Christmas Grace by Mindy Steele

 Second chances and the Christmas spirit abound in Mindy Steele’s heartwarming novel, one of faith, love, and the power of community.

Grace Miller believed herself in love with the charming Englischer who eventually broke her heart. Now alone except for the secret life growing inside her, she arrives in the unfamiliar small village of Walnut Ridge, Kentucky, to hide and hopefully gain forgiveness.

She is pleasantly surprised, however, to find a tight-knit, welcoming group who help her heart grow right alongside her belly. And with the holidays around the corner, there’s plenty of preparations to occupy her mind. Also occupying her mind? Her strong, protective neighbor, Cullen Graber, the town’s blacksmith, who seems intent on not allowing her to ever suffer alone.

Cullen Graber gave up on love after too many losses early in life. He planned to live out his days focusing on his smithy business, yet the beautiful and mysterious Grace refuses to leave his thoughts. But can they open their hearts to God’s grace and create a new family together before Grace must return home?

My thoughts:

I loved this book so much that I read it twice. I absolutely adored Grace Miller, my heart ached for her and the situation she found herself in after discovering she is expecting a child.  She showed bravery and determination that I couldn’t begin to fathom after she’s sent to the small village of Walnut Ridge, Kentucky.    Most everyone in the community was warm and welcoming, doing what they could to help her, but, the one person who helped her the most soon became one of my favorite characters.  It would be almost impossible not to love Cullen Graber, the blacksmith and neighbor who tried to make life as easy as possible for Grace.

There is so much to love about this book, from the memorable characters, the perfectly paced storyline to the jaw-dropping revelation that took me completely by surprise.  Kudos to the author on another must read book. I recommend this 5-star book to anyone who enjoys well-written novels and this is the perfect for this time of year.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.