Fiction Review: The Christmas Angel Project

The weather is beginning to feel like fall, and it's the perfect time for a heart-warming Christmas novel. Given the length of short feel-good stories like "The Christmas Angel Project," and given my previous experience with Melody Carlson, I expected an interesting premise with little character development but was pleasantly surprised.

Of course, there's not much space to delve into each character, but Carlson's 2016 holiday novel progressed at just the right pace, with a dash of romance toward the end and enough time spent with each character to "wrap" you up in their tales. (Although it did take some time to get each of the characters straight, since the story is told from all four girls' perspectives.)

Here, we have a small book club that bonds together after one of their own suddenly passes away. But their friend left behind special gifts for each of them. Inspired, the ladies find ways to give back to their community and grow out of their own circumstances.

The redemption found is quite beautiful and would work well for a film. The conclusion involves a few Bible passages, but other than that the spiritual themes are not very strong and the women who find romance never stop to check to make sure their men are believers.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.