Sunday, December 28, 2014

The Christmas Promise

The Christmas Promise
Donna VanLiere

The Christmas Promise (Christmas Hope, #4)

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from the publisher): Each Christmas we are given a promise from heaven. And each year on earth we make promises to each other.

This is a story about how a promise from one person to another shows us the true meaning of faith, remembrance, and love.Seven years ago Gloria endured a family tragedy that almost shook her faith entirely. Each Christmas she places a card in an envelope on her tree, restating a promise she made to her husband before he died. Now, having moved from her small town and all the painful memories it held, she is building a life by caring for people in need. Whether it's a young mother who can't pay her electric bill or a family who needs some extra food, Gloria always finds a way. Miriam is a thorn in Gloria's side. Miriam is a constantly critical, disapproving neighbor who looks with suspicion at all the good things Gloria does. When a twist of fate makes them roommates instead of neighbors, it's the ultimate test of patience and faith.

Chaz has a good job as head of security at Wilson's Department Store, but each night he returns home to an empty apartment. He longs for a wife and family of his own but realizes that the life choices he's made have alienated him. He befriends a young boy whose mother has fallen on hard times, giving him a chance to have a life he thought impossible.In The Christmas Promise, the lives of these characters collide and we learn that even as we move ahead, the past is never far behind. And when we are forgiven much, we love much.

In this warmly humorous and deeply poignant story, we are reminded that the Christmas Promise is the promise of second chances.


Review:  This was a nice, quick, feel-good Christmas read.  The story touches a little on runaways, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, so it's not entire a light and fluffy story.  The main characters had enough flaws to make them interesting, and by the end, everyone had addressed their problems and found their happy ending. There were a few too many ancillary characters for such a short book, and I think a little more depth and length would have improved it.

Rating: 3 stars

No comments:

Post a Comment