He’s a police officer from a huge family. She’s a lonely widow with a son. Will their relationship move beyond friendship this Christmas season? After graduation, Melody Clarke said goodbye to her high school crush, Grant Brooks, believing she would never see him again. She was moving to the east coast for college, and he planned to remain in Hillcrest, California, to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer.
Ten years later, Melody returned to Hillcrest to raise her son after her husband died. She didn’t count on seeing Grant again, thinking he’d probably moved out of town by now. When Grant pulled Melody over for a safety violation, he asked her to join him for coffee. Melody had always kept them firmly in the friendzone, but after being reacquainted again, she was ready to reconsider.
Meanwhile, a thief was loose in their hometown, and when Melody’s home was broken into, Grant determined to bring the thief to justice. No one stole presents from children and got away with it as long as Grant Brooks was around.
If catching a thief was difficult, convincing Melody that they were destined to be more than friends might be even harder.
Evangeline Kelly is the pen name I use to write contemporary Christian romance books. When I was a kid, I had two dreams. One was to work with at risk youth and the other was to write books. After pursuing my passion of working with foster children for over twenty years, I finally decided to pursue my childhood dream of writing.
I love a good book that draws you in and takes hold of your heart. When I write, I hope to show real life situations people go through and how God uses those situations to draw us closer to Himself.
I’ve witnessed suffering in my line of work, but I’ve also witnessed God’s redeeming love. A good Christian romance features both hardship and delight. My hope is that my stories not only entertain, but encourage, and most of all, that they bring glory and honor to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
A good holiday and Christian read – great lead into the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Christmas is a perfect time to rediscover a new beginning and love.
BTW there is a Grinch. But don’t worry … oops - you’ll just have to read the story to get the details. Oh, do you believe the Grinch is male or female? Ya, we call the Grinch he or him but we do that when we don’t know if the person is male or female – or we say “he or she”, or he/she.
Anyway, the story starts with Officer Cullman and Officer Brooks, or as we will get to know him, Grant, headed to an attempted burglary. The call was that “Santa” was stuck in the chimney. This caused a little excitement because they have been having presents from under Christmas trees and packages on porches stolen. The local news had nicknamed the robber the Christmas Grinch. So they were hoping they got the Grinch. Nope, this is not our Grinch, but it’s a chuckle finding out how Santa got stuck and unstuck.
Grant comes from a large family, eight of them plus a couple wives/husbands and a few nieces and nephews. Being a single young man he has a lot of meal at Mom’s house. And like a good mom she hints (sometime not so much a hint) that it was time he got serious and settled down.
Melody just moved back to her hometown, Hillcrest, California. After high school she had attended college on the east coast. She is a widow now with a five year old son who is the light of her life. The previous year Melody’s husband died and of course she wants to make this Christmas special.
Melody and Grant had history in high school. She was a tall gangly nerd, and wore the big black-framed glasses. She had a crush on their high school hero, Grant, but believed he would never be interested. Unknown to Melody, the way she looked in her glasses gave Grant butterflies. It’s funny and sweet what happened to get them into detention and during it. It will be enjoyed much more reading it.
It is now ten years after high school and it had been that long since Grant broke off dating Cassidy but she is possessive – or trying to. Especially now since Grant is seeing Melody.
Her husband’s death was hard for her besides his absence. Why? What grade did Melody teach in upstate New York? The first time Grant saw Melody after she moved back home was when? Why did Grant and Melody get detention? Who was the Grinch?
I received this book as an ARC member for an honest review.
Lawfully Blessed is a clean second-chance romance. I like Melody and Grant, and the supporting characters add a lot to the book. I especially enjoyed the scenes that included Grant’s big family, such as this one: “We all crowded around their dining room table—and let me just say it was a very long table. His dad prayed over the meal, and then the noise level rose even louder as everyone joked and laughed and talked about their week.” Reading that makes me feel like I’m sitting there at the crowded table. I loved that Melody and Grant’s dress-up date was the church’s Christmas banquet and that each table decorated a gingerbread house as a competition. The plot has twists and turns and moves along at a good pace. The setting is a medium-sized town in northern California during the Christmas season. I received an ARC. I chose to write a review and share my opinion of this Christmas romance.
