One gourmet party. Four potential couples. The taste of love? For singer, Marta Field, her return home is bittersweet. Difficult as it is to put her mother into care and clear out her family home so it can go on the market, the hardest challenge is meeting up with Joe Marshall, the man she loved and left behind. Joe is older now and grounded in the soil of his home town, but Marta can see no … home town, but Marta can see no long-term future for herself in Rainbow Cove. Besides, she’s never forgiven Joe for giving up on their shared dreams. Will the magic of Christmas help these star-crossed lovers find their way back to each other?
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A sweetly thrilling, action packed second chance romance filled with engaging charters, witty dialog, heart racing twists and exciting passion…. was a great read. Really enjoyed this small town, returning home to heal romance!
Her Christmas Homecoming is part of a series revolving around members of the Marandowie, Australia community. In this book we meet Joe Marshall, a classically trained pianist, who is now the owner operator of Joe’s Gourmet Vegetables. He has worked years to overcome his father’s death and his overbearing mother, not to mention Marta Field, the love of his life. She has returned to Marandowie from Sydney, where she was educated and had worked since that day 10 years earlier when she left without Joe knowing she had tried to say goodbye. Her mother is suffering from dementia and she is home to organize the homestead in preparation to sell to support her mother’s care needs. Now, at Christmastime, her homecoming is most unexpected.
When Joe and Marta first encounter one another there is tension. But Joe,
channeling the words of his beloved father, decides to offer his help instead of harsh words. In doing so, he opens his heart to further heartache but his kindness could make his wishes come true.
This is a nicely written story, and something very different for those of us in the northern hemisphere to read a summertime Christmas tale. Although part of a series, this is definitely a stand alone. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it
This book has a very distinct Aussie feel. The language, at times, was a little hard to understand because I am not from Australia, but the story was good.
Joe had taken over the farm when his father passed away. He was estranged from his mother who was controlling and manipulative and had almost destroyed both Joe and his sister. He was happy with his life except for one thing; the only woman he had ever loved had left without telling him why. When he goes to his father’s gravesite one morning, he sees her at his father’s tombstone. What the heck was Marta doing here? Why would she be at his father’s grave?
Marta had left when Joe’s mother had threatened her family. Her mother was now in a care facility with advancing dementia and her brother, Ben, was in prison. She had come back home to clean out her childhood home and sell it so she could get back to her life in Sydney. She didn’t count on seeing Joe and having all those former feelings return.
This was a story about interesting family dynamics and how that shapes who you become. The sex scenes were behind closed doors and not descriptive but there was some foul language, including a few f-bombs thrown in to the story.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I willingly offer my honest review.
This was a nice warm holiday story with good characters & a good plot. Marta left her home town to pursue her career as a singer leaving behind her mother & Joe Marshall, the man she loved. Joe has stayed in their hometown running his family business. Marta has come home to put her mother into care, clean out the house & put it up for sale. The hardest part will be running into Joe. Can she handle it?
The hardest part of this story is the lack of resolution of the problems that pulled them apart. I really enjoyed the characters & their definition. The small town & close friends that pull together to help each other out are realistic & a great part of the story. I liked the way the story ended but there was just something missing for me to rate it higher. This was an enjoyable story to read.