Hope at Christmas

Excellent story about an almost divorced mom trying to find a new life plan for her and her daughter. I would consider this book a bit more like Women’s fiction rather than a romance since there is much more to this book than just focusing on the romance aspect.

I enjoyed this wholesome uplifting story.

I loved this book.

Hope at Christmas by Nancy Naigle

If you are looking for a sweet clean holiday romance between two single parents that takes place in a small southern town AND feels like a Hallmark movie then this might be just the book for you.

Sydney Ragsdale takes her ten year old daughter RayAnne to live in the home her grandparents willed to her when they died. It is an old farmhouse in a small town and a place for to get back on her feet while her soon-to-be-ex-husband stays in Atlanta with more money to spend than she has and lives with his new amour. Sydney has a job lined up in town but while visiting her old haunt, The Book Bea, she is offered a part-time holiday job that feels oh so right for both her and the proprietor of the bookshop.

Kevin “Mac” MacAlee was abandoned by his wife with his young son, Seth, years ago. He is a baseball coach and history teacher at the local high school but also plays a great Santa every year in the Christmas Village the town is well known for. He is a nice guy who cares for family, traditions and shows intrest in Sydney.

Of course Sydney and Kevin meet and there is a spark but with the ink not yet on the divorce decree, holidays coming up, antics of children and an ex-husband to deal with and many Christmas events to participate in the spark never really turns into a blaze but instead stays on a low simmer for most of the book. In the end there is a HFN ending that works for everyone – except the ex-husband.

I really liked the community, the caroling idea, the tree trimming, the Christmas snowflake fortune cookies and…a lot more. There is some drama but all in all things come out right and bright for a happy holidays story that will warm your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Griffin for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

After learning that her husband hasn’t been faithful to her or their marriage, Sydney Ragsdale files for divorce and packs her and her daughters things and heads for her grandparents home in Hopewell, North Carolina hoping for a new start. Once she is there she realizes that restarting her life is going to be tougher than she thought, than she wanders into The Book Bea, and it brings her a sense of peace she hasn’t felt in a long while, there she finds the friendship and support she needs and a whole lot more! When she meets fellow single parent Kevin MacAlee she soon finds that they have a lot in common, and while it’s comforting to share a bond with someone who has gone through a lot of the same things that she is, it’s also really scary to experience feelings for someone else so soon after having her heart broken and her life uprooted. Now she must decide if these feelings are worth exploring or not, and if she can find it in herself to trust another man… or if she should walk away.

Kevin MacAlee wasn’t isn’t the market for love, but love found him the moment that Sydney walked into his life, she is a breath of fresh air and makes him feel things he hasn’t in a while. and he wants to grasp what they have with both hands. But Sydney is going through a lot right now, and her wounds are still fresh, and a relationship isn’t really on her radar right now, so he promises to wait until she is ready. Then tragedy strikes their little town and turns both their lives upside down, and now a future with her is completely up in the air…

Hope at Christmas is a touching holiday tale that is sure to have readers hearts rejoicing! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Hopewell, there I found a beautiful story centered around two wounded souls in great need of healing, and a town full of people who were determined to help them find just that. Their story is rich with emotion, inspiration, and unwavering spirit, and one that should not be missed, it will surely leave you moved!! This was my first read from this author and I have to say she completely won me over with this one, her uplifting story made my heart happy!! Highly recommend this one, it’s a holiday story that should not be missed!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

Hope at Christmas is a book you can sit down with a cup of tea, put your feet up and relax all day with. It’s a heartwarming story about family, divorce issues, love and finding out what’s most important in life and what your passions are. The reader will enjoy this Christmas story, and I highly recommend it.

I won this from Goodreads Giveaways. I was not required to give a favorable review. This is a beautiful story of starting over after divorce and find your way in the world for both you and your daughter. Sydney has moved back to Hopewell, NC after a divorce of her husband of 13 years and had to pull her daughter out of school, which didn’t sit to well with her. Her grandparents left her their home, so they moved there and found a job she would start at the beginning of the year. He goes into one of her favorite places when she was a child the bookstore. Little did she know that she had found her calling. Mac’s wife left him and his son when his son was a baby and his a teacher at the H.S. and a part-time Santa, which not many people know. Little did they know what a little town would do to bring happiness to a young girl, and to her mother. I love this story, once I started reading it I couldn’t put the book down.

