Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley
Description: Elizabeth Hamilton has been lost. Trapped in a tangle of postpartum depression and grief after the death of her beloved parents, 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 and 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?
Genre: Romance - Contemporary
Why I Picked This Book: I love this author and this particularly story is one I've been waiting for!
My Impression: Ever since Megan's book several books ago I was dying for Luke's story and Thayne did NOT disappoint. I really didn't know how this romance could be saved. How do you recover from this much damage over this amount of time? But Thayne pulled it off. Elizabeth is different from any character I've come across in a romance. She's had a horrible time of it and while she hasn't always made the best choices (she's actually made really really bad choices) all of them were for what she thought were the right reasons. And poor Luke. He's such a nice man. A man desperate not to become his father and be the best father that he can be. While he comes off as a bit cold at times I completely understand his reasoning and it was impossible not to sympathize with him.
I was pulled into the story right from the start and stayed up way to late reading the first half and couldn't wait to dive back in to see how everything resolved. It was sweet and heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once. The author has a gift for tackling serious issues without trivializing them but without going to angsty either. I loved the story, the characters and just watching the story unfold. This was a lovely story and one of my favorite Christmas stories from Thayne in awhile. While this is the 10th book in the Haven Point it is easily read as a standalone though reading Megan's story (The Cottages on Silver Beach) would provide some background that might help.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! Thayne is a favorite.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy a contemporary romance with lots of heart Thayne is not to be missed.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
This sounds wonderful, Katherine! I really need to make a point to read Thayne. Luke sounds like a wonderful character. Glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteYes I agree she did this one very well and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as well.
ReplyDeleteI like the cover as well.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is beautiful and I am glad you posted a Christmas book! I have one from Netgalley and wondered if it's too early to post about it. This heat here, and humidity, is driving me mad. Love reading about cooler places!
ReplyDeleteThank you for recommending Megan's book and that it could be helpful to read it first. I haven't yet, and I really want to read this one. I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Katherine. I really like how real RaeAnne Thayne writes her characters.
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