“[Thayne] engages the reader’s heart and emotions, inspiring hope and the belief that miracles are possible.” —Debbie MacomberNew York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne returns to Haven Point to bring readers another heartwarming and inspiring story of Christmas romance—this time for Luke and Elizabeth Hamilton, a couple greatly in need of holiday healing and the magic of Christmas!Hearts … greatly in need of holiday healing and the magic of Christmas!
Hearts are lighter and wishes burn a little brighter at Christmas…
Elizabeth was trapped in a tangle of postpartum depression and grief after the death of her beloved parents and she couldn’t quite see the way back to her husband and their two beautiful kids…until a car accident stole away her memories and changed her life.
And when she finally remembered the sound of little Cassie’s laugh, the baby powder smell of Bridger, or the feel of her husband’s hand in hers, Elizabeth worried that they’d moved on without her. That she’d missed too much. That perhaps she wasn’t the right mother for her kids or wife for Luke, no matter how much she loved them.
But now, seven years later, Luke finds her in a nearby town and brings Elizabeth back home to the family she loves, just in time for Christmas. And being reunited with Luke and her children is better than anything Elizabeth could have imagined.
As they all trim the tree and bake cookies, making new holiday memories, Elizabeth and Luke are drawn ever closer. Can the hurt of the past seven years be healed over the course of one Christmas season and bring the Hamiltons the gift of a new beginning?
Don’t miss the rest of the Haven Point Series!
- Snow Angel Cove
- Redemption Bay
- Evergreen Springs
- Riverbend Road
- Snowfall on Haven Point
- Serenity Harbor
- Sugar Pine Trail
- The Cottages on Silver Beach
- Season of Wonder
- Coming Home for Christmas
more
Such a wonderful feel good story about emotions, family, forgiveness and the miracles of Christmas. This is the 10th book in the Haven Point series. It was so good to finally understand what really happened to Elizabeth Hamilton. Sometimes decisions made in extremely emotional times can have the wrong effect and actually create more hurt, loneliness and anger for everyone. Fortunately this magical season brought Luke and Elizabeth back together, if initially only to clear his name. But they both get a second chance at a new beginning. RaeAnne Thayne is a master story teller and does a fantastic job of giving us hope during this magical season of the year.
The festive season isn’t complete without a book from RaeAnne Thayne. Wonderful characters, so much emotion. I loved this book.
I always expect an amazing book from this author, especially during the holidays. This book…it was so much more for me. It grabbed my heart from the very first pages and never let go, even after I finished. I won’t retell the story – you should read it for yourself as Ms. Thayne does a much better job than I ever could – but I can tell you some of the things I loved.
What happens to Elizabeth Hamilton is devastating. What starts as postpartum depression morphs into something so bad that it gutted me. Even with the unbelievable seven years she went missing, I loved how her character had to learn how to just ‘be’ again. She sacrificed a life with her family, thinking they were better off without her. And Luke, her husband, is so strong and although he is unbelievably angry with his formerly missing wife (and he has his reasons), he still has a heart of gold and listens to that heart when it tells him to listen, watch and help Elizabeth… It’s those cues and clues that can bring them together.
And the children…OMG, your heart will embrace them, break for them, and joyously burst, all in the same book. I loved how this family worked hard to come together again through their individual grief. Luke was an amazing father to his two young children, especially while his wife was “lost”, and the kids are truly characters. I really was engaged from the start of the book, well past the end. Coming Home for Christmas is a special holiday read.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I will definitely read more now.
It was a bit slow to begin with, setting the stage for the characters. After a few chapters I was hooked. You get really involved in the storyline and I’d finished it in just over a day.
