The Christmas seasons is often a time of reflection and traveling down memory lane. It can be a time of hurt and pain, but also a time of healing. This story is a tasteful combination of tough issues dealt with humor and heart. A little 6-year-old girl's heart is at stake when she has to deal not only with the recent loss of her mother to a boating accident, but then her father's death through a motorcycle accident. How does Bethany survive?

Bethany's Aunt Molly moved from Minnesota to Las Vegas to live with her brother Pat and his daughter Bethany. She had originally come to help Pat while he was still grieving over the loss of his wife in a boating accident. But it became painfully clear to her that Pat had an additional problem: alcoholism. He had gone from completely leaving the stuff alone for as long as she could remember to drowning his sorrows in the bottle every evening. Molly struggled in her changing role from little sister to friend and confidante. How could she help her brother? But before she could even get started, he was suddenly killed in an accident. Now, she had to deal with this loss and with her niece's shock. The household was hurting.

None of the coping would have been possible if it weren't for Pat's fire fighter partner, Trace. Trace had been close to Pat's family since Bethany was born. During the difficult period of loss of his partner and best friend, Trace began to spend time with Pat's family. Bethany came alive when he was there. He knew what she liked and it was through his gentle care that Bethany began to deal with her aching grief. Bethany's grandmother became a stable factor in the group. She only lived a few blocks away, but moved into the house to help. Between the four of them, the family slowly recovered from their great loss.

This is a difficult book to describe. The situation was serious and heartbreaking. Yet the author created a family from the four grieving parties, and transformed them into a loving, caring unit that supported one another. She used humor, surprisingly, to bring them all closer. And I found it appropriate and well balanced in spite of what you would expect. In fact, you can't help but laugh your way through the silliness that is Molly and Trace and even the grandmother. Together, their antics and love helped a little girl recover from a serious loss. Kudos to the author for a well written, sensitive, and yet light-hearted book about what makes a family. I consider this a memorable book.

Another thing I like about the book is that while being a faith based story, it doesn't tend to lecture or talk the topic of loss to death. Instead, it is a book of action. It demonstrates how the characters loved each other even in the worst of circumstances. It wasn't easy. But they toughed it out together. If anything, the book performed as a great object lesson for the readers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from The Book Club Network on behalf of the author. I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." ( )

This dramatic story kept my attention to discover how everything would turn out for the characters. Alcoholism and grief create the themes in this read. How each person handles these issues makes a difference in how they face life. Read this book by Peggy Blann Phifer and look for hope at Christmas time.

I received a copy of this book from the Bookclub Network for an honest review which I have given. ( )

This is a wonderful story of what people can survive. You will love all the characters. It made me laugh and cry through the whole book. I did not want to put this one down. This helps to see how someone can survive many deaths in one family. I loved it. I received this book from book fun.org for a fair and honest opinion. ( )

Sadness turned to Sunshine
This story, although set around Christmas holidays, is so much more than just another Christmas story. It is a wonderful story of family pulling together during heartache. The little girl in the story is easy to love and the sacrifice her aunt makes in her own life to help her niece is commendable. There are plenty of surprises in the story so it is not predictable and it is heartwarming to watch everyone grow in their faith as they heal from the tragedies in their lives. I recommend this book to all ages as it will appeal to a wide range of readers. Somehow Christmas does still come, even when we are feeling lost in life and the lesson of that simple statement might be all someone needs to find the path of healing.
I received this book from BookFun.org in exchange for my honest review ( )

Somehow, Christmas Will Come is a beautifully written family story which has seen so much tragedy in their young lives. The one most impacted by the world gone wrong is a little 6 year old girl by the name of Bethany. At the age of 5, she lost her mother. At the age of 6, she loses her father. How will she survive?

There are several aspects about this author's writing I really enjoyed. The first is how well she penned the dynamics of Patrick Dugan's family. She uses wit and humor to flesh out Patrick's character, how he lovingly fathered his daughter, handled his job professionally, and grieved his wife quietly. In spite of the emotional toll of so many problems the family faced, there were lighter moments that caused me to laugh out loud and tugged at my heart.

The second aspect I liked is the development of a new face in the story after Patrick was gone, that of Trace Whitcomb. His place in the family dynamics is crucial to their survival. He quickly became a key player. It was exciting to read how a grandmother, an aunt, a first grader and a best friend became a new family unit for Bethany's sake. Of course, it was not perfect. There were the usual issues to deal with and even a bit of a surprise at the end. But all that put together is what makes this book a joy to read.

Finally, there is a romantic element that develops between Molly and Trace. The author makes this part of the story seem natural rather than unrealistic or obtrusive, as it may very well have become. Kudos to the author for making it all fit together so well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from The Book Club Network on behalf of the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )