“[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
Luke Hamilton is going to jail unless he can prove he did not murder his missing wife. Ironically, he has recently found her. The good news is she is alive and well so he cannot be arrested. The bad news is the woman he has loved for years chose to leave him and her two young children behind seven years ago without a word. A private investigator confirmed that Elizabeth is alive and Luke was going to leave her alone until he realized he had to bring her home long enough to prove she is not dead and he is not a murderer.
Elizabeth understands, but is terrified. Many things have changed in her life since she walked out on her family. She has another life, but has secretly caught glimpses of her family during the last few years. She would love nothing more than spending time with her children, but understands Luke’s protectiveness because of the pain she has caused by leaving them.
Luke is determined to get the entire situation taken care of in a few days. Unfortunately, Christmas is just around the corner and the feelings that he has for his wife have never really changed. Yes, he is angry, but he loves her. It will take a Christmas miracle to bring this broken family back together after all they have been through.
Coming Home for Christmas is a heartwarming story of love and redemption. The holiday setting enhances the sense of magic in the air. The underlying mystery of where and why Elizabeth has been for the last seven years is woven throughout the pages until the reader finally gets the last pieces of the puzzle in the final chapters. The mystery of her disappearance adds another layer to an already interesting plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Thayne, who is a prolific romance writer. She has written several different romance series, including the Haven Point series, of which Coming Home for Christmas is #10. Even though I had not read the previous books in the series, I was never confused or lost. It works well as a stand-alone novel. I really enjoyed this Christmas romance with a bit of mystery. If you are a fan of Debbie Macomber, you will love this book and author.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Coming Home For Christmas, by ReaAnne Thayne, became available at booksellers in September of 2019. Home is book 10 in Ms Thayne’s Haven Point series. I was deeply moved by Luke & Elizabeth’s story. I read straight through from start to finish. While not perfect, Home is a compelling tale of love, lost and found. Tragedy and rebirth. It’s a perfect tale for Christmas time. Our couple have struggles, before & after reuniting. There are children involved so they tread lightly. I couldn’t put myself in either of the characters place but I had a connection, much sympathy, and was glad to reach their HEA.
#ReaAnneThayne #Netgalley #HavenPoint #ComingHomeForChristmas #HarlequinBooks #ContemparyRomance
RaeAnne Thane is one of those authors that makes you feel like you are part of the story and know the characters as well. When I see that she is the author of a book that I pick up to review by it’s cover notes, I will automatically buy it.
A very moving story of a young mother trying to protect her kids left. After realizing she had made a mistake a man said he would give her a ride. They ended in a ditch. He is dead and she had a severe brain injury. After sneaking back to see her kids Elizabeth.decides she is going to see her husband and tell him what happened. But was on her door step. He needed her to keep him out of jail. Very good story .
Great book.
Shrouded in mystery, spoken by heart. Coming Home for Christmas gives emotions a chance to breath while reminding hearts what it means to hope. From familiar strangers to second chance romance, Thayne crafts a beautiful tragedy looking for an ever evasive rainbow. Elizabeth and Luke are a heartache away from happily ever after. There will be tears, but out of pain grows hope.
A very emotional story. Not light reading. The tragic circumstances that encompass the Mom are devastating to her and her family. Raw emotions of guilt, love, hate, redemption are very prevalent. But it captivates the reader and I recommend the book.
I loved this book. The perfect combination of love, forgiveness and family!
Coming Home for Christmas by RaeAnne Thayer is a wonderful book about love and forgiveness This is part of a series by Ms Thayer called Haven Point. Although it might be good to read the other books, 1-9, I didn’t find that I needed to in order to enjoy this book.
Luke Hamilton has been raising his children following the mysterious disappearance of his wife. All the while, he is living under the suspicion of having killed his wife. However, after a long search, he seems to have found his long lost wife living her life without seeming to care about him or the children left behind. What follows is an untangling of events, forgiveness sought and given, and the triumph of love and family over all.
The book’s characters draw you into the world of traumatic brain injury and all that it entails and weaves a story of trials and tribulations that must be overcome. The story truly came to life in my imagination as I read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book
This is a sweet, clean romance that teaches the reader to be sensitive to the problems that others have, significantly depression and grieving. Elizabeth Holt disappeared seven years ago and not that Luke has found her, he brings her back to Haven Point to face her past and their past together. After all, they have two small children that Luke has been raising alone. He did not have any clue that Elizabeth had lost her memory for many years and was still struggling with the after-effects of an horrific car accident. Their story is told with empathy and compassion, set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and when Christmas is coming, that magical time of the year when anything is possible. This is book number ten in a series, but I had not read any of the other books previously, and I was very enmeshed in the story from the beginning, with no difficulty understanding the plot or the characters. I really enjoyed this tale of forgiveness, second chances and redemption. It is the perfect Christmas read! Fans of romance and Christmas stories will love this book!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Elizabeth has always had some form of depression. But, add postpartum depression on top of the recent death of her parents and it is just too much to bear. She leaves her family one night to protect them from herself and ends up disappearing for seven years. Due to a head injury from a car accident, Elizabeth lost her memory. When her memory finally returned, she was too afraid to go back.
