The Snowflake

by Jamie Carie

It’s Christmas in 1897, and Ellen Pierce and her brother are determined to reach the Alaska gold rush. But when ice stalls their steamship, all seems lost, until Buck Lewis makes a proposal: he’ll lead all who dare follow on foot toward Dawson City. Buck is determined to leave behind a heartbreaking past. No amount of ice or weather will stop him. But he never counted on a woman joining a dangerous wilderness trek—or on falling in love with her. In her first novella, award-winning author Jamie Carie couples soul-deep romance with epic adventure to give a joyful reminder of a redeeming God who makes us each unique, yet loves us all the same.

Genres: Christmas, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Christian, Historical

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Born and raised in Vincennes, Indiana, Jamie is a preacher’s daughter. Road trips with her dad—to and from Bible studies across Indiana—were filled with talks of things beyond earth’s bounds – creation and the fall, God and Jesus and the rapture, the earthly walk compared to the spiritual walk, and how we are born for more than what we can see or touch. The highlight of those nights was stopping at a truck stop in the middle of the night where her dad spent a little of the offering basket on two slices of pie and a couple of Cokes.

And nothing could stop the writing pouring out of her.

Piles of poems, short stories, skits and song lyrics later, Jamie grew up and married. When her eldest son turned five she decided to try her hand at novels. Eight years and lots of rejection letters later, Snow Angel was published and won ForeWord Magazine’s Romance Book of the Year, a USA Book News “Best Books 2007” Awards winner, and 2008 RITA® Awards Best First Book finalist. In 2010 Wind Dancer was a finalist in the Indiana State Library Best Books of Indiana. It was the beginning of her dream career.

With seven books currently in circulation and her first three book series coming in 2012, Jamie has made an impressive contribution to the inspirational, historical romance genre featuring heroines who are fierce in their beliefs and love. Romantic Times exclaimed, "Carie is a welcome new voice in the inspirational fiction market." And, "Carie writes with her heart on every page of her books." Jamie has a passion for history and believes in the power of love stories. She lives with her husband and three boys in Indianapolis, Indiana.

If she could only say one thing to her readers it would be, “Live the dreams God has destined you for!”

Books:

Snow Angel
The Duchess and the Dragon
Wind Dancer
Love's First Light
Angel's Den
Pirate of my Heart
The Snowflake (a Christmas novella)

Coming in 2012:
The Forgotten Castles Series (A continuous series to be read in order)
The Guardian Duke
The Forgiven Duke
A Duke's Promise

Contacting Jamie:

Jamie's website - http://www.jamiecarie.com
Jamie's blog - http://jamiecarie.com/blog
Jamie's Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jamie.carie
Jamie's Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/jamiecarie

Jamie's email: jamie@jamiecarie(dot)com

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting story with lots of romance, adventure and drama. The heroine was a brave woman and the hero was courageous. They battled the Alaska wilderness together and it was so good to see their poignant HEA. Highly recommend :)

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella that ventured into the harsh Alaskan landscape. The Snowflake was unique and well-written. The characters were fairly well-developed for a novella and the storyline was definitely different than those I have read before.

I found it to be an easy and quick read. It was a bit predictable in parts. However,there were a few things that surprised me. Ellen and Buck were both likeable characters, although I didn’t feel extremely connected with them, but their budding relationship was sweet. The mental illness that appeared to plague Ellen’s brother added an extra level of danger to the already arduous journey.

The Snowflake is a good choice for those looking for a Christmas or winter story different than many other choices out there. (3.5 stars)

My thanks to B&H Publishing Group for the complimentary copy of this book that I received in exchange for an honest review.

You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Ginnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie Carie Succeeded in packing a lot into a little novella.

Ellen is traveling with her brother Jonah to the Klondike Gold rush.

Their ship gets stuck in ice and winter is coming on so they have two choice. Stay on the ship with few provisions all winter, or hike into Dawson City.

The climax had some suprises and was well written. The emotions and the Christian walk are also portraited well.

[Allen Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick book, that was an easy read. A woman who is charged with her emotionally unstable brother travel to Alaska in order to find Gold. The brother dies, & she realises she has never lived for herself, but the Lord shows her the way and eventually everything turns out the way God wanted it. She struggled with her faith but finds a deeper relationship with God...GOOD BOOK.-RECOMMEND0

[Ronie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella by Jamie Carie was a very sweet, heart-tugging story. Carie accomplished in a few pages what many authors do not accomplish in an entire full-length book! I really liked Buck and appreciated the ending Carie fashioned.

[Nessy96 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice light read just like a snowflake :)

[Georgann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little novella with a happy ending. But it sure spoke to me about how great and unstoppable and amazing is God's love for us! All of us, each of us, as different as snowflakes and loved beyond anything we can dream of.

[Angels · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowflake

By: Jamie Carie
4 stars
Reviewed by:Angels
Format:Kindle/Hardcover
Published: B& H Books
Source: Purchased Copy Gene:Christian Romance

http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-...

Book Blurb/Synopsis-

Christmas 1897. Ellen Pierce and her brother are determined to reach the Alaska gold rush. But when ice stalls their steamship, all seems lost, until Buck Lewis makes a decision: he'll lead all who dare to follow on foot toward Dawson City.Buck is determined to leave behind a heartbreaking past. No amount of ice or weather will stop him. But he never counted on a woman joining a dangerous wilderness trek--or on falling in love with her.As their journey unfolds and Christmas approaches, Ellen and Buck discover that the greatest gift of all can't be wrapped in paper and tied with a bow. It comes from, and is received in, the heart.Come share in a soul-deep romance that gives a joyful reminder of a redeeming God who makes us each unique, yet loves us all the same.



Our Review

This was a touching story about a brother and sister who set out to be part of the Gold Rush. Being stuck on a stream ship and ice-locked they decided to venture out on foot with a part to make there way.This trip will make you or break you its not for the faint at heart and the most enduring will survive.Ellen is living in hell with and abusive brother and this trip is not making it any easier as he is a weak individual and not only does she have to survive herself she has to look out after the brother who should be looking out for her. She made a promise to her mother to take care of her brother but, in doing so has sacrificed a life of her own.On this trip Ellen sees a glimpse of hope in there guide Buck perhaps there is someone out there who will love her after all.

I had mixed feelings about this book whether to give this read 3 or 4 stars. Ellen loses her brother along the trek to safety and nearly her own life. Once in town she is taken in by a women Kate who owns a brothel and nursed back to health.My problem with the story I guess is I did not like the turn of events that happen once this party reached safety.Here is a young frighten girl left alone in the world to fend for herself without anyones help. It seemed that once they were to safety she was on her own a know one to look out for her.They all seemed to have built a friendship and a closeness on the trip and Buck obliviously seem to care for her just up and left without seeing her settled first all the sake of hunting the killer of his dead wife!

Ellen's belief and God and her kind heart and spirit saw her through her trying time. No matter what has happen to her she hasn't lost faith in God and is still wishing for her happily ever after.A touching story of endurance.Just proves that only the stronger survive.You had to love Ellen with all her strength and compassion for others this story could have ended and totally different way.





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[Julie Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellen Pierce and her brother are on their way to the Alaskan gold rush. Ellen promised her mother on her deathbed that she would watch over her brother. Ellen’s brother is jealous of any man that looks at her. He is not well in his head. Ellen lives in fear of him, never knowing if he will have a “normal” day or if his eyes will have that empty look that she knows means the day will be most difficult. Ellen feels that she has been rejected by God. She feels that the burden of her brother’s care is on her and that her life will never be normal.

Buck Lewis is heading the same way but for a different reason. His mission is to find the man that shot and killed his wife. He is determined to bring the man to justice.

When the steamboat that they are on becomes locked in the ice of the Tundra all seems to be hopeless. Buck proposes to take whomever wants to go on a 200 mile trek in the bitter cold to Dawson City. Of course Ellen’s brother wants to go. He cannot be reasoned with. Buck is nervous about taking a woman on the trek but they set out. The going is not easy and they lose several lives in the course of their trek.

Ellen and Buck are attracted to each other. Buck is reserved though. He cannot understand how he can have feelings for another woman. His wife has only been gone for 7 months. Plus there is his mission to find her killer. They make it to Dawson City. Ellen collapses and a kind woman named Kate takes her in to nurse her. When Ellen comes around she soon discovers that she is staying in a brothel! Kate is the owner of several such establishments and saloons. Ellen immediately sets out to find work for herself and a place to live. Buck decides he must continue on his search for his wife’s killer. On parting Ellen asks Buck to promise to be with her on Christmas day.

Having no success in finding a place to live or work Ellen takes Kate up on her offer of dancing with lonely men for a dollar a dance. She is an instant hit with all the men because of her compassion and caring for them. She listens to their stories and she promises that she will pray for each of them if they would like her too.

