A Christmas by the Sea
written by Melody Carlson
169 pages // published in 2018 // contemporary Christian fiction
BOOK DESCRIPTION
When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.
Join award-winning author Melody Carlson for a Christmas story that will warm your heart and have you dreaming of your own enchanted seaside holiday.
When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.
Join award-winning author Melody Carlson for a Christmas story that will warm your heart and have you dreaming of your own enchanted seaside holiday.
What I love:
• The beautiful, vibrant winter scene on the cover. (It's so inviting... I want to go there!)
• The title... it really drew me in.
• The plot about inheriting a beach cottage and needing to fix it up... The ideas are limitless!
• Wendy's son, Jackson. He is such a sweet teenager, and should be the role model for kids everywhere.
• The ocean.
• Sea shells.
• Sand dollars. (Very inspirational element in the story. Right after both my mom and I both read this book, we had a similar experience to Wendy and Jackson's beach-combing... Which we instantly christened "Our Sand Dollar Moment".)
• Intriguing business endeavors. (The craftiness of inventive ideas.)
• The loveliness of the overall story.
What I didn't care for:
• The too-quick romance. (I feel like the would have been better without it, to be honest.) Or the romance could have been done better if it felt like the two characters in "love" had taken the time to deeply get to know each other.
Overall?
I'm a sucker for Melody Carlson's Christmas books. And it's a clean read. So I enjoyed the book greatly!
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It sounds great! And a little different, being on the coast.
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