The Gist:
Returning home for Christmas, Grace is full of
trepidation. She left her
small-town home in Briar Creek five years ago to pursue her dream of being a
writer, and stayed away to avoid the man that she left behind. This Christmas is her family’s first
without her dad, and, as long as she can avoid Luke Hastings, she is excited to
revisit her dad’s bookstore and spend a picture perfect Christmas with her mom
and sisters.
Of course fate has other plans for her. The show home that her mom always
creates for the holidays is bare, her sisters are each battling their own
demons, the bookstore that always meant so much to her is closed, and soon to
be gone, and Luke seems be there every time she turns around.
Since her latest book was met with unfavorable reviews,
and she had ended her comfortable relationship with her fiancé in New York,
Grace decides that it is up to her to restore the bookstore, and help her
family get back into the spirit of Christmas. As the snow falls and the town glistens with the lights of
the season, it might just be possible for Grace to discover where she was
always meant to be, and who was always meant to be hers.
What I Thought:
As an avid reader
of books, who favors Christmas storylines, it seems to take a lot to impress me
these days. A Christmas romance
needs to not only tell a great story, but also leave a reader with that beautiful
hot-cocoa-in-front-of-the-fire warmth and a quiet smile as the book is
closed. This story does just that!
This was my first
opportunity to read an Olivia Miles story, and I was thoroughly impressed. Miss Miles was able to combine the
magic of Christmas, the comfort of a small town, and the electricity of two
people fighting the fact that they are truly meant to be. I honestly loved every aspect of this
story from the characters, to the setting, to the themes, but my favorite part
was how the author chose to tell the story.
Miss Miles does
not give readers the whole story in order. She leaves gaps in the pasts of the characters, but expertly
answers all questions in the most smooth and satisfying way. I cannot remember the last time I read
a novel in which every question that I wondered throughout reading was tied up
in such a pretty bow by the end of the experience.
If you are
looking for the perfect holiday read, that will put you right in the Christmas
spirit, pick up Mistletoe on Main Street. I personally cannot wait for the next installment of the
series to learn more about the Madison and Hastings families!
