Blog Tour – A Midnight Clear by Hope Ramsay @HopeRamsay @ForeverRomance #review #excerpt

Posted December 1, 2015 by Carole in Blog Tour, Book Reviews, Excerpt / 2 Comments

A Midnight Clear by Hope Ramsay
Series: Last Chance
Forever – Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Date Read: November 23, 2015

Dr. Tom Crawford isn’t feeling the spirit of the season when he arrives in Last Chance. Far from friends and family, he’s the odd man out in this town of gossiping, tight-knit Southerners-until he meets a sweetly sexy single mom who makes him feel welcome. Suddenly the handsome doctor is thinking he’s finally found a place to call home.

Local florist Teri Summers has her hands full of mistletoe in preparation for the holiday, yet finding someone to kiss is her last priority. But when the gorgeous new doctor makes a connection with her special needs son, Aiden, Teri finds herself wondering if she’s finally found happiness in this season of joy. For Teri and Tom, Last Chance may be their best chance at love.

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I liked the overall story.  This is a short story so I was able to read it in a single sitting.  Sometimes short stories leave me rather unfulfilled and wanting more…like the story isn’t quite finished.  This story was really a very well contained story that wrapped things up very nicely.  I was surprised by the strong emphasis on faith that was present in the story.  I actually stopped reading at one point to check if this book was actually categorized as religious fiction.  The faith in the story didn’t bother me but its not a genre that I would normally choose.
The main focus of this story is Teri, her son, Aiden, and Tom, the new doctor.  Teri is a single mother and the owner of the local florist.  She spends a great deal of energy caring for her son, Aiden, who has special needs.  Aiden has Asperger’s syndrome which cause him to look at things a little differently.  He hates the color red and isn’t a big fan of Christmas overall.  Teri meets the new doctor in town, Tom, when Aiden is taken in for a huge splinter lodged in his thigh.  Tom seems to just know how to work with Aiden and they get through the ordeal with minimal difficulty.
I liked the characters and thought that they were well represented.  Teri is a fiercely protective mother but who could blame her.  She seems to be the only one willing to give Aiden the support that he needs.  Tom has his own story which helps him relate to Teri and Aiden.  There were more than a few moments where Tom seemed just to perfect to be realistic.  I thought that Aiden’s character was well done.  The parts of the story that were from his point of view really helped me understand the dynamics of the situation.
There really was a lot going on in this short story but nothing felt incomplete.  I liked the romance between Teri and Tom and thought that they really deserved to be happy together.  This short story is part of a series but can be read very easily as a stand along.  I have a feeling that some of the characters that made appearances will be familiar to readers that have read the series.  
There was a lot more religion in this story than I had expected.  The town even has a religious miniature golf course, Golfing for God.  I would have preferred the religious parts of the book to be toned down.  I really wanted to focus on the couple and Aiden.  Overall, I would recommend this sweet romance to others.  
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Forever – Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an
honest review.

Excerpt

About the Author

Hope Ramsay grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but every summer Momma would pack her off under the care of Aunt Annie to go visiting with relatives in the midlands of South Carolina. Her extended family includes its share of colorful aunts and uncles, as well as cousins by the dozens, who provide the fodder for the characters you’ll find in Last Chance, South Carolina. She’s a two-time finalist in the Golden Heart and is married to a good ol’ Georgia boy who resembles every single one of her heroes. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, where you can often find her on the back deck, picking on her thirty-five-year-old Martin guitar.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

2 responses to “Blog Tour – A Midnight Clear by Hope Ramsay @HopeRamsay @ForeverRomance #review #excerpt

  1. It does sound like Christian Fiction, by your review. I love to read CF every now and then, but sometimes it does get preachy. I
    m glad that you were still able to enjoy the story overall.