Full Review will appear on Reader's Edyn on 10/21/17 at
https://readersedyn.blogspot.com/2017/09/arc-review-deck-halls-by-donna-alward.html

Amy Merck has been searching – searching for closure regarding her brother’s death; searching for a way to cope with the blows life hands out; searching for a way to lessen her parent’s grief; searching for George Reilly. Having finally found George, she realizes she isn’t going to just get the answers she is looking for without building some trust – a difficult feat given the circumstances George has dealt with over the past few years. She never imagined the guilt of her brother’s death had weighed so heavily on him – or that he blames himself. Pair that with likely PTSD and a reluctance to muddle through the past, Amy might not ever be able to find the closure she desperately seeks. But an unexpected turn of events has Amy wondering if there could ever be a future for the two of them. They had liked one another once upon a time, but trying to get that back might be futile.

George Reilly has not had an easy life since returning from active duty. He ended up homeless after drinking his money away and has had to rally back – literally picking himself up from the streets. Help from some new friends in a new town has brought about a change in him and he started wanting to live again – at least as much as one can live when carrying around the guilt of responsibility for his best friend’s death. He had promised Amy and her family that he would keep Ian safe, but failed them all. Amy’s unexpected arrival threatens the tight rein George keeps on his simple existence. The past – revelations she wants him to confide in her – could be a point he cannot come back from. No one ever got comfort from regurgitating the past and he’s going to try like hell not to go there. But Amy has also kindled something within him that he had thought long gone. Maybe, instead of his demise, she could be his salvation.

I really enjoyed my time spent with this book! Deck the Halls dealt with a bit more serious topics than I am used to, but also topics that are very current and real in these times. While addressing serious issues, the author was able to successfully craft a balance between the negative and positive so that a dark shadow was not cast over the entire story. I felt like Amy and George were people I would know, or could easily meet one day. Their characters were very real and raw. Also enjoyed were the secondary characters who, from what I gather, have stories of their own in the quaint little town of Darling, Vermont. While not the kind of HEA I am accustomed to, the story remained a sweet romantic novel. Ms Alward was careful to remain true to the characters and allow them time to get to know one another even in the midst of their growing attraction. A few tame romantic scenes are all you will have to contend with between these pages – and I thank Ms. Alward for that. I believed that this was a positive and forward-moving decision that lent credibility to these characters and their truths. Set around the Christmas season, this story of second chances; belief in human kindness; and the determination to rise about life’s punches is sure to please any reader who picks this story up. Get in to your season feel goods, or read it any time of year. Either way, you will not be disappointed with this heart-felt, romantic, holiday gift.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable and sweet Christmas Story. Touches on the hard topics very nicely. I would definitely like to read the other stories in this book world and a eye to more by this author! I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review.

I have really enjoyed this series. she put so much emotion in her books. Looking forward to the next book in this series

FINAL DECISION: I loved this story. It was sweet and mature and full of heart. There is still more for George and Amy and I hope we see more of them or I will be mad that we didn't get an epilogue!

THE STORY: George Reilly has spent a year rebuilding his life after years of homelessness. Just when he has a job he values and friends in the town of Darling, VT, someone from his past reemerges. Amy Merck has come to George because the death of her brother has left her with questions and she wants George's help. During the Christmas season George and Amy rediscover hope and begin mending hearts that have been bruised and damaged.

OPINION: I made the mistake of starting this novella late at night. I usually can read a little of these stories and then pick them up the next day. Not this one. Despite the fact that this story isn't a suspense or a mystery or a great angsty drama, I was compelled to read every page before I slept.

The characters had such heart and depth for such a short story. I loved everything about it except for one minor quibble.

I thought this novella was incredibly brave for having a hero with PTSD who was also homeless for a long period of time. The story doesn't flinch from these aspects of George's reality. The shame, the fear, the daily struggles and the small successes. I loved the depth to this character who feels real and someone I would be happy to know.

Amy is a good match for George as she demonstrates that life and pain happens to everyone. She has different problems from George, but they have left scars on her as well.

The interactions between George and Amy are sweet, but not the sugary kind. These two are gentle and kind and good people. The entire story has great heart and I just felt so good about how things developed.

My only complaint is that the length of this novella means that the story is left going in the right direction, but not a complete happy ending. I hope that we see more of Amy and George in the future or I might grow more annoyed that we didn't get an epilogue or glimpse at the future outcome.

The heat of this novella is definitely on the sweet side.

