Oh My Stars

September 15, 2018

The people of Ellery, TN, are proud to be part of a small, tight-knit community. Ivy Long returned home seeking help in caring for her terminally ill husband and stayed to be with family. Years later, she's settled in and chosen to be Mary in the town's drive-through nativity with Gabe, aka Joseph, who's planning a temporary stay. But finding a real baby in the nativity cradle upends plans for all the townspeople. Will Ivy's dream of adopting become her Christmas miracle? VERDICT Kilpatrick creates a charming town full of lovable oddballs and the story of Ivy, Gabe, and their extended families, making this a yuletide treat that will warm readers' hearts.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2018
The people of Ellery, Tennessee, love to celebrate Christmas. Except for Ivy Long, who somehow finds herself playing Mary in the Dollar General's Drive Thru Nativity scene. She's been drifting aimlessly since her husband died four years ago, living with her mother and sister, unable to return to writing romance novels. The arrival of good-looking Gabe Ledbetter to play her Joseph and the discovery of an abandoned baby left in the manger has Ivy starting to see Christmas a little differently, and she may just find her happy ending after all. Kilpatrick's (Better Get to Livin'?, 2016) fifth outing in Ellery captures all the sweet and sass of a cozy southern town, complete with wacky neighbors, family secrets, and farm animals roaming the streets. Ivy and Gabe are multidimensional, each with their own baggage, each looking for something they haven't yet identified. Alternating narration takes the story beyond a romance to a novel about self-discovery. Fans of fun southern small towns, Christmas miracles, or city-boy bumbles in the country will rejoice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)