Title: The Trees of New Cheltenham
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: Christmas in New Cheltenham, book 6
Major Themes: Christmas, Victorian Literature
Synopsis: Daniel Murray was doing his best to hold the family together, but it was almost not enough.
Another book in the New Cheltenham series? Count me in! Chautona Havig is one of my favorite (if not my absolute favorite) authors, and New Cheltenham has become one of my favorite locations in her books. The Trees of New Cheltenham is her latest Christmas book, and I didn’t hesitate when I had a chance to read it.
Publisher’s description:
Daniel Murray is flat worn out trying to support his mother and siblings, but an unexpected inheritance offers a reprieve. Still, his siblings are squabbling, his mother is worn out, and working two jobs might just crush him—or rather, he’s crushing on his new boss (but he’ll never admit it).
So, when his little brother finds an abandoned Christmas tree farm at the back of their new property, hope swells. Maybe they can salvage some of the trees and he can quit his extra job… or not. After all, they say to keep your enemies close and your crushes closer… right?
The Trees of New Cheltenham might do more than give one struggling family a chance at a Christmas celebration. It might just bring two hearts together as well.
My thoughts:
I was not disappointed! I had just read several other Christian fiction Christmas romances, and was getting quite tired of stories whose main focus was romance, with a heavy emphasis on kissing from the first admission of liking each other. Not my kind of book—I had made the mistake of signing up for a collection that included several like that. So, it was refreshing to start reading The Trees of New Cheltenham and not find much of a hint of romance till about 39% of the way through! (Although, now that I check my highlights again, a couple of people talk about matchmaking at 12%.)
I loved the Murray family. This is an author who knows how to write large families authentically (maybe because she is the mother of a large family?!). I quickly fell in love with Daniel’s mother, and had to chuckle at some of the interactions the family had with people who found out they homeschooled.
There was a character in this book that reminded me of a villain from the Aggie books. I won’t say more because it would be a spoiler, but it sure added interest and excitement to the story! I did have to wonder if there will be a spinoff of this story, including someone involved with the villain. It seemed as though there was more to come, possibly.
There was a reference to something in this book that made me think Mikki had read an easy reader we have, Nate the Great. I love running across references like that!
The Trees of New Cheltenham is not your normal Christmas romance. It’s typical of Chautona’s books—expect the unexpected! I am delighted to have gotten a chance to read it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: One kiss.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Leave a Reply