Deck the Halls by Donna Alward Series: Darling VT #3.5
Published by Swerve
Publication Date: October 3rd 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 128
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
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Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
With shades of It’s a Wonderful Life, one man must face his past to find his future this Christmas.
In the last year, George’s life has drastically changed. The formerly homeless veteran now has a job he likes, a family in the residents of Darling, VT, and for the first time in years, a home. But while his present is good, he’s still haunted by the past, a past that appears shortly before Christmas when the older sister of his brother-in-arms hunts him down and finds him in Darling, working at the Ladybug Garden Center.
Amy’s looking for closure for her family after her brother’s death in the Middle East, but the serious man she finds working in Vermont doesn’t resemble the soldier she remembers from years before. This man is hardened and yet somehow fragile, too, and in her desire to find out what really happened to her brother, she learns more about George than she ever expected.
With a little Christmas magic and the whole town supporting them, can these two bruised hearts make a future together?
Review
George’s story in the first book in this series was one of the more enjoyable parts of the series for me and I’m glad he got his own book. This story is quick and short but the message is very powerful and moving; it really captures the essence of Christmas as a season for new beginnings and will leave you in a reflective mood.
George Reilly returned from war a broken man who had lost everything, weighed down the horrors he witnessed and the guilt that he came back alive when many of his friends did not. After years of aimless drifting, he found a part of himself with help from the Gallaghers. Now with a job and a roof over his head, it’s time to face his past, even if not by his own choice.
Amy Merck has mourned her brother for the last fifteen years, but losing him also cost her one of her close friends and now that she has found him, she is determined to get the answers that have eluded her for so long.
For George, reliving his past could destroy all the progress he’s made and set him back by a lot, but it’s also the only way he can move on. While Amy understands this, she also needs closure and is willing to give him all the time he needs.
This story is a tear-jerker and will have you rooting for George and Amy to finally find healing for the wounds that have been bleeding for so long even as they find love along with the healing and closure they need. My only complaint is that the story was not long enough to do justice to the emotional depths it plumbed.
About Donna Alward
While bestselling author Donna Alward was busy studying Austen, Eliot and Shakespeare, she was also losing herself in the breathtaking stories created by romance novelists like LaVyrle Spencer, Judith McNaught, and Nora Roberts. Several years after completing her degree she decided to write a romance of her own and it was true love!
Five years and ten manuscripts later she sold her first book and launched a new career. While her heartwarming stories of love, hope, and homecoming have been translated into several languages, hit bestseller lists and won awards, her very favorite thing is when she hears from happy readers!
Donna lives on Canada’s east coast with her family which includes a husband, a couple of kids, a senior dog and two crazy cats. When she’s not writing she enjoys reading (of course!), knitting, gardening, cooking…and is a Masterpiece Theater addict.
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