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Heather Gray

An Informal Christmas: Volume 1 Paperback – 8 March 2016

by Heather Gray (Author)

140 ratings

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Rylie Durham is used to dealing with all sorts of people and situations in her role as a Child Life Specialist at a local hospital. Why, then, does Zach York bring out the worst in her? After all, he's there to donate toys to the children she loves. Could it be that she sees a kindred spirit in him? Rylie knows a thing or two about hiding a bruised heart from the world... and the danger inherent in blaming God for the hurt. With December's approach, Rylie enlists Zach's help for a special undertaking — a Christmas formal for one of the pediatric units. As they work together on the project, she hopes to show him that, even when it's painful, love is worth the risk...

Print length

200 pages
Language

English
Publication date

8 March 2016
Dimensions

12.7 x 1.27 x 20.32 cm
ISBN-10

069265349X
ISBN-13

978-0692653494
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ladybug Lit (8 March 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 069265349X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0692653494
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.27 x 20.32 cm

Customer Reviews:
140 ratings

About the author

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Heather Gray

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Heather Gray loves coffee, God, her family, and laughter - not necessarily in that order! She writes approachable characters who, through the highs and lows of life, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her. Her books almost always include someone who's infatuated with coffee, too. Some things just can't be helped. Heather delights in creating characters who, like her, have their share of faults and foibles, characters who are flawed...but loved anyway.

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3 star		7%
2 star		1%
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Top review from Australia

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enjoyable

Reviewed in Australia on 18 November 2016

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Really enjoyed this book (though it could have been longer...). An interesting story, well-written and clean, and at times thought-provoking. I'll be reading this again in future, and looking out for more by the author.

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Avid Reader

great story line and amazing characters

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2016

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Very well put together; great story line and amazing characters. It was my first read of Heather's and I have since read all her contemporary novels so far.

Althea Hillier

Happiness in spite of sickness

Reviewed in Canada on 31 July 2018

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A beautiful story showing us that things are not always what they seem at first and impressions are not always right. Rylie was totally engulfed in her work at the sick children's hospital. When Zach arrived on the scene bearing gifts for the children, Rylie was curious. Who is this man? Why is he doing this? Needless to say, they had a rough start, but the happiness of the children was most important. Follow this story and see how these two eventually came together for the sake of the children and discover the reason behind Zach's actions. It was beautiful to see how they included God in their lives. I highly recommend this touching story of bravery and trust with a little romance thrown in the mix.

Amazon Customer

Heartwarming story!

Reviewed in Canada on 8 December 2017

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What a touching story! I loved it! I think I have a new author to add to my list of favourites! The characters were so down to earth, facing the same kinds of struggles that ordinary people face. I love how the author weaves the importance of trusting God in all situations, into the story.

R. Miller

4.7 stars: An Informal Christmas by Heather Gray

Reviewed in the United States on 8 July 2017

Verified Purchase

Rylie works with children in the oncology ward, and is asked to coordinate with Zach, who wants to donate monthly gifts to all the hospitalized children; after a slightly rough start, their time spent planning some holiday events together leads to friendship, and more.

(Though reviews are inherently subjective, I prefer to provide some organization to my opinions through the use of a personal rubric. The following notes may contain spoilers.)

Plot and Setting: 4.7 -- Plot is engaging. Has many unique elements, no major holes, and a sense of focus. Setting is clear and believable. Timeline is clear and consistent. This is a romance, but really the main focus is more about Rylie and Zach helping the sick children they love, and acknowledging the terrifying possibility that they won't get well. Which makes it sound like a somber and depressing story, but it truly isn't. It strikes a good emotional balance. I also appreciate that the HEA in this romance is them just starting to date, rather than forcing it through to an engagement or a wedding.

Characters: 4.2 -- Main characters are relatable, realistic, interesting, and dynamic. Some minor characters have depth, while others may be slightly stereotyped or simplified. Definite strong points in the relationships between characters. We're given pretty good descriptions of who the characters are -- what motivates and shapes them, and how they react to and deal with difficult situations -- but there's not a whole lot about how they grow and change as people. We do see Rylie having a bad attitude, and then realizing what she's doing and snapping out of it. Zach's shift in attitude is a bit more drawn out and takes somewhat more effort, but most of that takes place behind the scenes. I like the characters, even the minor ones, and I wish there was more about them.

Mechanics and Writing: 5 -- Few, if any, typos, punctuation issues, or word errors. (<3/100pgs) Intelligent use of POV. Skillful writing that adds to the story. Errors include a few instances of compound word confusion. Well edited overall. POV is all third person Rylie.

Redeeming Value: 5 -- Well-developed, central, uplifting themes. Drugs, alcohol, violence, etc, are not glorified at all. No explicit sex scenes. Clear moral guidelines for behavior. Nothing more than a couple of very innocent kisses. The only drugs are the medical kind, and we are shown glimpses of how hard cancer treatments can be on people, especially children. Takes a good look at the reality of illness, death, and grief, but with a large dose of hope and faith to keep it from being too depressing. Clear themes of facing sadness by acknowledging God's capability to see endings that are better than we can dream up, the reality that Jesus was fully human and able to understand every kind of pain, and God's ultimate control.

Personal Enjoyment: 4.6 -- I liked it a lot. Highly enjoyable and very entertaining. One I'll definitely read again.

2 people found this helpful

The Voracious Reader

Exceptional Job of Writing Until the Ending

Reviewed in the United States on 27 December 2015

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Rylie Durham has an emotional job as a child life specialist in a hospital in northern Virginia, but she still has to put on happy face in public. It was hard to get close to the children and then to lose one. When Zach York comes to donate, they have a rough start, and she’s not acting very happy around him. She begins to see that something big is bothering him, but he’s closed-lipped about himself. Can they work together to bring the children happiness and maybe themselves, as well?

This story drew me in. It was well-written with witty lines and a refreshingly different storyline. I thought it was even better than a five, until I got to the end. The ending was a letdown. I needed more that the mundane, lackluster conclusion given. This author is too good not to follow through with a heartwarming, satisfying conclusion. It ended okay and was headed in the right direction but felt incomplete. I gave it a 4.5, which rounded up to a 5.

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An Informal Christmas: Volume 1 Paperback – 8 March 2016

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Heather Gray

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