WORTH MENTIONING: Kissing Bridge.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  DECK THE HALLS is book 3.5 in the Darling, VT series. This is a novella about a secondary character and can be read totally on its own, but fans of the series will be pleased with this revisit to Darling.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Review to be posted on October 3rd 2017

George had just started a new chapter in his life when the past comes roaring back. No longer homeless and unemployed, George is not prepared to come face-to-face with Amy, his friend's twin sister. Amy needs answers about her brother's death and although she doesn't want to cause George more pain, she is determined to get them. Old attraction still burns but both Amy and George have changed drastically since they last met. I loved George from the other Darling, VT books and I am so happy he got his own story. This was so nicely written, many serious subjects were touched on with care. A really great Christmas story.

I want to give three cheers to Donna Alward for telling George's story. He is older, was homeless, and has never forgiven himself for the death of his best friend in Iraq. He has been a side character in the first Darling, VT stories and started on the road to recovery when he takes a job sweeping up and watering plants at the Ladybug Garden Center. Now he is full time, has an apartment and even owns a truck. He is thrown back in time when Amy, the older sister of his brother-in-arms, finds him just before Christmas. She wants to know about her brother's last days but realizes that she must take it easy and give George the space he needs before he can tell his story. George is not your usual main characters and his story does not follow the usual path to an HEA. Instead George finds a path to accepting that he was not the cause of his friends death and he and Amy are looking forward not back. Both decide to see what happens as they celebrate Christmas with Amy's family.

"Deck the Halls"
By Donna Alward
McMillan


Contemporary Fiction -- Release Date: October 3, 2017


ReaderToReader.com review for NetGalley download

PTSD often is a casualty of war, and no one knows that better than George Reilly. So shattered by his tours of duty and the loss of his best friend, Ian Merck he became homeless for a time. Lucky for him, he ended up in Darling, Vermont where folks believe in helping others. Laurel Gallagher owner of the Ladybug Garden Center sees his potential and gives him a job.

His employment along with Laurel's help and that of the Veteran's Services, he now resides in a small apartment and is gaining self-respect and confidence. Then Amy, Ian's twin sister shows up fifteen years after Ian's death looking for closure. George blames himself for Ian getting killed and even after all this time he is still withdrawn and focused on his guilt. He dreads seeing Amy, remembering the times he spent with Ian, her, and their family and how they treated him in a kind and loving manner, something he never had growing up.

Back then there was a spark of something between them, and her presence reignites it, though George believes he is unworthy of her. Amy, carrying a history of her own pain is determined to learn how her brother died and why George never came to their home afterward.

Aghast upon observing George's contemptuousness and how he's aged, Amy senses the hurt he carries within him. She does not give up on him, and before long, he discloses the truth about what happened in the Middle East. Soon Amy finds herself falling in love with him.

A delightful tale of absolution and compassion, "Deck the Halls" illustrates how both George and Amy find a path to the happiness they never thought possible.

Donna Alward is a new-to-me author but this blurb had me at Its A Wonderful Life, my all-time favorite Christmas classic movie.

I though the writing was good and the story kept me interested throughout. I appreciate that the author portrayed PTSD and survivors guilt in a true and honest manner but somehow managed to not let it drag the story down.

Overall this was a heartwarming read that has convinced me to pick up something else from the author sometime very soon.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for voluntary review

George is a familiar character from other Darling books, and it’s finally his turn for a happy ever after. After struggling for years with his demons from letting his best friend, Ian, down while on a military operation, George has a good job and friends who believe in him. Amy Merck, Ian’s twin sister, has finally tracked down George so she can get some answers about what happened to her brother. Seeing her causes George to struggle again with his past. Can Amy and George work through their issues to finally get their happily ever after?

Homeless veteran George Reilly finally starts getting his life together after landing in Darling, Vermont. Kind souls who understood him helped him get on his feet, gave him a job and helped him get an apartment.
Trying hard to push back the haunting war memories, the guilt of watching his best friend die, he avoided Ian's family and at first tried to drink himself to self medicate the PTSD.
He was slowly overcoming the memories until Amy, Ian's sister showed up at his job for answers and made him understand Ian's death was not on him, that the family didn't forgive him...because there was nothing to forgive.
Amy was battling her own demons, her inability to have children and her husband's affair and subsequent divorce destroyed her self esteem.
Together they helped each other battle their demons for their HEA.
This is a sweet and heart warming tale appropriate to the season to help us all remember that just because our vets are home...it doesn't mean they are okay...some still need extra help.
I requested and received an ARC from NetGalley and was delighted in the well written tale.