I really enjoyed this sweet, heartwarming Christmas story. Sydney and her daughter Rayanne have come to Hopewell for a fresh start. The house her grandparents left to her is the only thing that was completely hers, and the happy memories of her visits to Hopewell made the decision a fairly simple one for her. It isn’t so easy for Rayanne, who misses her father, her friends, and the life she had before. Sydney has a new job waiting for her after the start of the new year, and in the meantime is relearning her way around town. One of the first places she stops is the local bookstore, The Book Bea, which had been one of her favorite places as a child. I loved seeing Sydney reconnect with Miss Bea, the store owner, and she soon found herself with a part-time job helping Bea with the store.

I really liked Sydney. She is strong, resilient, and has a big heart. The divorce had come as a total surprise to her. She had been unaware of her husband’s infidelity and was stunned to find out that it was common knowledge among their friends. It wasn’t until she was away from him that she realized how controlling, selfish, and demeaning he had been. Staying in Atlanta left both her and Rayanne vulnerable to his manipulative ways, so she took the best option she had. The problems she had with Rayanne’s attitude were realistic for the circumstances, as were Rayanne’s complaints. I loved the sense of peace that Sydney had the moment she walked into the bookstore. It was easy to see that she and Bea were kindred spirits, and that connection played a huge part in turning Sydney’s life around. Bea’s eternal optimism about love and romance frequently exasperated Sydney since she had no intention of letting another man into her life. That is until she met Mac.

Mac is the high school history teacher and baseball coach, and also a single parent. His wife had deserted him and their son ten years earlier, leaving Mac to raise Seth on his own. I liked the one scene of Mac in his classroom which showed his love for what he does and his enjoyment of his students. Mac also has a closely held secret – he is the town’s Santa Claus. I loved seeing how happy Mac was when he played Santa. His ability to connect with each child was amazing. I loved his close relationship with Seth. It was obvious how much they loved each other. The only conflict between them was because of Seth’s dislike of Christmas, thanks to his mom’s abandonment of them on Christmas Eve. Mac is happy with his life as it is and has successfully avoided the town’s matchmakers.

I loved the development of the relationship between Mac and Sydney. Their first meeting at the bookstore produced a few sparks, igniting an unexpected interest in each other. This freaks Sydney out a bit, so she tries to squash the sparks. Mac is a little bit more open to the idea, but he knows how Sydney feels having been through it himself. I liked his suggestion that they just be two parents who are friends as he shows her the ins and outs of Hopewell. I liked the growth of that friendship and seeing them enjoy themselves with their kids. It quickly becomes clear that Mac’s feelings are more than friendly, but he’s also careful not to push too hard or too fast. I especially enjoyed seeing him help Sydney open up to the joys of small-town life. Stronger feelings creep up on Sydney, and she panics a bit over whether she can trust those feelings. In the midst of all of this are some issues that crop up with Sydney’s ex and their daughter. An especially bad confrontation results in nearly tragic consequences for Rayanne. I loved Mac’s understanding when Sydney blamed him, and his support of her when she needed it most. Their big moment at the end was sweet and romantic.

I really liked both Rayanne and Seth, though it took a little bit for Rayanne to grow on me. She was so whiny and rude at the beginning that I just wanted to shake her. But it didn’t take long for the magic of Hopewell to make a difference. She turned out to be a sweet and thoughtful girl, though not perfect by any means. I loved how quickly she became friends with Seth, and it was fun to see how much alike they were. She is also as clever and creative as her mom. She came up with some terrific ideas for the bookstore, and her enthusiasm was adorable. I also liked her close relationship with her mother, where when she’d been a pill she owned up to it and apologized. Seth was a terrific boy and I could see so much of Mac in him. He’s thoughtful and kind, as shown by his sympathy for Hayley and his desire to help Rayanne. I loved the scene where he snuck out to see Santa, not knowing that Mac is Santa. I ached for him and his fear for Rayanne and was totally impressed with his presence of mind during that terrifying event.

I think that even more than Mac and Sydney, my favorite character was Bea. She immediately senses that Sydney is searching for something and knows just what to do. I adored all of her little nudges to get Sydney and Mac together. She seemed to have the perfect nugget of wisdom or experience for any occasion. I loved her little stories of life with her husband and how she used them to open Sydney’s eyes to the possibilities. I also enjoyed the way that she got Sydney so deeply involved in the bookstore, and her obvious enjoyment of all of Sydney’s ideas. I could see what it all was building toward, so I was not at all surprised by what happened at the end.

The villain of the story was Sydney’s ex. I detested him from the very beginning, with his choice to tell Sydney about wanting a divorce on Valentine’s Day of all things. Hearing about all his put-downs of Sydney made me mad. His use of expensive gifts and trips to try to manipulate Rayanne was awful. Even worse was the way he kept bailing out on his commitments to her. I was a little disappointed that it took Sydney so long to let him have it, but she came through at the end. I think he deserved everything he got.

Full review appeared on Reader’s Edyn on 10/19/17

Sydney Ragsdale is at the end of a very unexpected divorce. She had thought she had a good life, but was blind-sided when her husband up and left her for a younger woman. Worse still, all of her friends knew and it had been going on for a couple of years behind her back. She had been that strong woman behind the successful man and for what? Dealing with hurt, anger, resentment … all of the emotions that go along with loss, she moves herself and daughter to the small town of Hopewell where her grandparents had left her a house. Memories of childhood flood her thoughts and a connection with an old acquaintance helps her come to terms with her new circumstances. Opportunities arise in several places and before too long, Hopewell is looking more permanent than a temporary stop to get her life back in control. She still has a couple of run ins with her ex, but the most unexpected romance begins to blossom with an all-around-good-guy. Fresh out of this divorce and still smarting from the hurt has understandably given her trust issues. Problem is, trust is everything and she’s not sure she can put her or her daughter through it again.

Kevin (Mac) MacAlee is almost too good to be true. Almost. There are a few perfect guys out there, right? He’s been a single Dad since his young wife took off and left him and their son around Christmas years ago. He and Seth have a good groove and have moved on – mostly. Seth is still not much in to Christmas since is brings back memories of their old life. Seth and Sydney’s daughter, RayAnne, hit it off and before too long their parents are hanging out frequently so the kids can be together. Mac sees something in Sydney that he wants to explore further and spending time together has only increased his longing. But he also knows he has to tread carefully or risk never getting the chance he wants. After progressing a bit, an accident puts their fragile relationship to the test, but most especially Sydney’s trust. Mac is the only one who can convince her that the risk is worth fighting for.

This is a really sweet contemporary romance novel. A few kissing scenes and nothing else, those who enjoy tame romance have definitely come to the right place. I’m not sure you could classify this book as inspirational, but there are a few scenes with prayer peppered throughout, so possibly. This book was actually quite refreshing as a break from the more explicit romances I have been reading lately. Sometimes you just need something romantic and uplifting. There is a bit of sad within the story, but the hope that surrounds everyone within the town battles back every time. I guess you really can go back home. Probably my only complaint is the slow moving progress between Mac and Sydney. The first half is geared towards getting to know everyone and the second half, they finally “meet” and go from there. However, I felt that the story was pretty realistic had it been actually occurring. Everyone doesn’t just hop in to bed as soon as they meet and, having completed this book, I am glad they did not. Such an action would not have fit these characters. I love the holiday spirit in the town and their caroling tradition. I could see myself participating in such an event. All in all, Hopewell is the kind of place people would want to visit – a place for magic – a place with the cutest little book shop that any reader would love to encounter. If you are looking for a story full of Christmas cheer and hope; not to mention overcoming circumstances beyond ones control, you will not be disappointed. Throw in a sweet little romance – fuzzy socks, a fire, and coffee required – and you will be set to enjoy this holiday season.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review.