ONE INCREDIBLE CHRISTMAS READ!!! OMG! I love this little gem. Talk about stealing Christmas. This is one exciting, heartwarming, pulse racing, intriguing, page turning sweet treat that captivates from the first paragraph. With all the twists, unexpected circumstances and unpredictable surprises around every corner make for one enjoyable experience. Following this fantastic storyline and amazing plot you feel a part of the tale instead of on the sidelines. The characters and scenes are written with such realism it really pulls this baby together beautifully. Evangeline gives us such a graphically detailed overview and such depth is easy to relate to and bond with the characters. Her scenes are so vivid and detailed it's easy to picture each scenario as they play off one another in perfect balance. Evangeline did an amazing job bringing this read to life brilliantly. Awesome job Evangeline, thanks for sharing this little gem with us.
Evangeline Kelly's books are so beautifully well written with clean romance suitable for young teens and women and centered around a love and belief in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Lawfully Blessed centers around Melody a widowed single mom who makes a new start in her hometown of Hillcrest, California and Grant an old friend from high school and local police officer, searching for the right woman to share a life with. This was a fantastic new read from Evangeline Kelly. Lawfully Blessed is a great book to read to get readers into the spirit of Christmas with it being gospel oriented as well as it's reminder of what Christmas is all about. Evangeline Kelly has become one of my most favorite clean Christian romance authors. I can't wait to read more upcoming books. "I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel."
Lawfully Blessed by Evangeline Kelly is another great story in the Lawkeeper series. Melody and Grant went to high school together. He was popular, she was shy and unpopular. They were friends until graduation. Melody moved away, went to college, married and had a son. After her husband died, she moved back to Hillcrest. He became a police officer.
The story of Melody and Grant meeting again and growing into a relationship is wonderful and I found myself smiling because of the happiness written on each page. This story is well written and the characters are well developed. This book was given to me as a gift and I always review every book that I read.
I highly recommend this inspirational story. It will leave you feeling peaceful and happy. What more could you ask for from a story set around Christmas.
Lawfully Blessed is a great read....... A sweet romance where what one thinks is impossible can be possible. A high school “ugly duckling and misfit” or so Melody thinks of herself and Grant a football heartthrob are attracted to each other, but they’re too young and inexperienced to be open with one another and go separate ways. They reconnect many years later and sparks are rekindled. What follows is a feel good story with a happy ending. Love of family and relationship with the Lord are integral parts of this novel and readers are ministered to personally. Evangeline has once again shared her amazing imagination and writing skills with us. Don’t miss out on a good read as the Christmas Season approaches.
I chose this rating because everything from the characters and story grabbed me at the very first chapter. I was so pleased to see the real reason for Christmas and why we are so blessed. Thank you for telling others about Jesus our Savior and how His ultimate show of love was to die on the cross for all our sins. I was blessed to see how you let others know that Christiand can be in love and still keep the principles Christ had taught us about chastness and the ultimate love and friendship we can have with our mates and be blessed in an abundance of ways by following His Words and examples There is not a thing I would change about this book. Thank you for sharing the gift God has given to you!
Evangeline Kelly wrote a truly believable story of Christian faith, family and love. As the story evolved, it was easy to see the hand of the Lord working in the lives of each one of the characters. The Brooks family presented as such a perfect example of a loving, caring group of people. I loved reading the interactions in not only their family, but also within their church family. Our daughter and son-in-law are parents to five girls and a son, and are raising their family in a strong Christian based environment. This is a story that I will recommend for the older girls (15 and 17) as a reinforcement for the type of relationship to seek in their futures. Thank you, Me Kelly, for this story!
