• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure & Policies
  • Contact
  • Requests
  • Winners
  • Everything Books
  • Bookish Life
  • Secondary Navigation Social Media Icons

    • Facebook
    • Goodreads
    • Instagram

Storied Conversation

every story begins a conversation

  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure & Policies
  • Contact
  • Requests
  • Winners
  • Everything Books
  • Bookish Life

Her Christmas Dilemma by Brenda Minton | Book Review

Nov. 29, 2021

Okay, get your tissues ready! This one will tug at your heartstrings in the best possible way. I adored each and every moment of this book.

Her Christmas Dilemma by Brenda Minton | Book Reviewfive-stars
Her Christmas Dilemma by Brenda Minton
Genres: Christmas, Contemporary Romance, Harelquin

Searching for a safe haven

and a new beginning…

Returning home for the holidays after an unexpected pregnancy, Clara Fisher needs a fresh start. And working as a housekeeper for Tucker Church and his teenage niece is the first step. Clara still has hard choices to make, but Tucker might be just the person to help her forget her fears. Could the path to her new future also lead to love?

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope

Goodreads


Get the Book



Amazon


I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This is my first Brenda Minton book and I must say that her writing style was more than I could have hoped. While this is a clean romance it, for me, was a step above your everyday Harlequin romance book. This reminded why I fell in love with Harlequin romance books to begin with and why even when there are a few years of just okay books to stay true to them because they will give me an author and book like this one.

Clara is a former foster child who now as an adult has returned home. Well to Nan her foster mother’s home. Clara is certain she will never be happy again but it determined to start fresh as she is pregnant. She accepts a job as housekeeper for Tucker Church, who has his hands full as he has taken temporary custody of his teenage niece.

Tucker and Clara have such a wonderful working relationship that develops into friendship that develops into more. The way they become more for one other is so well written. You can easily seeing these two gradually falling in love with one another as they learn to first work together and then depend on one another.

Tucker’s niece Shay was a great character as well. She is a teenager and going through something few will understand. However, Clara does. Clara knows just what Shay feels and how lucky she is to have Tucker taken her in.

Nan, Clara’s foster mother was also a great character. I loved that she could have been written as one of the worst people since we know that happens. However, she was loving and warm. She took in girls that needed help and I can only imagine how Clara would have turned out without her.

five-stars

About Brenda Minton

Brenda Minton lives, procrastinates, writes, drinks coffee, raises her kids and is wife to her husband, in the Ozarks.

Okay, now to first person because a third person bio sounds like someone else wrote it about me, and is just license to create flowery prose about myself.

I grew up on a farm in the Ozarks. It was long ago and far away, in a land before cable TV, video games and the internet. To pass the time we read books, watched (gasp) network TV that rarely came in clear, and had friends over on weekends to play music on the front porch, or card games in the dining room.

The result of growing up ‘country’ was an active imagination. For fun I wrote stories to entertain myself and I dreamed of being an author. Oh, but first, before writing, I wanted to be a jockey.

Writing won out over being a jockey. In the spring of 2006 I got the call that made those dreams come true: the call that welcomed me into the Steeple Hill family of authors.

The moral of this story, never stop dreaming.

Website | Goodreads

Category: Review Tags: NetGalley

← Previous Post
Sugar Wood by Brynn Ford | Book Review
Next Post →
Winter Is Coming! Giveaway Hop | December 2021

You may also like

Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor Book Review
Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O’Connor | Book Review
The Arab-Israeli Cookbook by Robin Soans Book Review
The Arab-Israeli Cookbook by Robin Soans | Book Review
The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel Book Review
The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel | Book Review

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly Kimmell says

    November 29, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    This is a new author to me as well. Sounds like a book I would enjoy reading.

    Reply
  2. Laurie Nykaza says

    November 29, 2021 at 1:44 pm

    Just in time for the holidays this looks like a book I would enjoy. I like holiday stories this time of the year too. This is a good romance that your hoping works out for her and her new baby to come.

