Christmas is coming and romance is in the air! Check out an excerpt from Secret Angel by Cherry Christensen as well as my thoughts. Be sure to follow the tour for even more and let the author know your thoughts along the way. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Doctoral student Hannah Wagganer has big dreams of leaving her hometown of Glen Arbor behind to teach at a large university. That is, until Jasper Morgan, the new mail carrier, arrives in town. Not only does he send Hannah’s heart racing, but he creates an instant bond with her cat, Jingles.
While Hannah is busy preparing for the church’s candlelight Christmas Eve service and running the family store, she keeps bumping into Jasper—right in front of the prying eyes of the locals, who suspect there’s more going on than business as usual.
But then, a series of unexpected blessings occurs that changes the town’s focus: first, an anonymous donor pays to have the church furnace repaired, and then other locals suddenly find solutions to their problems. Is it coincidental, or the work of a secret angel?
Read an excerpt:
“The meal was wonderful, and so was the company,” Jasper answered, turning briefly to catch Hannah’s eye.
“Glad to hear,” Sabela said, grinning. “Be right back.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “Now you’ve gone and done it. We’ll be the talk of the town by tomorrow morning.”
“That’s one time I won’t mind being in the spotlight.”
The heat in his voice melted her insides to mush. “You’re crazy.”
“Uh-oh,” Sabela said, approaching their table. “I bet you weren’t supposed to figure that out until he had you completely under his spell.” She handed him the credit card and winked at Hannah. “Thank you and come back soon.”
Hannah laughed and put on her coat. Exiting the restaurant, frigid air smacked her cheeks as the door closed behind them. She pinched her collar tighter, stepping beside Jasper on the way back to the shop.
“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in there,” he said, kicking a chunk of ice with the toe of his boot.
“It isn’t the first time.” She listened to the faint sound of a snow blower off in the distance, remembering other occasions when Sabela instigated rumors about Hannah’s love life. She quirked a smile, realizing fantasy was more gossip-worthy than reality, and perhaps Sabela’s meddling would somehow prove beneficial in the future.
“Is that a good smile or an ‘I’m plotting my revenge on him’ smile?”
She hastened her pace as Deer Crossings came into view. “I’ll never tell.”
“Hey, wait,” Jasper called out, his footsteps stomping behind her. “That’s not reassuring at all.”
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**My thoughts**
It's a sweet short-ish story about a single woman who falls for the new postman in town. He clearly also thinks very highly of her. The two of them quickly bond and get to know each other. But Jasper has a secret past that he isn't willing to tell Hannah about, in spite of their bond and mutual trust. But you can tell it is nothing sinister. I think I would have enjoyed digging even deeper into their personal stories as they embarked upon creating their own story with their close friendship.
The whole story is full of secrets, particularly involving an anonymous benefactor who keeps blessing the small town's inhabitants. I felt like I figured out a lot of the secrets pretty quickly, but that didn't detract from the story. All of that generosity left me feeling warm and fuzzy, especially in our current crazy climate.
I think one of my favorite parts of the story was visiting that area of Michigan again and learning about the Sleeping Bear Dunes again. I grew up just south of the Michigan line and my mom grew up in the Mitten State. One of my favorite memories was a family trip up to the Dunes and all over northern Michigan and the UP. And as always, Go Blue!
Thank you to Goddess Fish and the author for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A confirmed night owl, Cherry wholeheartedly agrees with whoever said, “I could be a morning person, if morning happened around noon.” It’s no surprise then she prefers to write in the evening. She’s a bit of a pantser writer, meaning she dreams up stories without using an outline, so every day is an exciting adventure as she waits to see where the characters lead her next!
A lifelong avid reader, Cherry turned to writing as a creative outlet. Drawing partly from her own experiences, and partly from her wild imagination, she weaves romantic tales with a smidgen of religion and a hint of mystery. Cherry’s first novel, The Fearful Heart, debuted in 2014, and she has never looked back. She continues to grow as an author, learning more about the writing craft with each book.
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Cherry Christensen will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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