Wow!! This is one of the best "clean" romance stories that I have ever read! Even though there were a few tense (drama) moments thrown in the mix, as I flipped through the pages of this story, a smile remained plastered on my face from beginning to end. Grant is such a great godly man, he is practical, kind and straight-forward even his rambunctious family is kindhearted. I really like Melody too, she is a great mom and her son is so sweet. I think she deserves a Christmas blessing and a second chance to get it right with Grant. Love this, on those days when I need a little help"smiling" this will be my go-to.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily reviewing.
Loved this story by Evangeline Kelly!! I fell in love with the main characters Melody and Grant. They are a beautiful pair together and I wish I could meet them in person!! I loved the plot, and the added mystery, even though it wasn't too difficult to guess the 'baddie'. Overall, this is a great, sweet romance that I would highly recommend!
SCALE: 4.5 points
1-5 SCALE: 1: I couldn’t even finish it 2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing 3: I didn’t hate it, but I didn't like it either 3.5: On the line between good and ok 4: Solid story / worth reading 4.5: Close to perfection! / must read 5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it!
Wow!! This is one of the best "clean" romance stories that I have ever read! Even though there were a few tense (drama) moments thrown in the mix, as I flipped through the pages of this story, a smile remained plastered on my face from beginning to end. Grant is such a great godly man, he is practical, kind and straight-forward even his rambunctious family is kindhearted. I really like Melody too, she is a great mom and her son is so sweet. I think she deserves a Christmas blessing and a second chance to get it right with Grant. Love this, on those days when I need a little help"smiling" this will be my go-to.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily reviewing.
Melody and Grant are indeed both Loving and he a keeper of the law in this story of romance and marriages. Lydia more than encouraged her fifth born to settle and start a family. Melody was an answer to Lydia’s prayers as Grant was an answer to Melody and Adam’s. The Lord’s hand brought these two together where high school friends would ponder and wonder at the Lord’s works. Grant from a family of eight and a star athlete in high school married Melody an only child that was the high school nerd. You will not want to put this book down as the story weaves a picture of love law and answered prayers.
I had a little bit of trouble getting into this story, the writing wasn't as smoothly done as her Blind Dates series; but as I read I was pulled into the story.
This is the story of a single widowed mom, her cute as can be son, and a cop. It's Christmas time and they meet when he stops her for having a Christmas tree on the top of her car - aha, but they already know one another from high school. Things don't flow smoothly from there, but he is willing to fight for what he wants.
There's also a thief in town who is stealing folks Christmas presents.
Ten years have passed since they’d last seen each other Ten years during which a lot of life had happened. Now Melody is a widow with a son who has decided to return to her hometown to allow her son to have the same type of childhood she’d had. For Grant, being a cop had been his dream, now it was his occupation. He was everything Melody remembered even when he pulled her over because she had a Christmas tree on the top of her car. It looks like things may go well for them to have a relationship until a girl from the past chooses to persuade Grant to date her. It’s a lovely story, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Great book! Melody and Grant meet up again after 10 years when he pulls her car over. They each used to have a secret crush on each other when at school the 10 years previous! Alongside the romance blooming between them is a thief who is stealing Christmas presents who Grant is trying to catch. Read on to find out more! An excellent clean read. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Great book! Melody and Grant meet up again after 10 years when he pulls her car over. They each used to have a secret crush on each other when at school the 10 years previous! Alongside the romance blooming between them is a thief who is stealing Christmas presents who Grant is trying to catch. Read on to find out more! An excellent clean read. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love the Lawfully series is this is probably my favorite. Melody and Grant had a special friendship in high school and both had a crush on the other - neither knew. Melody is back in town with her son. Loved how Grant is shy but bold in pursuing Melody. There is a mystery to solve, an ex, and a misunderstanding to be discussed. A really sweet, clean, romantic read with lots of loving but meddling family.