    Reply
  3. heather says

    November 29, 2021 at 3:43 pm

    This sounds super good and one I would love to read this holiday season. I enjoyed reading your review, I too love Harlequin romance books so I know I will like this one.

    Reply
  4. LB says

    November 29, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    Sounds like a good book. I love slwo burn romances.

    Reply
  5. Adriane says

    November 29, 2021 at 10:50 pm

    Sounds good! I used to read this type of romance and enjoyed them

    Reply
  6. Barrie says

    November 30, 2021 at 12:46 am

    I haven’t read a Harlequin romance in a very long time. This sounds like a good read and a reason to get back into reading them!

    Reply
  7. Judy Thomas says

    November 30, 2021 at 4:56 am

    It sounds like a heart warming story, I can’t wait to read it!

    Reply
  8. Sandra Dufoe says

    November 30, 2021 at 9:46 am

    Sounds like a great book and I have not read a Harlequin book in a long time. I will have to check them out again.

    Reply
  9. Bea LaRocca says

    November 30, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    I like the cover and synopsis and your book review was wonderful. this sounds like a must read for me. Thank you for posting

    Reply
  10. Melanie B says

    November 30, 2021 at 2:06 pm

    Sounds like a good book, and love the cover!

    Reply
  11. Anita C says

    November 30, 2021 at 2:23 pm

    Thank you for the review. I’m always on the look out for new authors/books

    Reply
  12. Piroska says

    November 30, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    This book sounds like a heartwarming read. I love Christmas stories, for the feels.

    Reply
  13. Susan Marina Brown Lane says

    November 30, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    When I was a teenager and started reading romance, my best friend and I read Harlequin romances. We swapped off when we finished. I haven’t read a Harlequin in a while and I have no idea why! This looks like a good one to start back with!

    Reply
  14. Antoinette M says

    November 30, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    Sounds like a lovely read. Thanks for the review.

    Reply
  15. Hannah G says

    December 1, 2021 at 7:52 am

    This sounds like a great book to read for the holidays!

    Reply
  16. Sandy C. says

    December 1, 2021 at 10:13 am

    This sounds like something I could use right now. At first I thought no, the storyline parellels too many things in my own life. Then I read the author’s, final comment: “Never stop dreaming”. Gonna read it!

    Reply
  17. Kari B says

    December 1, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Sounds like the perfect winter read.

    Reply
  18. Aline Azevedo says

    December 1, 2021 at 6:32 pm

    I love Harlequin’s romances too!
    Thanks for this awesome review!

    Reply
  19. Linda says

    December 1, 2021 at 8:42 pm

    I enjoy reading clean romance around this time of year. This looks like a winner to me.

    Reply
  20. Eva Millien says

    December 1, 2021 at 11:01 pm

    Great review and the book sounds like my kind of holiday read! Thanks for shairng it with me and have a spectacuar holiday season!

    Reply
  21. Calvin says

    December 1, 2021 at 11:59 pm

    Neat book, never heard of it. Nice review, looks like just in time to read books with this holiday theme.

    Reply
  22. bn100 says

    December 2, 2021 at 1:11 am

    nice book setting

    Reply
  23. Sarah+L says

    December 2, 2021 at 2:13 am

    Good book for holiday reading.
    Thanks for the review.

    Reply
  24. Maria Malaveci says

    December 2, 2021 at 7:01 am

    Sounds like my kind of read! It would be great to read this winter!

    Reply
  25. Jen L says

    December 3, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    This looks right up my alley! Looking forward to read it

    Reply
  26. Athena Graeme says

    December 3, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    This sounds so sweet! I could use a happy book for Christmas this year.

    Reply
  27. Jeffrey says

    December 4, 2021 at 10:23 pm

    SOUNDS LIKE MY KIND OF BOOK.

    Reply
  28. Shirley O says

    December 5, 2021 at 11:07 am

    It sounds like a heart warming story. I look forward to reading it.

