Review: Deck the Halls by Donna Alward


Deck the Halls
Darling, VT #3.5
Donna Alward
10/3/17
Swerve
Pages: 128
Format Read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

With shades of It’s a Wonderful Life, one man must face his past to find his future this Christmas.

In the last year, George’s life has drastically changed. The formerly homeless veteran now has a job he likes, a family in the residents of Darling, VT, and for the first time in years, a home. But while his present is good, he’s still haunted by the past, a past that appears shortly before Christmas when the older sister of his brother-in-arms hunts him down and finds him in Darling, working at the Ladybug Garden Center.

Amy’s looking for closure for her family after her brother’s death in the Middle East, but the serious man she finds working in Vermont doesn’t resemble the soldier she remembers from years before. This man is hardened and yet somehow fragile, too, and in her desire to find out what really happened to her brother, she learns more about George than she ever expected.

With a little Christmas magic and the whole town supporting them, can these two bruised hearts make a future together?




Don't you just love a review for a Christmas story with Halloween artwork on the page? I just think it's so funny. I was going to change the art work to match the fact that I'm reviewing a Christmas story but decided to keep it because it made me laugh. 

I was so happy when I saw Deck the Halls come up for review. I have been really enjoying the Darling, VT series by Donna Alward. She's a newer author for me and I'm so glad that I started reading her. 

Have you ever read about a character who isn't a main character and seems to be there only for the interactions of the main characters but for some reason you are drawn to them and hope you get their story? Well that's how I felt about George. He's one of those characters that yelled really loud at you even though he was only a supporting character. 

I so badly wanted his story! 

Imagine my surprise when I saw who Deck the Halls was all about? I was thrilled, here was one of my favorite themes (Christmas) with a character (George) that often made me think of him even as I read other books, come together!!! I was so happy and I just couldn't wait to read it! 

If you haven't yet started this series (Darling, VT) get to it. It's a wonderful series with good, slightly flawed and damaged characters. It's like a Hallmark movie in a book. 

Deck the Halls turned out to be everything I love in a Christmas story. You meet George in Somebody Like You and like I said, you want his story. He's one of those characters that you can't help but feel for. He's so down on his luck, you are so happy his life is coming together again. Amy might put a wrinkle in his now calm, pretty happy world, but I think it was needed. 

You can't really heal until you face what you're healing from. 

I'm guessing by now you kinda get the picture that this is a very emotional story. I did find myself tearing up now and then. I can tell you that the author did a wonderful job on George's story and that you'll be so happy (and a little sad) to read it. 

Deck the Halls is what Christmas is all about! 

If you've read Deck the Halls or any other book by Donna Alward I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for visiting and happy reading! ♡


 


Check out the series on Goodreads


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