A WELLS LANDING CHRISTMAS by
AMY LILLARD

This story is an emotional roller coaster filled with joy, tears, forgiveness and hope. I love how the author makes the characters so real. I felt like I was sitting with Ivy as she takes care of her grandfather who is ill. Christmastime is suppose to be joyful but Ivy doesn't really feel a part of the celebration. Wells Landing is filled with festive parties and family togetherness. My heart went out to Ivy as she sensed herself not part of the joyous celebrations going on.

We all make mistakes, but for Ivy her mistake caused her to become an outsider.  It angered me that Zeb had deserted her and left her to face the community alone. The question now is why has Zeb come back after being away for so long? Will he try to find a way to get close to Ivy again?

I loved the part where Ivy realizes she needs to forgive God and herself. That can be so hard when you feel alone and miserable. Ivy has suffered for so long for her sin and I was on pins and needles waiting to see what she would do. When a crisis happens, Ivy has no choice but to ask Zeb for help. It was so nice to read how willing he was to help Ivy even though he knew she hadn't forgiven him for the past . With Zeb helping maybe Ivy can see that he has changed and wants to start over.

One of my favorite parts of the story was the friendship between Ethan and Ivy. She visits him at the nursing home and their connection is heartwarming. Ethan is a wise man and shares his faith with Ivy. I loved his examples that showed Ivy that people in the bible sinned and were forgiven. Ivy likes visiting Ethan and knows he is very ill. This part in the story was very touching and it reminded me of going to the nursing home to see my mother. I always felt so sad for the people who never had visitors. I'm so glad Ivy took time to befriend Ethan. He will instill in her much wisdom and comfort as the days go by.

What a wonderful story the author has written about forgiveness and trust. I loved how she talks about how important family is and how hard it can be to care for an elderly family member. Ivy and Zeb have much to work through. Christmas will be a new beginning for some in Wells Landing and for others a reminder that love conquers all.

" What a person wanted and what they ended up with were sometimes miles apart."

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