The Doctor's Christmas

This was a great story - I loved the way the characters interacted with each other, especially the three young children. I loved the supportive community and how they rallied as a group to take care of each other. And I loved accompanying both protagnosts on their journey of personal growth. This was an awesome book to inspire the Christmas spirit and keep it buring throughout the year.

I have a personal unwritten rule that I never read Christmas Books before Thanksgiving. This book I started the day after Thanksgiving and it went far to put me in the holiday spirit!Maggie Davis is an extremely likable person. She's overcome a difficult upbringing and has returned to her home town in the back-of-beyond rural mountain town of Button Gap. She has spent the last five years as the Nurse at the free clinic. She basically runs the clinic. The clinic also has a volunteer doctor. These doctors come in for a one month term of service. December's doctor is Grant Hardesty. Maggie would like Grant if it wasn't for her secret. She's hiding 3 children until their mother can get her life together and return to them. If Grant finds out about them, he might turn them over to the social service system. Unfortunately the Social Service worker that serves Button Gap is not the loving, caring individual we would like to see in such a position. Maggie feels determined to keep the children together until their mother returns.Grant has his own reasons for going to Button Gap. He wants a partnership in a Baltimore practice, and this clinic is a pet project of the Senior partner. The Senior Doctor sends Grant to Button Gap to "get some passion" into him. Grant has held himself aloof since his vibrant young brother died. It's fun watching the rich, well-polished Grant adjust to small town life. (no restaurants? patients pay in pies and sausages?) Of course, the town does put some life into him. Grant also re-discovers the God he had left behind at his brother's death.The town of Button Gap could also be described as a main character in this story. Typical of Marta Perry's writing, there is a wise elderly person, in this case the town's "Aunt" Elly. I wish I could sit down and visit with Aunt Elly. She is full of God's grace and wisdom.The book has enough romance to make me happy and even a few suspense-filled scenes. The Happy-ever-after ending is too good to be true, but isn't it nice to have everything all tied up neat and tidy?This is a great book to curl up with on a cold winter's evening. Enjoy!