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The McRaes #1
Twelve Days
Twelve Days before Christmas, Rachel McRae opens her front door and a social worker puts a baby in her arms one who comes with a four-year-old boy and an eleven-year-old girl siblings abandoned and in need of a temporary home.
But there's a catch: Rachel's family is falling apart.
Rachel and her husband, Sam, have dreamed of a house filled with children a dream that has led them to repeated heartbreak. Sam McRae has finally decided the only thing left to do is leave his wife.
Reluctantly, Rachel and Sam take the children in, but just until after Christmas. They will do their best not to fall in love with them, not to get their hopes up that this time a miracle will happen. That these children will stay, and that their marriage can still be saved.
AWARDS:
RITA Finalist
THE McRAE SERIES, in order:
Twelve Days
Edge of Heaven
Bed of Lies
Five Days Grace
But there's a catch: Rachel's family is falling apart.
Rachel and her husband, Sam, have dreamed of a house filled with children a dream that has led them to repeated heartbreak. Sam McRae has finally decided the only thing left to do is leave his wife.
Reluctantly, Rachel and Sam take the children in, but just until after Christmas. They will do their best not to fall in love with them, not to get their hopes up that this time a miracle will happen. That these children will stay, and that their marriage can still be saved.
AWARDS:
RITA Finalist
THE McRAE SERIES, in order:
Twelve Days
Edge of Heaven
Bed of Lies
Five Days Grace
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First published October 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
December 4, 2013
4.5 Inspiring Stars! A wonderful heartwarming holiday read!
Life is hard, love makes it better ~ Teresa Hill
Lots and lots of love in this book, but there is also sorrow and despair. Sam and Rachel have suffered their own losses and it’s slowly causing their marriage to fall apart, but when 3 beautiful children suddenly come into their lives, it forces them to come together and give them the opportunity to come to terms with their past.
I really enjoyed this book! I fell in love with Sam and Rachel, and utterly adored Emma, Zach and Grace…they were delightful! I loved how Sam and Emma connected, she feared him at first, and leaned on him when her little heart was breaking…*sob*! Zach…what a pistol…he stole the show and baby Grace was a sweet as they come! I wanted them for my own.
The Christmas setting added to the emotional level of the read, but the author’s heartfelt writing is what drew me in and had me flipping through the pages. She incorporated Sam and Rachel’s story very nicely with that of the children. They love each other, but both have had their doubts. They married at a young age and journey back through time, rehash over old hurts and tragedies to find their way back to one another. It was very touching. The sex is slightly steamy, but it’s appropriate for the read, it did not warrant anything too descriptive.
I loved the small town setting, and the involvement of Rachel’s family, it added another lovely element to the read. It's a start to what looks to be an awesome family series.
I had two issues that kept this from being a 5 star read. Just a tad to much over-thinking on Rachel's part, but she really had been through the wringer, so I'm cutting her some slack. Also Zack/Zach’s name...which one is it?…somewhat annoying, but I enjoyed his character and this book so much, plus I got it for free, so I’m willing to overlook it.
Read the author’s dedication, it was the inspiration for Twelve Days, and that alone will have you shedding a tear.
It's worth buying, but right now it's FREE…FREE, FREE, FREE and book 2, The Edge of Heaven, is only $0.99 and I already grabbed that one too. Don't miss out; it’s a great read no matter the season!
September 19, 2013
I was completely absorbed in this, yet the entire time I was reading, feared it would end with me wanting to kick the author in the pants. She managed to pull it out of the fire... just barely. I do not like fictional miraculous infertility cures, especially when they come in the form of three angelic children dropped on your doorstep by the abandoned children fairy social worker. I won't spoil the story by saying how the author made it work for me, but she did. It's a fantasy, but grounded in reality and sensitively told.
November 26, 2017
3.5 stars
Twelve Days is a very nice Christmas story about a married couple that has been through a lot and can't handle any more disappointments in their lives. Rachel and her husband are on the brick of a divorce and don't even communicate that often anymore. My heart broke for this couple because nothing went okay for them. But when Rachel's aunt asks her to take care of three children until after Christmas, she can't say no, even though she knows her heart will break again when they have to leave. I personally ADORE books with kids in them. There is just something about the innocent and honest little humans that warms my heart. Overall it was a enjoyable Christmas story. I loved how Zach and Rachel discovered their love for each other again, and it also had a couple of very emotional scenes. I am happy the kids have their own books, and I'll probably check them out soon.
May 31, 2020
Tear-jerker, Hallmark-movie-type marriage-in-trouble story that takes place in the 12 days leading up to Christmas.
I'll start with the setting - a small town in Ohio with a district of handsome Victorian houses. The heroine's grandfather was an artisan who painted and carved the houses into snow globes. They were so popular that the glass factory in town thrived. This lead to book illustrations, etc. . . Think "painter of light"type success. Tourist flocked to the town during Christmas to see the decorations and beautiful architecture.
The H/h live in her grandfather's Victorian that they have lovingly remodeled. Hero is a carpenter, heroine is a glass artisan. They married when heroine got pregnant at 18. Then tragedy struck: on their way to a prenatal appointment they were in a car accident. Their daughter was stillborn and heroine lost her uterus. They have never really recovered from that trauma.
Hero was/is a quiet, misunderstood "bad boy." And heroine was/is the pampered youngest daughter of a huge family. 12 years later they are on the verge of separation because they have had their hearts broken trying to adopt and to foster children. Heroine is depressed and hero still feels guilty about the car accident.
The heroine's aunt, a social worker, brings three siblings to their doorstep when she can't find another foster family. Their mother abandoned them in a motel. There's an 11 year-old girl, a 7 year old boy, and a year-old girl.
The H/h decide to keep them through Christmas and in that 12 days they heal from their daughter's death, the hero opens up about his past, and the heroine realizes how she has undermined their marriage. This all sounds really angsty - and it is - but the kids are absolutely adorable and I found myself invested in their story and their happiness as well as the H/h's.
I'll start with the setting - a small town in Ohio with a district of handsome Victorian houses. The heroine's grandfather was an artisan who painted and carved the houses into snow globes. They were so popular that the glass factory in town thrived. This lead to book illustrations, etc. . . Think "painter of light"type success. Tourist flocked to the town during Christmas to see the decorations and beautiful architecture.
The H/h live in her grandfather's Victorian that they have lovingly remodeled. Hero is a carpenter, heroine is a glass artisan. They married when heroine got pregnant at 18. Then tragedy struck: on their way to a prenatal appointment they were in a car accident. Their daughter was stillborn and heroine lost her uterus. They have never really recovered from that trauma.
Hero was/is a quiet, misunderstood "bad boy." And heroine was/is the pampered youngest daughter of a huge family. 12 years later they are on the verge of separation because they have had their hearts broken trying to adopt and to foster children. Heroine is depressed and hero still feels guilty about the car accident.
The heroine's aunt, a social worker, brings three siblings to their doorstep when she can't find another foster family. Their mother abandoned them in a motel. There's an 11 year-old girl, a 7 year old boy, and a year-old girl.
The H/h decide to keep them through Christmas and in that 12 days they heal from their daughter's death, the hero opens up about his past, and the heroine realizes how she has undermined their marriage. This all sounds really angsty - and it is - but the kids are absolutely adorable and I found myself invested in their story and their happiness as well as the H/h's.
June 6, 2020
Just a bit too sappy for me, and I didn't like that the hero gave up so easily, refusing any communication, yet let the heroine take the blame for their marriage problems. It was actually a pretty sad book overall, dealing with some pretty traumatic issues, so maybe it's just me since this kind of book isn't usually in my wheelhouse.
January 17, 2019
Reviewed for THC Reviews
I was looking for a heartwarming holiday-themed read, and while searching my TBR pile, Twelve Days jumped out and grabbed me.:-) It’s essentially a cross between contemporary romance and women’s fiction. There’s enough romance that I’m comfortable categorizing it as such, but it doesn’t follow the same track as most romances. This isn’t a boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, and get their HEA ending sort of romance. In it, Sam and Rachel, our hero and heroine, are already married. In fact, they have been for twelve years, but time and hardships have put distance between them. They experienced a whirlwind romance as teenagers, which led to them marrying quite young after Rachel got pregnant. That ended in tragedy when a car accident killed their unborn child, and Rachel needed a hysterectomy to prevent her from hemorrhaging to death. They desperately wanted children, but couldn’t have any more of their own. Then there were a couple of failed attempts at adoption and a foster parenting experience they thought was going to become permanent until the boy was ordered to be returned to his biological mother. The walls between Sam and Rachel started building with the loss of their baby, and after one heartbreak after another, they’ve all but given up on both life and their marriage. Until Rachel’s aunt, who’s a social worker, brings three abandoned children to their doorstep twelve days before Christmas.
Rachel is a woman mired in grief. She’s never gotten over the loss of her own child, and after being forced to return their foster son, too, she’s been deeply depressed. She’d been slowly building a business as a stained glass artist and restorer, a talent that was handed down to her by her grandfather. She’d also been very active in the community with various volunteer activities. However, the last several weeks have been almost more than she can bear. All she ever really wanted was to be a mother, and her efforts toward that end always seem to be thwarted by fate. When her aunt shows up with the children, Rachel doesn’t think she can do it again, but when her aunt insists she has no place else to take them, Rachel reluctantly gives in but only until after Christmas. Then she discovers that her husband is planning to leave her the day after Christmas. She’s at loose ends regarding her marriage while trying to mother the kids. But gradually, she rises out of her funk to realize that perhaps she’s been rather selfish through the years and that she should focus more on the needs of the children and her husband rather than wallowing in her own misery. She’s also been keeping a secret from her husband all these years that has wracked her with guilt. But maybe if she confesses, it will help clear the air between them and get them back on track. Rachel is a kindhearted, loving woman who’s a great mother, and always seems to look out for the needs of others even though she doesn’t think she is. She also still loves her husband despite the distance that’s grown between them. She realizes she only wants his happiness, and if leaving her will make him happier, she’s willing to let him go, even though it will be hard.
