A Family for Christmas
By Tara Taylor Quinn
Publisher: Harlequin / Superromance
Release Date: November 1, 2017
Reviewed by Janga
Dr. Simon Walsh, a top pediatric thoracic surgeon in Los Angeles,
suffered damage to an optic nerve in a vicious attack. His doctors have told
him that it will be six months to a year before the full extent of the damage
is clear. He chooses to leave LA and retreat to an isolated cabin in
Prospector, Nevada, while he waits to learn if his injury will mean the end of
his career. When he stumbles across the body of a badly beaten woman, he feels
compelled to help her, but she will accept his help only if he agrees not to
report her injuries.
The woman, who identifies herself only as Cara, is not certain she
wants to survive. Abused physically and emotionally by her husband for years,
she has endured out of love for her daughter. Now she believes her daughter is
dead, and life has lost its purpose. Slowly, under Simon’s care, Cara’s
physical wounds heal, and Simon’s gentleness and generosity begin the healing
process for her battered spirit as well. When news comes that Joy is alive,
Cara dares to hope for a new life.
Meanwhile, in Santa Raquel, Edward Mantle struggles to connect with seven-year-old
Joy, the traumatized granddaughter he has only recently met. At the same time,
he is monitoring the search for his estranged daughter Cara who is missing.
Authorities fear she has been killed by her husband Shawn Amos, who has been
charged with beating his sister to death. Edward finds strength in his
friendship with Lila McDaniels, managing director of The Lemonade Stand. Lila
yearns to help Edward, but she cannot allow her feelings for him to move beyond
friendship. She is convinced that an event in her past makes her unworthy of
love.
Christmas is a season for forgiveness, reconciliation, and miracles
wrought by love. Will it be the season that all these troubled souls find
wholeness and family again?
This story is closely connected to For Joy’s Sake, the book that immediately precedes it. Although A Family for Christmas can be read as a
standalone, readers whose hearts were wrenched by Joy’s plight in the earlier
book will be particularly interested in this one. It is a dark book filled with
deeply wounded characters. The darkness is somehow deeper because the wounds
were inflicted, some deliberately and some through misunderstanding, by those
who should have been sources of love and support. It is easy to feel liking and
sympathy for these characters, but some readers may find it a stretch to
believe that all their problems can be so simply resolved. Others will accept
that in a romance—and a Christmas romance, at that—the unbelievable can happen.
Sounds vg, will put it on my list.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound like an interesting book. But, I have ups and downs and right now would not be a good thing to read a book with darkness of this type. As always, thanks for a terrific review.
ReplyDeleteI'm indulging in happy stories now too.
DeleteI won't be reading it now but maybe later. I am staying on the bright and positive side.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of us are doing that, Pamela. :)
DeleteI hope it's not all dark. A Christmas book needs some light & happiness.
ReplyDelete