deck the halls takes place in the quaint town of darling, vermont, and our hero george reilly has finally gotten his life back together after suffering from undiagnosed ptsd, guilt and grief, poverty, and homelessness. the last person he expects is to run into amy merck. her twin brother was george's brother in arms, and a good portion of that guilt and grief that sent him on a downward spiral relates to tim's death.

amy just wants closure. for fifteen years her family has been left to wonder what really happened to her brother, and finally, she's tracked down the guy who has all the answers. quickly, she realizes that her need for answers may not actually trump george's well-being. but she feels compelled to follow through with this contact, because he's that last link to her brother. and because when she sees him she feels a zing of attraction that she didn't expect after all this time.

george realizes that he needs to talk to amy about the past in order to move forward with his new present. but it is difficult because going back to the lowest point in his life after having worked so hard to crawl out of it is the last thing he wants to do. but spending time with amy proves healing, and the greatest gifts of the season are love and forgiveness.

for a novella, this was filled with some meaty subject matter, but the author does a good job of balancing this with the romance and nothing feels short-changed.

I loved this novella by Donna Alward. As a military wife of a veteran with PTSD, I so sympathize with what George has gone through and continues to go through. If but for the grace of God, it could have been my husband living on the street and feeling that he isn't worth anything and unworthy of love. George just broke my heart. Although he is fighting his way back into society when the sister of one of his past military buddies finds him to try to get some answers about the death of her brother, George still struggles. He thinks that traveling back to that time will be more than he can handle, no matter that he would do just about anything for Amy. They had an attraction to each other in the past, but George isn't the same man he was then. He failed Amy, her brother and himself.
Amy is such a sweet character. She and her parents need the closure that only George can provide. She's pretty determined to get answers, but is compassionate enough to back off when she realizes how traumatic reliving the past will be for George. Compassion for him isn't the only thing she's feeling. The old feelings are still there, but she holds a secret of her own that has had men turning away from her.
Ms. Alward shows us that these two people with tarnished pasts can come together and shine as brilliantly together as a Christmas star. Beautiful story!

I received an ARC of this book. This book was very charming and a classic romance. Reminded me a bit of a Hallmark movie. The town setting in Darling sounded very vintage and quaint and a great place for a budding romance and a great place to get reacquainted with a past relationship. I definitely will look for more books by this author.

This was a great Novella. I have not read the other books in this series and you don't have to, to read this book. I cried, I laughed and truly enjoyed this book. You will fall in love with both the main characters and the town of Darling. I am happy on how the book ended.

This is a short contemporary holiday romance about two people who desperately need closure and a second chance. I've always loved George and I was happy to read about him as a MC in this book. He's a very complex and interesting character who has grown through the series from a man who lost everything when he was discharged from the military and ended up homeless to a man who is slowly finding his way back. Thanks to some of the citizens of Darling (mostly the Gallaghers) George has been given a second chance. He's very slowly re-entering society and figuring out how to live again although he's still filled with guilt over his best friends death.

George is getting by until Amy, his best friend's twin sister shows up wanting to know more about the day her brother died. This sends George into a bit of a tailspin and feelings he's tried to forget have reawakened. Amy has questions about her brother's death and is dealing with a recent divorce as well. Both characters have been going through the motions and together they start to find a way to heal.

I really liked that George continued his slow evolution of healing and although I thought Amy was a bit pushy at times when it came to George's PTSD I also realize that this was a short book so things had to happen rather quickly. This was a wonderful comfort/healing story that will leave you with a glow and is perfect for the holidays.

We are back in Darling and this time we are focused on George. A man who was homeless and was given a second chance. He is finally getting back on his feet again when a woman from his past shows up. He is embarrassed where his life is and tries to avoid her, however she sneaks in and gives him the best Christmas gift of them all.

** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

While this story was a quick read for me, it packed quite a punch. Not having read any of the previous Darling, VT books, I was unfamiliar with George and townspeople whose stories have already been told, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of this one at all.
I commend Donna Alward, or any author, who has the courage to take on the task of writing a book about veterans and PTSD. It's a hard subject matter to write and read about. I loved George! He's turning his life around after years on the streets; he's found friends, a job and a place to belong. While he may have seemed a little harsh in not wanting anything to do with Amy, the twin of his deceased buddy, I found it completely understandable. In fact, if Amy herself hadn't seen almost immediately that George was not just being a jerk but emotionally wounded, and acted in kindness rather than anger, I wouldn't have enjoyed it quite as much.
I also appreciated that once they got to a place where they admitted their feelings for the other, it wasn't rushed. Their courtship, for lack of a better term, was slow, but sweet and what they both needed. I'll be checking out more of the Darling, VT books in hopes that they are as great as this one was!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, for which I voluntarily honestly reviewed.

This is a very moving, emotive festive story and if you are touched by such stories, I recommend that you have tissues at the ready when you read it!

Returning to civilian life after serving in the armed forces where he saw his best friend killed, George struggled to cope, becoming a homeless nomad until someone sees his potential, gives him support and employs him to work in the Ladybug Garden Centre, helping him start to turn his life around. It is there that the twin sister of his dead friend finds him. The last time her brother and George had visited her family home, she and George had connected. Now she realises how changed he is. She wants to know what happened to her brother and has been searching for George for years to find out and get some measure of closure for herself and her parents. George is reticent to discuss anything from the past which haunts him. Will reconnecting with his past help him heal?

This is a moving story of second chances, overcoming feelings of guilt and moving on to give true love the opportunity to develop and grow. It is a short but poignant festive story, touching on some difficult themes with care and consideration. I will definitely look out for more by this author in future!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Donna Alward is one of my go to authors because her novels, whether full length or a novella, always invoke a wide range of emotions. She is an author that writes from the heart and never disappoints. Fans of the Darling, VT series will instantly recognize the main character George, in her new Christmas novella, Deck the Halls. .

George is a veteran of the war in Iraq, and suffers from PTSD. Once homeless, he now works at the Ladybug Garden Center and finally has a home. He has made friends in the community, and his life is finally on the right track. There is only one problem...he is still haunted by the past and the death of his best friend, Ian. He must now find a way to confront his demons because Ian's twin sister Amy has arrived in Darling.

Amy is determined to find out the truth about Ian's death in Iraq, and hopes to finally find some closure. She arrives in Darling, ready for answers, but George is not the man she once knew. Amy knows she must tread lightly with George...and just maybe, together they will be able to find some healing and closure.

Donna Alward is truly an amazing storyteller. She beautifully weaves together a storyline full of emotions and gently handles a topic that is seldom talked about...our veterans. I could get into more detail about the story, but I don't want to reveal any spoilers in the process. This book can be read as a standalone, however, I strongly recommend reading the previous books in the series, especially since George was introduced in the first book of the series, Somebody Like You. I hope you give this heartwarming and beautifully written story a chance. I will list the other books in this series at the end of this review.

I would like to thank St Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book. My views are my own and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

Book 1: Somebody Like You
Book 2: Someone to Love
Book 3; Somebody's Baby
Book 4; Deck the Halls (Christmas novella)

What a beautiful touching story. This is my first book I've read by this author but I see this is a Christmas novella which is part of the Darling,VT series. I can't wait to read the other books! Darling,Vt is a darling,picturesque town. Your neighbors are your friends and people want to look out for you and help out. After 15 years of being a homeless veteran George is ready to try to get his life back on track. Feeling worthless and unworthy he is trying to move on and overcome these feelings. He now has a job and feels so blessed to have been befriended by a local police officer and his wife who offers him a job in her floral nursery. He feels good that someone is willing to take a chance on him. But then........ he feels like his past has caught up with him just when he was getting back on track. His best friends,twin sister finds him and wants to ask some unsettling questions they have about how their son died. He was crushing on her 15 years ago but now he is a haunted man ever since his brother-in-arms died next to him. He feels responsible. He must face his past to ensure a healthy and healing future . This book will make you feel good if you are down, it's a real pick me upper.
Pub Date 03 Oct 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I love the cover for this book. It is not only absolutely gorgeous, but it fits the story perfectly. If I was just looking for a holiday-themed book and hadn't wanted to read this one based on the setting and characters, I would have picked this one in a second. It's absolutely perfect.

