Image from Goodreads
A heartwarming Christmas story about family, friendship and finding love in unexpected places.
Joy Holbrook might be all work and no play, but that changes when her Aunt Ruby takes a fall that lands her in a rehabilitation center before the holidays. Joy takes a leave of absence from her job as a market researcher to run the family farm, even though the timing may hinder her chance at garnering the promotion of her dreams.
Ben Andrews isn’t your average accountant. He also happens to be the handiest man in Crystal Falls. He’s helped his elderly neighbor, Ruby Johnson, decorate for the annual Christmas Home Tour—and win—the last several years. He’s not about to let some drop-in niece break their winning streak.
Ruby seems overly concerned about Joy being able to handle Molly. Under the impression she’s referring Molly the bunny that is one of the menagerie of animals, Joy’s not worried at all until the next morning when a little girl named Molly shows up. For the sake of her aunt, Joy is forced to partner with Ben while Ruby is on the mend to help with preparation for the Christmas tour and, in the process finds her career-focused heart dreaming of a family.
Will the magic of Christmas help her to open her heart and find her everlasting joy?
(Blurb from Goodreads)
My last Christmas book review of the season (I think)!
The main character, Joy, is like a lot of us; we’re just trying to get by, day by day. Work consumes us, and we want to visit family, but maybe when we aren’t so busy.
Joy’s aunt Ruby is who many of us aspire to be. She is funny, has friends, is very helping to others, and holds a special place in the community.
Joy is forced to pause her work-consumed life to take care of her aunt. And although she is a bit worried about the promotion she was hoping she would get, and taking the time off of work, she still takes the time off because she knows it’s the right thing to do. And during that time off things happen in other areas of Joy’s life. She meets Ben, a possible love match, and learns that work isn’t always the most important thing in life.
Although this life lesson is shown again and again in movies and books, I really enjoyed Nancy Naigle’s version in Christmas Joy.
***I received this book for free in a swag bag for a conference I attended.***
