Joe Mulcahy’s Second Chance at Love…or is it?Now that his three daughters are settled and busy with families of their own, he’s ready to declare himself to the lovely widow, Mary Murphy. But timing in life is everything…and Joe’s plans go awry.Christmas is a Time for MiraclesApple Grove’s residents are in on the plan to keep Mary and Joe from letting pride and bruised feelings get in the way of … keep Mary and Joe from letting pride and bruised feelings get in the way of what’s really important—their love for one another.
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Regardless of his age, when it comes to matters of the heart, Joe still reacted like a sixteen-year-old in the first throes of love when Mary is stunned into silence at his proposal. Feelings are hurt and pride gets in the way. However, Joe and Mary have the whole town of Apple Grove and Joe’s children standing behind them, looking for innovative ways to bring the two stubborn seniors back together again. The novel is sweet, clean and humourous, and closes on a happy note as the people of the small town pull together to bring about a Christmas miracle. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.
I have read the previous Apple Grove books and enjoyed them, so I was sure that I would love this new Christmas book. This is the story of an older couple, having a second chance at love. They have been friends and a bit more for a while, but Joe now is ready to take the step to marriage. If all things worked out smoothly, there would not be a story, so Mary doesn’t give an answer, even though the town knows she loves Joe. That is where the story begins and it is a nice journey to take with this lovely meant-to-be-together couple.
I do think having read the previous books in the series helped me enjoy this book, but it also could be read independently. It was a sweet story to end my holiday season.
This is a short, holiday read. This is the 4th book in the series, and I would not say it could be read as a standalone.
I found it to be somewhat confusing and hard to keep track of all of the characters involved. I felt like I needed a diagram to figure out the relationships. By the time I had a decent handle on them, (other than Joe and Mary), the book was over.
I didn’t feel any real connection to any of the characters in the book. Although it was a short read, it did not feel like a quick read.
I’m not sure how old Joe and Mary were supposed to be, but at some point, their behavior was kind of immature. I was glad the book was about a mature couple, but I didn’t expect them to act like they did.
The book was ok. I think it was supposed to be sweet and romantic. I think it might have been more enjoyable if I had read the previous books. Reading this book first just didn’t do it for me, but I can see where others would enjoy it.
“I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed this book. This is my honest review.”
Life in a Clean and Sweet Small Town
If you’re a reader who loves small town living and clean drama, you will love Christmas Comes to Apple Grove by C.H. Admirand.
Not only does every one in this small rural Ohio town know what is going on in everyone’s life, but each person also knows just how to fix the other person’s problem. Talk about living in each others pockets.
Even though this book did not really strum my strings, still it is one that others may just love. It is well written with every type of character that might live in a small town setting. The story is simple, but the dialogue is crisp with a bit of humor. Best of all, the Christmas ending is a happy one.
Reader Suggestion:
You may want to read the first three books in the series before reading this one. I did not do that, which is probably why I was probably did not feel connected to the characters.
Disclosure:
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.
A bit confusing because of all the characters mentioned and their storylines that took place in the three books that preceded this short story. Joel Mulcahy’s three daughters are the main characters in the three previous books. He is a widower but has found love again with Mary Murphy. His abrupt public proposal takes Mary by complete surprise and her lack of response hurts Joe’s feelings. His three daughters and their spouses conspire to bring them back together. A secondary story about another family adds to the confusion, but once again, they must have appeared in earlier books. Easy read but would have been better for me if I had read these books in order. I received this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.