A death in the family changes everything, and when you add suddenly taking care of a twelve-year-old (or a child of any age, really), that makes everything more difficult. The need to try to make no changes is considerable, but so is the necessity to find a new balance. In this story, Dex struggles with all of that, as well as his own loneliness on top of his niece Rowan’s troubles. Even though Rowan seems to deal pretty well overall, the change and missing her mother gets to both of them. The story of their first Christmas is heart-wrenching at first, but as a few unexpected events bring some changes, a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon – for both Rowan and Dex.

Dex is a physical therapist, and he loves his job. It’s probably part of the reason moving from Portland, Oregon, back to Eugene and into his deceased sister’s apartment was relatively easy for him. While it leaves Rowan in an environment she knows, it also means Dex finds it difficult to see it as his home rather than his sister’s. This becomes especially noticeable in the run-up to Christmas; Dex was ever a fan, but his sister and Rowan made a big deal out of it.

No tree or any decorations are in sight when Rowan leaves to stay with her grandmother in Washington DC, but her music teacher – a man Dex met after her clarinet was stolen – changes all of that. Ed is a huge fan of Christmas, and when he helps Dex decorate the tree he got after much deliberation, things quickly change between the two men. Some Christmas merriment is clearly what they both needed.

If you like stories that involve Christmas cheer helping characters go from sad to happy, if two men who only recently met finding themselves bond is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as emotional as it is sweet, then you will probably like this festive short story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )