Customer Reviews

With Christmas in His Heart (Michigan Island, Book 2 / Love Inspired, No. 373)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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Christine Powers has worked hard to climb the corporate ladder until her Grandmother Summers had a stroke, her parents left on a cruise, and Christine was elected to be a reluctant caregiver. There are others who want her job and she's stranded on Mackinac Island for who knows how long and she's not happy. She's not thrilled about her grandmother's border either. He's far too much at home in Grandmother's house to suit Christine. She doesn't want to be there, and she doesn't want Will Lambert underfoot all the time, either.

Will has been bording with Grandma Summers. He loves the elderly woman and has been trying to take care of her. He doesn't understand why Christine is so hostile to him, but he's not about to move out.

Set on a remote island with a simple way of living and good neighbors, where there's time to walk slow, visit, and spend time for God, this is another heartwarming love story from this talented writer.

The author Gail has a unique talent to keep the reader engaged into the Characters and their up and downs. The book is easy to read with a lovely ending. I have several books written by Gail, and they are worth their money and time. I am recommending this and other books by Gail Gaymer Martin.

The above proverb is wonderfully illustrated in this story, and it's a lesson we all need to be reminded of, and one that I especially needed to reflect upon at this particular stage in my life. There's a lot about the female protagonist that I related to: how she thrived on her fast paced city lifestyle, yet desperately needed a simpler and more spiritual daily way of life. My dreams invision a casual summery enviroment, so it's to the author's credit that she described winter/Christmas in the frozen isolated Mackinac Island in such a beautiful and appealing way to even my tropical mindset. I loved the age-related dilemma that the couple faced, as well as the difficulties with his parent's unreasonable expectations and they way the couple handled them. All-in-all, I found this to be a very inspiring and introspective story.

This is an interesting contrast in life styles and priorities. The portrayal of life on a Michigan island was a fun adventure in itself. Snow and cold are so romantic when I'm reading about them and not suffering from frozen toes,ears, and fingers. A twist to this romance is the age difference of the two parties. This is not a May-December romance, but rather more like an August-December, with the man being the August in this case. Lovable characters are necessary for a good romance. This book supplies them, including Grandma Ella, who is the catalyst for the entire wholesome affair. This one would make a good Hallmark Channel movie at Christmas. If you're in the mood for a light and entertaining love story, start up your snowmobile and visit Mackinac Island via this book. Better wait for the ice bridge to form though!
Donald James Parker
Author of All the Voices of the Wind

With Christmas in His Heart is a sweet Christian romance story about finding love later in life and in the most unexpected places. Christine Powers, a fast-talking, business savvy, advertising executive of a big-city firm decides to take the last of her vacation time to help her grandmother who lives in a small, cozy, tourist town just a few hours away--Mackinac Island. Her life is turned upside down when her grandmother's recovery takes a sharp turn, requiring Christine to make some difficult decisions that may force her to give up her career and lush city lifestyle.

Author Gail Gaymer Martin's writing style is enjoyable to read and it is obvious that she loves this island in real life because of her careful attention to detail. Without giving away too many details about the story, I'll just say that I've already started reading another book that Martin contributed to: Mackinac Island Four Generations Of Romance Enrich A Unique Community. I would love to visit the island some day to explore all of the real-life sites mentioned in these wonderful books! Be looking for more books from this gifted author! ~Shaye of Chadron MOPS

"With Christmas in His Heart" is a charming story that brought back many happy memories of summer vacations spent on Mackinac Island, where the book is set. Since the time of year, as the title suggests, is wintertime on the island, I especially enjoyed the glimpse of what life on the island is like for its full-time residents.

While the storyline is not a new one--big city girl comes to a small town and finds herself drawn to the quieter life there--Gail Gaymer Martin makes it her own with characters I quickly grew to love and wonderfully descriptive settings. Christine's struggle to trust that God's plan for her life is far better than any she could dream of on her own is one that I understand.

This is the first of Gail's books that I have had the pleasure of reading, and I look forward to more of them, especially those set in the Mackinac Island and northern Michigan areas.