Will Buck be able to keep his promise to Kate and be back by Christmas? Will he find his wife’s murderer? Will Kate ever feel that she is loved by God and that he hears her every prayer?

The Snowflake is a quick read. I was able to read it in a couple of hours. The characters were engaging, but being a Novella they weren’t developed enough. There were hints of what had happened in the past but not overly detailed. For those that like romantic short stories this will be a perfect read for you!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowflake took me by surprise. From the cover of the book, it looked like a sweet book about giving and having the Christmas spirit. However, only a few pages into this book and you discovered that it is far from this. Its 1897 and Ellen has been all but forced by her brother to journey with him to Alaska during the goldrush. When their ship becomes frozen in the waters, Ellen and her brother set out with a handful of others to trek across the territory to reach Dowson City. Buck Lewis, a man who has guilt riding firmly on his shoulders, heads the expedition. With Ellen the only female among them, he decides to keep an eye out for her along the way. But Ellen perseveres and pushes on right along with the men to reach Dawson before hunger and the cold claim her.

This is a sweet story about a young woman’s trek across Alaska soil and of her survival once she reaches Dawson City. I was instantly drawn into the story with Jamie’s descriptive writing. My heart when out to Ellen, trapped in a life of caring for a brother who scared, harmed, and degraded her at every turn. And once she reached Dawson City, her troubles were far from over.

There is almost nothing that I need to point out. At one time along the trek to Alaska, Buck holds Ellen close against him near the fire after she almost died that day. When the men all huddled together to stay warm that night, she remained beside Buck and shared his blanket. Nothing inappropriate happened and when you are cold to the point of nearly being frozen, propriety and proper behavior is thrown at the window – its stay warm or die. Once she reached Dawson City she ends up staying in a brothel until she regains her strength. She was sick for days after reaching the settlement so didn’t notice. But as soon as she did, she left the brothel. She ends up being a dance-hall girl, but of respectable character – all she was paid to do was dance with the men who came into the parlor for drinks. Jamie did a great job of writing these touchy subjects and keeping the book clean.

The love story between Ellen and Buck was rather sweet, if a little hurried. Since the novella is so short, I can understand why it went so quickly. Buck’s promise to Ellen and the way he keeps it is so touching and sweet. Ellen knew she had found a diamond in the rough when he kept his promise to her, even though it had cost him a lot to do so. The characters in The Snowflake were developed very well and I enjoyed learning about the characters throughout the book. If you want to snuggle close to the fire for a few hours and read a sweet story full of depth and love, then this is just the book for you!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowflake is just like the cover suggests- a cute, hopeful, and quick read perfect for the holiday season.

The Snowflake tells the tale of Ellen Pierce and Buck Lewis, two people who haven't been truly happy in a long time. For Ellen, she has to deal with her patronizing, ill-mannered brother day in and day out because of a promise Ellen made her mother before she died. Buck is still dealing with the results of his wife's death a few months prior. Thrown together on boat destined for the Alaska gold rush, Buck and Ellen meet and sparks fly, that is until Ellen's brother gets in the way. Though, after a tragedy that leaves them deep in the Alaska wilderness occurs, Ellen, Buck, and everyone else on board is depending on each other to survive the trek to the next town. Will they make it alive? Better yet will Ellen and Buck get the happy endings they deserve? Only time and more pages will tell in this deeply romantic read!

While The Snowflake is considered to be a novella, it never once felt that Jamie skimped on character and plot development. She actually had just the right amount to the reader fully invested in Buck and Ellen's story from the get-go.

And talking about those two, they had to be one of my favorite parts of the story. Ellen was a girl who may have appeared weak on the surface was truly a brave person deep down. I mean, she was the only woman and one of the only people in the story who made it hiking across Alaskan outback alive. That takes guts. Buck was a strong guy with a leader type peresona, though he was still a sweet-heart deep down. And when you mixed the two of them together, they were an adorable couple. I also loved the add-on of Ellen's friend Kate as well because the sceanes of them together always added a touch of humor to this mostly serious story.

While the main plot of this was predictable, it still held my interest the whole time. I found the part of the story that took place in nature to be extremely good because I was always amazed to see how one person could manage to make it through those type of harsh conditions alive.

Furthermore, Jamie's writing was always up to par, making this one story that could easily be finished in a few hours.

