The Angel of Forest Hill - Cindy Woodsmall

Rose Kurtz, quiet and unsure of herself, yet hard-working, has been asked by her Bishop to travel to Forest Hill to help a family. Lost in her thoughts when asked, she only half listened to the request but accepted that she had little choice.

With no fond farewell from her family, Rose arrives at the home of Joel Dienner. There she finds that she’s not helping in the way she expected. Thrust in to the role of surrogate mother to a newborn and two boisterous toddlers who constantly seek their mother, Rose must buckle down and deal with the situation before her. Her familiar prayer, “Dear God, if it’s not a bother, show me what to do, and let Your truth set me free," gives her the strength to do just that.

However, as a single woman, Rose cannot stay in the house with a widowed man. Joel’s father comes up with a solution that in his grief, Joel agrees to but not before asking Rose what her expectations are regarding their marriage of convenience. Kindness is all she requires.

Time passes and Joel finds himself in love with Rose. But can they move forward with so much of the past still surrounding them – the death of his wife, the unhappy familial home life of Rose – and now Joel’s mother-in-law has spoken to the Bishop about a personal situation.

Rose is horrified, Joel angry. Now there is talk of an annulment. Can they overcome this latest obstacle and have a happy Christmas?

A short and sweet romance with a Christmas background. I wished it were a little longer but that’s only because Cindy creates characters that have so much depth and realism. Her ability to write an absorbing, warming story is exceptional. It’s an easy read and fans of Amish fiction and/or Cindy Woodsmall will not be disappointed. A highly recommended read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books as part of their blogger program. The opinions expressed are my own and I am not required to give a positive critique.