My Bookshelf: Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter

Eden Martelli is too busy fleeing the clutches of danger to realize she’s running straight into the arms of new love.

        Speeding north through rural Maine, Eden Martelli wonders how it ever came to this—on the run, with her mute five-year-old son dozing fitfully in the passenger seat. But when a breakdown leaves them stranded in Summer Harbor, Eden has no choice but to stay put through Christmas…even though they have no place to lay their heads.

        Beau Callahan is a habitual problem-solver—for other people anyway. He left the sheriff’s department to take over the family Christmas tree farm, but he’s still haunted by the loss of his parents and struggling to handle his first Christmas season alone.

        When Eden shows up looking for work just as Beau’s feisty aunt gets out of the hospital, Beau thinks he’s finally caught a break. Eden is competent and dedicated—if a little guarded—and a knockout to boot. But, as he soon finds out, she also comes with a boatload of secrets.

        Eden’s been through too much to trust her heart to another man, but Beau is impossible to resist, and the feeling seems to be mutual. As Christmas Eve approaches, Eden’s past catches up to her.

        Beau will go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again?

        Falling Like Snowflakes is the first book in Denise Hunter’s new Summer Harbor series. Since I fell in love with Denise’s writing when I read her Chapel Springs series a couple of months ago, I knew this book would be one I would love, so that’s why I went on ahead and ordered it. What I didn’t expect, however, was for it to be quite that good! I mean, I already knew she was an amazing writer, but I just wasn’t expecting such a wonderful book! Although Dancing with Fireflies is still my favorite novel she’s ever written, Falling Like Snowflakes comes in at a very close second.

        Eden Martelli is such an amazing heroine! Brave and strong, she would do anything to keep her little boy—Micah—safe, no matter the cost. Although she is a bit stubborn at times and only accepts help for Micah’s sake, and only then because she has no other choice, she really does want what’s best for her son, and freedom for the both of them. Running from a tortured past, Eden and Micah end up in Summer Harbor after their car breaks down on the freeway and the repair time and costs force them to stay put until Christmas is over. Eden is frustrated at the delay, longing to be somewhere she can finally feel safe, but as she settles in to her new temporary job helping take care of Summer Harbor native Beau Callahan’s aunt, she begins to find more than she expected in the small, rural Maine town. Could the peace and freedom she’s been longing for be closer than she thought, or will her fear keep her from trusting the man who would do anything to keep her safe?

        Beau Callahan is by far one of the most swoon-worthy heroes I have ever encountered. Tall, strong, and handsome, he fills the protective big-brother role perfectly, and I loved reading about the way he brought his brothers together after their parents died. Always sweet and caring, Beau does so much for Eden to make sure she has what she needs, and the way he interacts with Micah is just the most precious thing. As always, I loved reading about how the sparks flew between him and Eden, and the bar was raised once again for my own future hero based on what an amazing guy Beau turned out to be.

        Something I really loved about this book was the tie-in it had to the Chapel Springs series. Beau and his younger brother Zac both made appearances in the last novel in that series—Married ‘til Monday, which was about their cousin Abby and her almost ex-husband Ryan—and I was pleased to find the Abby showed up multiple times in this story. Another thing that I enjoyed was the suspense packed into this novel. Near the end, it really gets your heart racing as you wonder how everything will ever begin to work out. And the love story—just thinking about it makes me want to swoon—but wait, did I mention that already? Anyway, Denise knocked it out of the park with this heartwarming, touching, action-packed (though some of the action was more like sparks flying across the room, wink wink) novel that well earns all five bookshelves. Now I cannot wait for the next one!

        Happy reading!

Linking up at Let it Shine, Totally Terrific Tuesdays, and Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me.

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Denise Hunter and Thomas Nelson Publishing.