Reviewer: Lori Graham
Title: With Christmas in his Heart
Author: Gail Gaymer Martin
Publisher: Steeple Hill
ISBN: 0-373-87405-7
Release Date: November 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Love Inspired - Contemporary Inspirational Romance
Year/Setting: Current/Mackinac Island
Overall Rating: 4.75
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity) Rating: None
Violent Content Rating: None
Gail's Website: www.gailmartin.com
Christine Powers is a busy woman in the world of advertising and rubs elbows with all the executives. Her life is her work and beyond that things are pretty quiet. However, since she spends most of her hours at work and is coming up through the ranks, that is okay by her. Until the day, her parents call with a family dilemma. Her very dear grandmother has had a stroke and needs some in home care. They would go and be with her but they have a cruise that they have had scheduled for quite some time. Couldn’t Christine go and just cover for them for a couple of days? How can a good daughter and granddaughter say no to such a request?
She takes her cell phone and laptop and heads to Mackinac Island to help her grandmother. The island is just as she remembers it from her childhood visits – beautiful and peaceful. In fact, she is picked up by a horse drawn carriage because horses, bikes and snowmobiles are the modes of transportation on the island. While she loves the quiet, Christine quickly discovers that working from the island doesn’t work. Since these are her vacation days she takes advantage of the time to spend with her grandmother. Spending time with her grandmother’s boarder, Will, isn’t a bad idea either.
Will had chosen to live on the island and is an artist with stained glass. He has a shop on main street and does some of the most magnificent pieces she has ever seen. He is content to live on the island with the visitors to see too and minimal interference with the "outside" world. What intrigues her most, however, is the depth of faith Will shares with everyone. He truly lives the good works portion of the body as evidenced by his care for her grandmother - - in fact if not for him her grandmother wouldn’t be alive today.
Christine is drawn to the peace and the serenity Will displays but when push comes to shove can she make the hard choices of what is best for her?
What a beautiful story created around one of my favorite seasons. Christmas is a holiday celebrating renewal and With Christmas in his Heart is a renewal of Christine’s faith in herself, God and even the world around her. She has been hurt in the past and trust isn’t something that comes easily to her. The dynamics between Will and Christine are sweet and display a level of friendly passion. That might sound like it is a strange word combination but the intensity of their growing friendship is a great illustration of the start of a relationship.
Very touching and uplifting. Perfect book to get you in the holiday spirit!
Lori
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