Sam has never wanted anyone except Rachel. He was kind of the town bad boy when they were young, and she was the only one who seemed to see him for who he really was. But after watching her be so sad for so long and not knowing what to do to help her, he thinks that perhaps he’s part of the problem. He’s never really felt he was good enough for her and thinks that perhaps she’d be happier with someone else. Then the children show up and he fears they’ll only lead to more heartbreak for her. Although the kids remind him of a time in his own life he’d rather forget, he can relate to their plight and gradually warms up to them. But Sam still isn’t certain if his marriage can be saved, although a part of him wants that. Sam is very much the strong silent type, who tends to bottle up his problems and keep them to himself. Even after twelve long years of marriage there are things about his childhood he hasn’t ever told Rachel, because he fears she’ll look at him with pity like so many other people throughout the years have. Because of that, I think he’s a little bit prideful, too, as well as not as communicative as I prefer my romance heroes to be. But underneath it all, Sam is a good man, who loves his wife and ends up loving the kids as much as Rachel does.
The three children are all wonderful characters who acted age-appropriately. Emma is the oldest at eleven. She’s the little mommy of the group, always looking out for her younger siblings and trying to do a job that’s beyond her years. She never loses faith in her mother’s love, even though the adults around her think the woman simply abandoned them. Zach is the middle child, and at five years old, he’s a precocious ball of energy. He’s drawn to Sam and becomes his little shadow. Then there’s Grace, the baby, who isn’t yet a year old. Even though she doesn’t talk, the author managed to bring out her sweet, sunny personality. These three grow up to become the hero and heroines of the next three books of the The McRaes series.
Overall, Twelve Days was a gentle story of two people in love, who’ve drifted apart, but who find their way back to one another, while making room in their battered hearts for three little ones during the holiday season. There’s also a slight bit of mystery surrounding what happened to the children’s mother. While I did like the story, it wasn’t quite perfect. Sam and Rachel struggle right up to the final pages with whether their love can still make it, even though they’ve shared secrets and reunited intimately, which didn’t entirely leave me with a satisfied feeling. They’re so tentative around each other that I didn’t quite feel the all-encompassing love that I wanted to feel from them, especially by the end. I think a lot of this had to do with there being little to no blocking in the dialogue scenes. They’re merely long back and forth conversations that are missing the facial expressions, body language, and actions that would have really drawn me into the emotion of the moment. Also, their introspective thoughts surrounding their future and each other can sometimes become a little repetitious. Lastly, the author overuses the word just so much, it was driving me a little batty. But despite these missteps, I still enjoyed the book and found a lot of warmth within its pages, especially surrounding the McRaes holiday traditions. Since I loved the kids and think they’ll grow up to be just as great as adult characters, I look forward to giving the other books in the series a try sometime soon.
I was looking for a heartwarming holiday-themed read, and while searching my TBR pile, Twelve Days jumped out and grabbed me.:-) It’s essentially a cross between contemporary romance and women’s fiction. There’s enough romance that I’m comfortable categorizing it as such, but it doesn’t follow the same track as most romances. This isn’t a boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, and get their HEA ending sort of romance. In it, Sam and Rachel, our hero and heroine, are already married. In fact, they have been for twelve years, but time and hardships have put distance between them. They experienced a whirlwind romance as teenagers, which led to them marrying quite young after Rachel got pregnant. That ended in tragedy when a car accident killed their unborn child, and Rachel needed a hysterectomy to prevent her from hemorrhaging to death. They desperately wanted children, but couldn’t have any more of their own. Then there were a couple of failed attempts at adoption and a foster parenting experience they thought was going to become permanent until the boy was ordered to be returned to his biological mother. The walls between Sam and Rachel started building with the loss of their baby, and after one heartbreak after another, they’ve all but given up on both life and their marriage. Until Rachel’s aunt, who’s a social worker, brings three abandoned children to their doorstep twelve days before Christmas.
Rachel is a woman mired in grief. She’s never gotten over the loss of her own child, and after being forced to return their foster son, too, she’s been deeply depressed. She’d been slowly building a business as a stained glass artist and restorer, a talent that was handed down to her by her grandfather. She’d also been very active in the community with various volunteer activities. However, the last several weeks have been almost more than she can bear. All she ever really wanted was to be a mother, and her efforts toward that end always seem to be thwarted by fate. When her aunt shows up with the children, Rachel doesn’t think she can do it again, but when her aunt insists she has no place else to take them, Rachel reluctantly gives in but only until after Christmas. Then she discovers that her husband is planning to leave her the day after Christmas. She’s at loose ends regarding her marriage while trying to mother the kids. But gradually, she rises out of her funk to realize that perhaps she’s been rather selfish through the years and that she should focus more on the needs of the children and her husband rather than wallowing in her own misery. She’s also been keeping a secret from her husband all these years that has wracked her with guilt. But maybe if she confesses, it will help clear the air between them and get them back on track. Rachel is a kindhearted, loving woman who’s a great mother, and always seems to look out for the needs of others even though she doesn’t think she is. She also still loves her husband despite the distance that’s grown between them. She realizes she only wants his happiness, and if leaving her will make him happier, she’s willing to let him go, even though it will be hard.
Sam has never wanted anyone except Rachel. He was kind of the town bad boy when they were young, and she was the only one who seemed to see him for who he really was. But after watching her be so sad for so long and not knowing what to do to help her, he thinks that perhaps he’s part of the problem. He’s never really felt he was good enough for her and thinks that perhaps she’d be happier with someone else. Then the children show up and he fears they’ll only lead to more heartbreak for her. Although the kids remind him of a time in his own life he’d rather forget, he can relate to their plight and gradually warms up to them. But Sam still isn’t certain if his marriage can be saved, although a part of him wants that. Sam is very much the strong silent type, who tends to bottle up his problems and keep them to himself. Even after twelve long years of marriage there are things about his childhood he hasn’t ever told Rachel, because he fears she’ll look at him with pity like so many other people throughout the years have. Because of that, I think he’s a little bit prideful, too, as well as not as communicative as I prefer my romance heroes to be. But underneath it all, Sam is a good man, who loves his wife and ends up loving the kids as much as Rachel does.
