Sydney Ragsdale is looking for a fresh start far away from her controlling ex-husband and the self-doubt that has plagued her since the divorce. Returning to her childhood home in Hopewell, North Carolina is just what her soul needs. Praying some Christmas magic will follow her she moves with her daughter to a farmhouse that once belonged to her grandparents. While there Sydney finds solace working at The Book Bea, her favorite bookstore.
Single dad Kevin MacAlea, Mac to his friends, is the local high school history teacher and baseball coach. He is also the town's best kept secret―he has been playing Santa since his son was born twelve years ago. Mac loves the enchantment of the season and wants his son to share in his joy.
When a catastrophe forces The Book Bea to close before the end of the year, everyone in the small town is feeling the loss. While Sydney is already off-balance by the bad news, her ex-husband breaks a promise to their daughter that sends her running away and threatens the relationship that she has begun with Mac.
As Sydney and Mac try to figure out what their next steps are together they will soon discover that there’s always hope at Christmas.
I really enjoyed this sweet, heartwarming Christmas story. Sydney and her daughter Rayanne have come to Hopewell for a fresh start. The house her grandparents left to her is the only thing that was completely hers, and the happy memories of her visits to Hopewell made the decision a fairly simple one for her. It isn't so easy for Rayanne, who misses her father, her friends, and the life she had before. Sydney has a new job waiting for her after the start of the new year, and in the meantime is relearning her way around town. One of the first places she stops is the local bookstore, The Book Bea, which had been one of her favorite places as a child. I loved seeing Sydney reconnect with Miss Bea, the store owner, and she soon found herself with a part-time job helping Bea with the store.
I really liked Sydney. She is strong, resilient, and has a big heart. The divorce had come as a total surprise to her. She had been unaware of her husband's infidelity and was stunned to find out that it was common knowledge among their friends. It wasn't until she was away from him that she realized how controlling, selfish, and demeaning he had been. Staying in Atlanta left both her and Rayanne vulnerable to his manipulative ways, so she took the best option she had. The problems she had with Rayanne's attitude were realistic for the circumstances, as were Rayanne's complaints. I loved the sense of peace that Sydney had the moment she walked into the bookstore. It was easy to see that she and Bea were kindred spirits, and that connection played a huge part in turning Sydney's life around. Bea's eternal optimism about love and romance frequently exasperated Sydney since she had no intention of letting another man into her life. That is until she met Mac.
Mac is the high school history teacher and baseball coach, and also a single parent. His wife had deserted him and their son ten years earlier, leaving Mac to raise Seth on his own. I liked the one scene of Mac in his classroom which showed his love for what he does and his enjoyment of his students. Mac also has a closely held secret - he is the town's Santa Claus. I loved seeing how happy Mac was when he played Santa. His ability to connect with each child was amazing. I loved his close relationship with Seth. It was obvious how much they loved each other. The only conflict between them was because of Seth's dislike of Christmas, thanks to his mom's abandonment of them on Christmas Eve. Mac is happy with his life as it is and has successfully avoided the town's matchmakers.
I loved the development of the relationship between Mac and Sydney. Their first meeting at the bookstore produced a few sparks, igniting an unexpected interest in each other. This freaks Sydney out a bit, so she tries to squash the sparks. Mac is a little bit more open to the idea, but he knows how Sydney feels having been through it himself. I liked his suggestion that they just be two parents who are friends as he shows her the ins and outs of Hopewell. I liked the growth of that friendship and seeing them enjoy themselves with their kids. It quickly becomes clear that Mac's feelings are more than friendly, but he's also careful not to push too hard or too fast. I especially enjoyed seeing him help Sydney open up to the joys of small-town life. Stronger feelings creep up on Sydney, and she panics a bit over whether she can trust those feelings. In the midst of all of this are some issues that crop up with Sydney's ex and their daughter. An especially bad confrontation results in nearly tragic consequences for Rayanne. I loved Mac's understanding when Sydney blamed him, and his support of her when she needed it most. Their big moment at the end was sweet and romantic.
I really liked both Rayanne and Seth, though it took a little bit for Rayanne to grow on me. She was so whiny and rude at the beginning that I just wanted to shake her. But it didn't take long for the magic of Hopewell to make a difference. She turned out to be a sweet and thoughtful girl, though not perfect by any means. I loved how quickly she became friends with Seth, and it was fun to see how much alike they were. She is also as clever and creative as her mom. She came up with some terrific ideas for the bookstore, and her enthusiasm was adorable. I also liked her close relationship with her mother, where when she'd been a pill she owned up to it and apologized. Seth was a terrific boy and I could see so much of Mac in him. He's thoughtful and kind, as shown by his sympathy for Hayley and his desire to help Rayanne. I loved the scene where he snuck out to see Santa, not knowing that Mac is Santa. I ached for him and his fear for Rayanne and was totally impressed with his presence of mind during that terrifying event.
I think that even more than Mac and Sydney, my favorite character was Bea. She immediately senses that Sydney is searching for something and knows just what to do. I adored all of her little nudges to get Sydney and Mac together. She seemed to have the perfect nugget of wisdom or experience for any occasion. I loved her little stories of life with her husband and how she used them to open Sydney's eyes to the possibilities. I also enjoyed the way that she got Sydney so deeply involved in the bookstore, and her obvious enjoyment of all of Sydney's ideas. I could see what it all was building toward, so I was not at all surprised by what happened at the end.
The villain of the story was Sydney's ex. I detested him from the very beginning, with his choice to tell Sydney about wanting a divorce on Valentine's Day of all things. Hearing about all his put-downs of Sydney made me mad. His use of expensive gifts and trips to try to manipulate Rayanne was awful. Even worse was the way he kept bailing out on his commitments to her. I was a little disappointed that it took Sydney so long to let him have it, but she came through at the end. I think he deserved everything he got.
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