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Little Falls Legacy #3

The Gift of Twins

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Unexpected Holiday Blessings 

Finding twin five-year-old boys on his doorstep isn't the first surprise Reverend Benjamin Lahaye has faced lately. Emery Wilkes, the new schoolteacher the town has hired, turns out to be a very pretty woman—not the man they'd been expecting. And though the twins and Emmy are only boarding with Ben until Christmas, the arrangement feels all too natural. 

Emmy has moved to Minnesota to put loss behind her. Marriage would mean forsaking her position and her purpose, and Ben is an honorable man who understands her refusal to wed. But as he gets closer to tracking down the little boys' father, Emmy realizes just how much she wants their sweet temporary family to become permanent.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2017

18 people are currently reading
202 people want to read

About the author

Gabrielle Meyer

80 books2,786 followers
Gabrielle Meyer grew up above a carriage house on a historic estate near the banks of the Mississippi River, imagining real and make-believe stories about the occupants who had lived there. She went on to work for the Minnesota Historical Society and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River, not far from where she grew up, with her husband and four children. By day, she’s a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and non-fiction filled with hope. Learn more about Gabrielle and her writing by visiting www.gabriellemeyer.com.

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Andrea Cox.
Author 4 books1,744 followers
February 23, 2018
A total miss for me, this book would not have been finished if I wasn't reading it for a reading challenge. Writing negative reviews is never an easy thing for me, because I know how many hours and how much heart an author puts into her books. I wish I had happy things to say about every book I read, but unfortunately, that isn't the case.

Fair warning: There are spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

I never did understand Mr. Samuelson. He bullied the lead for no apparent reason, other than the story needed a bad guy. He wanted the teacher to provide a great example for his girls, yet he set an atrocious one himself, which made him a hypocrite (for which he never felt conviction). There was no reason I could detect for his assumptions and false allegations against Miss Wilkes.

Both of the leads wavered or were inconsistent (or both) in their faith. A primary example is that the preacher was happy to share about God with someone, but two paragraphs later he decided to not pray over a major decision because "he didn't foresee anything changing his mind." (p. 228) That infers two things: 1. that even God can't change the preacher's mind, and 2. that when things seem impossible, one should not turn to God for guidance or help. Those were strange ideals for a supposedly devoted preacher to have, particularly near the end of the story, where it is expected he will have grown in his faith instead.

Twice, the preacher noticed how handsome a man was. Though it was clear the preacher was attracted to the female schoolteacher, the wording of these two instances was awkward and easy to misunderstand.

Emmy's choices often did not reflect her goal of not wanting to encourage men's attention or to appear as if she were being courted. Her lack of remembrance that Mr. Samuelson was watching her every move concerned me, because it proved her incompetence for her work--another reason Mr. Samuelson would have terminated her employment. Yet, he never caught her in her poor decisions, so I ended up doubting he was truly watching her as closely as he claimed, which then made all the bluster whoosh from his snarly scenes.

A main message seemed to be that being married to multiple wives at the same time was okay, as long as one's first marriage contained no love. This really bothered me, and I struggled to find any remorse in either of the two guilty men.

Another key theme was that a man and woman living together under the excuse of being a boarder was acceptable. I couldn't believe how many times the leading lady moved in and out of the preacher's house, especially when she had found a spot in a proper boardinghouse. I understood the first night the teacher arrived, because there was a misunderstanding and a white-out blizzard that could have cost them their lives had they attempted to find more appropriate lodging for her that night. After that, though, it came across to me as a blatant sin that neither felt ashamed of or convicted for, as both knew it was improper and inappropriate. I really thought both of them would know better than to put themselves in such an awkward and sinful position, especially the preacher, who was supposed to be teaching his congregation Christian morals. Not only all of that, but they never got caught either, which made it seem like the behavior was accepted by the bad guy, who was bullying the teacher, and the other members of the community (including the upstanding ones).

The conversion scene came out of the blue, which made it feel too rushed. There was no lead-up of curiosity about Jesus prior to accepting Him into the heart.

Other content:
* saloon
* alcohol
* polygamy
* marital affairs

I really wanted to like this one. I went into it eager to love it. Unfortunately, I never could get into it, and every moment I thought I saw a glimpse of something cute or special, one of the aforementioned issues popped up and swiftly snuffed out the flicker of hope.

