Finding Noel

September 4, 2006
On the night that Mark Smart has decided will be his last, his car dies in a blizzard. He enters a closing coffee shop and finds Macy Wood, who literally offers him a shoulder to cry on. The two forge a deep friendship, and after three weeks, Mark proposes marriage. She declines, but waitress Joette, who has taken care of Macy since she was 13, orchestrates a reunion as Mark tries to smooth over the rifts dividing what remains of his family. Mark's stepfather's advice—"sometimes it's the fight that makes a thing worth having"—serves as the defining aphorism of Evans's yuletide offering.

October 15, 2006
Best-selling author Evans (The Christmas Box) returns with another tale of faith and hope for the holiday season. Mark's life is falling aparthe is falsely accused of theft, struggles with depression, and is distraught over the unexpected death of his mother. Then he meets Macy, a young woman with her own share of troubles, including an emotionally abusive foster family. Together, they overcome their problems and go on a quest to find Macy's long-lost sister, Noel. The story jumps from flashbacks of Macy's past to Mark's journal entries, which results in a trying, disjointed read. However, Evans's past success makes this appropriate for most collections, particularly where inspirational fiction is popular. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/06.]

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2006
Evans' latest offering is a charming holiday story about two strangers who change each other's lives. Mark Smart thinks he has hit rock bottom when his car dies on a snowy evening in Utah. He stumbles into a coffee shop and meets Macy Wood, a young woman he connects with immediately. She gives him a ride home and over the next few weeks, the two swap their life stories. Mark is reeling from his mother's death and his estrangement from his father, while Macy, adopted at age seven, longs to find her younger sister who was taken by another family. Mark encourages Macy to look for her sister, and with his support, she ventures first to the adoption agency and then to the house she and her sister lived in with their troubled father. Mark wants to marry Macy, but his unresolved family issues give her cause for concern, and she pushes him away, forcing Mark to confront his own demons. Evans' many fans will want his latest, and this heartwarming tale is perfect for every reader who loves sweet and uplifting fare.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)