Luke is determined to clear his name. He has been accused of Elizabeth’s death. Even though no body has been found, the district attorney is resolute in her decision that Luke killed his wife the night she left. Luke has secretly known for a while where his estranged wife is living. Luke has a lot of animosity toward Elizabeth so, he has no desire to allow her back into their lives. But…to clear his name…he shows up at her door.
This is a very unique Christmas romance story. Even though you can guess the outcome. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding what happened the night Elizabeth left. And how did Luke actually find her? And it’s not all romance and roses when she shows back up in her family’s life. Oh no…it’s tough on everyone.
Need an uncommon Christmas story with a familiar outcome. This one is for you. This is about overcoming past hurts to become a family again! I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
What a great Christmas story! I absolutely loved every part of it!!
Luke Hamilton’s had enough. Seven years after his wife disappeared, he finds out that the new district attorney is planning on having him arrested in connection with her disappearance. He’s had to raise their two children by himself after she disappeared, and had to deal with certain residents of his hometown gossiping both behind his back and in front of him and his children. The entire small family has had to deal with people saying he killed his wife. He never knew what happened to her, he woke up one winter morning and she was gone. But now, now he finds out that his wife is not only alive, but she’s also visited their hometown. He’s actually seen her at different school events and around town. He just didn’t recognize her. Truth be told, no one did.
Elizabeth Hamilton had suffered from post partum depression and grief after the death of her parents. She couldn’t deal with all the emotions, the children, her husband and one night she snapped. She walked out of the house and just kept on. She was picked up by a kind man, but just a little while later they were in a horrific car accident. The driver died immediately, and Elizabeth almost did. When she awoke in that hospital bed, she had no memory of who she was. Family of the man thought she was his wife, and she accepted that. Years of surgeries to reconstruct her broken body and face, and much physical therapy later, she knows who she is, but also realizes that she’ll never be the Elizabeth she was when she walked away. On top of her physical limitations, she has seizures and a brain injury, not to mention the reconstruction surgeries on her face has changed the way she looks. Not wanting to add burden to her family, she thought it was better to stay away.
Until the night her very angry husband shows up at her door and tells her he’s about to be arrested for her disappearance. Grabbing her bag, she leaves with him to put a stop to all the nonsense.
A truly wonderful second chance novel filled with damaged characters, Ms. Thayne has created a truly compelling story. I became fully invested in the Hamilton family and hoped that they could get past their past and come back together. The author didn’t sugar coat, nor did she overdramatize post partum depression and what a woman goes through that suffers from it. I couldn’t stop reading and had tears in my eyes at different parts. This story radiates hope and love and is a perfect tale of second chance love. I didn’t even realize that the story is a part of a series, it can definitely be read as a stand a lone without issue.
**I received an ARC of this story from Netgalley and Harlequin and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I wasn’t sure about this one at first. I definitely wasn’t sure about Elizabeth, and it all felt a little depressing for a holiday romance. Nevertheless, the author pulled me in with the rich characters. Reservations or not, I wanted to know the answers, I wanted to understand why things happened the way they did and what would happen between Luke and Elizabeth. I won’t go into details because almost anything more than what I’ve said will give spoilers, so I’ll just say that it may not have started out with a holiday feel, but this one will certainly warm your heart as things play out. The characters are well-drawn and each one adds something to the charming town of Haven Point. It’s impossible not to love Luke with his big heart and generous nature, and it was heartwarming to see that rub off on others throughout the story. Coming Home for Christmas is part of the Haven Point series, but it easily stands on its own, and now that I’ve read about these wonderful characters, I will be adding the earlier books to my to be read pile.
COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (The Women of Brambleberry House #5, Haven Point #10) by RaeAnne Thayne is her new Christmas contemporary romance set in the town of Haven Point Idaho. Even with the tie in to the two series, this book can be read as a standalone. There is character crossover, but the focus is on the second chance romance of the hero and heroine.
