Naomi’s Christmas + Giveaway

Christmas is a time for new beginnings. But when a dutiful Amish woman’s life is turned upside down, she may have to risk her heart to get everything she’s always wanted in this charming Pleasant Valley novel.

Since her mother’s death, Naomi Esch has been devoted to caring for her father and siblings, sacrificing any hope of finding love or having a home of her own. Still, working at the local bakery and expanding her beekeeping business give Naomi a satisfying sense of purpose. Then, in the weeks before Christmas, her father announces his plans to remarry. He and his new wife need the house for themselves, leaving Naomi in need of a plan.

But opportunities soon come her way. A friend finds Naomi a place to stay, and widower Nathan King offers his sprawling farmland to Naomi to continue her business–on the condition that she helps take care of his children. The setup is so perfect that the community assumes a wedding will inevitably follow. But Naomi has vowed never to marry without love. And to Nathan she’s merely convenient help. Now, for those in Pleasant Valley, uniting these two stubborn souls may take a Christmas miracle.

My Review:

(published in 2012)

This one gave me all the feels. It’s an emotional blend of angst and heartwarming mixed up with the tender reverence of Christmas in an Amish community.

The seventh, and last, book in the Pleasant Valley series, Naomi’s Christmas can be read as a standalone. We do get lots of quality time visiting familiar friends from other books in the series — a great reconnect for PV fans and a lovely introduction for the newbies.

A gentle love story springs out of necessity and circumstance and not without a load of trouble thrown in. There were characters/situations that made my blood boil and I wanted to throw my book against the wall a time or two. (Rest assured, no books, pages or spines were harmed in the reading of this novel.) Happily, those scenes were countered by achingly sweet ones involving Nathan’s children. And then something seems to spark between our hero and heroine and that just stirs things up all the more.

A holiday tale centred around finding hope in second chances.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Naomi’s Christmas, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 28, 2023