Manchester Christmas
Stuffed to the seams with wholesome holiday cheer, Manchester Christmas is an adorable Christian romance set in a snow globe-worthy small town in Vermont.
At the beginning of the fall, Chase, a cute-as-a-button writer, drives her convertible from Seattle to Manchester with her adorable dog, hoping to fulfill her deep yearning for pastoral life. Within moments of arriving, Chase is embroiled in a love triangle with two of the town’s most eligible bachelors: Owen, a widowed real estate agent and single parent to a boy on the autistic spectrum, and Gavin, a hunky farmer with a master’s degree. Their tight-knit community doesn’t believe in privacy, and soon, Chase’s love life is the talk of the town. Then she rents a rehabbed church and discovers that its rare Tiffany glass windows have the ability to communicate with her. As she grows to trust the windows’ messages, Chase enters a new relationship with a God, who has her best interests at heart.
For all of its crisp maple leaves, perfect waffles, aww-shucks dialogue, and shabby chic descriptions, Manchester Christmas also takes on serious questions about what “home” means to Chase. She’s depicted as independent, sassy, and in search of a sense of belonging; one of the novel’s most satisfying turns is in her budding bond to the god she sees in the church windows.
This is an apple-pie-sweet Christian romance, complete with tender kisses, fireflies, and just the right amount of conflict, as well as a distinctive cast of supporting characters who nudge Chase along as she figures out what she wants, and who she’s living for. Manchester Christmas is a seasonal fantasy that doesn’t worry too much about reality as its characters find new ways and reasons to rub noses in the snow.
Reviewed by
Claire Foster
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
