Wishing For Christmas By: Caroline Stowe

 


"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.  The best is yet to come."  Zig Ziglar

Fans of Debbie Macomber, RaeAnne Thayne,  Annie Rains, and Jenny Halem make room for debut author Caroline Stowe.  Scrolling through social media the other day, I saw a post about this debut author, and of course I could not resist another Christmas romance.  I am so thankful I was able to get my paws on this delightful, tender, uplifting, cozy Christmas story.   Caroline Stowe takes readers on a magical Christmas journey in the New England town of Cranberry Pines.   There is romance (with cookie baking and sledding thrown in) along with friendships and family.  Readers will not be the same after reading Wishing For Christmas.  

How many times have we wished that we could skip through the hard times of life and be on the other side of a difficult time or situation?  I know I have.  Clara Jenkins certainly does when she learns that her boyfriend of just a few months is about to be deployed right before their first Christmas together.  At 30, Clara is tired of wasting time waiting for that happily ever after.  She feels like she wasted many years with her on again off again romance with her ex, who also happens to be her boss.  She is asked to shadow him for a year, before taking over as hotel manager.  She hears stories of her beloved Grams love story and how they fall in love at Christmas.  She is determined that this Christmas she will fall in love with new boyfriend Brent McNally.  Then he drops the bombshell that he will be deployed unexpectedly for a year.  Rushing to her grandmother for comfort, Clara sees a special ornament of her grandparents.  She hastily wishes to not have to experience the next year and be on the other side of Brent's deployment.

Unexpectedly, her wish comes true.  She soon comes to realize that this might not be a good thing.  While she has missed out on all the heartache and hard parts of the past year, she realizes all of the little things she has missed.  She realizes the time spent with people and the joys of building memories (big and little moments of life that we all take for granted).  She learns that you can not take life for granted, and that time with people is so worth it.  More importantly, she learns that part of one's love story is the journey and the memories that you make a long the way.  I was reminded so much of something someone said from Bible study the other night while reading this book,  "Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you about the destination."   She comes to realize that in life sometimes one needs to be patient, and wait for those good things ("Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength...Isaiah 40:31 kept popping into my head throughout reading Clara's story).   She also learns important pieces of her grandmother's story when she takes the time to search for answers.  

Will Clara get the chance to experience her own love story?  Go out and get your own copy of Wishing for Christmas at Barnes and Noble and Amazon (available on Kindle if you have Kindle).  Cuddle up by a Cozy fire (or in your favorite chair) with a nice cup of peppermint hot chocolate and whipped cream.  Journey through a Cranberry Pines Christmas and discover the joys of family and the season.  I challenge you all to cherish the memories and time with your family and friends this season.  I am reminded of a line from my favorite movie (Grown-ups) "In life the first act is always exciting.  The Second Act....that is where the depth comes in."    

Simba says that he enthusiastically gives this book 4 paws, and to not forget your fury animal companions this Christmas season.  Happy Reading!!

A special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

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