A Simple Christmas Wish by Melody Carlson, with a book giveaway

One girl in need of a home. One woman in search of a home for her heart. One Christmas where it all seems possible.It felt strange to be out here in the middle of the night, still wearing the Amish dress--a dress that had belonged to Miri. Rachel's footsteps crunched in the snow, and halfway between the barn and the house, she paused to look up at the night sky, wondering if more snow was in store, but all she saw was velvety black and stars. Millions of twinkling stars. She had never seen stars like that before, so bright and so close, almost as if she could touch them with her hand.


Rachel Milligan never imagined that she and her seven-year-old niece would spend the week before Christmas on a quaint Amish farm in Ohio. But with so many unexpected occurrences of late, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised.

With her young niece Holly in tow, Rachel anxiously makes her way from Chicago to Ohio's Amish country. As love begins to blossom, family secrets emerge, and old wounds are healed, Rachel realizes that she will do whatever it takes to ensure that Holly has the loving family she needs.

Join bestselling author Melody Carlson on an emotional journey into the heart of what family truly means at Christmastime.

My review:
   Melody Carlson has been putting out a Christmas novel every year for several years in a row, and they are always a fun and interesting read, and totally different from the previous ones. When I see her name attached to a Christmas book being offered for review, I don't even read the description of the book, I just reply that I want to review it...... and I am never disappointed.

  This book has a sad beginning, but not so much that it casts a pall over the rest of the book. It quickly goes into the dilemma of Holly, the little girl at the center of the story.

  I'm not a big fan of Amish books, and there are Amish people in this story, but not like in most of the stories where Amish girl meets Amish guy and they get married and live happily ever after. The Amish in this book cause some problems for the little girl in the story who because of a surprise in  her parents' will, may not get to spend her life with the aunt that she wishes to.

  The story is well written, the Amish people presented in a believable way, and though the ending isn't a complete surprise, it is a great ending and the book would make a great addition to your Christmas reading.

About the author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, the Life at Kingston High series, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. She is the winner of a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband live in Oregon.

For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com.

A Simple Christmas Wish is available from Revell, a division of Baker Book Publishing.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Giveaway:
  Thanks to the author and her husband, I am giving away a copy of A Simple Christmas Wish. There is one required entry, and one extra entry:

  To enter, comment and tell if you have read any of Melody's books, and if so, name at least one.

  If you haven't read any of her books, go to her website and check out her books, and comment with what book interests you the most.

Extra entry: (make a second comment saying you did this, or if you already have)
Do one of the following:
"Like Melody's Facebook page.
Subscribe to Melody's newsletter.
Become a fan on Goodreads.

I will draw a winner on December 1 using Random.org