A Guardian Till Christmas by Danielle Thorne
Published by: Love Inspired
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Genre: Inspirational Romance

She’s always in charge…

Until two little hearts take over this holiday season…

After the loss of her sister, Kylee Spokes plans to take custody of her orphaned niece and nephew and return to the big city by Christmas. Except corralling four-year-old twins is much harder than the businesswoman expects. And small-town paramedic Evan Hollister refuses to abandon his godchildren to someone who has no experience with kids—and can’t even boil water! Now these opposites must find a way to temporarily co-parent together. As grudging respect turns into something more, can they find a permanent solution…that lasts past the holidays?

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My Review and Reflections

Kylee Spokes, a creative director at a social media company from New York, becomes the guardian of four-year-old twins Henry and Annabelle when her sister, Mia, and Mia’s husband tragically pass away. She had left her small town of Lagrasse, Georgia, as soon as possible – first for college and then for New York. Focused more on her career and work ambitions, Kylee was more accustomed to managing interns than caring for little ones with smudged faces and sticky hands. But for her sister Mia, Kylee was determined to try, even as she doubted her ability to parent as well as Mia had.

Mia’s husband, Chip, had a best friend in Evan Hollister, a local EMT and the children’s godfather. Evan felt he would make a better guardian to Henry and Annabelle and even took it as far as working with an attorney to try and gain custody. He felt that Kylee’s intent to raise the children in New York was wrong and that they should be raised in Lagrasse where they had memories of their parents and a stronger support system to care for them.

Despite Evan’s assumptions about her, I admired Kylee’s selflessness in stepping up for her niece and nephew. Though she initially left them with her mother while organizing her work responsibilities, she did return to Lagrasse to finalize the custody arrangements and move them to New York with her. Kylee was hard on herself, striving for perfection, and it was easy to sympathize with.

Evan, while well-intentioned, sometimes seemed too quick to judge Kylee’s choices, especially as the twins’ parents clearly entrusted her with their care. But just as I was unsure about him, he would do something thoughtful for Kylee and the children, making it hard not to warm up to him. And he’s a book lover, so bonus points there!

This story is sweet, romantic, and perfect for the holidays. The Christmas themes and Christian elements are subtly woven in, and the epilogue, my favorite part, was unexpected and heartwarming. If you enjoy small-town, holiday romance, this book will pull at your heartstrings. A lovely, lighthearted read!

Thank you to Love Inspired for providing this book for review consideration via JustRead Publicity Tours.
All opinions are my own.

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About the Author

Danielle Thorne writes happily-ever-afters set in the South for Harlequin Love Inspired. A graduate of BYU-Idaho, she also writes stories about Regency ladies, pirates, and not-so-distressed damsels from her home south of Atlanta. Free time is filled with documentaries, too much yard work, and not enough travel. When not writing wholesome romances, Danielle hangs out with friends or chases cats. She enjoys the outdoors and serving in her church and community. Danielle’s been married to the same fellow for thirty years, has four sons, two daughters-in-law, twin grandbabies, and she loves them more than life.

Connect with Danielle by visiting daniellethorne.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.