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Finding Noel
A heartwarming and inspirational Christmas novel in the tradition of The Christmas Box, Grace, The Gift, and The Christmas List. The New York Times bestselling author of The Christmas Box and The Walk series returns with a holiday novel of hope, love, and redemption.A young woman, who has been adopted as a child by a loving family, has only a Christmas ornament inscribed with the word “Noel” as a keepsake of her birth family, about whom she remembers nothing. When long hidden memories resurface, she begins an emotionally challenging personal journey as she searches for her biological sister and clues about her mysterious past...
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
123 people are currently reading
4058 people want to read
About the author
Richard Paul Evans
230 books6,540 followersWhen Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written eleven consecutive New York Times bestsellers. He is one the few authors in history to have hit both the fiction and non-fiction bestseller lists. He has won several awards for his books including the 1998 American Mothers Book Award, two first place Storytelling World Awards, and the 2005 Romantic Times Best Women Novel of the Year Award. His books have been translated into more than 22 languages and several have been international best sellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 850 reviews
December 11, 2022
Hand me an RPE book and I know I will need my tissues. Though his stories are relatively short, they are packed with meaning and emotion. In this one, Mark Smart has lost his mother, a scholarship, and a girlfriend in a short amount of time. The "bad things come in three" rule has knocked him down for the count. On a night when he wishes his life to be over, he meets Macy. This book is an emotional rollercoaster. I am still wiping away tears. The blessing is the reminder of our need to be connected and the way a season like Christmas can pull those relationships under the microscope. I love this quote from Mark Smart's journal:
I've come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint our greatest hopes--imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it's not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude--it's the chance to paint.~Mark Smart's Diary
That Mark is smarter than he looks at the beginning of the book. I hope you will be blessed by the story of Mark and Macy, Joette, Stu, and Noel.
I've come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint our greatest hopes--imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it's not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude--it's the chance to paint.~Mark Smart's Diary
That Mark is smarter than he looks at the beginning of the book. I hope you will be blessed by the story of Mark and Macy, Joette, Stu, and Noel.
July 25, 2025
Absolutely beautiful inspiring and uplifting with a lot of hope included. Something I desperately needed.
December 9, 2018
Finding Noel was such a beautiful story! An emotional journey that left you feeling at peace. Richard Paul Evans can weave a wonderful Christmas tale.
Macy and Mark meet at random, each carrying weighted baggage from their past. Baggage that seems impossible to carry and definitely not something you can share with someone else. It’s too heavy.
As each of them struggles with their battles... Macy searching and Mark running away, they inevitably find exactly what they need in life, even though it seems far-fetched and impossible.
“Christmas is really no more than that-humanity’s search for the familiar. Every year we bring out the same songs, partake of the same foods and traditions, and share the things that make us feel that there’s someplace we belong. And in the end all any of us are looking for is home.” ~ Richard Paul Evans - Finding Noel.
Beautifully written story!
Macy and Mark meet at random, each carrying weighted baggage from their past. Baggage that seems impossible to carry and definitely not something you can share with someone else. It’s too heavy.
As each of them struggles with their battles... Macy searching and Mark running away, they inevitably find exactly what they need in life, even though it seems far-fetched and impossible.
“Christmas is really no more than that-humanity’s search for the familiar. Every year we bring out the same songs, partake of the same foods and traditions, and share the things that make us feel that there’s someplace we belong. And in the end all any of us are looking for is home.” ~ Richard Paul Evans - Finding Noel.
Beautifully written story!
December 11, 2017
“I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play;
In music sweet the tones repeat,
“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
-- Lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"There are stories, Christmas stories that are stored away like boxes of garlands and frosted glass ornaments, to be brought out and cherished each year. I've come to believe that my story is a Christmas story. For it has forever changed the way I see Christmas."
“Just like our story, the original Christmas tales were stories of searching, not so much for the lost, as for the familiar. Mary and Joseph sought in Bethlehem—the home of their familial ancestry—a place to start their own family; the three kings from the East journeyed beneath that sentinel star to find the King of Kings; and the shepherds sought a child in a place most familiar to them: a manger.”
“And perhaps after all the songs and poems and stories of the season, Christmas is really no more than that—humanity’s search for the familiar. Every year we bring out the same songs, partake of the same foods and traditions, and share the things that make us feel that there’s someplace we belong. And in the end all any of us are looking for is home.”
When Mark and Macy first meet, they are two very broken people. In finding each other, it feels a little like finding a place where they are free to be themselves, share their personal stories of the emotional wounds they’ve suffered, and feel accepted and understood. This story is the story of how they met, how they opened their hearts to the possibility of love in all its forms, the overall theme is that people, circumstances present themselves to us for a reason. This is a love story, yes, but it’s also a story of learning to forgive yourself, and others, for real or imagined hurts inflicted, and a story of learning how to believe that you, or anyone else, is worthy to be loved.
Their old familiar carols play;
In music sweet the tones repeat,
“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
-- Lyrics by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"There are stories, Christmas stories that are stored away like boxes of garlands and frosted glass ornaments, to be brought out and cherished each year. I've come to believe that my story is a Christmas story. For it has forever changed the way I see Christmas."
“Just like our story, the original Christmas tales were stories of searching, not so much for the lost, as for the familiar. Mary and Joseph sought in Bethlehem—the home of their familial ancestry—a place to start their own family; the three kings from the East journeyed beneath that sentinel star to find the King of Kings; and the shepherds sought a child in a place most familiar to them: a manger.”
“And perhaps after all the songs and poems and stories of the season, Christmas is really no more than that—humanity’s search for the familiar. Every year we bring out the same songs, partake of the same foods and traditions, and share the things that make us feel that there’s someplace we belong. And in the end all any of us are looking for is home.”
When Mark and Macy first meet, they are two very broken people. In finding each other, it feels a little like finding a place where they are free to be themselves, share their personal stories of the emotional wounds they’ve suffered, and feel accepted and understood. This story is the story of how they met, how they opened their hearts to the possibility of love in all its forms, the overall theme is that people, circumstances present themselves to us for a reason. This is a love story, yes, but it’s also a story of learning to forgive yourself, and others, for real or imagined hurts inflicted, and a story of learning how to believe that you, or anyone else, is worthy to be loved.
December 3, 2016
Mark Smart has lost his college scholarship, his mother recently died, and he is feeling desperate and alone. When his car breaks down, he meets Macy Wood at a local coffee shop. Macy has had a rough upbringing, being adopted by a family who showed her little love after her mother died and her father lost Macy and her sister Noel because of their father's drug addiction. Noel and Macy were separated, Noel being adopted by another family. Mark has never felt close to his father, and could really use a friend. Mark and Macy find a bond in their wounded hearts. They are both desperate for a family connection. Can Mark and Macy overcome the adversities of their pasts to see the potential good in their future?
While there is definitely moments of heartache in the story, the message is uplifting and inspiring.
Really 4.5 stars.
While there is definitely moments of heartache in the story, the message is uplifting and inspiring.
Really 4.5 stars.
December 31, 2017
Richard Paul Evans amazes me with his skill of telling a heartfelt and inspirational story of a soul that seems broken yet all along has been whole. Though growing up was a struggle and loveless, while as an adult you search for what you thought was missing during your childhood and found that during your search you located where home was the whole time...your current life and not in your past.
Life is like a Rose. We get transfixed on the bloom but its the thorny stem that keeps it alive and aloft. I think life is like that. The things we value are worth fighting for and in the end we value the stem more than the bloom.
Life is like a Rose. We get transfixed on the bloom but its the thorny stem that keeps it alive and aloft. I think life is like that. The things we value are worth fighting for and in the end we value the stem more than the bloom.