    Reply
  29. Vesta Mason says

    December 5, 2021 at 11:42 pm

    I haven’t read a Harlequin romance book in years. I like that Brenda Minton seems to give depth to all the characters as the story unfolds. Thank you for your review.

    Reply
  30. Kari B says

    December 6, 2021 at 7:55 am

    Sounds like a wonderful romance to read during the holidays.

    Reply
  31. Ashley Parks says

    December 6, 2021 at 1:35 pm

    Sounds like an interesting writer. I’ve never been much for romance novels, but this one sounds sweet. I love that its on the cleaner side. Sounds like a very interesting and realistic plot.

    Reply
  32. Antoinette M says

    December 6, 2021 at 10:04 pm

    This sounds like a lovely book!

    Reply
  33. Maria Malaveci says

    December 7, 2021 at 9:33 am

    Sounds like an amazing book! I would love to read it!

    Reply
  34. rochelle haynes says

    December 12, 2021 at 3:07 am

    Sounds good to me

    Reply
  35. Victoria wanner says

    December 16, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    Okay, now I definitely have to read it! It sounds like a book I’d love!

    Reply
  36. Chelsea B says

    December 18, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    Sounds like a great romantic read for the holidays. I am looking forward to checking out more on this author.

    Reply
  37. Jeanette Jackson says

    December 21, 2021 at 1:47 pm

    This sounds like a good Christmas read.

    Reply
  38. Amber Lee Kolb says

    December 27, 2021 at 10:35 am

    This sounds like a great read! I love romances where a friendship turns into more. It’s one of my favorite kind of books!

    Reply
  39. Marisela Zuniga says

    January 12, 2022 at 3:40 pm

    This sounds so good, I love the cover

    Reply
  40. Megan Allen says

    January 17, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    I wish I would have known about this one a few weeks ago! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  41. ladybugcostumes says

    January 30, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    The cover is so pretty

    Reply
  42. Phyllis Huebbe says

    February 8, 2022 at 11:28 am

    Not too much for basic love stories but might pick it up to read.

    Reply
  43. Shirley O says

    February 23, 2022 at 2:24 pm

    Sounds like a great read. I would really enjoy this one.

    Reply
  44. AJ says

    March 13, 2023 at 9:07 pm

    sEEMS LIKE A GREAT HOLIDAY READ! i’ll be adding it to my list! thanks for sharing!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to LB Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

SC 2026 sidebar graphic


Hi, I’m Rita and I write all about books. I learned at a very early age just how much I love to read and getting lost in the worlds that books provide.

Find us online

  • Facebook
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram

Currently Reading

The Bristlecone Writers’ Group by Lisa Williams Kline | Book Review

Recent Book Reviews

Maple & Moonlight  by Daphne ElliotWoden's Vengeance by Donovan CookMurder on an Irish Farm  by Carlene O'ConnorThe Arab-Israeli Cookbook by Robin SoansThe Lady of Galway Manor  by Jennifer DeibelBaking in the American South  by Anne ByrnThe Song That Moves the Sun  by Anna BrightThe Girl from Portofino by Siobhan DaikoThe Cake Bible, 35th Anniversary Edition by Rose Levy Beranbaum, Woody WolstonDesperately Seeking a Duchess by Christi CaldwellThe Final Target  by Nora RobertsTribune and the Sword by Adam LofthouseBe the Full Problem by Lani Lynn ValeThe Burning Pages by Paige SheltonStorm of Mercia  by MJ PorterTo Kiss a Demon  by Stephanie RoweThe Cursed King  by Abigail OwenThe Woman in the Library  by Sulari GentillLegacy of Leather and Lace by Lily AtlasTreaty of Blood by Michael Jecks

Join Me This Year

26 in 2026 -2 challenge updated sidebar- SC everything books page 2026
The Big Read Take Two
✨Did you see?✨MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotau ✨Did you see?✨MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotauthor is available NOW! Grab it in KU! 
#OneClickNow
https://a.co/d/0c9nLlkf 

Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…
🍂Single Mom
🍂New in Town
🍂Neighbors
🍂Hurt/Comfort
🍂Grumpy Maple Farmer
🍂Protective

As a single mom rebuilding my life from scratch, I don’t need help. And I  definitely don’t need the attention of a six-foot-three maple farmer with a beard and a hero complex who looks at me like I’m a problem he didn’t sign up for. 
#newbookalert #daphneelliot #smalltownromance @theauthor.agency
I just loved MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotaut I just loved MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotauthor! Grab it in KU!
#OneClickNow
https://a.co/d/0c9nLlkf
Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…
��Single Mom
��New in Town
��Neighbors
��Hurt/Comfort
��Grumpy Maple Farmer
��Protective
As a single mom rebuilding my life from scratch, I don’t need help. And I definitely don’t need the
attention of a six-foot-three maple farmer with a beard and a hero complex who looks at me like I’m a
problem he didn’t sign up for.
My landlord is broad-shouldered, permanently unimpressed, and entirely too comfortable telling me
when I’m wrong. I think he’s grumpy, rigid, and overprotective. He thinks I’m chaos in Crocs.
Falling for Josh Lawrence was never part of the plan.
But then he starts showing up.
For my son when he’s overwhelmed.
For my daughters when they need someone steady.
And for me when my hands won’t stop shaking.
I didn’t come to Vermont looking for a protector. I don’t need rescuing. But somewhere between harvest
festivals, pumpkin canoe races, and quiet mornings in the sugar shack, the man I swore was just an
annoyance becomes my safe place.
And when my dangerous past resurfaces and threatens the new life I’ve built, the grumpy maple farmer
next door becomes my fiercest protector, ready to stand by my side while I fight for my family.
 
Because it turns out maple farmers are a lot like their trees: quiet, stubborn, and surprisingly sweet
when the pressure builds.
#newbookalert #daphneelliot #smalltownromance @theauthor.agency
✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for MAPLE & ✨Let’s celebrate! It’s release day for MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotauthor! Grab it in KU!
#OneClickNow
https://a.co/d/0c9nLlkf
Why you need to #ONECLICK this book…
��Single Mom
��New in Town
��Neighbors
��Hurt/Comfort
��Grumpy Maple Farmer
��Protective
As a single mom rebuilding my life from scratch, I don’t need help. And I definitely don’t need the
attention of a six-foot-three maple farmer with a beard and a hero complex who looks at me like I’m a
problem he didn’t sign up for.
My landlord is broad-shouldered, permanently unimpressed, and entirely too comfortable telling me
when I’m wrong. I think he’s grumpy, rigid, and overprotective. He thinks I’m chaos in Crocs.
Falling for Josh Lawrence was never part of the plan.
But then he starts showing up.
For my son when he’s overwhelmed.
For my daughters when they need someone steady.
And for me when my hands won’t stop shaking.
I didn’t come to Vermont looking for a protector. I don’t need rescuing. But somewhere between harvest
festivals, pumpkin canoe races, and quiet mornings in the sugar shack, the man I swore was just an
annoyance becomes my safe place.
And when my dangerous past resurfaces and threatens the new life I’ve built, the grumpy maple farmer
next door becomes my fiercest protector, ready to stand by my side while I fight for my family.
 
Because it turns out maple farmers are a lot like their trees: quiet, stubborn, and surprisingly sweet
when the pressure builds.
#newbookalert #daphneelliot #smalltownromance @theauthor.agency
♡♡♡SPECIAL EDITION INCOMING♡♡♡ Big Bad Boss, the ♡♡♡SPECIAL EDITION INCOMING♡♡♡

Big Bad Boss, the  must-read fated mates, shifter 4 book omnibus from bestselling authors @reneeroseromance and @authorleesavino, is coming with a brand new look! 

