This novel is the fourth book in a series, but its story stands alone, and even though I haven’t read the earlier books and despite the fact that there were referrals to earlier incidents, I still enjoyed the story. The story is about life, understanding, courage, and warmth in a blended family with a Christmas gathering thrown in.

In the story, Kelley and Mitzi Quinn are the owners of the Winter Street Inn at Nantucket. Mitzi is Kelley’s second wife. Kelly was once married to a new anchor from whom he had three children, Patrick, Kevin, and Ava. Bart is Mitzi and Kelley’s son. Bart is back from Afghanistan and has some misgivings about his life, his siblings, and especially with the fact that his father Kelley is dying of cancer. The family has its dysfunctional sides but still sticks together throughout the ordeal. Mitzi is having a difficult time to let Kelley die and decide what to do with the inn and her future life. In the meantime, all their children are having difficulties and successes with their own lives. Finally, the plot wraps up everything to satisfactory if not too happy an ending.

What I like about this book the most is its realism. I felt I knew this family and their friends and even Margaret, Kelley’s first wife. It is a bittersweet story with serious turns and slight twists without being overly sappy or tragic.

All the characters are relatable with flaws, positive traits, and principles, and they are portrayed masterfully through their actions and dialogue. The storytelling is excellent and the setting shows a simple, wholesome lifestyle without the overcrowding of city life.

For me, this was a very good book with substance to spend some quiet time with because it has been very easy to relate to the Quinn family and like them.

having a good time with a book.

the setting and the characterization

is Elin Hilderbrand. WINTER SOLSTICE is her twentieth novel.

It is a nice, quiet, yet somewhat serious story and it doesn't rattle the nerves. No wonder Elin Hilderbrand's books are said to be good for beach-reading.

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Created Mar 09, 2019 at 2:02pm • Submit your own review...