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Together Under the Tree (2022)
The Perfect Gift
The Love Inspired Christmas Collection, Together Under the Tree, features “two uplifting stories.” The first of the two Christmas Romance novels in this collection is The Perfect Gift by Lenora Worth.
Worth begins her tale a little differently than most modern mainstream romance books I have read. The prologue depicts a man and his two little boys staring down at an unconscious woman asleep in their house. Chapter One then flashes back to show us how Goldie Rios ended up on Rory Branigan’s sofa. Reeling from a breakup, and headed back to her grandmother’s house on icy roads, Goldie crashes her car. Injured and freezing, Goldie makes her way to Rory’s house to escape the frigid weather. Finding no one home and desperate for warmth, Goldie turns the nobs on the doors to discover, to her relief, that the back door is open and the house is warm.
Widower Rory Branigan’s job as a nuisance hunter keeps him on call and overly dependent of his mother’s help with his two young sons, Sam and Tyler. Just as he doesn’t quite know how to talk to his children about their mother’s death, he doesn’t know how to explain this unconscious woman to them. Sam, hurt and angry over losing his mom, just wants this woman gone. Innocent little Tyler asks, “Can we keep her?”
Ta-Ta to Loser #5 … and to Dating, in general
Despite having a string of bad breakups with worse boyfriends, Goldie’s life feels pretty complete. She has a job that she loves, writing an advice column and blogging about organization. Just as she decides that maybe the dating scene isn’t for her, this handsome man comes into her life and comes to her rescue by making sure that she gets the medical care she needs and that her grandmother, who is recovering from hip surgery, doesn’t get out on the icy roads. Knowing that Rory is checking on her Grammy and keeping her updated on her condition means a lot to Goldie, and they both start developing feelings that neither of them are prepared for.
However, Goldie has an apartment and a life to get back to. Her boss has already been more than generous, allowing her to work remotely while Grammy is recovering. She can’t even think about getting into another relationship right now, especially when both Rory’s oldest son and his mother seem to hate her.
Rory has questions. Lots of questions. Is it wrong to want to get to know Goldie better, knowing she’s leaving after Christmas? Should he even try, knowing that his mom and son are both completely against the idea? Is it too soon to start dating again? Can a man love two women at the same time? Because, Rory realizes too late, that’s what he’s feeling for Goldie. Love.
Sadness During the Season
Christmas is a time for togetherness and family! It’s supposed to be a season of comfort and joy. This novel tackles some of the issues that keep some of us from feeling that joy: grief, estrangement, fear, and careers.
Goldie has a close relationship with her grandmother, but her father is no longer living, and her mother only “checks in” occasionally. Rory’s oldest son, Sam, needs to talk about his mother. Rory is uncomfortable talking about her death and always changes the subject. Rory’s mom, who has become the most important woman in the lives of her son and grandsons, fears being replaced if he starts dating again. Both Rory and Goldie have jobs that occasionally get in the way of their relationships with loved ones.
Overwhelmingly Optimistic
I found the allusions to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” to be clever, if a bit cheesy. It’s a Christmas Romance … it has a right to be a bit cheesy, am I right? However, the tough issues that this novel tackles keeps it from being too corny. In fact, I think this story needed those little clever, humorous moments because of the tough issues.
Very few authors can tackle the issues that Lenora Worth does in this novel and still manage to create a story that is overwhelmingly optimistic. The Perfect Gift is a heartwarming story of hope. It stars a cast of characters that simply walk right off the page!
The Perfect Gift is a perfect read to get you into the Christmas spirit this holiday season.
Once Upon a Christmas
The second novel featured in Together Under the Tree is USA Today Bestselling Author Pamela Tracy’s Once Upon a Christmas, which was first published in 2012.
Single dad and widower Jared McCreedy has had his hands full raising his three boys and running his family’s ranch. He hasn’t had the time or inclination to think about another woman. Besides, there’s no one on earth who can replace Mandy.
Maggie Tate is a single mom and widower, who blames herself for her husband’s death, even though he died in Afghanistan. As a result, she’s closed her heart off to everyone except her daughter Cassidy.
Parents don’t like to be told that their child may have a learning disorder or some other health concern and needs to see a specialist. When Jared’s teacher tells him she’s concerned about Caleb, Jared has to admit that he’s noticed some of the same symptoms at home. Caleb’s teacher recommends that Jared talk to Maggie Tate, whose daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD.
Christmas Cupids
Jared appreciates Maggie’s help with Caleb, but that’s all he wants from her. After all, she’s nothing like Maggie, who adored being a rancher’s wife. He just couldn’t see Maggie, with her retro skirts, enjoying everyday life on Solitaire Farm. Jared’s also a devout Christian man, and Maggie shudders every time anyone even mentions church around her. More than that! She nearly has a panic attack whenever someone mentions prayer. No, Maggie isn’t the woman for him. He almost asks out Patty Maynard, but something stops him. Why can’t he stop thinking about Maggie?
Maggie can see that everyone in Roanoke is trying to play Cupid this Christmas. Jared’s handsome, no one could argue that. He’s kind and generous and hard working and patient, and well … perfect. He’s everything she wishes Dan had been. She feels guilt every time she remembers that little prayer she sent up the last time she and Cassidy put him on the plane. One asking that he be gone a little longer this time. Yes, Jared’s perfect, but she’s not. She “doesn’t deserve his prayers or his heart.”
As a single mother starting over with a new business in a new town, Maggie is struggling to make ends meet. She scrimps and saves just to get Cassidy three presents.
Christmas Thief
Cassidy’s letter to Santa has asked for five presents: a pair of red boots, a puppy, a brother, a horse, and a daddy. If Maggie had said yes to Jared’s attempt to ask her out, Cassidy could have all of those things for Christmas. She would have to settle for the red boots and two other toys.
But someone in Roanoke is breaking into people’s homes and stealing Christmas presents from under their trees. When Maggie’s shop is targeted and Cassidy’s Christmas is stolen, she loses hope. Jared, her neighbors, and the congregation of Main Street Church band together to raise money to replace the stolen Christmas items.
Once Upon a Christmas Recommendation
Once Upon a Christmas is truly a heartwarming Christmas story about overcoming guilt and finding love again. However, I did find the ending to be extremely rushed, even though it was uplifting. She says yes to a proposal before she ever says yes to a date.
The other minor issue I had with this novel has to do with editing. In Chapter Three, there’s a tree upstairs with presents under it. Cassidy is chanting that she wants a “real tree, real tree, real tree,” in Chapter Six, before proclaiming that they needed two trees: a little one for their apartment upstairs and a big one for the shop. In Chapter Seven, Maggie tells Cassidy that they’re only getting one tree, for downstairs. Later, in Chapter Eleven, when the shop is broken into, Maggie wonders if they took Cassidy’s presents upstairs, and in Chapter Thirteen, she tells her mother-in-law that she had Cassidy’s presents under the tree when they were stolen.
With that said, I have to applaud Pamela Tracy’s use of foreshadowing to set up the thief. It was just enough so that the reader could put it together just before the characters, but not enough to be overly obvious early in the novel. Too many authors fail to find that balance when including a mystery element in their novels!
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Overall Recommendation
Overall, I enjoyed Together Under the Tree, and I think those who love the Love Inspired line as much as I do will enjoy Goldie & Rory as well as Jared & Maggie. One thing both of these stories have in common: the children are unique individuals with varied and believable characteristics.
Review by Robin Sneed at Keeping Christmas 365
First published: December 27, 2022
Last updated: July 13, 2023 (updated links)
