In the midst of a Christmas blizzard: A baby on the doorstep. It’s taken a long time and a little heartache, but Annie Sutton is finally following her dream of living on Martha’s Vineyard. She fell in love with the island’s singular beauty while using it as a setting for two of her novels. In her cozy rented cottage on Chappaquiddick, she’s settling in for her first Vineyard winter—complete … winter—complete with a fierce nor’easter on the way, forecast to bring high winds and deep snow. But the blizzard also brings something unexpected to Annie’s front porch: a basket, encircled by a ribbon, containing a baby girl. The note reads: “I named her Bella, after my grandmother. Please help her, because I can’t.”
Adopted as a child, Annie is grateful for wonderful parents who raised her as their own. Yet she also hopes to spare little Bella the feelings of abandonment that still haunt her. And so, rather than take the baby to the police, Annie decides to keep her and try to find the birth mother, giving her a chance to change her mind.
But it’s not easy keeping a secret in a close-knit, island community, especially amid the bustle of Christmas. Before the holiday ends, there will be revelations, rekindled hope, and proof that families—the ones we are born into and the ones we claim for ourselves—are the gifts that truly matter . . .
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I very much enjoyed this story of Annie, starting a new life in Martha’s Vineyard, who gets caught up in a mystery surrounding a baby named Bella who was left on her doorstep on a snowy night before Christmas. Her own story of having been adopted and always wondering about her birth mother and why she was given up drives her to do all she can to reunite Bella with her mother, making sure they’re given every chance to be together. With the help of some friends, some deception to avoid having to turn Bella over to authorities, and her own sleuthing, Annie goes about searching for answers. I was completely caught up in the story and look forward to other books in this series.
Very well written and a great story to follow.
Great easy read that you don’t want to put down.
It was okay – I love Martha’s Vineyard and was curious about the book because of the setting.
The book was a bit repetitive (too many references to main character’s adoption). But I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.
You get so much from this book, Christmas magic, a baby’s love, a mystery, an island community, love and did I say magic? It’s all wrapped in this little Christmas book.
Once I read that this book was taking place in Martha’s Vineyard, I was sold and then it was taking place during Christmas and I mean, come on, what else could I ask for more. I live in MA, so the Vineyard is magic already during the summer so to read something about it during Christmas, give it to me.
So, Annie Sutton is a writer (bonus points lol) and has always dreamed of living on Martha’s Vineyard. So when she has basically lost everyone and everything in her life she finally makes the final leap and moves to the island. She has always loved the beauty of the island and now she is ready to spend her first winter there on her cozy rented cottage. Of course, there is a nor’easter on the way, forecasting high winds and deep snow. But Annie is prepared for the blizzard, she goes into town to get ready even buying a Christmas tree. But, with the blizzard she gets the biggest surprise of all, someone drops a basket, encircled by a ribbon and a baby girl inside it. With a note attached: “I named her Bella, after my grandmother. Please help her, because I can’t.”
Because Annie was adopted as a child, she starts to get attached to Bella in a new level of connection. She decides to keep the baby and find out who left her at her door step instead of handing her over to the police.
Because of this decision we get to see how a island community gets involved and how this mystery can lead to a lot more than Annie was hoping for. It’s a Christmas that she will never forget.
This book is such a quick and fast paced read, one that you cannot put it down because you want to find out who little Bella’s mother is. And you will try to connect the pieces together, that is until things will take a turn that you never saw it coming. Ah it was a lovely read, one that I still think about it today. And I’m so happy that there is more to Annie’s story than this. I’m sure to continue with it.
5 out of 5 stars for sure.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. Kept my interest. I’ll read more of her books.
I loved the book a great story.
I really enjoyed the plot and the descriptions of life on Martha’s Vineyard.
I enjoyed this holiday themed story!
I enjoyed the story, it was easy to follow along with most of the time heart warming. There were a few lines that I thought were not in character with the story. There were times when I felt there should have been more compassion shown toward the “mother” of the baby Bella.
A great little book for an afternoon!
I LIKED THIS BOOK .It had twists and turns and brought up feelings of someone who was adopted.It is mixed feelings when you find birth parents.