Snag This Collection Today → https://geni.us/bbboss

“Big Bad Boss 4-book Omnibus brings together all four sizzling, high-stakes books in the Big Bad Boss saga that readers are calling "explosively hot, sinfully addictive, and utterly unputdownable." Perfect for fans of: boss-hole billionaires, alpha wolf shifters, and the fierce, clever humans who tame them. 
"The way I devoured Big Bad Boss! A crazy hot alpha werewolf billionaire and his assistant who has no idea who he is? Yes, please!! I could not get enough! Hot, smart, and sexy, this is an absolute must-read!!" -- New York Times Bestselling Author A. L. Jackson

#bigbadboss #reneerose #leesavino #fatedmates #paranormalromance #newlook @literallyyourspr
EXCERPT: MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotauthor EXCERPT:  MAPLE & MOONLIGHT by @daphneelliotauthor releasing April 27th!

#PreOrderNow

https://a.co/d/08lNOJjL 

"I've got to get Julian's booster." I turned toward the van, sticking a hand in my purse and rummaging for my keys. "No need. I got one." Lips pursed, I turned back to him. "Here." He opened the back door, and sure enough, there was a booster.  I strode to the door and examined it. "That's the same." "Yes. The same one you have. I saw it while I was at Costmart and grabbed it, figured it would be easier." Blinking, I turned to him, my brain not quite understanding. "Got snacks too." Julian wandered to Josh's side. "Is Wayne coming?" Ducking, he shook his head. "He's keeping Jasper and Vincent company while we're gone. Since we need my truck to haul the pumpkin back, there isn't enough room.  Julian's whole body sagged with disappointment. "But he'll help us build our boat, don't worry." The truck was equipped with snacks, water, blankets, and a few extra hoodies. Well-worn hoodies that looked so cozy I wished I could slip one on now, then take it home with me. "Why do you have so many snacks?" Maggie asked. "Cause kids eat a lot," he replied, eyeing her in the mirror.  Ellie shrugged. "Accurate." We hadn't even driven outside town limits before they were digging in. "Mom," Julian shouted far louder than necessary. "He has cucumbers. Cut in circles, not sticks." I turned in my seat, and sure enough, Josh had procured cucumbers, Julian's favorite, and had cut them with precision. "He got my crackers too." Heart thudding, I eyed the man beside me. "How did you know which foods were Julian's safe foods?" His focus was on the road, his fingers tapping the steering wheel. "I noticed and took a photo of the box with my phone. Didn't want to mess it up for him." 

#daphneelliot #smalltownromance @theauthor.agency
CAN YOU KEEP HER SUPERNATURAL SECRET? Moon of Secr CAN YOU KEEP HER SUPERNATURAL SECRET?
Moon of Secrets by Brenda Trim and Tia Didmon is now live!!
 
https://geni.us/MoonofSecrets
 
To stop the darkness, I must walk among the enemy
 
Going undercover in a rival wolf pack wasn't part of the plan, but it's the only way to uncover their true motives. With a false identity and a carefully spun lie, I slip into their hidden community, only to learn the truth is far more dangerous than I imagined.
 
These wolves aren't evil. They're being used. Manipulated by an ancient entity that feeds on shifter energy, one bent on harnessing enough power to permanently darken the moon. If it succeeds, every wolf shifter will gain unstoppable strength, at the cost of our humanity.
 
As suspicion sharpens around me, I lean on Eve's spells to mask my identity and Salima's guidance to reach my allies on the outside. Time is running out, the lunar ritual draws near, and I'm walking a razor's edge between exposure and survival.
 
Because saving the city isn't enough this time. I have to save them, even if they tear me apart for the truth.
 
Find out what lurks in the shadows of Ravenholde by reading Moon of Secrets, the Paranormal Women's Fiction series readers are comparing to Shannon Mayer, K.F. Breene, and Victoria Dannan.

Footer

Every Story Begins with a Conversation

Welcome to Storied Conversation, a space dedicated to he thoughtful discussion of books, exploring literary worlds one page at a time.

Categories

See all the posts in a particular category.

  • Facebook
  • Goodreads
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2026 · Storied Conversation

Lexi Theme by Code + