The Christmas Note

It is a few weeks before Christmas when Gretchen moves into a new condo with her children Emma and Ethan in order to be closer to her mother.  Gretchen is content to unpack boxes and get settled into her new home and life.  However, an unexpected visitor shows up, forcing her to extend a helping hand to her new not-to-be-bothered neighbor, Melissa.
When Melissa's mother dies, Melissa sheds no tears.  The life she has had up to this point has been rocky at best and she blames her mother.  When Melissa and Gretchen go to the apartment to clean out all Melissa's mother's things, there is nothing there worth having, except for a couple of photos and the beginning of a note, only two short scribbled lines, to Melissa from her mother.  The note leads Melissa to find who she really is and  family she didn't know she had.
I love Christmas so stories about the season always warm my heart.  I loved both Gretchen and Melissa.  They both have imperfect lives and are dealing with difficulties life has thrown their way.  Both need to find peace within their circumstances.  Through these circumstances their lives become more and more intertwined.
While much of the story is easy to predict, the author, Donna VanLiere, places a good deal of twists and surprises that make you want to keep reading.  This story of Christmas miracles warmed my heart and is one I would recommend to just about anyone through the holidays.  If I understand correctly, this is the 9th in the series of Christmas stories by Ms. VanLiere but stands alone so do not be concerned if you have not read the other eight.  I hope to be able to find the others at my library.
I received this book from Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review.

Shadows on the Sand

Carrie Carter was a runaway teen, finding a “home” in Seaside, NJ with her sister Lindsey.  Running away from an abusive alcoholic mother and her many boyfriends, Carrie went to work for Mary P in a café in the coastal small town.  When Mary retired, Carrie realized her dream of running the café and life beginning to look up.  When one of her employees, Jase, goes missing and is discovered dead in the nearby bay, it appears the past is catching up with several of her closest friends.  Carrie also longs to be loved and has her eye on an ex-cop, Greg, but she is uncertain if he can let go of his past and be able to love again.  He barely seems to even notice her even though she serves him breakfast every day.

I loved the small coastal town that Gayle Roper set the story in.   Carrie and Greg were both very believable characters who I could sympathize with and understand.  Carrie was insecure and Greg had seen his wife and children needlessly killed several years prior and was still overcoming his own grief.  However, I do feel the author went too far with the overuse of social networking and the role it played in the town news and solving the mystery and the cult involvement of the café employees was not all that believable for me.  However, I did love the fact that Mrs. Roper dealt with some real world topics such as alcoholism, adultery, drug use, and forgiveness.  There were some unexpected surprises and twists, including who the real killer was, throughout the story that also added to my enjoyment.  If you are looking for a mystery title with a sweet love story thrown in for good measure, check out Gayle Roper’s latest book, Shadows on the Sand.