I was not compensated for my honest review.
3,941 reviews1,764 followers
December 12, 2017
Pastor Ben was a favourite secondary character in Inherited: Unexpected Family so I was thrilled to discover that he gets a turn to play hero in his own story. And yes, this can be read as a standalone just fine. It's the third book in the Little Falls Legacy series and I somehow missed the first one but you can be sure I'll be backtracking to catch up. I believe that Ben played a prime secondary role in that first book as well so followers of this series will be super excited about this one.

It can be tricky to create a heart-throb pastor hero -- at least I think so -- but Meyer does an amazing job of meshing toe-curling scenes with inspirational ones. And I truly adore Ben. He's honest, open, compassionate -- all the good qualities a pastor should have. But he has flaws too -- like being wary of love after repeated discouragements in the past. He figures God wants him to remain single in order to focus on his calling. Of course, he hasn't really confirmed that with the Lord and human assumptions can be a dangerous thing. Especially when it has him second guessing his attraction to the new teacher.

Emmy carries her own heartache and a pact to remain single as she dedicates herself to the children of Little Falls. Gotta love two stubborn people heading in the wrong direction. There are so many delectable moments of heated awareness -- this reader could hear the crackles in the air. But Ben and Emmy are cagey and I was quick to despair until orphan twins land on the pastor's doorstep. Chaos and mayhem ensue as these two reluctant lovebirds are thrown together in a united cause...which soon morphs into creating a memorable Christmas for these precious little boys.

Funny and sweet and heartwarming -- a great addition to any Christmas collection.

Merged review:

If ever there were two people so aptly suited for one another but think they aren't...well, that would be Louise and Jesse. I might have bald spots on my scalp from tearing my hair out. Jesse so focused on planning for an ideal future that he doesn't recognize the beginning of his future is right in front of him. And Louise has turned inward, nursing the hurts from her previous marriage while striving to make a new life for herself in the shadow of a heartbreaking secret. To say these two clash would be an understatement but they challenge each other too. And there's never a dull moment when they are together. Which seems to happen a lot thanks to some not so subtle matchmaking.

And then Jesse turns into a dunderhead. There's no other way to describe it! I gave him a tongue-lashing that would blister a sailor's ears but Jesse paid me no mind. Argh! It's lucky I wasn't physically there or I would have smacked him up side the head with a cast iron frying pan. Stubborn, foolish man. Gah! No need to despair though. The author manages to wrestle him under control and melted my heart at the same time. If you like a healthy dose of angst with your sweet and tender romance then this is definitely the book for you.
582 reviews
December 12, 2017
I don’t even know where to start my review because my emotions are a jagged mess after reading this! Gabrielle knows how to bring out all the feels.

First of all, if you have been following along with her Little Falls Legacy series and you are like me, you’ve only been waiting forever for Ben’s tale. His turn at love had passed him by in the previous two stories and my heart hurt for all he endured watching it happen. I fell in love with his character from the start and knew there was more to the man than meet the eye. Here we get the whole package deal and learn about his past that makes him who he is. Gabrielle did an excellent job in fleshing him out and making him so real in my mind. He’s everything she made him out to be and so much more; a gentle giant of a man, peaceable, spiritually wise and loving, a true friend, and cares about the needs of other; in other words, what makes him the perfect Reverend! We also learn the hurt that’s buried inside and why he clings so close to God. It’s beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time! I won’t give it away, but it explains a lot about him.

Secondly, I knew it would take an extraordinary woman for his perfect match. Someone who is just as loving and caring as him with a heart of gold, yet has some hidden hurt to overcome. Emmy fits the bill even better than I imagined and I loved her from the first time she set foot on the pages! Of course it would be unrealistic for her to not endure some kind of hardship and that comes in the form of simply being a woman. You see, the school board only wanted to hire a man to teach so they wouldn’t have to keep looking for one after the last two female teachers married! That causes a bit of strife between her and the superintendent, and I loved how she steeled her backbone from the get-go and told him in no uncertain terms she would not marry and she intended to stay. Her spunk is what endured me to her even more!

