The Gist:
Logan
O’Donnell is a young, divorced, dad who dreams of having a big family. Darcy
Fitzgerald has recently survived a heart-breaking divorce, and has vowed that
she never wants children. When
Logan and Darcy meet, sparks begin to fly, even though they seem completely
wrong for each other.
When Darcy
arrives to spend Christmas with Logan’s family at his newly renovated ski
resort, they must decide if they are willing to open themselves up to a love
that is nothing that they expected, but everything they need.
Susan Wiggs takes readers back to the beloved town of
Avalon, and up to the mountains to celebrate a family Christmas complete with
crackling fires, Santa traps, and a Christmas pickle in Candlelight Christmas.
What I thought:
YAY!!!
A new Lakeshore book! I am in heaven! This is my all-time favorite series. Each book is written as a stand-alone
novel that will touch your heart, with characters that seem like your
friends. I have never read a book
in this series that I have been disappointed in, and Candlelight Christmas is
no exception.
This novel tells the story of Logan, whom readers of
the series will remember as Daisy Bellamy’s ex. Watching this great dad let go of the safety net that was
his insurance company, and jump towards his dream of a ski lodge really made me
like him all the more. There is
something about reading about a person putting everything on the line and
working hard for their happiness that makes me feel like anything is possible.
At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like the
character of Darcy, I thought she was harsh and bitter, but she really did grow
on me. By the time I learned her
back-story, and read about her Thanksgiving with the O’Donnells in Florida (one
word- dolphins!), I could see why she was the person that was meant to be with
Logan.
Fast-forward to Christmas, the entire O’Donnell family
arrives in Avalon for a traditional snow-covered Christmas. Reading about their activities and
traditions put me completely in the spirit (yes, I know that it’s only October,
but I’m kind of a Christmas any time anywhere kind of girl). I could identify, as a parent, wanting
to maintain the magic of Christmas when children get to the age where doubts of
Santa creep in, and I thought that Miss Wiggs handled it beautifully. This book made me long for a trip to
the snowy mountains, with crackling fires, Christmas trees, and candlelight.
In writing this post, I kept finding myself using
the word “watched,” I’d erase it, and keep going, and then I’d use it
again. I believe that this is a
testament to Susan Wiggs. I did
not feel as though I was sitting in my living room reading about these people,
it felt as though I was part of the town, invited along for this special Christmas. I loved watching the children hatch their
plan to find out if Santa Clause is real, everyone gathered around the fire
with Logan’s famous hot cocoa (recipe included), candles lighting the house on
Christmas morning when the power was out, and Logan and Darcy’s love story from
beginning to end. This book was an
escape to a place of my dreams, where good people care about each other, and
become family. I highly recommend
this story to anyone looking for a heart-warming read, and a dose of Christmas
spirit.
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