A Wreath of Snow

By: Liz Curtis Higgs

 

 

 

 

It was Christmas Eve of 1894 and Margaret (Meg) Campbell was heading home to Edinburgh.  She planned on spending Christmas with her family in Stirling but the bitterness of her younger brother, Alan, was too much to bear.  Her brother was tangled in a web of unforgiveness and anger as he was involved in a terrible accident when he was younger.  He also struggled with feelings of inadequacy as he felt he could never quite measure up to his sister.  A conversation between him and Meg turned into an argument that was too much for Meg to bear.  As much as Meg wanted to spend Christmas with her family she decided it was best to catch the next train home.  During her travels she met a handsome man named Gordon.  Gordon has secrets that will soon come light.  How will Meg react to the news she is about to find out? 

This is the first book I have read by this author and I must say that I enjoyed it.  The book was well written and was not entirely predictable.  It was great reading this during the holidays.  I also enjoyed the Scottish Shortbread recipe at the back of the book, as well as, a Reader’s Guide.  This is truly a wonderful story about the power of forgiveness and how one can be free from the past.

 *I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest review.

Every Perfect Gift



By: Dorothy Love

 

 

Every Perfect Gift is the third and final book in the Hickory Ridge series.  This story takes place during 1886 in Hickory Ridge, Tennessee.  Sophie Caldwell returns to her hometown after years of living in Texas with her guardians, Wyatt and Ada.  Sophie has a true gift for writing and returns to Hickory Ridge to breathe life into the local newspaper, the Hickory Ridge Gazette.  When Sophie interviews Ethan Heyward regarding the building of the prestigious Blue Smoke resort she becomes smitten with him.  The feeling is mutual as Ethan cannot seem to get Sophie off of his mind.  As the story continues we learn that both Ethan and Sophie have secrets from their pasts that plagued them.  Both are unsure if these secrets will hinder their future together. 

This was the first book that I have read by Dorothy Love and I really enjoyed it.  Although it was the third book in the series, I believe it is a stand-alone read as I have not read the other two books.  However, the other two books may have helped me further in my understanding of some of the characters.  I would recommend there are many lessons learned.   This book illustrates how one person can change a person’s life in many different ways, both for the good and the bad.  Also, it shows that so often what we fear the most never comes past.  Finally, we learn that many times we pray for something that once received is not really what we want at all.  It may be worth noting that there is a short reading group guide at the end of the book for those who may be interested.

 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”