In all, The Snowflake is a great read, one I would suggest to readers out there looking for a book to put them in the holiday mood.

Grade: B+

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: THE SNOWFLAKE
Author: Jamie Carie
Publisher: Broadman & Holman
October 2010
ISBN: 978-14336-6936-1
Genre: Inspirational/historical

Christmas 1897 in Alaska isn’t exactly easy. Ellen Pierce and her brother Jonah are alone in the world, and Jonah is convinced he wants to strike it rich panning for gold. So, he and Ellen take off. When the ship gets struck in ice, it becomes apparent that the passengers have only two choices: They can stay onboard ship until spring, and likely die of starvation, or they can start hiking across the countryside to Dawson City, and possibly die from either the elements or starvation.

Since doing something seemed better than doing nothing, Jonah and Ellen join Buck Lewis as he starts leading them across the wilderness. The passage is not easy, and someone is stealing rations. But Ellen starts developing feelings for Buck. Will they survive to find love? Or will Jonah manage to keep them apart?

THE SNOWFLAKE is a novella by Ms. Carie, that reminds me in a way of The Call of the Wild. Sort of. Maybe because the characters in the book behaved a lot like the characters in the movie, which made the book come alive for me. Ellen is held back in many ways from her mentally challenged brother. He is also abusive in many ways. But despite her difficulties, she perseveres and even comes out ahead in spite of it.

Buck is a true Alaskan hero. Rough, rowdy, and strong. He is a leader, capable of taking control of many and keeping them in order as they made the trek. I had to admire both his courage and strength many times in this book.

If you are looking for a different sort of holiday novella this season, then THE SNOWFLAKE is definitely one to consider. Written in partially first person and in third, the story puts you deep in Ellen’s character, and Buck’s. $14.99 hardcover. 256 pages.

[Beverly Frisby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the gold rush days of Alaska, "The Snowflake" quickly immerses the reader into a tale of romance, survival, and faith. The novella centers around Ellen Pierce, who against her better judgment, is accompanying her brother Jonah on a steamship bound for Alaska and the gold rush. Ellen promised her dying mother that she would always take care of Jonah, who is suffering from a mental disorder that can quickly change him from almost childlike to mean and abusive. When their steamship gets stalled in ice, it seems as though all passengers will have to wait out the winter aboard the ship, hoping the supplies last. Then Buck Lewis decides he will lead all who dare to follow him on foot toward their destination - Dawson City.

Buck has a heartbreaking past that he is trying to leave behind and to do so, he must make Dawson City - no matter how much ice or snow is thrown in his past. What Buck had not counted on was Ellen joining the trek to Dawson City due to Jonah's insistence.

Buck has a strong belief in God, but the tragic death of his wife is warring with his faith. Ellen felt God had abandoned her much as her earthly father had years ago. As the two struggle to survive the cold, hunger, Jonah's growing illness, and other dangers, they find their attraction for each other growing.

Jamie Carie's story is rich with passion, characters with depth, and historical fact. Her words paint such a vivid picture that you can almost feel the snowflakes "cold, heavy, lung-filling, air-robbing beauty." I love the comparison that Jamie makes about us to snowflakes in that the story "...gives a joyful reminder of a redeeming God who makes us each unique, yet loves us all the same."

This is a remarkable book and I recommend it to everyone.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Carie has really done an amazing job with the character depth in "The Snowflake". This was an amazing book!! It captured my soul right from the beginning and had me eager to keep reading.

It was Christmas of 1897 and Ellen had lost pretty much everything important to her in her life. She was traveling with her brother Jonah to reach the Alaska gold rush. When tragedy stuck the boat they were on they decided to travel to Dawson City on foot with her brother and some other men aboard the ship. They met all kinds of struggles along the journey. She soon became close with a man named Buck! Buck had his own heartbreak to deal with too but a connection still formed. All Ellen wants this year for Christmas is to not be alone, will that wish come true?!

I really connected with the story of Ellen and Buck. Sometimes when you go through a tragedy it is hard to see what God's plan is for your life and it's hard to have faith when you've been shaken so badly. I've never been so involved with the characters as I was with this book, in some parts my heart felt torn and broken and I literally cried and other times I rejoiced when they rejoiced!

This book is full of surprises, amazing love, God's faithfulness and grace!! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance and a story of God's healing power and forgiveness, you will not be disappointed. I am new to the world of reading. I just enjoying reading, all the time and now I can't stop! I had never heard of Jamie Carie before but I won this book from an interview she did on a blog and I was clearly not disappointed!! I am excited to read the other books Jamie Carie has wrote!