This book has one f-bomb and some on-screen sex, so if that will cause you to leave a bad review, please bear those things in mind.

The story that Ms. Alward spun in this was everything that I wanted for George and more. I thought that his past and the way that he dealt with it was so beautifully realistic. Amy's determination to help him was wonderful, and her willingness to risk her own mental well-being to help George get his back made me adore her.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it actually contains Christmas/holiday scenes. So often in this genre the title and/or cover of a book is really Christmasy but the book doesn't contain any actual Christmas-related stuff. That is not so with this one, and I very much appreciated that.

This is a sweet holiday story about forgiveness and redemption and love. It is a fantastic addition to this wonderful series.

I requested and was generously granted an ARC of this story via NetGalley. I was under no obligation to write this review, I did so because the novella is beautiful.

This was a heart warming story, my first by Donna Alward and I will definitely be looking into her books!

This book touched a subject that is really hard to understand for some people who haven’t been exposed or touched by PTSD it’s a way of life for these men and women who deserve the utmost respect in my opinion and definitely the support of their loved ones in the road to their healing.

Now I loved George, he’s been through so much and life just hasn’t gotten any better since returning from deployment everyday is a struggle to get by as a homeless veteran. Life takes a turning point for him when he gets a job at the Ladybug Garden Center and slowly he finds a semblance of purpose and peace....until the past comes to haunt him just before Christmas.
All Amy is looking for is closure from her twin brothers death but what she finds is a man haunted by his time in the Middle East. Never did they expect that they needed each other to heal and find love along the way.
This was a quick emotional novella just in time for Christmas!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion

What a beautiful, magical Christmas story this is, it's part of a series by Donna but is also a standalone novella, loved it

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I voluntarily leave my opinion

I have read the entire series of Darling, Vt ( there are 3 standalone books). This is a Christmas novella and it was fun to return to this small town and visit, because that is exactly the way I feel whenever I read a well done small town book! George is a veteran, has been homeless but the small town, Darling, has given him a chance. He has a job with a home and garden shop, an apartment, and a rusty truck. Amy is the sister of Ian, his best friend while in the military, who was killed by an IED. She wants to know what happened to Ian, and find out about his last days. George has blamed himself for Ian’s death, and even though there is an attraction, there are many emotional hills to climb. I loved that both George and Amy were a little older, although I don’t know how anyone thinks 37 is old!!!! Amy of course also has issues so we have two damaged souls trying to get together. It was another heartwarming sweet book by Donna Alward. It was thoroughly entertaining, a quick afternoon read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

Deck the Halls

Darling, Vermont Series - Book 3.5


By Donna Alward

Swerve - October 2017

Contemporary Romance



Deck the Halls is a short story in Donna Alward's Darling, Vermont series, but does stand on its own.

George Reilly finally had his life back on track. He had allowed too many years of his life to disappear. When he'd returned from service, where his best friend had died, despair and depression had taken over his life to where he had lived on the streets. Homeless, jobless, without family or friends, he had simply existed.

But that was over. He'd been offered help, and he had accepted. He was working, and he had friends. He had a roof over his head, and he was becoming part of the community. Life was improving and he was looking forward to the future. What he didn't need was to revisit the past.

Amy Merck needed answers. Her brother, Ian, had died, and she wanted to know what had happened. Years may have passed, but there was a gaping hole where her twin had been. She needed answers only George could offer, and not just about Ian's last moments. She needed to understand what had happened to George, to the man her brother had cared so much about. Even more, she needed George to realize that he had no future, without healing from the past. Only then, might they have the future together that had been hinted at so long ago.

Deck the Halls is a story of healing and romance. Readers of the Darling, Vermont series have witnessed George's transformation from living on the streets, to holding a job. Now, we learn the truth of what had caused his life to collapse, and further transform into that of Amy's hero.



