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Home to Dover #6
Her Christmas Hero
A Small-Town Christmas
Gemma Butler has a grand vision to transform the fledgling Christmas celebrations in Dover, Mississippi, and bring visitors to the town. It's also the single mom's last chance to provide for her son and revive her event planning business. But Gemma's not the only one with something to prove. Linc Montgomery has the weight of the family business on his shoulders. And he'll go down swinging before he'll let anyone disrupt the traditions he holds dear. Yet when a storm threatens to destroy the holiday, he'll join forces with the beautiful planner and discover she just might be the love he's been searching for.
Gemma Butler has a grand vision to transform the fledgling Christmas celebrations in Dover, Mississippi, and bring visitors to the town. It's also the single mom's last chance to provide for her son and revive her event planning business. But Gemma's not the only one with something to prove. Linc Montgomery has the weight of the family business on his shoulders. And he'll go down swinging before he'll let anyone disrupt the traditions he holds dear. Yet when a storm threatens to destroy the holiday, he'll join forces with the beautiful planner and discover she just might be the love he's been searching for.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 20, 2015
16 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Lorraine Beatty
45 books32 followersLorraine Beatty was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, but now calls Mississippi home. She and husband Joe have two sons and six grandchildren. Lorraine started writing in Junior High and has written for trade books, newspapers and company newsletters. She is a member of RWA, ACFW and is a charter member and past president of Magnolia State Romance Writers. In her spare time she likes to work in her garden, travel, and spend time with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 1, 2019
The writing in this was very good. Beatty is a solid writer who makes even a very typical plot pretty interesting and weaves faith into the story well.
Gemma was also a great character. Loved her.
I wanted to shake every last one of the Montgomery family. They were all so self-centered. All of them kept talking about what they needed to heal after Mr. Montgomery's death. None of them seemed to be asking (or even care) what other people needed. Linc, for instance, really needed some family and traditions to feel a connection. Everyone else is telling him: "To bad, I need to go here or change this."
Gemma was also a great character. Loved her.
I wanted to shake every last one of the Montgomery family. They were all so self-centered. All of them kept talking about what they needed to heal after Mr. Montgomery's death. None of them seemed to be asking (or even care) what other people needed. Linc, for instance, really needed some family and traditions to feel a connection. Everyone else is telling him: "To bad, I need to go here or change this."
September 8, 2015
Her Christmas Hero is a Harlequin Inspirational Romance by Lorraine Beatty. I love these because of their lack of foul language and graphic sexual scenes. They are just great romances and loads of fun to read.
Gemma Butler has taken the task of putting on the Christmas events in Dover, Mississippi. Her event planning business went under due to an unscrupulous partner and with it her self-esteem. She was forced to take her son, Evan, to live with her parents for a while. Their unloving, pretentious, and “perfect” world took her back to her childhood and had a self-doubting effect on Evan. This move to Dover would hopefully “fix” all those problems. This job will prove she has the skills and ability to create events and will build back her business. That is, if she can ignore Linc Montgomery.
Linc Montgomery has a lot on his plate. With his father’s unexpected death, he has the future of the family and the family business on his shoulders. He wants to keep all the traditions his father loved in place and intact. This includes keeping the traditions of the town as well. However, he has some problems. First, his mother leaves on an extended visit to his aunt’s when she should be home grieving with her family around her. Second, his brother is still out of town and will be for the unforeseeable future. Third, his sister decides to leave town as well. She can’t grieve here. Fourth, now his Mother has given up her post as Christmas events coordinator to a stranger who wants to change things with no attention to the town’s traditions. Can he stop her? Can he bring his family back together as he wants them?
Gemma Butler has taken the task of putting on the Christmas events in Dover, Mississippi. Her event planning business went under due to an unscrupulous partner and with it her self-esteem. She was forced to take her son, Evan, to live with her parents for a while. Their unloving, pretentious, and “perfect” world took her back to her childhood and had a self-doubting effect on Evan. This move to Dover would hopefully “fix” all those problems. This job will prove she has the skills and ability to create events and will build back her business. That is, if she can ignore Linc Montgomery.
