Christmas Cake

Hope Springs #4

by Lynne Hinton

With the holiday season drawing near, the ladies of Hope Springs, North Carolina, are making plans for a cake cookbook—a project that will hopefully lift the spirits of a beloved member of their close-knit quartet. But Margaret Peele is downhearted and uninspired now that her cancer has returned. All she wants this Christmas is to visit her mother's Texas hometown . . . and to see their absent friend, pastor Charlotte Stewart, who left Hope Springs to run a battered women's shelter. So impulsive Beatrice Newgarden Witherspoon commandeers a very inappropriate—but comfortable—van to transport Margaret, Louise Fisher, and Jessie Jenkins across the country for a Lone Star State reunion with Charlotte. And over the course of a remarkable journey they will rediscover the greatest Christmas gift of eternal friendship.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Christian Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Lynne Hinton is the pastor of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The author of numerous novels including Friendship Cake, Hope Springs, Forever Friends, Christmas Cake, and Wedding Cake, she lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason lately I've been reading several books that deal with female friendships and death. Death again features largely in this one, and for some reason as light as this book is, the writing about dealing with the death of a beloved friend seemed much more realistic, then the other books. It is a lightweight fun read, but with a serious undercurrent. As I read this book, I thought it felt like a cozy mystery, but without a murder. As I looked at the books this author has written, not surprisely she does have a cozy series.

[writer... · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supportive friendships, community adventures, and great recipe choices!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started to lose interest in the series, but needed to read this one to have closure of the group's most important shared experience. It did have some funny excursions.

[Patricia Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I am in my 'later' years, it kinda hit close to home. I hope I have friends like Margaret did.

[Diane McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story about friendship and what is important set in Hope Springs, North Carolina and Texas. It made me laugh, cry, search my soul, and yes, want to eat cake!

[Sonia Schoenfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read any other books in this series; I picked it up because it was a Christmas book. Because of that, I was unfamiliar with the characters and couldn't really warm up to them in just this one book. The story line was good enough and there was some humor, but I wish the faith aspect had had more depth. I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes, but I probably won't read another Hope Springs book.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

in dealing with Beatrice's depression:
pg 96 expressions of faith --cookbook and your contests … a means to remind us to getup and do something, to see and act beyond ourselves and our own troubles. They bring us together and they are vehicles of grace. There is always more to them than what appears on the outside. It's like some offering you make, and whenever you make an offering with a heart of love, it is always a gift that God can use to do what needs to be done.

[Rrshively · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of friends agree to take their dying friend, Margaret, from Hope Springs, North Carolina to Texas as her last wish to make peace with her long dead mother. This occurs amid a cake contest they're sponsoring and in the last days before Christmas. How each comes to terms with their potential loss and how the contest and the trip turn out are all part of the book. They meet with their former pastor and an abused young woman she has helped in Texas to add to their circle of friends.

[Beverly Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Christmas time I like to read Christmas themed books, just couple. I figure that they can be uplifting and peaceful. Most are. Christmas Cake is a bitter sweet book about friendships and death. I didn’t expect the death part. But it is well written and at times funny. So I will recommend it. But maybe leave it as a last resort if you want to read funny and peaceful.

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as interesting as I'd hoped. Was okay. Read it in one sitting, with several cups of tea.
As revolves around church ladies, it's fairly "proper" and would be acceptable for someone who's a bit prim. Most of the cake recipes made me squick - lots of Cool Whip and candied fruit, cream cheese and the like. I think there might be ONE recipe I'd try - an Oatmeal Cake.

[Debby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book at random. I am reading books with Christmas in the title. It was slow to develop and the characters must have been described and developed in previous books. The plot just didn't grab me and it moved from situation to situation too quickly. It became more interesting later in the book-almost too late. It was an okay read

[Bev Werntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

A perfect book about faith and friendship between old friends. Although this is the last in the series you could read it without reading the other books. The characters are delightful with all their imperfections. It is a cozy read and I really enjoyed it.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes look wonderful although I haven't made any of them. What would I do with a full cake? The story moved quickly and the end was a given. This is a story of friendship, real friendship of a small group of women who give one last gift to one of their members. And yep, I cried at the end.

[Gina Shupp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Christmas Cake . I thought it was good and was sensitive . It spoke of how true friends are there for each other and willing to help them no matter what

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching book about friendship.

[Lupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and fun book about the power of friendship. And the meaning of cake.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joyous. Tragic. Peaceful. I laughed and I cried again. Can't wait to read Wedding Cake!

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh... I absolutely love a book that comes with recipes, however, this book was not my cup of tea

[Pamela Beugnot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun Christmas book. Helps to read the first three in the series but not entirely necessary! This group of women overcome obstacles and help a dear friend with her biggest wish.

[Jackie Waibel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book about the lengths you will go for a true friend.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so enjoyed her Art of Arranging Flowers, but this was less so. Don't need any more of this author under any of her nom's de plume

[Lorraine Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book.

[Debbie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful and heartwarming story of true friendship !!!

[Jana Henson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one day some weeks after Christmas. Fortunately, while set at Christmas time, the story is not about Christmas. It's about long-time friendships and traveling through seasons of maturity.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series about Hope Springs! Been reading it since her first book, Friendship Cake

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gentle reading and nice to catch up with the characters.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved his book! Reminded me of the Golden Girls! Great friendships, I laughed and cried. Great book.

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret, Jessie, Beatrice and Louise have been great friends forever. As members of the Women’s Guild of Hope Springs (North Carolina) Community Church, their current project is a Christmas Cake Cookbook and recipe contest. Beatrice has promised a big prize, but so far, hasn’t been able to deliver.

When Margaret discovers that her cancer has come back, her friends rally around her and vow to help her realize her final dream. They’re joined by their good friend and former pastor Charlotte, who has moved away. The quest to fulfill Margaret’s dream turns out to be an adventure for all of them that is sure to be a cherished memory in the future. It all serves as a gentle reminder to the women of what they value in life.

Christmas Cake by Lynne Hinton is a sweet story of friendship, love and community. I enjoyed my visit with the ladies of Hope Springs because their friendship is so real. They love each other and aggravate each other all at the same time, but when the chips are down, they’re there for each other. I found myself smiling at parts of the story and sobbing at others. Be prepared with tissues when you read this book!

Lynne Hinton is the pastor of a church in New Mexico. She has written several books about the ladies from Hope Springs, but this is the first one I’ve read. I had no problems catching up with and enjoying their friendship. Since Christmas Cake is about a cake cookbook and recipe contest, Lynne features a cake recipe at the beginning of each chapter and some of them sound really yummy.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the writing was not fabulous and felt rushed to me at times, I liked this heartwarming tale of five friends who met through a church cookbook committee. I have not read the original book, The Friendship Cake, or the other two in the series, but I will be doing so just to find out how these women got started on their loyal, tight-knit friendships.

Set in a small town in North Carolina, this novel takes the women on an emotional journey when one of the group has a reoccurance of her cancer that ends up being in a terminal location where treatments are most often unsuccessful. The women struggle with their grief and how to let go, while also helping Margaret to find her own personal peace with her past.

I laughed at the things these old women said about and to each other. I got teary at the moments that mattered. I read the recipes and wanted to try a few of the cakes out for myself. But most of all, this book was a lovely reminder to find great friends and hold them fast for as long as you can because having friends who will do anything for you (and you for them) is priceless.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been ten years since I read the third book in the Hope Spring series. This is the fourth book from the series. Even though it has been so long between books, I remember well the quirky and endearing characters from the first three books. The story is heartwarming and sad. As in the first book, "Friendship Cake", the church women are putting together a cookbook. At the start of each chapter is one of the recipes submitted for the cookbook. This time all the recipes are for cakes. Some of the recipes sound fantastic and many seem to include coconut (Yummy!). Even though the first book of the series was by far my favorite, all of the books have been enjoyable and it was great to reconnect again with the women of Hope Springs, North Carolina. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in the series, "Wedding Cake", next.