Kathy Andrico - KathysReviewCorner.com

George is a veteran who has hit bottom but through the help of some caring friends has begun to get his life back together. Along comes Amy, the twin sister to his best friend, Ian, whose death under his command led to George's down spiral into homelessness. Amy wants answers about what happened to her brother, but George isn't willing to risk his hard fought recovery by bringing up the past. Can Amy and Geoge work through their issues and find a happy ending?

George Reilly worked as a handyman at the Ladybug Garden Center.
He has a history of overcoming that, in fact, he had not yet overcome.
After returning from his time deployed and having lost his best friend there, the one whom he had promised the family he would protect, George was never able to face his friend family again.
Thanks to Laurel, the owner of the flower shop, he had a job, had a roof over his head and food.
After years, George is surprised by his friend's twin sister, Amy.
She just wanted answers.
Reluctantly, George and Amy talk, and gradually, as Christmas approaches, they also reconnect.

A beautiful Christmas short story, with a second chance, and a great lesson: the ability to forgive yourself.
You don't need to read the previous book to understand this story.
5 stars

This is a lovely story with relatable, amazing characters. It reminded me of It's a Wonderful Life. I could visit here every day!

It’s always good to go back to a beloved town to revisit characters you love, and Deck the Halls is another charming addition to the Darling, VT series by Donna Alward!

George Reilly’s life is finally looking up. After being discharged from the military, he wandered aimlessly for some time, fighting his internal demons, and ultimately found himself living on the streets. But now he’s found himself a new home, and a surrogate family of sorts, in the town of Darling, Vermont. He has a job at The Ladybug Garden Center, a rusty truck, and a small apartment. It may not seem like much to anyone else, but it’s a long way from where he was six months ago, and George is content to keep moving forward with little thought to the past.

That changes one night when Amy Merck shows up. As the brother of George’s best friend in the military, Amy is hoping to get some answers about her brother’s death. As one could imagine, it’s not a topic George wants to discuss. But Amy is determined, and sees George for who he is - a kind, traumatised man who deserves happiness and love.

There’s nothing sweeter than seeing a broken and hurting man become healed by the love of a good woman. That Amy has her own heartbreak that George can heal, too, makes this book all the more heartfelt. It’s often difficult to pack in sufficient character and plot development in a novella, but Ms. Alward did a fine job. I loved going back to Darling, and I loved learning more about the mysterious George and getting to see him on his road to a happily-ever-after!

(this review will also be published on book blog Straight Shootin' Book Reviews at a later date - I will update with link when it is published!)

4 - "You gave me a wonderful Christmas gift." Stars!

We return to Darling, Vermont for a little seasonal catch-up, and Donna Alward gives George Reilly his deserved Christmas wish, with a second-chance encounter turning into the love he doesn’t believe he deserves.

He was a stranger… yet not.

This is one of those novellas that you wish was a full length book, because if you have read the previous three books in the series you will know that George featured quite a lot in them as a secondary character and you could just tell he had his own story to tell, especially in Aiden and Laurel’s book; Somebody Like You, where he started out as the homeless guy, that they looked out for, and by the end of the third book in the series, he had himself a job, accommodation, and a place in the town as someone worthy and not just someone you avoid eye contact with as you walk past them in the street.

"You were his best friend… Now you’re my best friend."

Amy Merck comes back into George’s life 15 years after their last meeting, her brother, was his best friend. They served together, but only one of them returned, and due guilt, PTSD and a few other issues, he never kept in contact with her or her family. Amy is looking for answers, and she’s not leaving town until she can get George to open up about her bothers final, days, hours and minutes. Something that George is reluctant to do, because revisiting those memories take him back to a time he would rather try and forget.

"There’s nothing to forgive."

Second chances at life, second chances at love, redemption, forgiveness and learning to accept the things we cannot change, but to live our lives for those who have been lost, are the main themes that ran through this novella.

"You judge yourself far harder than anyone else does… Things mean nothing to me. Character does. And you’ve got that in spades."

Which with the Christmas Season being firmly in the forefront as well gave this story lots of emotional depth, which gave this reader a few smiles and a few tears, and the hope that the author will take us back to Darling, VT for more stories in 2018, because I really do love everything about this series.