Linc Montgomery has a lot on his plate. With his father’s unexpected death, he has the future of the family and the family business on his shoulders. He wants to keep all the traditions his father loved in place and intact. This includes keeping the traditions of the town as well. However, he has some problems. First, his mother leaves on an extended visit to his aunt’s when she should be home grieving with her family around her. Second, his brother is still out of town and will be for the unforeseeable future. Third, his sister decides to leave town as well. She can’t grieve here. Fourth, now his Mother has given up her post as Christmas events coordinator to a stranger who wants to change things with no attention to the town’s traditions. Can he stop her? Can he bring his family back together as he wants them?
December 26, 2020
I love reading this book. Especially around Christmas. The characters are all battling their own issues but faith in God helps them through.
May 8, 2022
A friend sent me this is in a box of Love Inspired books. It earns a 3 (average) mostly for the faith-life lessons. The story seems pretty much recycled--it almost seems like Love Inspired has outlines they give their authors and expect them to follow by plugging in their own characters and making events to fit--all of which left me checking to see if I'd read this book in the past because it seemed so familiar. (I hadn't.)
Control: It's something both Gemma and Linc struggle with. Linc struggles to keep things from changing. I think partly because he's already had significant changes in his life with his father dying and having to take over running the family business. Gemma's been hurt in the past and is trying to prevent that from happening again as well as protecting her son from life's hurts.
To some extent, I can see Gemma's point in that she doesn't want to have Evan getting attached to a man only to have it not work out between that man and Gemma. It's probably not good for a kid to keep thinking he'll have a dad only to have that father-figure ripped away. But we, as readers, get a glimpse of how much Evan wants a father-figure in his life, and I do have to wonder, as Linc did, if there wasn't a way that Gemma could have discussed Evan's father with him rather than just never talking about it at all.
As far as Linc, well, I both understand his not wanting things to change, his desire for traditions to continue, and see the pitfalls of holding on to them so hard that it drives others away or stunts his own growth.
Another reviewer said she felt like the Montgomery family was all a bit self-centered. Each doing what he/she needed to heal without considering other members of the family and their needs. It's a fine line. If one's mental health truly is at stake (as Tori seemed to feel hers was), then doing what you need to do is what you need to do, regardless of whether your brother feels like the entire family needs to stay together in town. When a child's welfare is at stake (as in Gil's case), you need to be taking care of that, regardless of whether your brother would prefer you stayed in Mississippi rather than be in Alabama fighting for custody. But I also agree that discussing some of the changes with Linc before just making them and surprising him with them would have been helpful too. (such as the white Christmas tree or wanting to change the Thanksgiving dinner type). It did seem like no one seemed to care about the traditions he cherished.
The subseries title is a bit confusing. Yes, Gemma and Evan end up finding a home in Dover, but Seth's moving to Texas (at least for a bit--long term yet to be decided), Bethany's not around, and Tori's planning to spend time in California--so most of them aren't Home in Dover.
Control: It's something both Gemma and Linc struggle with. Linc struggles to keep things from changing. I think partly because he's already had significant changes in his life with his father dying and having to take over running the family business. Gemma's been hurt in the past and is trying to prevent that from happening again as well as protecting her son from life's hurts.
To some extent, I can see Gemma's point in that she doesn't want to have Evan getting attached to a man only to have it not work out between that man and Gemma. It's probably not good for a kid to keep thinking he'll have a dad only to have that father-figure ripped away. But we, as readers, get a glimpse of how much Evan wants a father-figure in his life, and I do have to wonder, as Linc did, if there wasn't a way that Gemma could have discussed Evan's father with him rather than just never talking about it at all.
As far as Linc, well, I both understand his not wanting things to change, his desire for traditions to continue, and see the pitfalls of holding on to them so hard that it drives others away or stunts his own growth.
