Book Review: The Christmas Blessing by Melody Carlson

Title: The Christmas Blessing
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell
Published: September 2017
Genre: Historical, Christmas Fiction

About the Book: (from the publisher’s Web site)

She’s determined to give her baby a better life. Could a Christmas miracle make it possible?

Not long after she receives the news in 1944 that her baby’s father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant’s paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don’t know that she–or their grandson–exists.

When Amelia discovers the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?

My Thoughts:

This novella makes a lovely Christmas time diversion, and it’s a perfect length for this busy time of year. Enough story and substance to draw you in and give a dose of Christmas cheer, without the length to prove too much distraction for too long. The characters and their dilemmas were interesting and well developed for a book of this length. I found I cared very much how the story would end for them, and was fully invested from cover to cover.

I appreciated, even reveled in, the joyful outcomes by the end of the book. But when I looked back on how the characters got there, I found that the storyteller in me was a bit disappointed. I would have liked to see Amelia and her in-laws working toward a better solution to their dilemma, rather than settling on a miserable outcome, and relying on a surprise twist that’s completely outside their control to fix everything. That said, I am glad the surprise twist was there. I know that might sound like a contradiction, but with everything she’s facing in this book, Amelia really needs her happy ending!

I borrowed this eBook from my local library via Hoopla. I was not expected to write a review, but wanted to share my thoughts.

Quick Links: About the Book | Author’s Site

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