Falling Like Snowflakes – Denise Hunter – Thomas Nelson – Published 8 September 2015
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Synopsis
Riding in a bus in the thickly falling snow, Eden Davis wonders how it ever came to this—fleeing under cover of night with young Micah sleeping fitfully in the seat beside her. When a winter storm strands them in Summer Harbor, Maine, Eden wonders if what might have been the end could be a new beginning.
Beau Callahan is a habitual problem-solver. He’s recently left his job with the sheriff’s department to take over the family Christmas tree farm to save it from insolvency. But he’s flummoxed. During the busiest season of the year, he’s shorthanded. Then Eden shows up looking for work, and Beau believes he’s been rescued. Competent, smart, and beautiful, Eden’s also guarded and quiet. He soon figures out she comes with a boatload of secrets. But Beau can’t seem to help himself from falling for her.
As Christmas Eve approaches, Beau discovers he’ll do anything to keep Eden safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again?
My thoughts
And so begins a new series by the great Denise Hunter. I’ve loved all her books so far and Falling Like Snowflakes was no exception. Great romance, a heroine with a heartbreaking backstory who is slowly finding her feet, a ruggedly charming male lead, and all the snowy appeal of a new small-town setting.
Eden and her son are running for their lives. When their car breaks down in Summer Harbor it seems like nothing but bad timing and even worse luck, but it does result in them meeting the Callahans – three brothers and their much-loved but ornery Aunt Trudy. Beau Callahan is in need of someone to look after his aunt while she recovers from a fractured leg. Beau is busy managing the family’s Christmas tree farm, and Eden is in desperate need of a job and somewhere to stay. As Eden and her son are enveloped by the Callahan family they learn what safety feels like, but danger is following closely behind them.
The romance builds slowly in this book. Beau has a girlfriend for the first third of this book, so it’s not until about halfway through that the romance between Beau and Eden starts to develop. There is awareness, of course, but Beau is initially taken and Eden is set on never falling for another man as long as she lives. It’s also at the halfway point that we start to learn more about what Eden is running from. It’s a heartbreaking story and pretty dramatic. While there is plenty of suspense in this story, a lot of the crime-fighting details are glossed over so this book remains a romantic contemporary rather than a romantic suspense or crime-fighting mystery.
There are a few cameo appearances of familiar characters, both from Denise Hunter’s previous books and from Colleen Coble’s books, which will please fans. However, this book is the first in a new series and can be read as a standalone. I’m going to presume that the Summer Harbor series will continue the story of the two other Callahan brothers, Zac and Riley. No complaints here. Zac and Riley present great story potentials, one heartbroken after his fiancé jilted him and the other who has joined the marines to escape his unrequited love of his best friend. I love how Denise Hunter’s characters are complex and flawed and how, over the course of a series, the cast become like old friends. I can’t wait to read more of this enjoyable series.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
More information
Category: Fiction
Genre: Christian contemporary.
Themes: Romance. Family. Abuse. Suspense.
Published: 8 September 2015 by Thomas Nelson.
Format: Paperback, ebook, audiobook. 336 pages.
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