About the book:
Seven estranged cousins. One ambitious project. A hundred ways it could all go
very
wrong.
When Brooke’s beloved grandparents die unexpectedly, their final wish brings her scattered family back to Hope Creek, including Jeremiah, the boy she once loved—the same boy who abandoned them when the Chilton clan disintegrated years ago. Despite the long-held grudges and awkward secrets that kept them all apart, Brooke and Jeremiah convince the Chilton cousins to help honor their grandparents’ last to take the old church they saved from destruction and turn it into a bookshop that will serve their beloved community.
And to do it all before Christmas.
But repurposing the church building may be easier than healing the deep wounds that tore their family apart. Secrets, both old and new, threaten to destroy Brooke and Jeremiah’s hope that this project could be a new beginning for all of them. With the bookstore’s opening day fast approaching and everyone’s lives upended, each cousin must discover for themselves that the greatest inheritance their grandparents left behind wasn’t a building—it was the gift of forgiveness, the power of second chances, and the enduring hope of Christmas.
When Brooke’s beloved grandparents die unexpectedly, their final wish brings her scattered family back to Hope Creek, including Jeremiah, the boy she once loved—the same boy who abandoned them when the Chilton clan disintegrated years ago. Despite the long-held grudges and awkward secrets that kept them all apart, Brooke and Jeremiah convince the Chilton cousins to help honor their grandparents’ last to take the old church they saved from destruction and turn it into a bookshop that will serve their beloved community.
And to do it all before Christmas.
But repurposing the church building may be easier than healing the deep wounds that tore their family apart. Secrets, both old and new, threaten to destroy Brooke and Jeremiah’s hope that this project could be a new beginning for all of them. With the bookstore’s opening day fast approaching and everyone’s lives upended, each cousin must discover for themselves that the greatest inheritance their grandparents left behind wasn’t a building—it was the gift of forgiveness, the power of second chances, and the enduring hope of Christmas.
My review:
This was a heartwarming story about cousins who want to bring their family and community together. There had been enough drama in this family that the aunts and uncles had been estranged for years. The cousins felt that fulfilling their grandma's dream of opening a bookshop in their old church building could serve to bring everyone together. Brooke and Jeremiah grew closer as he renovated and she planned and they both wondered if they might not have a second chance after all. Madison had some hard decisions to make after some dumb choices messed with her plans. Delaney felt like she was losing her son as he didn't want to listen anymore and she wondered if he was ready to hear the truth about his birth. When a decison threatened the future of the bookshop, can they learn to forgive and move on? I loved the fun Christmas quotes at the beginning of each chapter and there was a good mix of themes from love to parenting to forgiveness to second chances. The story had a little more family and personal drama than I'm used to in a Christmas story but it was also a full-length novel instead of a novella so it had time to dive deeper into different issues. There were good faith conversations, especially about the true meaning of Christmas, and a little romance. I would recommend if you like a deeper Christmas story or stories with romance and family dynamics.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
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