"Hope for the Holidays" by Daryl Wood Gerber: Review/Giveaway

Review by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Hope Lyon lives in Portland with her husband and two kids. She has her own bakery called Pie in the Sky and is happy.

Until her husband runs through all their money, leaves town and his family, and she has to sell the bakery. She’s forced to move back to her old hometown, Hope Valley, and take a job as a waitress to make ends meet—barely.

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Without mentioning it to her, the kids enter a contest for a trip for Christmas. They can hardly contain their excitement until the winner is chosen. When they hear their names announced, it’s almost more than the kids can handle. Hope is more practical, knowing the trip itself is not the only expense. There will be meals, tips, suitable clothes. In a word, no. They can’t possibly afford it.

KPRL, a sports channel, is the sponsor of the contest and has already announced the winning names. When Hope turns down the trip, it leaves them in a bind. Steve Waldren, sports guy, is tasked with persuading Hope to accept the trip, which is a much harder job than he expected. Try telling that to the boss! Steve’s job is at risk if he can’t deliver the trip along with a family thrilled to have won. Knowing he’s at the age when he could be replaced by younger, eager, sports enthusiasts, Steve has to make good on his assignment or be unemployed at Christmas. 

In between sometimes bickering, sometimes enjoying each other’s company, and finding out the lives they lived are not the only option they have, Steve and Hope are on the verge of love, or at least a strong attraction. Will that be one of the changes the holidays bring?

This is strictly a romance, a change of pace for readers used to Gerber’s mysteries where at least one murder happens. It’s a hopeful story, the tale of two adults who realize change isn’t always a bad thing and two kids who already knew that.

I enjoyed their story (and all the talk about food!)

To enter to win a copy of Hope for the Holidays, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "hope holidays,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 16, 2023. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

You can use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She writes about eco-friendly topics, pets and wildlife for magazines and reviews mysteries and thrillers for KRL. A collection of her short stories, published by Untreed Reads, From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception can be found at all the usual outlets. Each one is a little weird and all have a twist you won't see coming.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.