Jack Sawyer, recent hermit after the loss of his wife 2 years past, awkwardly takes in a single mother and her young daughter when their car breaks down near his house in the country. Before long, he's as much in need of Julie's help as she is of his. At the same time, Sam & Jessica Morgan lose their beloved house to a devastating fire. Their marriage is tested in this difficult time, as rebuilding won't be as easy as they hope.

Of the books in the Cape Light series I've read, this was my favorite. The story of Jack and Julie was much more interesting to me than the saga of Sam and Jessica Morgan's tragedy. I don't think that's necessarily because I didn't like the plot arc about the fire, but because I really liked the arc with Jack and Julie. Even moreso, I liked the arc with Jack and Julie's daughter, Kate.

What I found most endearing was that this was not just the development of a relationship between a widower and a single mom, but also the development of a relationship between a father whose son has been estranged for two years and a little girl who steals the not-so-old man's heart. Jack could get a second chance at being both a husband and a father, and it's very sweet. The culmination of that storyline made the entire book worth it.

As for Sam and Jessica, they almost killed my interest in the series in the first book. Fortunately, we're past most of the drama I disliked with them, but I will say some of their annoying quirks reared their heads again. Still, I found the difficulties they go through in this book sadly all too realistic. And while the end of their story might bother some, I think it makes sense within the context of this series.

After reading the first 4 books in the series and averaging 3.5 stars, I decided not to continue with it (which becomes a series of Christmas novels after the first 4 non-holiday books). But I already owned this one, so figured I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did, as I liked it more than the first 4. I'm not sure if I'll read more or not, though. Maybe I'll go back to book #5 if I have time left in the holiday season after I've read all of the Christmas-themed books I have planned. We'll see. ( )

A Christmas Star Cape Light by Thomas Kinkaid and Katherine Spenser
Jessica and Sam are displaced by the fire. Relatives and friends have them stay at their houses and wear their clothes. The kids suffer the loss as well. As they move from house to house they realize they do have
options, some would separate the family, another will keep them together but in a smaller space.
Rev. Ben is always helping others..
Tree farmer Jack Sawyer is grieving still as he lost his wife just a few months ago and with Christmas approaching he's not sure why he is still celebrating it.
He opens his house to a woman, Julie and her daughter who have a broken car, and dead cell as there are no tow trucks at night nor hotels close by.
When Jack tries to get her car out of the snow drift he injures himself and now she will stay longer to tend to him and help at the tree farm selling the trees for the holiday season.
So much goes wrong for everybody til the morning of Christmas where faith and hope shine through. ( )

Hardships bring people together under one roof and things don't always go smoothly

I am hooked on this series and I get antsy waiting for the newest book to hit the stores, every year. It has become a family thing, my sisters and Mother love the series just as much and we get a book and it runs through the ranks.
A Christmas Star didn't disappoint. Once again I was transported to the tiny town of Cape Light where everyone knows everyone. I grew up in a town much like that. Cape Light is a town where sometimes crime intrudes, but not often and where the ills of the world and everyday life still happen. It is a place you wish for in today's day and age, but rarely, if ever, find anymore. A town that you only really see in Thomas, Kinkade paintings.
Each book has a message and a Christian background. This installment deals with loss, be it material or personal. It runs through all the emotions one goes through at a time of loss and the emotions experienced in trying to come back from it.
Now sadly I have finished this installment and must wait until December 2009 for the next.
I do not want to write which characters this book covers or what their losses were, that way you get to experience the magic and message for yourself. ( )

makes for great light reading about family, friends and community spirit. Getting back to the basics of how people treat one another ( )