June 10, 2013
I grabbed this audio book off the library shelf, to satisfy my summertime need for a Christmasy story. I was halfway through the book, and becoming more annoyed by the minute. The reader added nothing to the telling, his voice flat and without emotion. I finally was bothered enough by his lackadaisical rendition to look at the cover to see who the reader was. Oops – read by the author. Even he sounded bored by his own novel. I’m sure I’m in the minority, but I failed to find much inspiration from this tale. Maybe it would be better in print, but the audio version seems to be filled with short, choppy sentences and sappy dialogue. It failed to give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I was more reminded of a boring lecture. You know the kind, where you are supposed to be taking notes, but you find yourself doodling and staring at your watch, willing it to move faster. Obviously, I am not a fan of the author, and if you are, you may see something here that I have missed. I think this story would have been better as a short story – the author lost me long before the story ended.
December 7, 2007
(WARNING! THERE IS SOME INFORMATION GIVING WAY WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK!!!)
Richard Paul Evans came from a loving family. He writes many of the books for them. Evans emphasizes that this book is about how people come into your life for a reason. He wrote Finding Noel in honor of his mother who died in Febuary 2006.
In the mist of the snowy night, Mark Smart feels like his life should come to an end. Just days before, his mother had died and he missed her funeral. His scholarship at the University of Utah had been canceled and he had lost his dorm room. He also lost his job. Little did he know, his car stopping by a coffee shop and meeting Macy Wood would change his and other's lives forever.
I'd like to start with the poorer parts of this book. This book is almost impossible to find anything wrong with, but I did find something to argue with. That is that Finding Noel is very predictable. Even though it is predictable, it still makes you curious to see how it is all going to work out. In the beginning of the book, I knew that Mark and Macy would fall in love. Sure enough, three weeks later , Mark asks Macy to marry him.
Also, I would like to mention Macy. Macy is very nice and thoughtful . You could never tell what she had been through if she never told you about her past. I think her character is almost unrealistic. Her mother died before she was seven, leaving her to an unreliable dad. She was adopted at the age of seven to the Hummels. Joyfulness and Kindness wasn't even possible in the Hummel house. No one ever cared for Macy, at least of what she could remember. The worst of all was that her non-biological mother hit her. Yet after living in such bad conditions, Macy turned out not so bad after all.
In spite of these things criticisms, the positives qualities make up more than 90 percent of the book! Mark and Macy are the main characters of the book. The book moves around them, but without all the other characters it could not be a book. Richard Evans tells of these characters in a fascinating way. Even reading for fifteen minutes there is a connection between the reader and characters.
Also, with these characters, it makes a exciting and moving book. I could never put the book down because I did not want to go on with my life until I knew how Mark's life would turn out. I was literally always on the edge of my seat.
In essence, I think Evans couldn't have written a better book. He teaches us that love and understanding is what we all need to give to each other for Christmas. in to each other lives. Even though Macy's previous families did not work out, she found a loving mother named Jo. I recommend this book to everyone this Christmas season. It is not a waste of time, or a book for the trash. Consider this book for a gift.
Richard Paul Evans came from a loving family. He writes many of the books for them. Evans emphasizes that this book is about how people come into your life for a reason. He wrote Finding Noel in honor of his mother who died in Febuary 2006.
In the mist of the snowy night, Mark Smart feels like his life should come to an end. Just days before, his mother had died and he missed her funeral. His scholarship at the University of Utah had been canceled and he had lost his dorm room. He also lost his job. Little did he know, his car stopping by a coffee shop and meeting Macy Wood would change his and other's lives forever.
I'd like to start with the poorer parts of this book. This book is almost impossible to find anything wrong with, but I did find something to argue with. That is that Finding Noel is very predictable. Even though it is predictable, it still makes you curious to see how it is all going to work out. In the beginning of the book, I knew that Mark and Macy would fall in love. Sure enough, three weeks later , Mark asks Macy to marry him.
Also, I would like to mention Macy. Macy is very nice and thoughtful . You could never tell what she had been through if she never told you about her past. I think her character is almost unrealistic. Her mother died before she was seven, leaving her to an unreliable dad. She was adopted at the age of seven to the Hummels. Joyfulness and Kindness wasn't even possible in the Hummel house. No one ever cared for Macy, at least of what she could remember. The worst of all was that her non-biological mother hit her. Yet after living in such bad conditions, Macy turned out not so bad after all.
