About the book:

This Christmas, there's plenty of room at the inn.

Nestled in the snow-covered Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Santa Fe, the Grey Sage Inn looks like the perfect place for weary travelers to escape the craziness of the Christmas season. There's plenty to see in historic Santa Fe during the day, and the inn's owners, Maude and Silas Thornhill, are happy to spend their evenings hosting this year's guests from across the country.

But an unusual snowstorm throws a wrench in the festive mood. The sprawling inn becomes close quarters as stranded guests discover this Christmas won't be the relaxed vacation they expected. Tension and fear mount as the storm worsens, and Silas, a retired doctor, is called away in the middle of the night to care for a neighbor. The snow and stress unlocks tongues-and in the unexpected conversation that follows, secrets and pasts are revealed, and hearts are healed.

In the midst of snowdrifts and fireside conversations, of tales of days gone by, the warmth of Christmas brings a renewed hope as these trapped strangers become friends-proof again that the joy, hope, peace, and love of Christmas can be experienced no matter where you are.

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About the author:

Phyllis Clark Nichols believes everyone could use a little more hope and light. Her character-driven Southern fiction explores profound human questions from within the simple lives of small town communities you just know you've visited before. With a love for nature, art, faith and ordinary people, she tells redemptive tales of loss and recovery, estrangement and connection, longing and fulfillment, often through surprisingly serendipitous events. Phyllis grew up in the deep shade of magnolia trees in South Georgia. Now she lives in the Texas Hill Country with her portrait-artist husband, where red birds and axis deer are her ever-ravenous neighbors. She is an English major and classically-trained musician, seminary graduate, concert artist and co-founder of a national cable network for the health and disability-related programming. After retiring as a cable network executive, Phyllis began leading mission teams to orphanages in Guatemala and now serves on three non-profit boards where she works with others who are equally passionate about bringing hope and light to those who need it most.
Find out more about Phyllis at http://www.phyllisclarknichols.com.

This is the perfect book to get you in the Christmas spirit. The characters are funny, quirky, loveable and full of cheer. I loved reading about Santa Fe and all its charm. I would love to be a guest at the Inn and bask in all the wonderful food served there. It has always been full of Christmas spirit until a tragedy took the joy away from Maude and Silas.

Suddenly the Inn wasn’t cheerful or really welcoming to guests. It would sit there year after year with no decorations, no guests and no joy. Maude and Silas were both such great characters. They loved having guests, but it became hard after their loss to continue spreading joy to anyone. When a friend asks them to host a group during the holidays, Maude and Silas decide to let them come. The group had heard how spectacular the Inn has looked during Christmas and were excited to see it all lit up. To their dismay, no decorations were there and soon the group can’t wait to leave.

My heart went out to Maude and Silas. It has been many years since they lost a precious gift. Will this year bring them joy? When the group gets snowed in, that is when the real Christmas begins. Each person brings a different perspective of Christmas. Through their sharing and compassion, maybe the Inn will become a beautiful place to celebrate this year. I loved how each character seemed to know the right words to say to heal hearts, become friends and bring a smile to faces. There are some very touching moments in the story where the author really grabs the readers and fills them with tenderness and peace. I loved the writing and was sad the story ended. I would love to see a sequel of this book.

The story is a wonderful reminder of what Christmas is about. I cried, laughed and cheered throughout the book. This is a must read for anyone wanting a heartwarming Christmas story.

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion.