It’s beginning to look like Christmas here on the blog, okay, no snow but I am eagerly reading anything Christmas related right now. The latest in that journey is A Christmas Prayer. This story has historical details (arranged marriages, wagon trails) and romance that makes a reader cheer at the end. I love that the holiday season is present along with faith bring hearts together and centering around what is real.

Cynthia is a woman that is not only strong of mind but strong in love. She is willing to lay love to the side to marry the yucky Walter. Okay, he wasn’t the worst (but really he was), he just rubbed me the wrong way. I think the author tried to make sure we as readers had the chance to determine between levels of men. He would be the bottom not fit for Cynthia, then we had Cole a man that was kind and assured of what his future should be till he meets Cynthia. Then Jack a man needing a mom for his kiddos and thinking his luck might have changed meeting with Cynthia.

There are many characters in this book and each plays a role in creating this wonderful story. I like that the reader had options and the chance to think about which man they thought would be best, and we also got to meet really kind and gentle souls that make a book wonderful.

I loved the diary/journal entries at the chapters. It was a peek into Cynthia’s mind and heart. These entries were touching and just the perfect added historical touch. Many people that traveled the trails West, would try and document their experience. I thought that this resounded with those that truly had this experience of making their way to a new home.

I really love the authentic feeling I had while reading this story. Not only was it the details of how tough this journey was but the author gave the perfect dialect to the characters, limiting making them modern sounding. This was something that I enjoyed as my imagination took over with each scene and I could hear the story playing out.

My final thoughts: this book is sweet and a quick read. I was quickly team Cynthia and team Cole, though there is easily many characters to choose from. I love the snowed in and sharing of the journey with those that are strangers that was a theme to this story. The theme to me though was that the holidays will bring faith, magic and love…always with God’s timing.

Here is to a wonderful story, that hosts characters on many journeys and one journey that will lead them all to a new path. I encourage readers that have enjoyed Wanda’s stories in the past to read this book. If you have never read a book by Wanda here is a perfect story to start with, it will bring comfort and joy to your soul and new friends to your fiction loving mind.