In spite of these things criticisms, the positives qualities make up more than 90 percent of the book! Mark and Macy are the main characters of the book. The book moves around them, but without all the other characters it could not be a book. Richard Evans tells of these characters in a fascinating way. Even reading for fifteen minutes there is a connection between the reader and characters.
Also, with these characters, it makes a exciting and moving book. I could never put the book down because I did not want to go on with my life until I knew how Mark's life would turn out. I was literally always on the edge of my seat.
In essence, I think Evans couldn't have written a better book. He teaches us that love and understanding is what we all need to give to each other for Christmas. in to each other lives. Even though Macy's previous families did not work out, she found a loving mother named Jo. I recommend this book to everyone this Christmas season. It is not a waste of time, or a book for the trash. Consider this book for a gift.
January 14, 2012
I have never read a Richard Paul Evans book that let me down, and "Finding Noel" is just another example of this author's superb story-telling. I would highly recommend not listening to the final disk of this audio book on the way into work when you need to be upbeat and in an early meeting without tears running down your face. I learned the hard way, so I thought I would share this nugget of wisdom with you. Mr. Evans has a way of making his characters feel like family. I wanted to drive around the block time and time again just so I could find out what was going to happen. Unfortunately, the earlier referenced meeting could not be put off, and I had to stop the car and go to work. It gave me time to reflect, though, and savor the fantastic story the Richard Paul Evans has brilliantly put together.
December 20, 2013
I wanted to read a Christmas book, so I picked up this quick read. It is just a feel good story and warms your heart. I have discovered that when I need just a reminder of what life should be about, I pick up a book by Richard Paul Evans. They are not the most astounding books out there, but I love having just a good book to read. More towards 3 1/2 stars.
September 26, 2015
¡OHHHHHHHHHHHHH! qué libro taaaan lindo y sentimental, oh no, espera, la sentimental soy yoooooooo :'((((
Lo recomiendo, es una lectura ligera pero muy bonita y significativa. Refuerza muchos valores y es hermosa por el simple hecho de que ¡Sea en Navidad!.
Lo recomiendo, es una lectura ligera pero muy bonita y significativa. Refuerza muchos valores y es hermosa por el simple hecho de que ¡Sea en Navidad!.
May 19, 2017
Added 5/16/13.
I read this book in 2007.
It's a good story and an easy read.
I read this book in 2007.
It's a good story and an easy read.
December 26, 2018
Es ist eine fantastische Geschichte, nichts total Neues aber total bewegend und wahnsinnig gefühlvoll erzählt. Unglaublich traurig, unglaublich rührend und unglaublich schön.
Mark und Macy treffen sich zufällig. Beide hatten es nicht leicht und müssen mit vielen Schicksalsschlägen klar kommen.
Die Geschichte wie die beiden sich kennen lernen, ihre Herzen öffnen, lernen zu vergeben und Frieden mit der Vergangenheit schließen hat mich wirklich berührt.
Mark verliert sein Stipendium, wird verlassen und erfährt erst Tage nach der Beerdigung vom Tod seiner Mutter.
Macy hatte eine harte Kindheit, nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter wurden sie und ihre Schwester vom süchtigen Vater weggeholt und getrennt von einander adoptiert. Auch bei der Adoptivfamilie hatte sie nicht besonders Glück...
Die beiden stützen sich gegenseitig und erfahren, dass vieles nicht so ist wie zuerst gedacht...
Die ganze Geschichte ist eine richtig emotionale Reise. Ganz tolles tiefgründiges Buch!
Mark und Macy treffen sich zufällig. Beide hatten es nicht leicht und müssen mit vielen Schicksalsschlägen klar kommen.
Die Geschichte wie die beiden sich kennen lernen, ihre Herzen öffnen, lernen zu vergeben und Frieden mit der Vergangenheit schließen hat mich wirklich berührt.
Mark verliert sein Stipendium, wird verlassen und erfährt erst Tage nach der Beerdigung vom Tod seiner Mutter.
Macy hatte eine harte Kindheit, nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter wurden sie und ihre Schwester vom süchtigen Vater weggeholt und getrennt von einander adoptiert. Auch bei der Adoptivfamilie hatte sie nicht besonders Glück...
Die beiden stützen sich gegenseitig und erfahren, dass vieles nicht so ist wie zuerst gedacht...
Die ganze Geschichte ist eine richtig emotionale Reise. Ganz tolles tiefgründiges Buch!
November 29, 2021
Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte von 2 sehr problembehafteten Protagonisten, die Kritik übt an US-amerikanischen Ämtern und Bürokratie.
Die Protagonisten müssen sehr viel durchstehen. Nicht immer leichte Kost, gegen Ende wird aber (selbstverständlich) alles gut.
Die Charaktere sind alle sehr authentisch, die Protagonisten sympathisch. Leider ist die Geschichte sehr vorhersehbar und für meinen Geschmack war das Ende ein wenig too much - obwohl das kitschige Happy End bei einer Weihnachtsgeschichte ja quasi Pflicht ist.
Die Protagonisten müssen sehr viel durchstehen. Nicht immer leichte Kost, gegen Ende wird aber (selbstverständlich) alles gut.
Die Charaktere sind alle sehr authentisch, die Protagonisten sympathisch. Leider ist die Geschichte sehr vorhersehbar und für meinen Geschmack war das Ende ein wenig too much - obwohl das kitschige Happy End bei einer Weihnachtsgeschichte ja quasi Pflicht ist.
March 29, 2016
Worum geht es:
Für Mark könnte es momentan nicht mehr schlimmer kommen: Das Stipendium für sein Studium wurde gestrichen, so dass er den Campus und sein altes Leben verlassen muss. Aus Scham teilt er seiner Familie von diesem großen Einschnitt nichts mit. Doch dann passiert das Unfassbare: Marks Mutter kommt bei einem Verkehrsunfall ums Leben, und da niemand seine neue Anschrift kennt, erfährt er von der Tragödie erst Tage nach der Beerdigung seiner geliebten Mum. Doch dann scheint das Schicksal wieder etwas gut machen zu wollen. Mark trifft Macy, ein junges Mädchen, die als Kellnerin in der Stadt arbeitet. Auch ihr Leben verlief alles andere als rosig, und so beginnen die beiden einander zu stützen, in dieser schweren Zeit.
Meine Meinung:
Ich muss zugeben, dass ich anfänglich etwas "schockiert" war darüber, wie traurig diese Weihnachtsgeschichte los ging, und wie viele schlimme Schicksalsschläge Mark und Macy ertragen müssen. Denn wenn ich ein Weihnachtsbuch lese, will ich eigentlich dass es mir warm ums Herz wird, und ich mich richtig fallen lassen kann, um was schönes zu erleben. Stattdessen aber habe ich so viel geweint beim Lesen wie schon lange nicht mehr. So unglaublich traurig war die Geschichte, so so unglaublich viele berührende Szenen gab es, die mich immer wieder zum Weinen gebracht haben.
Aber, nachdem der erste "Schreck" überwunden war, habe ich mich voll und ganz auf die Geschichte einlassen können und war so tief drinnen, dass ich jede freie Minute gelesen habe.
Die Story an sich ist sicherlich nichts "neues" überragendes, und gab es so oder so ähnlich auch schon etliche Male, aber die Geschichte ist so wahnsinnig schön, so gefühlvoll, so tiefgründig. Man fiebert absolut mit, drückt während des ganzen Lesens über die Daumen dass doch bitte, bitte alles gut werden wird, und ist richtig erschrocken, wenn etwas nicht so läuft wie es soll, oder wie ungerecht die Welt sein kann.
Ich habe jede Seite dieser doch sehr traurigen Geschichte genossen, und werde das Buch mit ganz großer Sicherheit wieder lesen. Es passt zu Weihnachten, passt auch zu anderen Jahreszeiten, und ist einfach eine rundum wunderschöne, anrührende Geschichte!