Lawfully Blessed is another sweet, heartwarming romance from Evangeline Kelly. Her stories never disappoint. This book is a second chance friends to lovers meets the Grinch who stole Christmas tale. I loved all the characters, not just the main ones. These characters are just like the people I know. This story had my attention from page one as I said the heck with household chores, found a comfy seat, a fleecy blanket and hot chocolate. Then I enjoyed this wonderful story!
Lawfully Blessed is another sweet, heartwarming romance from Evangeline Kelly. Her stories never disappoint. This book is a second chance friends to lovers meets the Grinch who stole Christmas tale. I loved all the characters, not just the main ones. These characters are just like the people I know. This story had my attention from page one as I said the heck with household chores, found a comfy seat, a fleecy blanket and hot chocolate. Then I enjoyed this wonderful story!
I really enjoyed this Book! I liked all the characters especially Grants family. Most of the story had to do with Christmas and that had me feeling nostalgic. The Christmas carols to the Christmas shows make me excited for all those family traditions. There was romance and it was beautifully done and was God honoring to even a small mystery to solve with an arrest being made. I would give more than 5 stars if possible! Was given complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Lawfully Blessed is the newest book by Evangeline Kelly. It's a Christmas story and about second chances. The book was really good. I enjoyed it immensely. It is so nice to pick up a book that you know will be "clean" and easy to read. I became immersed in the story after the first couple of pages. As with all of Ms. Kelly's books there is a HEA ending. The characters are likeable and the story flows. I think that anyone who reads romance should read Lawfully Blessed .
This was a great book that I couldn't put down. I loved the characters and how they interacted. I loved Grant's down-to-earth ways and how honorable he was. Melody was a strong character herself in making the best of her situation in life. The chemistry was amazing between the couple, but they also had a past from which to draw on. Each character had situations that helped them grow their characters. Overall this was a sweet second-chance romance.
This is a happy reunion story about a police officer and the woman he let get away. She back in town and he is not making the same mistake twice. Melody is a little bit of a downer, but recently widowed from a bad marriage; the one good thing she has going is her son. Grant is self assured and maybe just a little too arrogant, but seeing Melody again gives him hope. The story is heartwarming and good by the fireplace with a cup of cocoa.
Melody Clark has returned to Hillcrest a widow with a young son that she wants to raise in the town where she grew up. Her former friend, Grant Brooks still lives there and is a policeman. She didn’t realize when they were in school that he really cared for her, but she’s beginning to see it now and realizes he still cares for her though she was reluctant at first. An uplifting book about second chances and finding family.
Pretty straight forward story, filled with nice people I wouldn't mind knowing in real life. The good guys are good, and the bad guy is just a bit naughty but not evil. I like second chances and love stories that grow from friendship and we get to see it grow here.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I enjoyed this story because I felt it to be realistic but with a great level of entertainment. I like that they are believers and have scripture come to mind at different times. A very sweet couple who have great respect for one another! I would love to see more of Grant's family!
I wasn't disappointed! She writes fantastically romantic, inspiring and happy ending stories. When I see a new book written by way, cannot wait to read it. Was hooked right from the first page. Glad Grant and Melody had a second chance, God is indeed faithful to bring us right where He wanted us! Thanks Evangeline Kelly.
I absolutely love love loved this book ! It was so sweet and they were so cute together ❤ ! I couldn't stop reading 📚 OMG . I just knew Cassidy was going to make so much trouble between Grant and Melody . The end had me in stiches lol it was the perfect ending !
Pretty straight forward story, filled with nice people I wouldn't mind knowing in real life. The good guys are good, and the bad guy is just a bit naughty but not evil. I like second chances and love stories that grow from friendship and we get to see it grow here.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
This was a short, sweet story about second chances. Grant and Melody were into each other in high school, but she was too afraid to take a step forward. Ten years later, they're able to actually date and be together. The thing that didn't feel real in this situation was Cassidy. Someone that is THAT delusional does not back down.