Christmas Comes to Little Hickman Creek

Title: CHRISTMAS COMES TO LITTLE HICKMAN CREEK

Author: Sharlene MacLaren

Publisher: Whitaker House

September 2014

ISBN:   978-1629111803

Genre: Christmas / historical novella

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.

CHRISTMAS COMES TO LITTLE HICKMAN CREEK is a novella to finish out Ms. MacLaren’s popular Little Hickman Creek series. I enjoyed getting to know Sadie and Reed. Reed is completely devoted to Sadie, pursing her despite her obvious disinterest.

I also liked how Sadie, despite being still in deep grief over losing her husband, still participates in the community celebrations. I did worry a bit over Reed pursing her while she was still grieving, but it is fiction and a novella… 

Fans of Ms. MacLaren’s Little Hickman Creek series will be thrilled to have this latest installment to the series and catch up with previous characters.  CHRISTMAS COMES TO LITTLE HICKMAN CREEK has a nice holiday feel, and one could almost feel the crisp air, and see the inch of snow covering the ground as the story begins. So grab a cup of hot cocoa and a few cookies and settle in for an enjoyable holiday read. 144 pages. $9.39 Kindle. $10.64 paperback.

***I loved the snowflakes on each page and the pine tree artwork separating each chapter in this book.