Für Mark könnte es momentan nicht mehr schlimmer kommen: Das Stipendium für sein Studium wurde gestrichen, so dass er den Campus und sein altes Leben verlassen muss. Aus Scham teilt er seiner Familie von diesem großen Einschnitt nichts mit. Doch dann passiert das Unfassbare: Marks Mutter kommt bei einem Verkehrsunfall ums Leben, und da niemand seine neue Anschrift kennt, erfährt er von der Tragödie erst Tage nach der Beerdigung seiner geliebten Mum. Doch dann scheint das Schicksal wieder etwas gut machen zu wollen. Mark trifft Macy, ein junges Mädchen, die als Kellnerin in der Stadt arbeitet. Auch ihr Leben verlief alles andere als rosig, und so beginnen die beiden einander zu stützen, in dieser schweren Zeit.
Meine Meinung:
Ich muss zugeben, dass ich anfänglich etwas "schockiert" war darüber, wie traurig diese Weihnachtsgeschichte los ging, und wie viele schlimme Schicksalsschläge Mark und Macy ertragen müssen. Denn wenn ich ein Weihnachtsbuch lese, will ich eigentlich dass es mir warm ums Herz wird, und ich mich richtig fallen lassen kann, um was schönes zu erleben. Stattdessen aber habe ich so viel geweint beim Lesen wie schon lange nicht mehr. So unglaublich traurig war die Geschichte, so so unglaublich viele berührende Szenen gab es, die mich immer wieder zum Weinen gebracht haben.
Aber, nachdem der erste "Schreck" überwunden war, habe ich mich voll und ganz auf die Geschichte einlassen können und war so tief drinnen, dass ich jede freie Minute gelesen habe.
Die Story an sich ist sicherlich nichts "neues" überragendes, und gab es so oder so ähnlich auch schon etliche Male, aber die Geschichte ist so wahnsinnig schön, so gefühlvoll, so tiefgründig. Man fiebert absolut mit, drückt während des ganzen Lesens über die Daumen dass doch bitte, bitte alles gut werden wird, und ist richtig erschrocken, wenn etwas nicht so läuft wie es soll, oder wie ungerecht die Welt sein kann.
Ich habe jede Seite dieser doch sehr traurigen Geschichte genossen, und werde das Buch mit ganz großer Sicherheit wieder lesen. Es passt zu Weihnachten, passt auch zu anderen Jahreszeiten, und ist einfach eine rundum wunderschöne, anrührende Geschichte!
June 29, 2010
I am a sucker for just about any book by Richard Paul Evans, and as my kids will tell you, also for Christmas. The fact that this one is about someone named Noel (although you don't find that out for awhile) just helped draw me to it. Most of Evans books are quick reads and this one was no exception.
Mark Smart has been dealt with one life's blow after another...he loses his scholarship and has to drop out of school, his girlfriend dumps him, his mother dies in an auto accident, and now on a cold, snowy night, his car breaks down. He makes his way into a coffee shop to phone for a tow truck, he meets a very cute and interesting young lady named Macy. She changes his life in more ways than he ever thought possible. Macy's life has not been an easy one either and she and Mark start on a journey together that will help them both learn just how powerful the power of love can be.
Mark Smart has been dealt with one life's blow after another...he loses his scholarship and has to drop out of school, his girlfriend dumps him, his mother dies in an auto accident, and now on a cold, snowy night, his car breaks down. He makes his way into a coffee shop to phone for a tow truck, he meets a very cute and interesting young lady named Macy. She changes his life in more ways than he ever thought possible. Macy's life has not been an easy one either and she and Mark start on a journey together that will help them both learn just how powerful the power of love can be.
January 17, 2013
A great story teller – Evans always brings a novel to life. As the Christmas season approaches Mark has to drop out of college due to finances and has just learned his mother has died and on one snowy night in November when he car dies, he stumbles upon a girl Macy who has had a horrible childhood and living with a lady who took her in. She has little memory of her birth parents and a horrible adopted family. Her one hope is to find her sister “Noel” as they were separated when they were children and kept apart by the system. Macy and Mark are meant for each other and fate has something in motion, as when one door closes, God places someone there for you. An amazing story – loved it!!!
January 26, 2024
I was not expecting a love story from this book. I was thinking it would be a little adventure finding the spirit of Christmas. I have no issues with love stories but they tend to be cheesy and worse cringey. Unfortunately, this little book is an example. Some conversations and interactions, especially during the first meeting of the two protagonists, were cliche but not the good romantic cliche. Here and there dialogues and even the narration were unnecessarily long. It is not their personality of someone likes eating a lot of chocolate. It adds to the cringe if every character took note of this as if it explains a person. YA stories—I'm not sure if this is categorized as such—tend to put interjections highlighting this character's preference but this is lazy and off-putting. I would say though that I enjoyed the part of the plot when Mark performed in the cafe. The best bit of interaction that felt genuine was when Mark and his ex-girlfriend met again.
Ultimately, the story was filled with selfish characters. Macy who was just thinking about her desire to reconnect with her sister, Mark who proposed to someone he knew for just a few weeks, Macy's father who didn't step up to care for his children, Mark's father who wanted to get the love he deserve. It was all unfortunate, piled on another unfortunate situation wrong place wrong time. All they wanted was connection. The author made a conclusion about how we all were looking for something, looking for the familiar. It was a stretch—connecting it to Christ and the nativity—but it does have a point how mainly we're just looking for connection.
Ultimately, the story was filled with selfish characters. Macy who was just thinking about her desire to reconnect with her sister, Mark who proposed to someone he knew for just a few weeks, Macy's father who didn't step up to care for his children, Mark's father who wanted to get the love he deserve. It was all unfortunate, piled on another unfortunate situation wrong place wrong time. All they wanted was connection. The author made a conclusion about how we all were looking for something, looking for the familiar. It was a stretch—connecting it to Christ and the nativity—but it does have a point how mainly we're just looking for connection.
December 20, 2024
This was a good one. A woman and her sister were separated through adoption when they were very young. This same woman meets a man who is estranged from his family. They end up helping each other find lost family while growing closer to each other. The lost sister is named Noel, which is where the title comes from.
December 14, 2019
The first time I read this book was at least four years ago. And it was great to go and revisit old friends. Mark and Macy has a special place in my heart. I always tend to read this right around Christmas and cherish just like I did when I first picked up.
August 5, 2020
To me this story was bland and marks character felt irrelevant. And then the last 100 pages hit me like a truck. I ended up loving this book and I especially love Macy’s story between the two! High recommendation!
November 27, 2020
Great Holiday story! I enjoyed reading about the characters lives and how they dealt with adversity in their lives! I like reading this author , they are always feel good stories and they pick you up during a very tough time that we are going through.
June 11, 2023
Este libro me gusta mucho, lo he leído más de 6 veces y siempre me hace llorar. Siempre me recuerda que hay que tener esperanza de que las cosas buenas sucederán, a no derrotarse ante los momentos duros, en confiar en las personas y a amar.
January 15, 2018
This was as quick read although I took forever to read it. I'm not a fan of romance novels but something about Richard Paul Evans books draw me in, Finding Noel was no exception to the rule. In short, I loved it!
August 10, 2018
Inspirational work from an author who knows how to touch readers hearts. After finding this author wrote the Christmas box, I had to see what else was available.
December 27, 2019
Beautiful Christmas story. Quick read with somewhat predictable plot line.
December 17, 2020
Such a sweet little Christmas story!💚
April 5, 2021
This book was a little more difficult to read, given my experiences (bad ones) with the foster care/DCFS system in Florida. But worth it in the end! Yep, I cried.
December 29, 2021
What a beautiful story! I'm shocked at Macy's ability to forgive and love after all the loss, disappointment, and abuse she suffered!
August 7, 2022
nieidealna, ale urocza♡
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