The three children are all wonderful characters who acted age-appropriately. Emma is the oldest at eleven. She’s the little mommy of the group, always looking out for her younger siblings and trying to do a job that’s beyond her years. She never loses faith in her mother’s love, even though the adults around her think the woman simply abandoned them. Zach is the middle child, and at five years old, he’s a precocious ball of energy. He’s drawn to Sam and becomes his little shadow. Then there’s Grace, the baby, who isn’t yet a year old. Even though she doesn’t talk, the author managed to bring out her sweet, sunny personality. These three grow up to become the hero and heroines of the next three books of the The McRaes series.
Overall, Twelve Days was a gentle story of two people in love, who’ve drifted apart, but who find their way back to one another, while making room in their battered hearts for three little ones during the holiday season. There’s also a slight bit of mystery surrounding what happened to the children’s mother. While I did like the story, it wasn’t quite perfect. Sam and Rachel struggle right up to the final pages with whether their love can still make it, even though they’ve shared secrets and reunited intimately, which didn’t entirely leave me with a satisfied feeling. They’re so tentative around each other that I didn’t quite feel the all-encompassing love that I wanted to feel from them, especially by the end. I think a lot of this had to do with there being little to no blocking in the dialogue scenes. They’re merely long back and forth conversations that are missing the facial expressions, body language, and actions that would have really drawn me into the emotion of the moment. Also, their introspective thoughts surrounding their future and each other can sometimes become a little repetitious. Lastly, the author overuses the word just so much, it was driving me a little batty. But despite these missteps, I still enjoyed the book and found a lot of warmth within its pages, especially surrounding the McRaes holiday traditions. Since I loved the kids and think they’ll grow up to be just as great as adult characters, I look forward to giving the other books in the series a try sometime soon.
March 2, 2014
Two-haiku review:
They can't have children
Foster kids come for Christmas
Can they save marriage?
Really angsty one
I cared about characters
Very well written
They can't have children
Foster kids come for Christmas
Can they save marriage?
Really angsty one
I cared about characters
Very well written
November 26, 2018
I bought this on Kindle because it was a Christmas story. I enjoyed it a lot as a touching, family Christmas story, but it was a bit too sappy for my usual taste. Sam and Rachel have been married for 12 years and have had their share of bad memories. They are dangerously close to separating when Rachel's Aunt Miriam, a social worker, knocks on their door just 12 days before Christmas Day with three young children. They have been left by their mother in a local hotel with the 11-year old taking care of her 5-year old brother and 1-year old sister. Will Sam and Rachel be able to set aside their problems for a couple of weeks and give these children a wonderful holiday? And what will happen after the holidays are over? Will they be able to give them up again? A very touching tale of love, strength, and forgiveness.
December 6, 2018
This was a heartwarming Christmas story but a bit repetitive.
January 6, 2016
I have never read a novel by Teresa Hill before and found her first book in "The McRae Series" to be an okay/good read. I tend to like Christmas themed novels in general (they tend to put me in a Christmas mood) and thought this one was better than most I have read in the past few years. I still had some issues with the novel though that kept me from giving it five stars.
The novel is told from three points of view, Rachel McRae, her husband Sam, and their foster child Emma.
The plot revolves around the 12 days before Christmas in a small town in Ohio. Readers find out that Rachel and Sam have been married with no children of their own due to an accident that happened when they were first married. Due to that, Rachel and Sam decided to become foster parents hoping to eventually be able to adopt. However, after the latest foster care situation did not work out for them making both of them decide to stop trying to foster anymore children and to give up on adoption.
Rachel's aunt, a social worker, needs Rachel and Sam to take in three children that need a foster home or the kids will be forced to be split apart. The McRae's agree to do so reluctantly.
I think all in all though it was a good story it just tended to be a bit too long. I feel honestly this could have been two separate books since there seemed to be a lot going on in the novel that did not really get addressed until the very end of the novel.
Also switching back and forth between Rachel, Sam's and then Emma's point of view was just too much. Frankly I think it would have been better if we had just Rachel and Sam's point of view and leave it at that. Emma's point of views were really not that lengthy, I just felt them to be unnecessary and it actually broke up the flow between the main storyline which really was Rachel and Sam's relationship.
I also wish we had seen more interactions with Rachel's family throughout the story since I felt as if they were part of what was wrong and right with Rachel's marriage. I do think that at the end though we do get some nice resolution with Rachel's family concerning she and Sam but it all felt pretty shoehorned in there.
Please note that the book I did reviewed is the Kindle version that was re-released as "Twelve Days: The McRae Series, Book 1). Booklikes is not linking to the actual book review but instead to this older paperback version.
All in all, an okay read. Will probably read the next in the series when I get time.
The novel is told from three points of view, Rachel McRae, her husband Sam, and their foster child Emma.