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short novella tells the story of Ellen Pierce and her brother, who are en route to reach the Alaska gold rush in 1897 when their steamship is stalled in the ice. Rather than stay with the ship and face possible starvation, Buck Lewis, another passenger, leads those who are willing on a dangerous wilderness trek to reach Dawson City. Ellen and her brother join the group. Ellen, as the only woman in the group, must struggle to survive, and then make her own way in an unfamiliar Alaskan frontier town. The story switches between Ellen and Buck's perspectives as they each struggle with the circumstances they find themselves in and their growing attraction to each other.

The Snowflake was a quick, enjoyable read. It's a sweet, inspiring story, and Ms. Carie did a great job of portraying an Alaskan frontier town. I felt that both the plot and characters could've had a bit more depth, but then again this was not meant to be a full length novel. I thought the discussion questions at the end were a great feature and found them quite insightful. All in all, I think this little book makes a great way to spend a cold evening after a busy day this holiday season, enjoying a cup of something nice and hot.

Thanks so much to Julie Gwinn at B&H Publishing for providing a review copy to me!

Read more: http://homewithpurpose.blogspot.com/2...
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

[Christy Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Snowflake by Jamie Carie is a short novella perfect for the Christmas season. Ellen Pierce has spent most of her life caring for her brother Jonah, trying to protect him from the world while keeping herself safe from him. His obsession with her has kept them moving often to keep her away from any man who may be attracted to her, but there's nowhere to run from Buck Lewis when they are all on a ship trapped in the ice on the way to Alaska. Buck leads a group through the icy winter snows to Dawson City where he can continue tracking his wife's killers. The journey through the snow will take the lives of more than one of the travelers, but it will bring Buck and Ellen together as the two lonely souls find solace in each other. But Buck's desire for revenge pulls him away from her, leaving Ellen to make her own way in a strange town. Will he return in time to fulfill his promise to come back to her for Christmas? Carie is a talented writer of historical romances and while this plot may seem at first glance a bit of fluff, there is great depth in Ellen's guilt over Jonah, the demons that haunt him, and Kate's history. I hope that Carie gives Kate and Lucky a book of their own. This quick read is perfect for the busy holiday season and with a message of God's love for everyone, even lonely exiles.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The year is 1897 in Alaska.

Ellen Pierce and her brother, Jonah along with several others are traveling to Dawson City. The ship that they were traveling on gets stuck in ice. There is only one option…travel by sled and snow dogs across the frozen tundra to Dawson City. The trek will be very dangerous. Luckily for Ellen and her brother, Buck Lewis volunteers to lead the group to Dawson City.

I first was introduced to Mrs. Carie when I read Love’s First Light. I really enjoyed that book and Mrs. Carie’s writing style. I then read her next book Angel’s Den and also enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really get into her latest book, The Snowflake. While I found the story to be sweet, I found it to be a little too sweet. What I mean by this is that while I liked Ellen and Buck together and I liked the story; I felt that there needed to be more meat to the story line. The action wasn’t intense enough for me.

On the other hand, I was actually happy when Ellen’s brother, Jonah was no longer in the picture. He was mean. Though, I may not have fallen for this book I still like Jamie Carie as author and plan to still read her books.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

MOM'S REVIEW:

This 1897 romance takes place during the Alaska gold rush. Ellen and Buck overcome incredible obstacles to survive a wilderness trek after their steamship can sail no more. It is a good look into life during the gold rush with good spiritual lessons, but too predictable for me.

BOOK OVERVIEW:

Christmas 1897. Ellen Pierce and her brother are determined to reach the Alaska gold rush. But when ice stalls their steamship, all seems lost, until Buck Lewis makes a decision: he'll lead all who dare to follow on foot toward Dawson City.

Buck is determined to leave behind a heartbreaking past. No amount of ice or weather will stop him. But he never counted on a woman joining a dangerous wilderness trek--or on falling in love with her.

As their journey unfolds and Christmas approaches, Ellen and Buck discover that the greatest gift of all can't be wrapped in paper and tied with a bow. It comes from, and is received in, the heart.

Come share in a soul-deep romance that gives a joyful reminder of a redeeming God who makes us each unique, yet loves us all the same.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a Christmas-themed novella that tells of God's grace and matchless love set in Dawson City along the Yukon River in the winter of 1897. It is at the height of the Alaskan gold rush.

