Review ~ Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek by Sharlene MacLaren

About the Book

Two years ago this Christmas, Sadie Bennett's beloved husband was killed in a tragic accident at the local sawmill. What was once her favorite time of year now haunts her, with its cheerful trappings a cruel reminder of the love she lost. The young widow would like nothing more than to hibernate until the festivities are over. When she finds herself assigned to the committee tasked with picking a Christmas tree for the town square of Little Hickman Creek, she begrudgingly agrees but determines to fulfill her duties to the bare minimum. As the search for a suitable tree gets under way, Sadie is dismayed to learn that one of her fellow committee members is a man she's worked hard to avoid. Reed Harris owns the local livery, and while he's friendly enough, good-looking, too, Sadie isn't ready to invest in another relationship. In fact, she may never be ready, unless a Christmas miracle manages to thaw her frozen heart.

 

My Review

Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek by Sharlene MacLaren is a tender and endearing story. Sadie Bennett is not looking forward to Christmas. Two years previous, her beloved husband passed away tragically, and the holiday only serves to bring back that painful time. Reed Harris is relatively new to town after inheriting his uncles livery. He’s had eyes for Sadie but to no avail. Her heart is closed toward any relationship with a man.

With a strong spiritual thread woven throughout, I was happy to see Sadie’s character grow and change in her faith. Sometimes in a shorter story that is a bit hard to accomplish, but MacLaren is definitely gifted in this respect.

Even though the story moves quickly, I had ample time to become invested in the lives of the residents of Little Hickman Creek and enjoy seeing their comradarie with one another. One of my favorite aspects of the story is the children’s Christmas Pageant. Little ones have the capacity to soften our hearts, making way for the ‘real’ meaning of Christmas to shine forth.

I highly recommend Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek. The publisher sent me a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. No compensation has been received.

 

About the Author

A Christian for 45+ years, and a lover of the English language, Shar has always enjoyed dabbling in writing—poetry, fiction, various essays, and freelancing for periodicals and newspapers.  Her favored genre, however, has always been romance.  She remembers well the short stories she wrote in high school and watching them circulate from girl to girl during government and civics classes.  “Psst,” someone would whisper from two rows over, and always with the teacher’s back to the class, “Pass me the next page.” 

You can read more about Sharlene at her website -  Sharlene MacLaren.com