The plot revolves around the 12 days before Christmas in a small town in Ohio. Readers find out that Rachel and Sam have been married with no children of their own due to an accident that happened when they were first married. Due to that, Rachel and Sam decided to become foster parents hoping to eventually be able to adopt. However, after the latest foster care situation did not work out for them making both of them decide to stop trying to foster anymore children and to give up on adoption.
Rachel's aunt, a social worker, needs Rachel and Sam to take in three children that need a foster home or the kids will be forced to be split apart. The McRae's agree to do so reluctantly.
I think all in all though it was a good story it just tended to be a bit too long. I feel honestly this could have been two separate books since there seemed to be a lot going on in the novel that did not really get addressed until the very end of the novel.
Also switching back and forth between Rachel, Sam's and then Emma's point of view was just too much. Frankly I think it would have been better if we had just Rachel and Sam's point of view and leave it at that. Emma's point of views were really not that lengthy, I just felt them to be unnecessary and it actually broke up the flow between the main storyline which really was Rachel and Sam's relationship.
I also wish we had seen more interactions with Rachel's family throughout the story since I felt as if they were part of what was wrong and right with Rachel's marriage. I do think that at the end though we do get some nice resolution with Rachel's family concerning she and Sam but it all felt pretty shoehorned in there.
Please note that the book I did reviewed is the Kindle version that was re-released as "Twelve Days: The McRae Series, Book 1). Booklikes is not linking to the actual book review but instead to this older paperback version.
All in all, an okay read. Will probably read the next in the series when I get time.
November 18, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was a good story, an easy read and I certainly wanted to continue reading it to the end, but there was something which almost made me want to say "sappy". The story about Rachel and Sam was a heart breaking story in so many ways: a number of tragedies in their lives, so much misunderstanding in their personal relationship, and lots of disappointment in their family planning.
Did the story end with a happy ending or a sad ending? Again, I found it difficult to feel completely satisfied with the story. It didn't make me smile or cry.
What went wrong to what should have been a great story and a real tearjerker? I think that there was too much repetition in recording the feelings of Rachel and the feelings of Sam to the point that it got tiresome - they were not kids, anymore. I think that the story could have developed all the characters more, from the father/grandfather to the birth mother to develop the story more.
I will read the prequel to Everything to Me which came as a bonus with the book.
Did the story end with a happy ending or a sad ending? Again, I found it difficult to feel completely satisfied with the story. It didn't make me smile or cry.
What went wrong to what should have been a great story and a real tearjerker? I think that there was too much repetition in recording the feelings of Rachel and the feelings of Sam to the point that it got tiresome - they were not kids, anymore. I think that the story could have developed all the characters more, from the father/grandfather to the birth mother to develop the story more.
I will read the prequel to Everything to Me which came as a bonus with the book.
February 12, 2017
This was a lot better then I thought it was going to be. Very sweet and emotional, can't wait to see how the rest of the series goes and I like that it's about the kids that we'll get to see more of them
February 20, 2017
4.5 Stars. This was a heart wrenching book that had me tears several times throughout. The characters well well developed and the book was really well written. The issues that Sam and Rachel face are realistic and emotional and I thought the author did a wonderful job of giving a realistic yet happy ending (although not everything ended up perfectly which would have been too unrealistic, Sam and Rachel did get their HEA). I don't want to say too much to give it away but it's a sweet, emotional Christmas read that highlights that if you fight for the person you love you can get through the dark times. Have some tissues next to you when you read it!
November 20, 2016
Very good story
I loved this story about a marriage in peril that was saved at Christmas . It did have some 'that would never happen' moments but I do love an HEA! I wonder what would have happened if it ended the opposite way. Would they still get their HEA? I am not sure. But I did love the couple. They truly loved each other. And I really appreciate a good Holiday story!!!
I loved this story about a marriage in peril that was saved at Christmas . It did have some 'that would never happen' moments but I do love an HEA! I wonder what would have happened if it ended the opposite way. Would they still get their HEA? I am not sure. But I did love the couple. They truly loved each other. And I really appreciate a good Holiday story!!!
December 18, 2012
A story of hope against all odds. Characters are well defined and the book keeps you reading all the way to the end.
March 12, 2016
boy did I sob reading this. I'm a sucker for stories with couples working on their marriage. THE ANGST, THE PAIN. GIMME TWENTY.
January 3, 2017
'Twelve Days' is the story of Rachel and Sam McCrae, whose marriage has come to breaking point after a less than ideal beginning leads to a series of overwhelming heartbreaks. They've only been married twelve years, but in that time have suffered the loss of a child, infertility, and hidden secrets that have gradually wedged them apart. When three abandoned children are placed in their care just days before Christmas, Rachel begins to hope their relationship can be saved, but when she discovers Sam is planning to leave her days after Christmas, doubts grow for them both, to nearly insurmountable proportions. Will they find a way forward with their unexpected Christmas miracle (the children), or will they allow past hurts to consume them?
I'm finding myself grappling with the rating for this novel. The writing itself is excellent. The characters were well developed and their plights certainly captured my heart. The plot was solid with a statisfying story arc. So for the first half of the book I was thinking '5 star' for sure.
Around the halfway mark the uncertainty of the main characters due to insecurities relating to their marriage began to grow a little sameish. I recognise this is an unfair statement, as there is a cyclic pattern when working through deep-set emotional insecurities, and the second guessing of each step towards reconciliation was actually a fairly realistic portrayal. But as a reader I started growing a little impatient with the characters when, after what seemed to be a breakthrough, they'd swiftly come back to the same emotional stalemate.
