4.5* Although this is a Christmas romance and has a really sweet cover,it does deal with some big issues - bullying, sexual assault, infertility and agoraphobia. It also has forgiveness. I really enjoyed it and of course being a romance it had a happy ending. ( )

Laurel is a strong woman, in more ways than one. From the moment we meet her and her niece on a darkened road, stopping to help two people they thought were strangers, and yet turn out to be something much more difficult, i.e. a blast from the best forgotten past, you just know, she's the type of person to grin and bare it. She's had experience doing that, unfortunately brought on by something that should never happen to anyone, and she took what she needed from the lesson as she sought out her new life. Coming home to her small hometown wasn't for herself, but to help her family, yet in the end, she'll find love in places she wasn't even looking, the chance to let go of long held anger, and maybe even grant the ultimate Christmas wish...forgiveness. I can't blame her if she decides everything just simply isn't worth it, but the pull of family, the pull of love can be hard to resist. Only time will tell if what she's made of is stronger than a past she'd like to forget, and if the people in her life now can help her pull through the darkness once and for all.

Honestly, I enjoyed the main storyline, and seeing the characters grow spiritually, emotionally, and physically closer, but the situation that happened then played such a vital role in all things occurring now, and with the constant reminders thanks to small town residencies, it colored my overall experience. It was less rose colored glasses for me, and more cracked lenses. I appreciated it being dealt with openly, and the realistic portrayal of how impacting things done in stupidity, and jealously can be, but I guess I was anticipating something different story wise when I first started, so it didn't sit quite as well. I think that knowing a bit more going into it might have had me in the right mindset, but nevertheless...I can't say it wasn't good, because it was...just know there are moments of mistletoe magic, and with the oh-so-good, you also have the just-not-so.


*ecopy received for review; opinions are my own ( )