This is a book that, while shorter than the average novel, is not short on suspense and well-drawn characters. The author creates a setting that has the reader shivering along with Ellen as she staves off frostbite, fear, and hunger along with the very real drama that takes place between the various characters traveling to Dawson City. Chapter by chapter, each main character's back-story is revealed through realistic conversations and situations.



Continue reading on Examiner.com Book review: The Snowflake by Jamie Carie, a Christmas novella - San Francisco Christian fiction | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/christian-fic...

[Diane Holm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Glimmer of hope...

Trapped by the frozen ice and unwilling to wait until spring, Ellen and her brother join others in a perilous journey across the Alaskan wilderness. The dream of gold written on their hearts. Surrounded by unimaginable mind numbing cold, nigh froven to death, a glimmer of hope can lift your soul.

Fear and love are the greatest motivational forceses. Jamie has woven these into The Snowflake with vivid and clear detail. It is easy to visualize and feel the outward and inward struggles as the harshness of the Alaskan winderness bears down.

The storyline is familiar, but Jamie's twists and turns add depth, imagination, and strength of will.

Great "Fireplace Reading"!

[Lenore Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even today I have a read or two of romances. My latest was 'The Snowflake' by Jamie Carie. Yeah, with our Texas heat I was ready for a lil cooling off. Here I traveled back to 1897 and followed a adventure trip to Alaska. Here in a world that only men venture the unheard of happens. A determined strong woman is making the same trek. Will this hamper the journey or can the different outlook on life help new answers come about? I loved seeing how a deep romance based on respect and admiration grow in this story. And of course who can falter a relationship that is brought to fruition by the hand of God?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Ellen and her brother Jonah are headed to Alaska to stake a gold claim when the ship they are on, freezes up and they can't continue. Her brother, who suffers from some sort of mental illness, decides they will walk the several hundred miles with others from the ship, to Dawson, a gold mine town just over the border in Canada. The journey is not for the faint hearted and several die. Jonah refuses to let them turn back, but when he too dies, Ellen can only thing to continue on. Once in Dawson, she makes an unusual friend, takes a job she never would have dreamed of and hopes that Buck, the man who led their party will come back for her as he promised.

[Sandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the life or death situation, I never felt any sense of urgency in the writing. The tense situations were only mildly so--during a fight to the death struggle with her brother, the scene just fades out and in the next chapter we learned he died. Maybe the biggest disconnect is when Buck explains, "When we obey Him (God) and trust Him to help carry our burdens, it brings life; it doesn't rob it." He makes this speech just before he leaves on a hunt for vengeance.

[Janet C-B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Christmas story, set in 1897 during the gold rush years in Alaska, is a mix of adventure, romance and Christian inspiration. The main characters, Ellen and Buck are well developed. The story caught and held my attention from beginning to end. It does not become apparent until halfway through the story that there is a strong Christian message. In the spirit of Christmas, and within the category of the Christmas story genre, I rate it 4 stars.

[Bonnie Mentel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read. I love historical fiction and really enjoyed the characters. Even though it is almost summer where I am, I was freezing with the characters in Alaska as I read this! It was a cute romantic novella and I plan to read the rest of Jamie Carrie's books. Thoroughly entertaining and with a nice, Christian message.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas in Alaska

I love Christmas stories and I'm intrigued by Alaska. This was a nice combination. Ellen is a woman of inner strength but not a lot of confidence. Buck a perfect hero, struggling with his own personal demons; wanting and needing the love of a good woman. A nice Christmas read.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very detailed interesting shortish story about a unusual woman who really is very beat-down by life and how she chooses to rise. I thought the love story was sweet and the idea for the book interesting. I didn't like the whole brothel, prostitution idea, just didn't fit in and felt odd. Over all a good story of redemption and God's love.

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

The basic idea behind the story was okay, but the execution was a little poor. It was a Christian novel trying to make it's way into a Yukon gold rush story. The combination didn't come off. I never could figure out how the title tied in with the story as a whole.

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A trudge through frozen tundra. A romance. Surprising characters. A frothy little book that ends just the way you want it to. I enjoyed the book even if I groaned at the triteness here and there. Overall a good, light read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set back in the 1800s during the Gold rush. The book depicts travels on the trail in the winter time. Many hardships and trials during this time for people wanting to strike it rich with gold. Tales of love and loss and ultimate sacrifices makes this book a well written read.