At seventeen years old, Hadley has led a rough life. Growing up in foster care hasn't been easy, and when she's accused of burning down the neighbor's house, Hadley determines to disappear and start fresh.
Meanwhile high school boyfriend, Monroe does all he can to keep Hadley out of legal trouble. When his parents offer to pay for her lawyer if he'll break up with her, Monroe sacrifices his love to ensure Hadley's freedom.
Ten years pass before Monroe and Hadley meet again. Both working with a young girl traumatized in a fire, the two must push past their history to remain professional. While Monroe still yearns for their past relationship, his job is dependent upon staying away from Hadley. And Hadley, working to beat the odds, finds herself questioning who Monroe really is.
It's no secret that I'm a huge Cindy Woodsmall fan and in this novel, she's teamed up with her daughter-in-law to branch out from Amish fiction. I was quickly gripped by Hadley's character. Having been a foster parent for several years, I found her character to be very well written. At times, I had to take a break from reading because her pain was too real. I love that foster kids were represented so respectfully in this book, with three youth thriving outside of the system.
My only criticism of the book was that it had very little to do with Christmas. I expected the book to be more of a seasonal read and very few scenes had anything to do with Christmas. But the characters were well written, sweet as teenagers and endearing as adults. The story had twists and turns that I didn't expect, and foster care was highlighted in a revenant manner. This all adds up to a gripping novel worth reading. I couldn't put it down.
*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.
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