Add to this building tension due to a period of physical abstinence (which from the intimated timeframes didn't actually seem that long - weeks to a couple of months?), the last quarter of the book contained several scenes where Rachel and Sam reunited physically, or recalled past sexual experiences. References to physical intimacy were generally not gratuitous, and yes, they are married, but though the main sex scene had meaningful emotional parallels, the drawn out details did feel a bit like a 'step-by-step' guide in parts of the scene, leaving little to the readers' imagination. It wasn't skanky, but it was a bit TMI for me personally. Given this was all in front of the family Christmas tree, I was just waiting for the moment they were interrupted by one of their young houseguests, which would have been a more likely progression with three traumatised children in the house.
That aside, the story drew out many meaningful themes relating to domestic violence, loss, family and relationships, and led to an ultimately hopeful conclusion. So where to pitch it??? Three stars seems a little unfair, fives star ignores my quibbles, so I'm going to sit a few points below 4.
I'm finding myself grappling with the rating for this novel. The writing itself is excellent. The characters were well developed and their plights certainly captured my heart. The plot was solid with a statisfying story arc. So for the first half of the book I was thinking '5 star' for sure.
Around the halfway mark the uncertainty of the main characters due to insecurities relating to their marriage began to grow a little sameish. I recognise this is an unfair statement, as there is a cyclic pattern when working through deep-set emotional insecurities, and the second guessing of each step towards reconciliation was actually a fairly realistic portrayal. But as a reader I started growing a little impatient with the characters when, after what seemed to be a breakthrough, they'd swiftly come back to the same emotional stalemate.
Add to this building tension due to a period of physical abstinence (which from the intimated timeframes didn't actually seem that long - weeks to a couple of months?), the last quarter of the book contained several scenes where Rachel and Sam reunited physically, or recalled past sexual experiences. References to physical intimacy were generally not gratuitous, and yes, they are married, but though the main sex scene had meaningful emotional parallels, the drawn out details did feel a bit like a 'step-by-step' guide in parts of the scene, leaving little to the readers' imagination. It wasn't skanky, but it was a bit TMI for me personally. Given this was all in front of the family Christmas tree, I was just waiting for the moment they were interrupted by one of their young houseguests, which would have been a more likely progression with three traumatised children in the house.
That aside, the story drew out many meaningful themes relating to domestic violence, loss, family and relationships, and led to an ultimately hopeful conclusion. So where to pitch it??? Three stars seems a little unfair, fives star ignores my quibbles, so I'm going to sit a few points below 4.
December 18, 2021
My husband, "Dear ... Are you crying?"
Me nodding
Him, "Is it book crying?"
Me sniffling and nodding
Him, "Okay ... Good then."
Three ... Four times ... I think this story made me cry four times.
A childless couple who have given up hope on having children find themselves taking care of three abandoned kids over the holidays. It's not a new premise but it definitely had the emotional strength to keep you invested.
On top of everything Sam, her husband, has decided that they have a better chance of finding happiness if they aren't together anymore and decides that he will leave after Christmas. The book starts steeped in hopelessness.
Hill's description of Rachel's descent into depression was achingly accurate. And once the reader understands all that Sam and Rachel have been through, the sheer amount of tragedy is overwhelming.
The children are left in a motel but as their story unfolds it becomes much more than a case of simple abandonment.
But through all the sadness is a vein of hope and magic that allows everyone to come together for a bittersweet ending.
It's not the typical feel good story of the holidays but it is an enriching one.
Things I thought about:
- how hard doing the right thing can be and how it can rip us apart to do them. But how in the end it is about what's doing what's right and finding the joy in every day.
What made me cringe:
- when Sam acknowledges the move away from toxic masculinity ("men being able to cry") and then dismisses it as non-sense. I kind of hated that and it was a violent boot out of the story for me.
Me nodding
Him, "Is it book crying?"
Me sniffling and nodding
Him, "Okay ... Good then."
Three ... Four times ... I think this story made me cry four times.
A childless couple who have given up hope on having children find themselves taking care of three abandoned kids over the holidays. It's not a new premise but it definitely had the emotional strength to keep you invested.
On top of everything Sam, her husband, has decided that they have a better chance of finding happiness if they aren't together anymore and decides that he will leave after Christmas. The book starts steeped in hopelessness.
Hill's description of Rachel's descent into depression was achingly accurate. And once the reader understands all that Sam and Rachel have been through, the sheer amount of tragedy is overwhelming.
The children are left in a motel but as their story unfolds it becomes much more than a case of simple abandonment.
But through all the sadness is a vein of hope and magic that allows everyone to come together for a bittersweet ending.
It's not the typical feel good story of the holidays but it is an enriching one.
Things I thought about:
- how hard doing the right thing can be and how it can rip us apart to do them. But how in the end it is about what's doing what's right and finding the joy in every day.
What made me cringe:
- when Sam acknowledges the move away from toxic masculinity ("men being able to cry") and then dismisses it as non-sense. I kind of hated that and it was a violent boot out of the story for me.
November 16, 2017
After several tragedies in their lives, Rachel and Sam's marriage seems to be on the verge of breaking. In comes Rachel's aunt Miriam with three abandoned children, asking the couple to look after them until Christmas whilst the authorities are trying to find their mother.
I loved the plot, and the characters - at least in the first couple of chapters - heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. However, then I was getting a bit confused as to when Rachel started to withdraw from everything, including her husband: they have been married for twelve years, and the first tragic incident happened right at the beginning of their marriage. Then more recently, a foster child they loved was taken away again. For me, it was a bit unclear for at least half the book what actually did start and widen the rift between the couple. When they finally did talk about the past and their feelings, it was too drawn out in my opinion, a little bit repetitive, and occasionally I found it a tad boring.
However, the storyline as such was too good to give up on it, the characters too sympathetic not to feel with them, and despite the minor annoyance I was still drawn into the story, the search for the mother, and hope coming back into everyone's life, and I enjoyed reading this book.
I loved the plot, and the characters - at least in the first couple of chapters - heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. However, then I was getting a bit confused as to when Rachel started to withdraw from everything, including her husband: they have been married for twelve years, and the first tragic incident happened right at the beginning of their marriage. Then more recently, a foster child they loved was taken away again. For me, it was a bit unclear for at least half the book what actually did start and widen the rift between the couple. When they finally did talk about the past and their feelings, it was too drawn out in my opinion, a little bit repetitive, and occasionally I found it a tad boring.
However, the storyline as such was too good to give up on it, the characters too sympathetic not to feel with them, and despite the minor annoyance I was still drawn into the story, the search for the mother, and hope coming back into everyone's life, and I enjoyed reading this book.
December 19, 2024
It's Christmas and every house is decorated and glimmering with lights.
All except one.
Inside Rachel McRae, 30, sits in her rocking chair and lets the world go by.
Her marriage is on the rocks, her heart is broken, and she's been sad for a long time.
Her husband, Sam, 32, is a ghost in their home and plans to move out in the New Year.
And then, on the first day of Christmas, three abandoned children are delivered to her door … Emma, 11, Zach, 5, and baby Grace.
They had been left by their mother at a motel with nothing to identify them and the children point blank refuse to give any details.
What follows is both heartbreaking and full of hope.
“Twelve Days” captures the spirit of Christmas perfectly.
It's probazbly overly sappy but 'tis the season for it.
I disagree with the religious element (that's a given for all 'faith' content) but a lot of people choose to accept it.
4 Stars.
All except one.
Inside Rachel McRae, 30, sits in her rocking chair and lets the world go by.
Her marriage is on the rocks, her heart is broken, and she's been sad for a long time.
Her husband, Sam, 32, is a ghost in their home and plans to move out in the New Year.
And then, on the first day of Christmas, three abandoned children are delivered to her door … Emma, 11, Zach, 5, and baby Grace.
They had been left by their mother at a motel with nothing to identify them and the children point blank refuse to give any details.
What follows is both heartbreaking and full of hope.
“Twelve Days” captures the spirit of Christmas perfectly.
It's probazbly overly sappy but 'tis the season for it.
I disagree with the religious element (that's a given for all 'faith' content) but a lot of people choose to accept it.
4 Stars.
September 9, 2018
This story has so much heart and really evokes the struggles of marriage when communication breaks down but love still runs deep. I loved this story, this couple and this family. The writing was on point and I felt the nuances of hope in the descriptions of body language and dialogue. There were scenes in this story that were just so poignant. While there was some parts of the plot that were up in the air until the end of the book, any angst I felt was in feeling the love that was described and rooting for this couple to hang on to it. While I liked all the characters a lot, my favorite was Sam. He seemed to be the strong silent type, the protector, the rock and the one to sacrifice everything and anything for his family. I don’t usually reread too many books, but this one will make that short list.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2020
A heartbreaking and heartwarming book about a young couple whose marriage is on the brink of imploding. After tragically losing their child, Rachel snd Sam are unable to have a child biologically or through adoption. When just before Christmas her social worker aunt brings three siblings in need of fostering, Rachel is unsure she can commit to their care. When Rachael overhears her husband on the telephone regarding his plans to leave her she tells him if he will agree to let the children stay she will never ask him for another thing. Desperately in love with her husband Rachael hopes that by some miracle they can become a family.
Perfect read against a Christmas backdrop, I found myself rooting for Rachael and Sam to find their way back to one another. Teresa Hill has written a classic Christmas story.
Perfect read against a Christmas backdrop, I found myself rooting for Rachael and Sam to find their way back to one another. Teresa Hill has written a classic Christmas story.
December 25, 2017
"A Very Heartwarming Story"
This is a wonderful story of how a family can rejuvenate itself before it collapses. Rachel and her husband, Sam, take on three homeless young children temporarily until after Christmas. Rachel and Sam had lost their first near-birth child, and also a child they previously fostered and had hoped to keep him. Because of their loses, Sam is thinking of moving out because of his guilty feelings and secrets he'd never revealed to Rachel. But the three children come into their home and repair their marriage in a short time giving them joy, hope, and love. This story is a miracle. However, it is a little slow to read because some events and feelings are repeated too often. It is a very worthy story.
This is a wonderful story of how a family can rejuvenate itself before it collapses. Rachel and her husband, Sam, take on three homeless young children temporarily until after Christmas. Rachel and Sam had lost their first near-birth child, and also a child they previously fostered and had hoped to keep him. Because of their loses, Sam is thinking of moving out because of his guilty feelings and secrets he'd never revealed to Rachel. But the three children come into their home and repair their marriage in a short time giving them joy, hope, and love. This story is a miracle. However, it is a little slow to read because some events and feelings are repeated too often. It is a very worthy story.
April 22, 2018
I really wanted to love this book and still do in parts of it. This is a story of a loving couple who met as teenagers and have been together their whole lives. It takes you through their ups and downs, mostly honest and true and could be anyone’s lives. The unbelievable is the children in this story and how they all come to being together. Also, as a non Christian and one whose holiday is not Christmas, I never knew it was the 12 days leading up to Christmas that were so important. I always thought it was the 12 days OF Christmas from December 25 on, this book gives you the sense that it starts before. Anyway, it does have the happy ending we all want, shall have to read on in the series to find out what happens next and next and next and next
November 8, 2022
I dnf'ed this half way through the epilogue and skipped over the mushy stuff. These a three very generous stars. It was boring, it dragged on and on and on.
The repetitiveness of this damn book was exasperating. They literally tell each other every few pages that they love each other, then choose not to believe the other. LIKE WHY?
It was just annoying. I liked Emma though, and I liked that there were little spurts of her POV. Only like 3 short ones, but I think that did something good for the story.
The family was too big, and it was confusing and too mushy and I skipped over most of it. I just didn't feel the feels I guess.. Also not very passionate and weird chemistry and the more I think about it, the less I like it. Maybe it was just a 2-star read?
The repetitiveness of this damn book was exasperating. They literally tell each other every few pages that they love each other, then choose not to believe the other. LIKE WHY?
It was just annoying. I liked Emma though, and I liked that there were little spurts of her POV. Only like 3 short ones, but I think that did something good for the story.
The family was too big, and it was confusing and too mushy and I skipped over most of it. I just didn't feel the feels I guess.. Also not very passionate and weird chemistry and the more I think about it, the less I like it. Maybe it was just a 2-star read?
February 4, 2018
Twelve Days by Teresa Hill was excellent!! It was an emotional roller coaster. Happy, sad,lost then overjoyed.
The story follows Rachel and Tom. She was pregnant and lost the baby after a car accident. Her aunt is a Social worker who got them a foster son, but his biological father took him back. Both Rachel and Tom went into a kind of depression afterwards.
Twelve days before Christmas, her aunt gave them a twelve year old girl, a six year old boy and an eighth month old baby girl. The mother of the children, left them n a local hotel.
What followed next, you just have to read the book!!!! It's wonderful.
The story follows Rachel and Tom. She was pregnant and lost the baby after a car accident. Her aunt is a Social worker who got them a foster son, but his biological father took him back. Both Rachel and Tom went into a kind of depression afterwards.
Twelve days before Christmas, her aunt gave them a twelve year old girl, a six year old boy and an eighth month old baby girl. The mother of the children, left them n a local hotel.
What followed next, you just have to read the book!!!! It's wonderful.
March 20, 2018
Heart wrenching but beautiful! This couple had so much love to give and God didn’t disappoint. When you start reading this you want to root for both Sam and Rachel but also for these children who desperately want their mother to return.
The mystery of the their mother’s disappearance slowly unfolds. By the time you get to that part of the story it is an easy guess but interesting none the less. The best part of the book is that both the McRaes and the children end up winning.
Warning this book talks mildly about family violence so beware.
I do highly recommend it. It’s a quick read but keep the tissues close by.
The mystery of the their mother’s disappearance slowly unfolds. By the time you get to that part of the story it is an easy guess but interesting none the less. The best part of the book is that both the McRaes and the children end up winning.
Warning this book talks mildly about family violence so beware.
I do highly recommend it. It’s a quick read but keep the tissues close by.
November 9, 2018
This is the first book I have read by this author.
It is the first in a series of The McRaes. I found this story heart wrenching at times, but
followed by answered prayers. There is some dysfunctional families and one family that
is really close with each other. As I was reading the story, I too was praying for the main
characters - San and Rachel - also Emma, Zack and Grace.
Looking forward to reading the bonus story in this book "Everything to Me" (book 1 - so it
seems this bonus story will be a series as well).
It is the first in a series of The McRaes. I found this story heart wrenching at times, but
followed by answered prayers. There is some dysfunctional families and one family that
is really close with each other. As I was reading the story, I too was praying for the main
characters - San and Rachel - also Emma, Zack and Grace.
Looking forward to reading the bonus story in this book "Everything to Me" (book 1 - so it
seems this bonus story will be a series as well).
January 4, 2026
This book should’ve come with a tissue box warning!! It was a very good Christmas story about a married couple on the brink of a breakup when they are delivered 3 foster kids (because, of course, they are still registered as foster parents) 12 days before Christmas with no gifts bought, no decorations up, they take in 3 children that are scared to death Santa won’t even know where they are or if their mother is coming back to get them. Not for the tender hearted, but a great story even if you have been through a lot.
March 5, 2021
Rachel & Sam have been married twelve years and life has not been. A bed of roses. It's Christmas time, Sam is making plans to leave Rachel when her aunt shows up at their house with three children whose mother seems to have deserted them. What ensues is as much about Rachel & Sam's relationship as it is about the heartaches of the children. A good read but, in my opinion, the detailed sex scenes were not needed; would have gotten 5 stars otherwise.
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