I’m Glad I Found You This Christmas

By C.P. Ward

I found a Christmas story that would truly be good at any time of the year just because it is sweet and contains some “magical” charm—perhaps it was dusted by Christmas elves. The setting is Hollydell, Scotland, a minimally advertised winter resort that can only be reached by an old fashioned coal train. In fact, it is located literally at the end of the line! Renee tries to help out her long time best friend Maggie whose boyfriend of four years, Dirk, has moved to London in an important new job and seems to be distancing himself from Maggie, a lowly shopkeeper. At least that is the way she thinks of herself. Renee thinks that if Maggie invites Dirk to a romantic Christmas, he will show his true colors by either pulling a no show or asking her to marry him.

The locals and tourists are all amazing people, friendly and welcoming to Maggie introducing her to all the fun Christmasy activities. As Dirk keeps postponing his arrival, Maggie’s new friends insist that she participate in all of the events and foods that make Hollydell the only place they would want to be during the Christmas season. Henry is the very handsome, kind reindeer keeper who takes a special interest in Maggie, but as they grow closer he shares that he doesn’t do “holiday romances.” The area has some beautiful snowfalls despite Scotland not normally experiencing much snow. The setting is magnificent.

You just have to read this book to see if any romances develop and if they include Dirk. More importantly, you’ll want to find out if Santa makes an appearance. 

Rating: 4/5

Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Notes:  1. This is #1 in the Delightful Christmas series. My research tells me the books in this series would read like standalone, because the characters and locations of these books do not overlap. The connection seems to be solely Christmas.

    2. This is my first read by this author, but there are 9 books in this series and there are other seasonal books by C.P. Ward. I’ll be returning for more sweet, clean novels.. 

Publication:  September 30, 2018—AMMFA Publishing

Memorable Lines:

“We don’t get many visitors these days, but that’s intentional. We like to keep Hollydell special for those people who need it most.” She looked up and met Maggie’s eyes. “You see, those who really need us will always find us.”

“Nothing wrong with a good, honest job,” Emma said. “We can’t all be painting church ceilings. If you love what you do, you’re sorted. Money is just a number. Happiness is uncountable.”

“Things will work out, or they won’t, but one way or another, you’ll survive.”