The Gift of Christmas Past by Cindy & Erin Woodsmall

My review:

Arson wasn't the only fire that ignited between them. Promises shattered. Lies spoken. She was arrested. He returned to the safety of his wealthy parents.

Almost ten years later, Hadley and Monroe are both specialists in the field of speech therapy. They meet again . . . thrown together to help a four-year-old-girl rendered mute after being rescued from a fire. 

Years of secrets and anger beg to be set free as Hadley and Monroe try to push aside past hurts and find common ground in order to help the traumatized child and her family. 

Can the love of Christmas past drift into 
the present, bringing healing and hope for all?


My review:

   I have never read anything by Cindy Woodsmall, and only requested this because it was a Christmas book and also sounded like a suspense novel. It wasn't suspense, but did lean towards being a Christmas novel.

  I'll say right up front I really liked the book. It was pretty much a romance/Christmas novel, with a lot of romance.... but I still liked it. The Woodsmall ladies created some very likable and flawed characters. The parents of Monroe were not very likable, but did redeem themselves in the end. (Slight spoiler there).

 The plot was great, and the takeaway even better. At the center of the story are two people in love separated by not knowing the truth about each other and letting that keep them separated for years. That doesn't just happen between a couple in love, but can happen between anyone. I was entertained by the book, but appreciated that reminder that we all need to really talk and know the truth before we let something separate us and keep us from someone when we don't know the truth or the whole story.

 I don't know if these two ladies have ever written a book together before, but they hit this one out of the park.

About the authors:

Cindy Woodsmall is the New York Times and CBA best-selling author of twenty works of fiction. She's been featured in national media outlets such as ABC's Nightline and the Wall Street Journal. Cindy has won numerous awards and has been a finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards. Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains. She can be found online at cindywoodsmall.com.

Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. She is very excited about their first coauthored book.



Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.