jake and Emma was so strong. And Cole was such an adorable little guy. He’d been through so much, but showed such resiliency. Emma and Jake were so tender with him and really went all out to make Christmas something special for him.
I loved being back in Wander Canyon. It’s such a charming town. I wish it was real because I’d love to visit and meet all the wonderful characters and see the iconic carousel in person. If this is your first visit to Wander Canyon, no worries. It’s a standalone. Though, I know you’ll be wanting to check out the previous books to visit it again.
If you’re a fan of Hallmark movies, you’ll love His Christmas Wish. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to see what Pleiter writes next.
I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
When Jake agreed to be his nephew’s godfather he didn’t expect to actually become his guardian, but when his sister and her husband were killed, and Cole’s grandmother couldn’t come and care for him as expected, Jake took on the task. He had no idea how to look after a child, especially one who had just lost his parents. Tackling his care along with keeping his business going was more than he could handle. Cole’s teacher, Emma, saw how frazzled Jake was so she gave him some tips on how to deal with some situations. When the head of the school suggested Emma help with the boy in the afternoons (leaving no way for her to refuse) Jake was immensely relieved.
I was expecting this story to be more about the child than it was. Instead, it was almost entirely about how hard it was for Jake to deal with the death of his sister and take care of the boy. Which would have been funny since he didn’t have a clue if the reason wasn’t so sad.