New York Times Bestseller In this holiday-themed novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mistletoe Promise and The Walk, a man receives the best Christmas present he could ask for: the chance to rewrite the past. Bestselling romance author Jacob Churcher hasn’t been home for almost twenty years–not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just … mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics.
But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love.
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My favorite author always writes with such a meaningful message
This is another uplifting book by Richard Paul Evans. The characters in this story learn to accept that the past, however traumatic, made them who they are and that they are worthy of being loved. Was the plot a little predictable? Yes. Was the story entertaining and worth reading? Yes. It is also well written with believable characters. So, open your heart and let this book inspire you to let go of your past and move forward with positivity and love into your future.
What can he find about what in his past from mother’s boxes
Once again Richard Paul Evans does it again, as with “A Winter Dream” this book is written from the male view, and in a love story I find this very rare and yet it really works. I loved this story, it had me from beginning to end and I know it will stay with me for awhile. It is a story about forgiveness, not only for others but for yourself as well.
Every Richard Paul Evans book I read is written so eloquently. I truly enjoy all of his stories. He writes passionately and from the heart. This story truly touched mine, and his words at the end made a mark on me. I always look forward to another book of his, and I’m eagerly awaiting his new one in the Noel series due in November 2018. Thank you for your beautiful stories.
I recently read the Route 66 books Richard Paul Evans wrote, and was in the mood for more of his books. I have read all but one of his, or so I thought. I saw this one online and thought it was an older one I’d missed. Nope, it’s new, and little did I know this until I just finished the book…and saw there will be two more books, one this November, 2018, and one the NEXT November, 2019. So that’s cool, but this one ended splendidly and was totally satisfying. I like his style. I like how he includes what they eat and where they dine and the directions they go when they drive, and people they run into along the way. I like how there are some similarities between his books that if you’ve read his other books you’re like, “Ha, I get that. That makes sense.” He has a sweet sense of humor and a heartwarming feeling to his books, because no, I’m NOT a romance reader. I was so glad for a chance to read this, and believe me, it didn’t take me long to finish what I’d started.
Like all of Richard’s Christmas books, this one is a fast read. The characters in the story were engaging and felt “real”, like the author is telling the facts about people he knows intimately. At the holiday time of year, it is always good, at least for me, to find a story that emphasizes understanding, love and forgiveness. Highly recommend.
Anyone that has read Richard Paul Evans books will notice that they are all similar.I was disappointed that this book wasn’t about Christmas.
Each Christmas, Richard Paul Evans releases a new holiday-themed novel. This year in 2017, it was The Noel Diary and it was wonderful as expected. Raw, real, and full of perspective. It’s about flawed parents and the consequences of their choices. It’s about the children left behind searching for answers. It’s about forgiveness, understanding, and grace. It was an incredibly satisfying Richard Paul Evans novel and I already can’t wait for next year. Check it out.
My favorite quote:
“There comes a time when carrying a secret becomes more painful than the truth it’s hiding.”