It deals with some difficult topics in a touching way and it’s how the characters develope as a result of this. Elizabeth and Luke are both strong characters , Coming to terms with a separation of numerous years, dealing with their past history together and the relationship between Elizabeth and their two children. It’s a heartwarming story with a Happy Ending that will appeal to fans of Jill shalvis and Melissa Foster
This was a very good read. I loved the fact that this touched on mental health and kind of gives advice on how to deal with it in a light-hearted romantic read setting. As well as touching upon some very important issues. Very high in drama but I really enjoyed reading it nonetheless.
Coming Home for Christmas is a second chance love story. Luke Hamilton has been under a cloud of suspicion for the last seven years since his wife Elizabeth disappeared. His friend and future brother-in-law finally finds her after an extensive search and Luke cannot decide if he wants to confront her. When the district attorney threatens to file murder charges, he goes after her so he can clear his name. Only the woman he finds is much changed from the Elizabeth he knew. She has been broken and has been rebuilding her life. She felt compelled to leave burdened with depression both post partem and from her parents untimely deaths. Then an accident as she tried to return took her memory and left her with a broken body and a traumatic head injury. Can the magic of the Christmas season bring this family back together? Another excellent Haven Point novel!
I was pleasantly surprised to find out this was one of the Women of Brambleberry House. I slightly remembered Luke showing up at the end of A Soldier’s Return. My heart hurt for these two, and the children! Whew. So many emotions.
3.5 stars. This was a pretty cute holiday read, with a lot of emotional drama. I enjoyed it and even if it had heavy topics, it wasn’t too heavy feeling. I love a good broody hero, that is for sure.
What would you do if your spouse went missing seven years ago and was presumed dead? What if you found out that your spouse was alive and living under a different name and had undergone a life-changing experience and was trying to find his/her way back home? This isn’t exactly a “happily ever after” type of story, although you will like the ending. It is very realistic in explaining the feelings of all the characters involved, and how they come to grips with realizing that their loved one is alive and wants to come home again.
This was the first book I read by Rae Ann Thayne. It had a great story about a woman who thought she had lost everything and was able to get her life back. I though the author did a good job of portraying all of the conflicting emotions of the characters caught up in a very unusual and difficult situation. The ending was very heartwarming!
Absolutely loved this story from beginning to end!!!
I really really really enjoyed the book!!!!!
Fun read
A brutally beautiful tale of life, love, forgiveness, new chances, and Christmas miracles. It’s a story of family, it touches the darkness of depression, and it underlines the chances for condonation, the power of love, and wonder of the season.
I inhaled this story in one evening. The heartache of Elizabeth and Luke and their children pulled me in, the possibilities of new chances and new beginnings held me captive. I have wanted Luke and his children to find all the love and happiness and peace of heart and mind they yearned for and this story filled my heart to overflowing.
RaeAnne Thayne is a master of sweet, heartfelt, clean romance stories that still delivers all the feels of adoration and passion without going into the details. These tales show how everyday miracles still happen, how love still wins, how by doing the hard things in life, the rewards are captured, how family and community can do wonders when they set their minds into uplifting others.
Coming Home for Christmas was indeed a homecoming literally and figuratively, with all the splendor and marvel and intensity of a delightful love story.
~ Five Spoons
This is a story of love and loss, courage and forgiveness. The author brings to light the struggles of post-partum depression as well as the obstacles put in place by a devastating brain injury. She also touches on the subject of bullying. Beautifully written story.
great book
Beautiful and sweet second-chance romance. The very epitome of a happily ever after. Loved it.
Very good second chance story that deals with some hard subjects. Seven years earlier, Elizabeth walked out into the night and disappeared, leaving her husband and children behind. Luke has dealt with being a single father as best he could, but it hasn’t been easy. The whispers around town of why Elizabeth left and what happened to her have only gotten worse. To complicate matters, Luke is about to be arrested and charged with her murder, even though there is no proof that she is dead. On the contrary, Luke has recently discovered that Elizabeth is alive and well, living in a town several hours away, so he goes to get her to clear his name.
