The year is 1969… a sheltered farm boy who lives in the shadow of his overbearing father. He’s hidden his darkest secret to earn his father’s love, but nothing is ever good enough—not even volunteering for the Vietnam War. And with just a few days left before he’s deployed, he’s invited by a striking hippie to join him at a music festival.
Three days of music, drugs, rain, mud, and love forged a bond between these two very different men that would shape the rest of their lives. They share dreams and fears, and when Richard is shipped off to war, they share letters and love. For Richard’s first Christmas home, he is gifted a special angel ornament that just might make a soldier’s wish come true.
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This story is one of seven stories which can all be read and enjoyed in any order.
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In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.
Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudged along by) the Christmas angel through the years. Whether it’s the 1750’s England (Eli Easton’s Christmas Angel), 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding’s Summerfield’s Angel), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk’s Magician’s Angel), World War II (L.A. Witt’s Christmas Homecoming), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker’s Soldier’s Wish), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday’s Shrewd Angel), or 2018 (RJ Scott’s Christmas Prince), the Christmas angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need its blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.
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This was my first book by the author, and even though I have pretty much only heard good things, I had no idea what to expect from the book. I must admit that I don’t know much about Vietnam war, but the book was breaking my heart.
The two guys meet in a diner, accidentally, and Gary decided to invite Richard to go with them to Woodstock since they have a ticket left. Richard, for the first time in his life probably, does something impulsive. After all, he has three days before he goes to war, right? The connection made between Gary and Richard in those three free days, days of love, of peace, of drugs…It was amazing, and knowing that Richard was going to war was breaking my heart. We all know no one gets from the war the same.
The second part of the book is told in letters. Gary and Richard send letters to each other, to the other side of the globe. It’s increasingly heartbreaking to read Richard’s war stories.
In the third part, the guys are reunited. Richard returns to live a normal life, or as close to it as he can – he cannot be the same guy he was before the war, and neither is Gary. Nor the world. Unlike other wars, this one was not popular, and the public is against the veterans.
And the last part, that was heartbreaking and surprising. To avoid going to war – chosen by the birthday numbers, and Gary’s comes up – the guys decide to do a drastic thing. But besides that, they both find ways to help veterans, especially Richard, as he knew what they experience and the consequences, physical and mental.
All I can say is that the book is amazing, and that it breaks your heart, but it is also extremely realistic and well written – it transports you to the era and the feelings both of the situation at ‘home’ and the situation in Vietnam.
This is the third of the Christmas Angel books I have read and N. R. Walker’ s contribution certainly lived up to the level of the others. These historical looks at being gay when it was illegal have made me think more than I normally would over a short novel like this. It’s a sexy romance, sure, but it’s more than just that. It’s a reminder of how far our society has come, and how far we have to go. Highly recommend.
The angel has arrived in California. It’s the Vietnam Era and while the angel’s magic may not be needed for the romance in this one, she certainly brings some much needed comfort for a soldier wounded in battle. This one is the most emotional story so far in the series, and some parts are absolutely heart-wrenching. It’s also a thoroughly compelling read with a beautiful love story. Gary and Richard are complete opposites in so many ways, but at the same time, they fit perfectly. Gary is everything Richard needs both during and after the war, and the author does an excellent job of showing the turmoil Richard experiences and the toll it takes on him emotionally, and it’s done with the utmost respect due a soldier. Everything, from Gary and Richard’s first meeting, to their time at Woodstock, the letters back and forth, to finally being together as Richard heals is wonderfully written and kept me turning the pages.
What a wonderfully amazing story.
*better review to come*
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I can’t stop crying. It’s not even that this story is terribly sad to cause this reaction. It’s just so poignant and moving, I’m seriously sitting here a teary, ugly snotty mess. I need a hug.
*I was laying in bed last night, thinking about this book and crying some more. I think what really got to me with this story was how real these characters were-Gary and Richard could have been any 2 young men who grew up during the Vietnam era. They could be any 2 gay young men in the world today, struggling with different, yet similar, issues.
I think that’s what gets me with most of the books I’ve read by Ms. Walker, honestly. Her characters are so real and relatable. They could be your friends, your neighbors, they could be people in your family, or someone you know at work.
This book was so beautifully written, Gary and Richard’s story will linger in my heart for a long time to come. And I’m about to start crying all over again here at work so I’m going to stop- just please do yourself a favor and read this book!
OMG this book was absolutely phenomenal!!!! I loved it so much. This is the story of Gary who is traveling with friends to Woodstock with some friends. He encounters Richard at a diner they stop at. He convinces Richard to tag along with them before shipping off to Vietnam. They spend the next few days having fun, dancing, and unknowingly falling in love. Gary knows that there is something special about Richard and gives him his address to send letters back and forth. That is when the real love story begins and those letters were absolutely everything. This story was everything….a beautifully written story about two guys who fell in love during a difficult period of time. I strongly recommend everyone reads this book….you won’t be disappointed. Well done!!!!