Christmas at Grey Sage by Phyllis Clark Nichols Blog Tour

About the book: 

This Christmas, there’s plenty of room at the inn.

Nestled in the snow-covered Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe, the Grey Sage Inn looks like the perfect place for weary travelers to escape the craziness of the Christmas season. There’s plenty to see in historic Santa Fe during the day, and the inn’s owners, Maude and Silas Thornhill, are happy to spend their evenings hosting this year’s guests from across the country.

But an unusual snowstorm throws a wrench in the festive mood. The sprawling inn becomes close quarters as stranded guests discover this Christmas won’t be the relaxed vacation they expected. Tension and fear mount as the storm worsens, and Silas, a retired doctor, is called away in the middle of the night to care for a neighbor. The snow and stress unlocks tongues–and in the unexpected conversation that follows, secrets and pasts are revealed, and hearts are healed.

In the midst of snowdrifts and fireside conversations, of tales of days gone by, the warmth of Christmas brings a renewed hope as these trapped strangers become friends–proof again that the joy, hope, peace, and love of Christmas can be experienced no matter where you are.

Learn more about the book, watch a book trailer, and purchase a copy here.

My review: 

This is a delightful Christmas story. While it got off to a bit of a slow start for me, by the time I got to the end I had thoroughly enjoyed it. Nichols has given readers a good combination of fun scenes and serious discussions. There is much about Santa Fe. The city is described so well I want to visit it. And the food served in the inn – it's a good thing a couple of recipes were included at the end of the book.

I think it was the character studies that interested me the most. The owners of the inn lost their son when he was young. They've escaped every Christmas since, traveling to far off locations void of memories of past Christmases. The stranded guests force a change in the owners' plans and a change in their lives. Each of the visitors is an interesting character. It was fun to see how they all interacted to heal hurts, experience new adventures, and forge meaningful relationships.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy a heartwarming Christmas novel. You'll read about the attractions in Sana Fe. You'll witness a little romance. You'll get caught up in a bit of suspense. But mostly you'll encounter wonderful characters on a life changing stay at Grey Sage Inn.

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

I am participating in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.

About the author:

Phyllis Clark Nichols believes everyone could use a little more hope and light. Her character-driven Southern fiction explores profound human questions from within the simple lives of small town communities you just know you’ve visited before. With a love for nature, art, faith and ordinary people, she tells redemptive tales of loss and recovery, estrangement and connection, longing and fulfillment, often through surprisingly serendipitous events. Phyllis grew up in the deep shade of magnolia trees in South Georgia. Now she lives in the Texas Hill Country with her portrait-artist husband, where red birds and axis deer are her ever-ravenous neighbors. She is an English major and classically-trained musician, seminary graduate, concert artist and co-founder of a national cable network for the health and disability-related programming. After retiring as a cable network executive, Phyllis began leading mission teams to orphanages in Guatemala and now serves on three non-profit boards where she works with others who are equally passionate about bringing hope and light to those who need it most.

Gilead Publishing, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Litfuse.