I ached for both Luke and Elizabeth. At the time of her disappearance, Elizabeth was struggling with a double dose of depression. First was the pain she felt after the deaths of her parents. Added to that was the severe postpartum depression that Elizabeth experienced after the birth of her second child. Terrified that she would physically harm the baby, and convinced that they would all be better off without her, she left home. Though it didn’t take her long to realize she’d made a mistake and turn around to go back, fate intervened. Elizabeth was involved in an accident that left her in a coma with extensive physical and mental injuries, including a loss of memory. It was several years before her memory began to return, and each memory added to the guilt she felt. She wants to go back, but worries about if it’s the right thing for her family.
Luke has never forgotten Elizabeth and grieved for her every day. He does his best with his kids, though he occasionally exhibits moments of frustration and guilt, such as when it comes to doing his daughter Cassie’s hair. He frequently blames himself for not seeing the depth of Elizabeth’s problems thanks to his preoccupation with getting his business up and running. He faces the rumors and innuendos stoically and keeps on living his life. When a friend with the FBI tracks down Elizabeth, Luke is furious that she’s been so close without letting anyone know. Now all he wants is to clear his name, get divorce papers signed, and try to move on with his life.
The first encounter between Luke and Elizabeth is an emotional roller coaster. She is stunned to find him at her door, demanding her immediate return to Haven Point. Even though she had planned to return soon, she feels unprepared to face everything now. Luke is so furious that he refuses to listen to Elizabeth’s attempts to explain, wanting only to get it over with. He does all he can to keep her at an emotional distance. Though Luke’s anger is understandable, I ached for Elizabeth when he refused to let her see the children.
It was satisfying to see Luke present Elizabeth to the DA and clear his name of her murder. I also liked seeing Luke’s shock as he listened to everything Elizabeth had been through. I loved how he lost his anger and became willing to let her back in their lives. It wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows, though. While Luke is ready to allow her to see and spend time with the kids, he is determined not to let her back into his heart. He was devastated when she left the first time and didn’t want to go through it again if he allows himself to love her again. Elizabeth never stopped loving Luke and the children, but she is still convinced that they are better off without her.
Because the people of the town need to know that Elizabeth is alive, she and Luke must make public appearances together. There are some very emotional (and sometimes funny) scenes as Elizabeth reconnects with her friends and neighbors. There are also some painful scenes when Elizabeth spends time with Cassie and Bridger. Though Bridger comes around pretty quickly, Elizabeth’s attempts to rebuild trust with Cassie do not go as smoothly. There are also some fantastic family scenes. I especially enjoyed the snowball fight and the promise it showed.
As Luke and Elizabeth spend time together, it becomes clear that their feelings for each other are still there. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other as they are now. Elizabeth has trouble believing that Luke could forgive her enough to allow her back in their lives. It wasn’t easy, but with honesty and love, both Luke and Elizabeth were able to see that they belonged together. I loved their big moment at the end as they were finally able to open their hearts fully again. The epilogue was terrific and honestly portrayed their progress and the challenges they still face.
What a wonderful read. The change in the family Dynamics was heart stopping at points. I had to keep reading just to be sure the book had a happily ever after. A myriad of events kept this story moving. Excellent plot.
Imagine being in such a dark place of postpartum depression that you choose to walk away from your family than dealing with the possibility of hurting them. Elizabeth Hamilton did just that and for seven years she has suffered. When she changed her mind and tried to come home, a horrific accident altered her course. Luke, Elizabeth’s husband, has suffered from what fate dealt the family. He has been called a murderer and now a new district attorney wants to prove that Luke murdered his wife and hid the body. Luke knows differently and has for a couple of months. Now it is time for Elizabeth to come home to prove that she is still alive. Proving to her two children and the town of Haven Point, the task will be daunting. During Christmas, can this family get their happily ever after? This is the first book I have read in this series and Ms. Thayne covers issues well so there is no issues following the storyline. A tissue was needed here and there. Awesome read!