The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming
Merry Christmas Eve, dear readers! Welcome back to our annual blog series spotlighting (over 60 again this year) new and recently-released Christmas reads! Only a couple of days left in this year’s series, so… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes and finish your bookish Christmas list!
THE DOC’S HOLIDAY HOMECOMING by Virginia McCullough
SERIES: Back to Adelaide Creek #2
GENRE: Contemporary Romance (Clean & Wholesome)
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Heartwarming
RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2022
PAGES: 249
I really enjoyed the first book in Virginia McCullough’s Back to Adelaide Creek series, so I was very much looking forward to book two, as well. And then, as I began reading The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming, I got even more excited because the hero & heroine of this story were the two supporting characters who most intrigued me in The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins: Heather’s prodigal brother Jeff & her best friend Olivia (mother of 11-year-old Jillian, whom you might also remember from book one).
Plots that feature prodigals returning home are among some of my favorite themes because I’m so passionate about redemption stories, even in general market books like this one with no religious overtones or spiritual agenda. I knew that Jeff would eventually come around, and – surprise! – he does so with a teenager he’s taken after the tragic car wreck that killed the boy’s mother. Carson & Jillian were such great ‘tween and teen’ additions to McCullough’s story world, and I especially loved watching their friendship blossom into something a lot like sibling affection (even before Jeff and Olivia are a couple). The way Carson & Jillian connected as two recovering souls – one from a battle with cancer, the other from his mother’s death & his own serious injuries – was truly heartwarming and the perfect amount of ‘Christmas sweet’. In fact, I almost loved watching their friendship journey more than I did watching Jeff & Olivia fall in love. Almost. This is ‘romance-loving’ me, after all 😉
Bottom Line: Can four hurting souls find a family together? They can when you take a snowy Wyoming holiday season, a couple of cozy cabins, relatable characters, and some four-legged friends… and add the power of love and a community that cares. Olivia and Jeff, together with Carson & Jillian, prove that family isn’t limited to the one you’re born into – it can also be made by the people you’re doing life with – and The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming is a beautiful example of both. I truly enjoyed watching this little group of survivors grow from friends to family, and I think you will too.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / enjoyed it!
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Add a Little “Charm” to Your Holiday
by Virginia McCullough, author of The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming
Olivia Donoghue, heroine of THE DOC’S HOLIDAY HOMECOMING, believes she has a “charmed” life. Now why has she come to that conclusion? It’s not as if she hasn’t had her share of hardships and near tragedies. Her husband walked out the door their daughter Jillian was only weeks old. Ten years later, Jillian went through a bout with childhood leukemia. Doesn’t sound like a charmed life, does it?
Oh, but Olivia, a radiologist, celebrates every day. After the ordeals of treatment, Jillian is well and strong again, and Olivia just landed the perfect job in the small town of her dreams, Adelaide Creek, Wyoming. That’s also where her best friend Heather lives, and now Heather’s brother, Jeff Stanhope, has come back in town. Five years ago Jeff left a bitter, angry man and vowed he’d never return.
Olivia is sure she won’t like Jeff, and the duo gets off to a rocky start. She brings up his painful past with his sister—and is told in no uncertain terms that topic is none of her business. But, despite Olivia’s insults, Jeff’s in a position to offer her the perfect place to live. So, not only does Jeff have a kind and generous side, but Olivia and Jillian move into a cozy cottage in the woods, and Olivia adds another charm to her growing list.
Jeff and Olivia arrive in Adelaide Creek in the heart of the fall, when the morning temperatures are chilly and the golden landscape sparkles under the sun. Jeff has taken guardianship of Carson, a 14-year-old boy who was badly injured in an auto accident that also killed his mom. Carson has his beloved dog, Winnie, and Jeff, his mom’s platonic friend, who’s all that stood between Carson and foster care.
I enjoy starting books in the fall, because if there’s a big winter holiday celebration at the end, you know what means: At least two significant holidays come first and my characters can celebrate some other fun days. Olivia has no idea how much her flapper Halloween costume, complete with a black wig and vintage pearl and silver headband, will charm Jeff. Jeff’s feelings also deepen when he sees how Olivia’s quiet attention to Carson eases the teenager’s grief on Thanksgiving.
By the time Christmas approaches, Jeff and Olivia have shared many things besides Halloween and Thanksgiving. From “sleigh shopping” to picking out Christmas trees and coping with Olivia’s problem boss, these two have moved past some of the barriers between them. They’ve even enjoyed some friendly competition at the dart board. The two have hit a few rough patches—even with each other—but Jeff believes in Olivia’s notion of a charmed life. Now he wants to be a permanent part of it.
With Carson’s help, Jeff’s been working on secret gift for Olivia. What better way to show his growing love for her than by giving her a circle of charms—from a heart to a tiny silver cabin and a horse, and even a dart, this charm bracelet is destined to grow with their love.
Oh, one more thought about charmed lives, yours and mine. Many years ago, my daughter gave me a special gift: Creating a Charmed Life: Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know, by well-known author Victoria Moran. First published in 1999, this gem of a book is a keeper, a food-for-thought collection of short pieces that have enriched my life in subtle ways. Moran focuses on small things that women of all ages and circumstances can do to celebrate who we already are and what we have right now, while we also set the stage to reach for our most cherished goals.
So, have a lovely holiday season—and a toast to a “charmed” 2023.
Virginia McCullough
Virginia McCullough is offering a print copy of The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What makes you want to read The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming by Virginia McCullough? If someone gave you a charm bracelet for Christmas, what charm is a must-have for you?
Thank you for sharing. God bless you. Merry Christmas.
Nice cover. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds really great
Captivating and lovely.
Sounds like a story I will like.
This sounds like a lovely, charming story about friendship, romance, and family.
I would like to read THE DOC’S HOLIDAY HOMECOMING by Virginia McCullough because it sounds like a sweet romantic tale.
cute cover
I enjoy reading stories that are clean and hopeful.
Friends coming together and becoming family…sounds right to me. I like that idea.
Christmas books are my guilty pleasure and this book sounds like a home run.
Sounds good!
The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming sounds lovely. Thanks for the giveaway!
Sounds good. Thank you for sharing.
It sounds interesting!
Sounds good