Second Chances
Christmas In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is a beautiful contemporary heartwarming novel that will make you smile. It is the fourth book in the Bellbird Bay series but can be read as a stand-alone.
All the characters were well drawn, lovable and realistic. I loved the inclusion of a dog who definitely turns a house into a home. There was a beautiful bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter whose youthful enthusiasm was infectious.
I loved the fact that the lead characters were in their fifties. As they entered the latter years of their lives, their outlook was still young as they grabbed life with both hands.
Life is for living. Both lead characters had suffered loss. Grief is not something you ‘get over’ but something you have to adapt to and live with.
We see a marriage on the rocks and also hear of an abusive marriage in the past. There are second chances to be seized, bitterness cast aside and life to be lived again.
Family is important. We see you are never too old to not need your mum when life falls apart.
The community of Bellbird Bay is warm, welcoming and inclusive of new people. Life is not your own as gossip spreads quickly but it is a small price to pay for all the love and care.
The freedom of the beach community contrasts with the stifling city life.
I really enjoyed Christmas In Bellbird Bay. It was my first book by Maggie Christensen but I shall definitely be seeking out more.
I received a free copy from Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Christmas in Bellbird Bay
Libby Walker never imagined she’d be moving into the dream house she and her husband had purchased for their retirement as a widow. Intent on making a new life for herself in the quiet coastal town of Bellbird Bay, Libby’s life is upended by an unexpected call from her daughter.
Adam Holland’s unhappy childhood and broken home has left him scarred. Content with the life he has built for himself as a journalist and author of political thrillers, Adam arrives in Bellbird Bay to fulfil the deathbed request of an old friend.
When Libby and Adam meet, there is an initial attraction. But Libby is grieving for her late husband and trying to help her daughter sort out her life, and Adam has no intention of forming a relationship, wary of commitment because of how his family was torn apart.
Will the peace and tranquillity of Bellbird Bay help these two move on from old hurts and make this a Christmas to remember, or will events conspire to keep them apart?
A heartwarming tale of family, friends, and how a second chance at love can happen when you least expect it.
Purchase Link – getbook.at/ChristmasinBellbirdBay
Author Bio –
After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
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