A Christmas by the Sea

By Melody Carlson

From Goodreads:

When Wendy Harper inherits her family’s beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in–temporarily, she reminds him–in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.

Join award-winning author Melody Carlson for a Christmas story that will warm your heart and have you dreaming of your own enchanted seaside holiday.

My review:

I picked this up from my local library not even paying attention to the author’s name due to the library stickers. My oldest daughter noticed when I got home and brought to my attention that it’s one of her favorite authors. Although she’s read Melody Carlson’s “TrueColors” series multiple times, this is a first read by this author for me.

The story begins with Wendy who’s just lost her husband to cancer and currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio with their 12-year-old son Jackson. She’s inherited her grandparent’s cottage in Maine which is like a blessing because her finances are sort of a mess. She decides to drive to Maine with Jackson so she can prepare the cottage with plans to put it on the market.

Wendy falls in love with ‘small town’ Seaside all over again, but knows that she has to sell the cottage and return to her job. She wants to do the best for her son Jackson, although he has plans of his own and that’s moving to Seaside permanently. He won’t take no for an answer. Wendy’s feeling unsure about everything and wonders how she could ever make a living there while providing for Jackson financially. She meets a local man named Caleb Colton that really attracts her. While Wendy continues to make repairs on the cottage, she begins to weigh the possibilities of a new life at Seaside.

Sweet and heartwarming, this Christian romance was a little too fluffy at times for me, but I still enjoyed it. It’s a well-written, super quick read at about 167 pages. The writing was descriptive and with all the imagery I found myself wishing I could visit this beautiful town at Christmas. For being such a short read, I appreciated the character depth. I found the characters totally relatable except for Crystal of course. She was nearly unbearable for me! The romance is extremely light and there’s not a single bit of profanity throughout the whole book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The story is full of hope and joy which is always nice around the holidays. This is a book that will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit! I’m looking forward to reading some other Christmas books by Melody Carlson.

4****

Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon:

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Revell (September 4, 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780800722715
• ISBN-13: 978-0800722715

Thanks for reading my review of A Christmas by the Sea. Have you read anything by this author? What are some books you’re reading this Christmas season? Please leave comments and suggestions below. Have a great week!

❤ Mischenko