A modern story dealing with loss (different kinds), trust and PTSD. This was just okay for me. It felt a little repetitious at times, but I did like the basic moral of learning how to let things go and stop beating yourself up about things.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

This book is a slow burn, never quite reaches a boiling hot romance but it is just a slow simmer of desire. You can tell the characters want tp be with each other but if only they wold stop thinking and start feeling and listening to their hearts desires and that they are both good enough for each other. They are two parts of a half and need each other to fill the voids of past hurts. I love how he shows that he is sorry in this book. It is really sweet and you catch a glimpse into his heart and how big it truly is. It is a good Christmas story.

Deck the halls

A story about overcoming and forgiving yourself. Amy finds George who was good friends with her brother and with him when he died in the war. She needed to know what happened when he died. Love the George was able to overcome so much. Definitely worth reading. I received an advanced copy of the from the publisher.

George was raised in foster homes, many foster homes. He joined the Army and found a place where there was consistency and he liked it. He liked it even better when he met Ian. Ian became his best friend, almost like the brother he never had. When Ian was killed in Iraq, George went into a downward spiral. He was a homeless man, living on the streets with no hope.
But, eventually he found people who would help him find a way back to a life. He is living in Darling Vermont. He has a job that he likes, a place to live and even an old truck he drives. His life may not look like much to outsiders, but to him it is like being on the top of a mountain. He is not all the way to where he wants to be, but he is working on it.
George has found friends in Darling. These are people who care about him.
Then things come to a screeching halt.
Amy, Ian's twin sister shows up at his job in the garden center. She wants some answers about how Ian died and why George disappeared from her family's life after Ian's death.
This story is set during the Christmas season. And all the love and caring which appears during the Christmas season is woven throughout this story.
But, in reality, the story is about a man who is climbing back into the world and the difficulty he has dealing with his time in battle and the death of his best friend. George blames himself for Ian's death and just about every other disaster he can conceive.
Ms Alward has created characters who left me breathless. I wanted to put my arms around both Amy and George and tell them life could get better for them.
This is an up to the minute description of what many returning veterans are facing every day. The feelings are right on the surface in this story. It is a short novella which expresses emotions in a most realistic manner.
I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

While this book is part of the Darling VT series it can totally be read as a stand alone holiday novella. Fans of the series will recognize George as the homeless veteran that Laurel helped in book one. George suffers from PTSD and has never been able to face the family of his fallen teammate. He has in fact blamed himself for years over Ian's death. So when Amy, Ian's twin sister, arrives in Darling it is all he can do to talk to her. Amy is looking for closure regarding Ian's death and hoping George can give her that closure. But perhaps George and Amy also need each other to heal.
Donna Alward has written the perfect heartwarming story to get you in the holiday mood.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novella.

This is the second book I've read by Donna Alward after The Playboy Prince and the Nanny. I was approached by St Martin's Press about writing a pre-holiday (Christmas) blog post with various titles, and this was one of them. Mina has never been one to just "stop and rest"- Far from it. She is a keen painter by day and works at Cloud Bay's Search and Rescue station by night. Where Cloud Bay 1 (Need You Now) took place in the summer, This book, which is book 2 in the Cloud Bay series, takes place during the winter. Or what winter a small island off the coast of California can experience. The books starts right in on the action. Mina trips and falls in the ice and snow whilst trying to change a tyre. Her family is wealthy because of Faith's father and her adopted father Grey having been lead singer in a band years ago. Since his death, the Harper family have been trying to make ends meet. Faith and Mina never see their brother Zach who left to try and make a life for himself with his band. Mina lives in the cottage at the base of the lighthouse on the island and was happily married to Adam. Now a widow, she feels alone at a time when she used to be happy. She used to love Christmas, but it has lost it's glitz and sparkle for her. Faith has her hands full organising the Christmas Festival, which will be the first of its kind on the island.

Faith takes a bit of a backseat in this book, but is there as supportive sister to Mina. Much of the book is taken up with the beginnings and development of Mina and Will's relationship. Will works at the town's boutique distillery with his twin brother Seth.

I feel like Mina needed someone else, and I'm glad she found Will. She has plenty of heart to hearts with Faith, and Will is very sensitive to her needs. There are some flashbacks to monents in book 1. Although this is the second in a series, I feel it can be read as a standalone novella. I loved the christmassy atmosphere in Cloud Bay!