Then comes the twin boys, oh my! I don’t know what’s better than knowing the author modeled them after her own boys. Loved them both and I know if I ever met them in person, they would be just as precious in person. And both so different from each other, their own personalities added so much to the story!

This one is emotionally packed because I was a blubbering mess by the end of the book, it was so sweet and heartwarming. Even though there were times when I wanted to tell stubborn Emmy to just open her heart to love again, and Ben to not give up on her. Oh these two got my gander up sometimes, but in a good way! It just made their happily-ever-after sweeter and more endearing. This is the kind of story that touches you in so many ways and I didn’t want it to come to an end. I’m sad to leave Little Falls and know that there won’t be any more to come. Gabrielle penned a fictional world I could live in and characters that dug deep in my heart. I’d recommend reading all of the books in this series to get the full effect, though they can easily stand alone.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and was under no obligation to write a favorable review. *



459 reviews19 followers
November 8, 2017
Love love and love! Sometimes life doesn't even come close to how we imagined it would turn out, but then again sometimes it turns out even better than we ever dreamed possible.
Profile Image for Cathy.
1,241 reviews80 followers
November 5, 2017
Another sweet & wonderful book! I didn't want it to end. I'm sad this seems to be the last one in Little Falls
Profile Image for Mandy.
81 reviews6 followers
December 7, 2017
A Gift of Twins is another story in Gabrielle Meyer's Little Falls Legacy series. I really enjoyed this Christmas story. It is the story of a teacher that comes to Minnesota. When the town sends for this teacher, they think a man is coming. They wanted a man because every female teacher has gotten married and has then left her teaching position. The town has had to continue to look for teacher after teacher. This teacher convinces the school board to give her a chance because she has no plans to ever get married.

A Gift of Twins is well put together and a great story. Throughout the whole story, you see how different characters have to make difficult decisions. We all face hard decisions in our lives and we can relate to the situations in the story. Ultimately, we see that even when we don't think we can move forward, we should still keep going and persevere. The friends of the main characters encourage each other and strive to help them succeed and follow their hearts. In the end, you will see just what "unexpected holiday blessings" await!

(On a side note, the book accurately portrays what a Minnesota winter truly can look like!)
Profile Image for Gracie Yost.
14 reviews
November 10, 2017
What a wonderful book! Gabrielle Meyer brings a wonderful conclusion to the Little Falls Legacy! I can imagine the look on Reverend Ben's face as he opens the door and sees "Miss Emery Wilkes", and not Mr. Emery Wilkes! But, Ben as usual shows the compassion that we have come to know and love and invites her in out of the horrible weather. Reverend Ben's invites her to stay all night with the promise of rectifying the situation the next day. The school board did not want to hire another woman teacher to only have her leave for marriage just mere months after her arrival as past teachers have done. Emery was determined to make her case to the school board but with the arrival of bad weather that has been put off until the weather clears which could be weeks or months from now. And to complicate things, twins arrive at the Reverends doorstep! There's so much more that I could say, but I don't want to give anymore away. I highly recommend that you add this book to your must read list! I give it a 5 Star rating!
Profile Image for Patrice Doten.
1,313 reviews19 followers
February 5, 2018
I loved the second book in this series, Inherited: Unexpected Family, but this one is competing for favorite. Ben has been a beloved character for me since the series began. Seeing him offer his heart and get rejected not once, but twice in the series before had me cheering for him to find a worthy lady. The twins suddenly being left at his door brings him face to face with his own orphan history and requires him to confront the past in surprising ways. Ms. Meyer has given us a story richly illustrating the healing power of redemptive love. I cried through the last 15 pages. So many feels! The historical detail is of the high quality I've come to expect from Ms. Meyer, and this series has been a delight to read.
2 reviews
December 14, 2017
Join Rev. Benjamin Lahaye in the boom town of Little Falls, MN. If you've been following this delightful series, you've met him already, and probably hoped he would find someone special. Enter the new teacher--who was supposed to be a man! Emery was supposed to be Mr. Emery Wilkes, and now as one of the school board members, Rev. Lahaye has to to decide if the board can gamble on another single, female teacher in this male-dominated wilderness. On top of that, he also must decide what to do with the young twins they have been left on his doorstep. It's a heartwarming holiday story that will makes for a perfect cuddle-up-and-feel-good read.