For seven years Luke has been a single father to his two young children. One night his wife was gone from their home and he has never known what happened to her. Because of her depression due to the accidental death of her parents and the severe postpartum depression she had after the birth of both of their children Luke has always fear she committed suicide, but some of the people in town believe he is responsible and foul play is involved. He has moved on for the sake of his children, but he is in an emotional as well as a legal limbo.
Elizabeth has been living in a nearby town under a different name. Seven years ago, she was trapped in a depression so deep she felt her family would be better off without her. When she realized running was not the answer, she was involved in a terrible accident which stole her memories and left her with a severe brain injury among many other physical difficulties. When she recovered as much as would ever be possible, she has been secretly visiting her family, but still believes with all of her problems, they are still better off without her.
Luke has found her and come to take her back to Haven Point to clear his name before the holidays.
When Luke discovers the full story of Elizabeth’s missing years, he begins to have feelings once again for this woman who survived so much. Elizabeth wants to reunite with her children more than anything, but she is afraid to hope that Luke will ever be able to forgive her. It is Christmas, the season for new beginnings, love and forgiveness.
I loved this book and it is my favorite Christmas book this season. This is one of those books that you just fall into the story and you never want to leave. It is very emotional and yes, you will need the tissues throughout, but you will never forget Luke and Elizabeth and their story. The children are an important part of the story and add a whole other layer of feels. This book gives you a huge dose of romance with no sex, just understanding, forgiveness and love. RaeAnne Thayne is an author I look for now when searching for a heartfelt romance that can take me on an emotional and rocky journey, but then fills my heart with love and happiness by the HEA.
I highly recommend this Christmas contemporary romance!
Great book
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
With Elizabeth dealing with depression, she felt she had to leave to protect her family, but in the mist if that, she suffers memory loss because if an accident. Being home with their son and daughter, Luke is angry that his wife just up and left, leaving him to care for their kids.
I enjoyed this story, though I felt there was a lot of repeating information the first half of the story, which got to be a little annoying at times. I reallt liked the characters, but Cassie could be a brat when she wanted to be. The story was a sad one, because of the issues Elizabeth had to go through that kept her away from her family. If only she or Luke would have thought to get her some help.
RaeAnne Thayne does a really nice job explaining depression as well as memory loss. This is two very difficult issues to deal with, and I think the excellent writing of this author smoothed out the issues in a way everyone can understand. I loved the Brambleberry House, though I’ve not read any of that series, I’m glad I was able to get a glimpse of what it was like staying there. There is so much more to this story, so much I want to tell but you need to read it for yourself. This is a nice, clean Christmas read, and I hope you will check it out and see for yourself how enjoyable it is.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
“Coming Home for Christmas” by RaeAnne Thayne takes us back to Haven Point.
We met Luke Hamilton in previous books and knew his wife, Elizabeth, had disappeared.
In this story, we find out what happened to Elizabeth and the trauma she has been through for the past seven years. We watch as Luke’s feelings change from anger and hurt to sympathy and caring. We watch as these two reclaim the love they had when they first married and also watch as a family is healed.
Ms. Thayne writes a story that is both heart-wrenching and poignant. At times it was hard to read (in a good way) because of all the emotion on the page. Having read all the Haven Point books, “Coming Home for Christmas” has moved to the top of the list as my favorite.
A real page turner. I could Not put it down.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s been waiting for this story since reading The Cottages on Silver Beach, book #8 in this series. The story of Luke and his missing wife is intriguing, especially once the reader is let in on the fact that she’s actually still alive.
I’m also pretty confident that I’m not the only reader of this series that couldn’t fathom how Elizabeth would be redeemed. A mom of two disappears with no word as to where she has gone or if she’s even alive and I’m supposed to end up sympathizing with her? Well, I did. At least for the most part. Elizabeth’s story is tragic and, as she even admits, unbelievable.
Luke and Elizabeth have a sweet and tentative chemistry that I found perfect for the Christmas setting in this story. While Luke wasn’t sure if he could truly trust his feelings, Elizabeth didn’t feel she deserved any sort of forgiveness or sympathy. This, of course, made it more difficult than it had to be for the two of them to admit their feelings.
The progression of the children’s feelings toward their estranged mother was done very well. Of course things weren’t going to be smooth and easy. Elizabeth had abandoned Cassie and Bridger, no matter her reasons. While an adult can better understand the nuances of what happened 7 years ago when Elizabeth left, children cannot be expected to emotionally understand those reasons.
This story is the perfect Christmas romance. Redemption, second chances, love, family, and even something resembling a miracle when it comes to Elizabeth being found.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
RaeAnne’s stories always grab my heart, and get a special spot on my keeper shelf. You don’t want to miss this one.