"Christmas on Mimosa Lane"--author Anna DeStefano presents a touching Christmas story about love, loss, and healing—and the joys of coming home (see my review)

Christmas on Mimosa Lane

A childhood spent on the streets leaves Mallory Phillips longing for a normal life and a perfect Christmas. Now an elementary school nurse in Chandlerville, Georgia, Mallory’s dream to blend into the picturesque community isn’t working out. She’s once more living a loner’s existence. Then an emotionally fragile seven-year-old appears in her living room in the middle of the night, and Mallory’s isolated world is turned upside down.

This is Polly Lombard’s first Christmas without her mother, and she won’t utter a word to anyone—except Mallory. She believes Mallory holds the key to helping her father overcome his sadness. Despite Pete Lombard’s lingering grief over his wife’s death and concern for his daughter, his resistance to their mysterious neighbor crumbles as he spends more time with Mallory and falls for her amazing heart. But when her past returns haunt her, is Mallory strong enough to keep the Lombard family in her life? And can the spirit of Christmas heal these broken souls and bring them all the joyous, loving holiday they deserve?

MY REVIEW:  The holidays are a time of heightened emotions--happiness and grief are intertwined for those of us who have lost loved ones. The memories can be overwhelming, often as dreaded as they are treasured. Everyone has to grieve in their own way, and they should be allowed to find their own level of emotional acceptance. Then there are those people who have great loving hearts, but did not have happy childhoods, and never experienced a real "family Christmas". Sentimental holiday music, lights and decorations everywhere, and there's no escaping the shopping blitz. Author Anna DeStefano's "Christmas on Mimosa Lane" is a poignant, emotion-charged, and ultimately very rewarding holiday romance, but it is also a reminder that life is for the living. Mallory Phillips is a seeker, searching for the idealized community and home life that she has never known. She thought she would find it on Mimosa Lane in the charming community of Chandlerville, Georgia. Working as a school nurse, she still feels something is missing from her life. She still feels alone. The only visitor to her home is a little girl from her neighborhood who comes to look at Mallory's Christmas Tree through her window. Polly and her father, Pete Lombard are grieving the loss of Polly's mother, and this Christmas season is very difficult. One evening, Polly ventures inside Mallory's house, triggering a chain of events which will change the course of all their lives. Pete is angry, frustrated, and just as scared as his little girl. Everything he took for granted, including his peace of mind, was taken away when his wife died from cancer. He's not sure of much of anything, and he resents Mallory's very frank assessment of his parenting skills. However, they soon begin to work together to make life better for Polly, and a fragile contentment settles around the three of them. Seeds of hope are planted, and the growing relationship between Pete and Mallory starts to bloom. When Mallory's painful past catches up with her, can she hold on to her newly-formed dreams of future happiness? Will Pete and Polly become the family she has ached for all of her life? "Christmas on Mimosa Lane" is highly recommended--especially for people like me who carry the spirit of Christmas in their heart all year long.

Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine 

 

Reviews

 

"Christmas on Mimosa Lane celebrates the resilience of not only the holiday spirit, but the human spirit as well. You won't regret being part of that celebration." —Kathy Altman, USA TODAY, Happy Ever After

"This book is a perfect tearjerker, with a cast of characters that will reaffirm readers' faith in the incredible power of the human spirit. With tragic events that feel real, this story is a terrific read. Keep tissues handy as you fall into the compelling world created by this standout author!" —RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars (Mild)

"[This book] will tug on your heart strings...This was my first book by Anna DeStefano and I can't wait to read more of them. I finished this book with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes! If you want to read a wonderful but heart wrenching book then Christmas on Mimosa Lane is the book for you." —Fresh Fiction

"Anna DeStefano grabs you by the heartstrings and doesn't let go. Christmas on Mimosa Lane is a touching, emotional and timely story, with characters who will stay with you long after the last page has been turned." —Brenda Novak, New York Times best-selling author

"Christmas on Mimosa Lane is a charming, tender delight with unforgettable characters. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you feel as if you've come home yourself to a magical place where Christmas dreams do come true. Anna DeStefano is a treasure!"  —Teresa Medeiros, New York Times best-selling author of Goodnight Tweetheart

"A deeply emotional story that furls around your heart like a Christmas ribbon." —Lori Wilde, New York Times best-selling author

"A fearlessly emotional novel about the redemptive power of love, Christmas on Mimosa Lane explores the grief of a little girl and the wounds of the two damaged adults trying to help her. Four hankies. Five stars." —Judith Arnold, author of Goodbye To All That
 
"Anna DeStefano's Seasons of the Heart novel [Christmas on Mimosa Lane], is a heart-wrenching, redemptive story that doesn't shy away from some of the hardest parts of love, but ultimately celebrates the beautiful ability of the heart to heal, and to love again...Though seldom easy, Mallory and Pete's story was a heartfelt and compassionate one, and I'm eager to spend some more time visiting on Mimosa Lane soon."—The Romance Reviews

"Christmas on Mimosa Lane is one of the most emotionally powerful tales I have read in a long time." —Romance Junkie Reviews, 5 Blue Ribbons 


Anna DeStefano

 

Anna DeStefano brings to life heart-warming, emotion-packed stories about community, family and second chances. Her award-winning, nationally bestselling small town romances spotlight family, friendships and the forgiveness that nurtures her characters’ dreams…as they explore the issues all contemporary families face.

Anna’s imagination is forever inspired by our ability to claim an unlimited and exciting future—by honestly confronting and bravely overcoming the setbacks of the past.

She’s the author of more than twenty-seven books, including the Echoes of the Heart and the Mimosa Lane novels that are set in Chandlerville, Georgia, and her Atlanta Heroes series.

Look for her other titles featuring the reader-favorite Dixon family: Here in My Heart, Let me Love You Again, His Darling Bride, and Book 3 of the Seasons of the Heart series, Love on Mimosa Lane.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Anna’s lived in the South her entire life. Her background as a care provider and adult educator in the world of crisis and grief recovery lends itself to the deeper psychological themes of every story she writes.

A wife and mother, she currently writes in a charming northeast suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, not all that different from her characters’ beloved Chandlerville.

She is also a workshop, masterclass and keynote speaker, a writing coach, and a freelance editor.

Get to know Anna at annawrites.com/blog and the Anna DeStefano: Author page on Facebook, where she shares her inspirations, her challenges, a healthy dose of honest optimism, and tidbits about upcoming projects.

http://www.annawrites.com/