The Christmas House {Review}

 

Young entrepreneur Liz Lantz is thriving in her buggy tour business.  Looking forward to the holiday season and meeting new clients, Liz seems to have found her niche.  Her brother, Adam, is a good partner, and her Christmas House Buggy Tours are filling rapidly.  But then her father and brother are called away to help a family member, and Matthow2 steps into Adam's place.  Liz is reluctant at first, but finds a good friend in Matt.  He's charming and easy-going, and the tours seem to benefit from his addition to the business.

In the meantime, Hickory Hollow is welcoming new Englisch neighbors, and they're causing quite a stir.  The new family seems determined to have the largest Christmas light display imaginable.  And while beautiful, this Amish community isn't used to such extravagance ... or traffic.  When a sudden snowstorm descends on the community, Liz sees an opportunity to bring the Hickory Hollow together.  But will the same storm keep her family apart at Christmas?

Author Beverly Lewis writes some of my favorite Amish fiction, and this delightful novella is perfect for the upcoming holiday season.  Liz is slightly more mature for an Amish romance (at 22 years old), and her character is far from giddy.  Her romance unfolds slowly and with a great deal of friendship.  Lewis does a wonderful job of portraying a realistic look at a maturing relationship.  The conflict between the Amish community and their new neighbors is honest without being overly dramatic, and all the characters develop as if they were real-life individuals.  Sometimes novellas seem to fall flat in comparison to full-length novels.  Not Christmas House.  This sweet tale is purely satisfying from cover to cover.  I couldn't put it down.

Beverly Lewis' Christmas House is the perfect blend of small town, Christmas magic, real families, faith... delightful for curling up with on a cozy winter evening.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  All opinions are my own.