934 reviews4 followers
December 31, 2017
The Gift Of Twins by Gabrielle Meyer. A women drops off twin boys on reverend Benjamin Lahaye doorstep. She said they belonged to her dead sister and her husband took off and left the boys. She said her and her husband couldn't raise the boys. She left the twins and she and her family took off. Ben takes the twins in and hires a housekeeper until right after Christmas. Emery "Emmy" Wilkes arrives in town to be the new school teacher. They thought Emery was a man. Woman meet men and leave the teaching job. There is an attraction between Ben and Emmy. The twins are funny and cute. A very good good.
Profile Image for Melissa.
791 reviews
November 7, 2017
Yes! Ben finally get's his story!! Readers of the first two books in the Little Falls Legacy series remember Rev. Ben LaHaye as the pastor who never quite wins the heroine's heart - until now. This story is one of the sweetest stories Gabrielle has written. In addition to falling in love with the new school teacher, Emmy, Ben has twin boys abandoned on his doorstep. Ben must make decisions about their future as he deals with the lasting effects of his own abandonment as a child. I really enjoyed how their storylines wove together. A great read!
Profile Image for Kellie Rudd.
151 reviews
October 8, 2025
This is the only book I read in the series because it had twins and I adore this author. As far as Historical Romances go it was good. I am not that into romance. I would have liked more mystery but there was plenty for the purposes of this story.
I almost didn't read it because I judge books by their cover...oops 👀 but it was good!
Profile Image for Rhonda.
Author 8 books7 followers
December 30, 2017
Everything I love in a book, simply loved it. Loved the setting of pioneer MN, Little Falls and the tale told, Ms. Meyer has a gift of telling a good story full of hope and inspiration and a good dose of history as well.
7 reviews
January 31, 2023
An easy read and fun story to remind us loss and forgiveness are always possible when opening your heart again. Love can be painful but oh so worth it. A wonderful cast of characters: some new and some we get to catch up with.
Profile Image for Billie Jauss.
Author 7 books17 followers
January 1, 2018
Great story and very well written. Enjoyed the story immensely. Now to go back and read the books that preceded this one!
26 reviews
January 28, 2024
great read

Really enjoyed this book. Hard to put it down. I loved the characters and plan to read the rest of the series.
986 reviews10 followers
December 12, 2017
I am sorry to see this series end. I want to keep reading about these characters who have become so real to me. This is such a tender story. I fell in love with the twins. This story felt so real and wonderful. I want to read more from this author.


Merged review:

Wow! I hate for this series to end. I found it very difficult to put down. Loved it so much. Fantastic writing and an awesome plot plus wonderful inspirational not too mention fabulous characters who seemed so real all make this a perfect Christmas read. Who couldn't love the two precious boys that add even more to the story.
Profile Image for Ness.
246 reviews11 followers
December 12, 2017
Every time I read one of Gabrielle's books, I say it is the best one. This is true again!! Will Ben find his happy ending? Great to get to know him more and many twists! Can't wait to see where this series goes! I don't want it to end!


I was given this book as an early reader in exchange for my honest opinion

Merged review:

I am so happy that Ben finally got his happy ending! Another great one from Gabrielle Meyer! I loved that Emery was able to hold her own against what I feel many women have experienced in their lives. Many twist and unexpected events. Sad to see this series end!
Profile Image for Jeanetta Chrystie.
76 reviews4 followers
March 29, 2019
A fun book

A fun book with clear characters back stories, challenges, and a few surprises . I enjoyed watching the characters grow and the trip to Little Falls. I look forward to others in her well-written series.
Profile Image for Stacey.
288 reviews18 followers
November 22, 2021
The Gift of Twins is another enjoyable, read-it-in-one-sitting historical story about the charming small-town of Little Falls. It is a perfect book to curl up with in your favorite spot with a mug of hot chocolate or cup of tea and your favorite, cozy blanket.
Profile Image for Amanda.
227 reviews
December 20, 2017
Adoption is such an honorable gift, and I loved seeing it embraced here. This is a sweet, clean, and enjoyable romance.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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