Very romantic and well-paced with an undercurrent of personal struggles, this novella is a cute read. Thanks to Donna Alward and St Martin's Press for an ARC.

This review and others will be published in a special Holiday Romance post on my blog, Katherine's Book Universe (Wordpress.com) on October 17.

George is a veteran that hasn’t had the easiest of times coming back home after his time being deployed. With some heavy burdens in his past George has spent a lot of time being homeless since his return and just within the past year with a helping hand has started to get his life together. Working steadily at the Ladybug Garden Center in Darling, VT and getting his own apartment George has finally found some friends and gotten his life on track.

Amy is the twin sister of George’s good friend that died in combat and when she shows up at his new job just weeks before Christmas George isn’t quite ready to face the past. Amy’s looking for closure for her family after the loss of her brother and only seeks out answers from George on just what happened. When the two confront the ghosts that haunt George they find themselves ruining their own friendship with the possibility of it becoming more now that the past is at rest.

Deck the Halls by Donna Alward is a contemporary romance novella that is part of the Darling, VT series. Each book in the series has featured a separate couple so they may be all read as standalones books if choosing to do so. I did notice that some of the previous characters are involved in the current book though so there would be updates on previous couple for those fans of the entire series.

This book really touched on the tough subject of veterans and just what happens to them when they return home and what is like to live with the horrors that they have seen while serving. I couldn’t help but feel for George as soon as I learned his story and just wanted to give the man a hug so of course I was hoping for a happily ever after for him. With George and Amy sharing a past it was easy to see that the two would be drawn to one another and Amy be the one to help George fight his demons and move on.

Overall, this was a lovely little heartwarming novella that felt realistic not featuring just the latest good looking couple but people with real problems in their lives.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

'Deck the Halls' is the perfect Christmas gift. This Darling, VT story about two imperfect people who find the ways love has touched their lives was so uplifting. There is growth, and forgiveness and joy. I would give it 10 stars if I could!

Ms Alward takes us back to Darling, VT and it’s cast of characters. Though it’s a stand alone, for those that have read the series, we finally get George Reilly’s story.
George was a homeless man that with the help of Ethan, and his wife, Laurel, now has a job, a home and his dignity back. But he has secrets and keeps to himself.
Until Amy Merck goes to Darling searching for him. She brings back the memories he would rather forget. But she needs closure to her brother’s death.
The story is very touching, heartfelt and one about redemption , hope and the possibility of love.
While story centers around George and Amy, It’s more than that. It’s a story about the need of us, as a society, to help the men and women who fight for our freedom. Many return not only with physical wounds, but also with emotional and psychological ones.
Thank you, Ms Alward, for that reminder.
A beautiful story appropriate for the holiday season.
I was gifted this copy. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

I'm a big fan of Donna Alward, and particularly liked her Darling, VT series, so when I saw this one, I immediately requested it. I was not so impressed.




Here's the summary:

With shades of It’s a Wonderful Life, one man must face his past to find his future this Christmas.

In the last year, George's life has drastically changed. The formerly homeless veteran now has a job he likes, a family in the residents of Darling, VT, and for the first time in years, a home. But while his present is good, he's still haunted by the past, a past that appears shortly before Christmas when the older sister of his brother-in-arms hunts him down and finds him in Darling, working at the Ladybug Garden Center.

Amy’s looking for closure for her family after her brother's death in the Middle East, but the serious man she finds working in Vermont doesn’t resemble the soldier she remembers from years before. This man is hardened and yet somehow fragile, too, and in her desire to find out what really happened to her brother, she learns more about George than she ever expected.

With a little Christmas magic and the whole town supporting them, can these two bruised hearts make a future together?

So, here's the thing. This book isn't NEARLY long enough to address the issues. George is a homeless veteran. He's only been off the streets for six months. He could barely LOOK at other people nine months ago. Deck the Halls takes place in TWO WEEKS. oh. hell. no. I loved George in the previous books, and when I saw he was the hero of this one I had my doubts, but was still pretty excited for him to find love. It is in no way realistic and not even a little bit believable. At the beginning of the book he's still hiding from customers in the greenery and by the end of two weeks he's happily in love?

Secondly, while I see that Alward was trying to make their earlier connection a strong one, I found everything Amy did presumptuous and high handed. Yes, George needs help. But you don't just arraign that for someone and spring it on the intervention style. He's not a drunk. It's not rehab. And then to pay for it the way it's done? No.

I really wanted to love this one, and none of it worked for me, at all.