“Then, as if they’d known and loved each other all their lives, he reached for her hand and linked her fingers with his as they walked through the restaurant.”

Two Christmas stories are tied together by Cedar Cove in Christmas in Cedar Cove. First, readers get a glimpse into two love stories that span generations in a family during wartime. The second brings a pregnant woman to Cedar Cove in search for the father of her child on Christmas Eve.

I have enjoyed several Debbie Macomber books over the years. After living near Seattle for a while, I enjoy books set in that area of the country. I have only read one or two of the Cedar Cove series but I am currently watching the show based on the books on Netflix. Since I enjoy this author and try to read some Christmas books in December, I bought this book when it went on sale through BookBub.

I really enjoyed the first short story in the book. A college-aged woman writes a letter to a deployed military member for the holidays and is surprised to get a letter in return from a Marine who lives near her. They start writing back and forth, even though Ruth is opposed to the war. When he returns on leave for two weeks, she has to decide if her heart and mind can agree on where the relationship should go. There is also a tie with learning her grandmother’s past during World War II.

The second story is set in Cedar Cove with characters I know from the television show. It was a good story about a small town welcoming in a pregnant woman in need (yes, there are nods to the original Christmas story). The only downside was it gave away some things that will happen in future episodes of the shows I’m watching. (I know, always read the books first.)

For a holiday read, this was a fun book that helped boost my Christmas spirit. There is love, tough decisions, giving and sacrifice. I would recommend this to anyone high school age or older, especially around the holidays.

Buy the book here (affiliate link).