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Becky's Reviews > The Christmas Note
The Christmas Note (Christmas Hope #6)
by
by
Everything about this book is perfect--even if the ending is a bit sappy. It's Christmas, and if you can't handle sap at Christmas, when can you, eh? It's a story about love and that is the whole point of Christmas.
After reading a couple of holiday books with rocky beginnings punctuated by juvenile writing, I was hesitant to pick up another. But I'd brought it along on a road trip and was limited on options, so I dove in. I have zero regrets. Immediately I could tell that VanLiere doesn't mess around with goofy phrasings and saying things she could show with the story; she is a legit storyteller with a knack for dialogue and character development.
I admire Gretchen's tenacity and courage, pushing herself beyond her walls of comfort even while she struggles with her own situation. I feel for Melissa, whose past isn't pretty through no fault of her own, and her choice to allow that past to negatively affect her present without seeming to care about any possibility of a pleasant future. I adore Gretchen's mom and her friend--their unhindered love for Gretchen, her kids, and, immediately upon meeting her, Melissa.
The mystery of the unknown in this book is just right; it's not painfully suspenseful or simply a side note--it's a solid, appropriate, non-distracting thread throughout the book, and VanLiere weaves it carefully within the story to create, in the end, a beautiful tale of friendship, bravery, loyalty, determination, support, rebirth, and love.
There are elements, in the end, that aren't realistic. But, let's be honest, if you're looking for a Christmas book, it's bound to have "magic" of a sort, and in my opinion VanLiere does this well. In the end, I fell in love with this book, I cried a little, and I was very inspired to aim to be a bit more open in my life like Gretchen. The side story of (view spoiler) was also extremely adorable and just made the story that much more perfectly magical.
In short, I very much enjoyed this book and hope to explore VanLiere's other Christmas books in the future.
After reading a couple of holiday books with rocky beginnings punctuated by juvenile writing, I was hesitant to pick up another. But I'd brought it along on a road trip and was limited on options, so I dove in. I have zero regrets. Immediately I could tell that VanLiere doesn't mess around with goofy phrasings and saying things she could show with the story; she is a legit storyteller with a knack for dialogue and character development.
I admire Gretchen's tenacity and courage, pushing herself beyond her walls of comfort even while she struggles with her own situation. I feel for Melissa, whose past isn't pretty through no fault of her own, and her choice to allow that past to negatively affect her present without seeming to care about any possibility of a pleasant future. I adore Gretchen's mom and her friend--their unhindered love for Gretchen, her kids, and, immediately upon meeting her, Melissa.
The mystery of the unknown in this book is just right; it's not painfully suspenseful or simply a side note--it's a solid, appropriate, non-distracting thread throughout the book, and VanLiere weaves it carefully within the story to create, in the end, a beautiful tale of friendship, bravery, loyalty, determination, support, rebirth, and love.
There are elements, in the end, that aren't realistic. But, let's be honest, if you're looking for a Christmas book, it's bound to have "magic" of a sort, and in my opinion VanLiere does this well. In the end, I fell in love with this book, I cried a little, and I was very inspired to aim to be a bit more open in my life like Gretchen. The side story of (view spoiler) was also extremely adorable and just made the story that much more perfectly magical.
In short, I very much enjoyed this book and hope to explore VanLiere's other Christmas books in the future.
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