The Gift: An Anthology

"The Gift" is a novel made up of two stories. The first, "Home for Christmas" is about a man, Jason, going back home to the small town he left years ago. He goes back to found Faith, his high school sweetheart he left behind to make a life for himself. He wants to take her away with him, but he discovers she has established a life for herself and her daughter in her town. So he tries to fit into her new life, but she has some trouble accepting him back in her life. The second story is titled ""All I want For Christmas". It's about two twin boys who want nothing for Christmas except a new mom, a love for their dad. So, Santa sends them their wish, in the form of a new teacher. The only problem is, their dad doesn't seem to notice Miss Davis, and they think their Christmas wish won't come true. I chose this book because the holiday season was beginning and I was in the mood for nothing but Christmas romance novels. I was very happy with my decision. This is the perfect book to read if you just want to enjoy a fun story and a happy ending. The stories are well written and make you feel for the characters as if they were your friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and recommend it for anyone who wants a smile on their face.

I just finished reading "Home for Christmas" just minutes ago and it blew me away. It was a beautiful, well written, heart-warming novel, perfect for this time of year. It's of those books that gives you a warm, happy feeling after reading. I would highly recommend it.

In the first of these Christmas novellas (Home For Christmas), Jason Law, world traveler and successful journalist returns to home to the small town of Quiet Valley, New Hampshire. Though his professional success exceeded even his expectations, the same cannot be said of his personal life. With no family to speak of, in the ten years since Jason has been gone from Quiet Valley, he has been unable to rid himself of the memories of his first and only love--Faith Kirkpatrick. Jason returns home for some sort of closure; he has heard that Faith has married and has a child, and perhaps bearing witness to that will enable him to move on with his own life. But Faith has long since been divorced, and when they see each other for the first time in a decade, clearly the love is still there. But then there's Clara, another man's child. Can Jason move past this? Or perhaps things aren't quite as they seem........ All I Want For Christmas is the second story in The Gift. Music teacher Nell Davis leaves the hectic pace of New York City for a slower way of life in rural Maryland. She is looking forward starting over in every aspect of her life....and what she is not expecting is single father Mac Taylor and his adorable twin boys. And although the attraction between Mac and Nell is undeniable, Mac tries his best to resist the feelings, having been abandoned years ago by the twins' mother. But what neither of them count on is the Christmas list of two little boys, the magic of the holiday season, and the power of love and miracles. Lovely, heartwarming stories perfect for the holiday season. The only negative comment that I can make is that both tales ended long before I was ready for them to do so. DYB

The Gift by Nora Roberts came across my desk last week to be cataloged and since it was a Christmas story, I decided to bring it home for the weekend. This was my first time ever reading Nora, so from reading the other user reviews, that must explain why I liked it. The book includes two shorter stories. The first one is called "Home for Christmas" and is a slightly predictable story of long lost love. The second is called "All I Want for Christmas" and is also slightly predictable. It's about six-year-old twin boys who ask Santa to send them a new mom for Christmas. Even though they were originally copyrighted in 1984 and 1994 respectively, I didn't find the material to be outdated. I thought both stories were touching, and I had tears in my eyes more than once as I read. My only problem was that I finished reading this in about three hours, so I was left wishing there were more. Maybe I should check for other Christmas romance stories by Nora Roberts. I'm sure there are others. Oh yeah! I don't know if this is common for a Nora Roberts book, but in the beginning of this book there are a few holiday recipes. I fully intend to use the Plain or Painted Holiday Cookies recipe this Christmas!

I enjoyed this book so much. It was not too long but is well written. I would recommend reading it. Enjoy it!! I did!!!