Review: Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter

Confession: Christmas is my favorite holiday. We get to celebrate the gift of Jesus’ birth, spend extra time with family, and act like a kid when it comes to Christmas trees, stockings, and hot chocolate. I know it’s not quite fall yet, but thinking about Christmas coming in a few months already has me excited.

With that in mind, it was a delight for me to read a new book set during the Christmas season, even if the calendar says it’s a little early. Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter is a sweet contemporary romance with a little bit of suspense. It can definitely be read and enjoyed any time of the year, but if you really want to get into the Christmas mood, break out the *twinkle lights*, and drink hot chocolate by the fire, then this REALLY a book you should check out!

Book Summary: When the Christmas season finds Eden in Summer Harbor, Maine, she’s on the run from trouble. Romance is the last thing on her mind.

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?

Isn’t this a cute & festive cover? To see what the cover almost looked like, click on it for a link to Denise’s Facebook post.

My thoughts:

With this story, Denise delivers what I have come to expect from her: a compelling contemporary plot, romance, and the spiritual growth of at least one character. This one has the added factor of suspense and a nostalgic setting. The romance and suspense are played out slowly, never rushed, revealing snippets of just why Eden is on the run a little at a time, as feelings between she and Beau grow out of his protectiveness.

More serious themes of overcoming are woven through these characters’ lives. Eden has major trust issues. But, her heart starts to give way because she’s experiencing what a true family should feel like. At the same time, the Callahan brothers are drawn together for the holiday, something they have avoided due to the connection to painful memories. Both Beau and Eden learn lessons in overcoming: fear overcome by love and grief overcome by joy in the present moment.

I particularly enjoyed this novel’s lighthearted moments with banter between Beau and Eden. The idyllic “winter wonderland” atmosphere was the perfect backdrop for their romance. And, isolated, cold winter nights were ideal for suspense and drama to unfold.

This book is the first in a new series, the “Summer Harbor” series, set in an ideal coastal Maine town. The series is going to follow the stories of the three  Callahan brothers. If you’re an avid Denise Hunter fan, you might have already “met” Beau Callahan in her recent release, Married ’til Monday. The next book in this series, The Goodbye Bride, is set to release March of next year! (It’s already on my TBR list 🙂 )

My thanks to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, and BookLook bloggers for the ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 20 books, including Dancing with Fireflies and The Convenient Groom. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are raising three boys. You can learn more about Denise through her website DeniseHunterBooks.com or by visiting her Facebook page at facebook.com/authordenisehunter.