I picked this book to read because it is getting closer to the holidays. I was looking forward to a warm cozy book that I could curl up with and to get me in the holiday spirit.

This book didn't start off on a happy note. After 16 years Becca has decided to no longer keep the family secret secret anymore. This was going to be a Christmas the family would never forget.

Becca longed to now be a mother to the child she gave up and raised by her brother and sister-in-law. She hadn't visited the family much over the years except for holidays and other special occasions. As far as I was concerned she didn't even know her daughter enough to want to take the place of "mother".

All these years Becca was busy being a professional business woman, but the more I read the more immature Becca seemed.

Becca had put her personal life on hold for 16 years and had no desire to get involved with anyone. It is hard to believe that within a week Becca has changed her mind and ready for a relationship with a neighbor whom she has only spoken with a few times.

I enjoyed the other characters. Learning how they felt about revealing the secret and also what was going on in their personal lives. I didn't feel that anyone was close to anyone except for the grandmother and the youngest daughter. It didn't feel much like a family to me.

I was expecting more of a Christmas book, Although winter, cold, decorating the tree and presents were mentioned it wasn't enough for me to really think of it as a Christmas book.

It was a quick read and somewhat enjoyable. ( )

This book was just okay. It did keep my interest but I think the author could have been stronger with the story line. The story gets into how each famly member deals with the famly secret but when it comes out, I didn't feel surprised with the secret. It was kinda of a predictable read. I would read another book by her though. ( )

Overall I liked the storyline and characters in this book. I thought the characters were diverse and were developed well as the story went on. How each character was affected by the family secret so differently made this an enjoyable story. After Becca's announcement of her desire to reveal the truth, the characters evolved well. However, I thought the character of Alex and the relationship/interaction with Becca was rushed and maybe not needed. ( )

I was so hopeful about this book...it is a genre that I love and I was in the mood for a captivating story. It was good but I felt that I read this story before. Frustrated mom who gave up her daughter then later on in life totally regrets her decision. It is set in Maine, one of my fav places for a good mushy story, but I just did not really slip into the characters the way I like to. It was a good story just not a great story. ( )

I won this book in the September Early Reviewer draw, and received it after Thanksgiving. The best thing I cn say about it is that it was a quick read. The characters were all annoying, the center of the storm is a work a holic who clearly never grew past the act of giving up her child at 16. her emotions are juvenile, her handling of her family relationships just poor, makes me wonder how she could be a successful career woman. None of the reasoning is clear to me, why did she give up her child, why now does she want to reclaim her, and the story is unclear while the characters are just plain unsympathetic. it was a waste of an evening. how did Holly Chamberlin get to be a bestselling author, as claimed on the inside cover of this dreadful book??