Another reviewer said she felt like the Montgomery family was all a bit self-centered. Each doing what he/she needed to heal without considering other members of the family and their needs. It's a fine line. If one's mental health truly is at stake (as Tori seemed to feel hers was), then doing what you need to do is what you need to do, regardless of whether your brother feels like the entire family needs to stay together in town. When a child's welfare is at stake (as in Gil's case), you need to be taking care of that, regardless of whether your brother would prefer you stayed in Mississippi rather than be in Alabama fighting for custody. But I also agree that discussing some of the changes with Linc before just making them and surprising him with them would have been helpful too. (such as the white Christmas tree or wanting to change the Thanksgiving dinner type). It did seem like no one seemed to care about the traditions he cherished.
The subseries title is a bit confusing. Yes, Gemma and Evan end up finding a home in Dover, but Seth's moving to Texas (at least for a bit--long term yet to be decided), Bethany's not around, and Tori's planning to spend time in California--so most of them aren't Home in Dover.
January 12, 2021
This book was just ok for me. I almost gave up halfway through, after chapter 6. I wasn’t overly interested in any of the characters anyway but I grew exasperated by the all the vague mentions of Gemma’s “traumatic past.” Seriously, just come out with it! Why do you need to leave everything for a big reveal at the end? Ugh. But what really got to me and made me so frustrated was at the end of chapter 6 when she had a meltdown because of a surprise birthday party (oohh bad memories stirred up...even though planning a huge overhaul of the entire town’s Christmas events was totally fine, no meltdown’s there 🙄) she claimed “I have too much to do. It won’t be ready and the party starts in half an hour.” But on the very next page when Linc offers to help she’s like “No. All that’s left to do is set the table.”
SERIOUSLY?
Honestly, I was really considering this as a DNF at this point but since I already trudged halfway through I figured I may as well keep trudging the rest of the way. This book would normally be a quick read for me but it took a lot for me to keep picking it up. Definitely not a book I would read again.
SERIOUSLY?
Honestly, I was really considering this as a DNF at this point but since I already trudged halfway through I figured I may as well keep trudging the rest of the way. This book would normally be a quick read for me but it took a lot for me to keep picking it up. Definitely not a book I would read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2024
This book was a little tame for me. Good for a young girl/adult just beginning to read this type of book but too bland for a 67 year old that has been reading all my life. Gemma Butler is hired to start brand new Christmas traditions in Dover, Mississippi. However, Linc Montgomery, does not like changing old traditions especially this year following his father's death. But he has to go along since it was his mother that hired Gemma to do this job.
June 19, 2023
I enjoyed this holiday-themed inspirational romance set in Mississippi. The characters were realistic people facing realistic issues from their past. Eight-year-old Evan brings a dash of hope and joy to the story.
This book was completely clean in language and content.
I borrowed this paperback from the local public library.
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This book was completely clean in language and content.
I borrowed this paperback from the local public library.
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November 28, 2023
Pleasant sweet romance. Hero and heroine both have character flaws to work on (though both seem a little too prone to drama). Christmas setting works, and the religious aspects are minimal except towards the end where the subplot of a minor character seems brought in solely to to increase religious content. Although the characters get their happy ending, an unexpected sacrifice adds depth.
May 19, 2019
Inspirational roomance.
October 26, 2015
Home to Dover
Book 6
This is a beautiful Christmas story that will stick with you throughout the season. In the latest book of the "Home to Dover" series, we meet a young woman, Gemma Butler and her eight-year old son. Gemma has come to town to work on a Christmas event for the town through the chamber. She's hired by the Montgomery Matriarch, who has stepped down from the annual event following the devastating death of her husband. Gemma has some bad history from her past that she'd rather forget. She wants to raise her son and be an event planner.
Enter eldest Montgomery son (oldest of five kids), Linc. Linc seems hard and uncaring, but Gemma soon sees that he is hurting and losing control of everything in his life. Linc tries to chase Gemma off his family's land, only to learn that his mother has hired her to make a lot of changes in his Christmas traditions. Linc takes to both the mother and son, but he refuses to give into his feelings.
I enjoyed reading about the struggles both characters had. I especially "enjoyed" Linc's struggles. I'm not a big fan of change and felt so sorry for the things he changed. I still agree with him on the parade - some traditions just need to stay! Family leaving, traditions changing, and new faces coming to the small town would be enough to drive anyone over the edge. And Gemma's tory was heart-wrenching. I came to hate her mother with a passion, and hope that in the future Lunc will protect both wife and son from these awful people!
I was hoping Gil had a story coming up. I'm excited it will be released in April, but so saddened it's so far away!
Book 6
This is a beautiful Christmas story that will stick with you throughout the season. In the latest book of the "Home to Dover" series, we meet a young woman, Gemma Butler and her eight-year old son. Gemma has come to town to work on a Christmas event for the town through the chamber. She's hired by the Montgomery Matriarch, who has stepped down from the annual event following the devastating death of her husband. Gemma has some bad history from her past that she'd rather forget. She wants to raise her son and be an event planner.
Enter eldest Montgomery son (oldest of five kids), Linc. Linc seems hard and uncaring, but Gemma soon sees that he is hurting and losing control of everything in his life. Linc tries to chase Gemma off his family's land, only to learn that his mother has hired her to make a lot of changes in his Christmas traditions. Linc takes to both the mother and son, but he refuses to give into his feelings.
I enjoyed reading about the struggles both characters had. I especially "enjoyed" Linc's struggles. I'm not a big fan of change and felt so sorry for the things he changed. I still agree with him on the parade - some traditions just need to stay! Family leaving, traditions changing, and new faces coming to the small town would be enough to drive anyone over the edge. And Gemma's tory was heart-wrenching. I came to hate her mother with a passion, and hope that in the future Lunc will protect both wife and son from these awful people!
I was hoping Gil had a story coming up. I'm excited it will be released in April, but so saddened it's so far away!
October 27, 2015
This is the latest addition to Lorraine Beatty's Home to Dover series. Each book in the series does fine as a stand alone. Her Christmas Hero introduces the Montgomery Family who have lost their father and the head of the family. Linc Montgomery is the eldest son and thinks that he has to hold the family and the business together.His mother Francine has the town hiring Gemma Butler who has a eight year old son, to transform the struggling Christmas Celebrations in Dover, Mississippi. The two disagree on traditions in the beginning but there is more going on. Lorraine Betty keeps you involved as family, business, and the Christmas celebration interwoven with Gemma and Linc's story as well as introduces you to the whole Montgomery family siblings and their mother.
The story takes many turns that are not what you thought were coming but you enjoy the adventure. It is a wonderful Christmas story.It tells the story of Christmas but also of how you have to let go in order to keep some things and people.
The story takes many turns that are not what you thought were coming but you enjoy the adventure. It is a wonderful Christmas story.It tells the story of Christmas but also of how you have to let go in order to keep some things and people.
December 4, 2015
Her Christmas Hero by Lorraine Beatty. Gemma Butler and her son Evan moved to Dover, Mississippi to take a job. She is suppose to get the Christmas Holiday in Dover fixed so the tourist would come to Dover. Linc Montgomery is against the change. He wants the old decorations up. Evan thinks of Linc as a hero. Linc does things with Evan. Evan doesn't know anything about his father. Romance happens between Linc and Gemma. I very good read.
Read
January 12, 2016"In this Home to Dover book, both lead characters are very strong-willed and demonstrate that there are many things beyond human control. The story may leave readers reflecting on their own family traditions. It contains a wonderful holiday message" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).
Miniseries: Home to Dover
Miniseries: Home to Dover
March 17, 2016
I loved the main characters, Gemma and Linc. They each struggled with their own demons, but eventually allowed the good into their lives by making some difficult decisions to let go of the bad. I will definitely read this author again.
Read
January 12, 2016received 4 1/2 stars @ RT Book Reviews
Miniseries: Home to Dover
Miniseries: Home to Dover
Read
January 29, 2016Another love story. Very innocent and nice.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews