The Gift of Christmas Past by Cindy Woodsmall & Erin Woodsmall

About the book:

Arson wasn't the only fire ignited between them.

Lies spoken.

She was arrested.

He returned to the safety of his wealthy parents.

Almost ten years later, Hadley and Monroe are both specialists in the field of speech therapy. They meet again . . . thrown together to help a four year old girl rendered mute after being rescued from a fire.

Years of secrets and anger beg to be set free as Hadley and Monroe try to push aside past hurts and find common ground in order to help the traumatized child and her family.

Can the love of Christmas past drift into the present, bringing healing and hope for all?

Learn more, read an excerpt and purchase a copy here.

My review:

What a heartwarming story. Having a tissue handy near the end would be a good idea. I felt the beginning was a little confusing but by the end, I was very glad I had read the book. After a rocky start, the characters were developed well and the plot was engaging.

There are many themes woven into the plot. Misunderstanding is one. Controlling parents is another. Love that is tested by seemingly insurmountable obstacles is another. Foster care is a big issue too. I really liked learning about apraxia and selective mutism. That aspect of the plot was very interesting.

I enjoyed the novel. It gave me much to think about in addition to containing a heartwarming plot with an emotional ending.

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

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the authors:

Cindy Woodsmall is the "New York Times" and CBA best-selling author of eighteen works of fiction. She's been featured in national media outlets such as ABC's "Nightline" and the "Wall Street Journal." Cindy has won numerous awards and has been finalist for the prestigious Christy, Rita, and Carol Awards. Cindy and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains in Flowery Branch, GA.

Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of three. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. She is very excited about their first coauthored book.

Find out more about Cindy and Erin at http://www.cindywoodsmall.com. 

Stonewater Books, 208 pages.

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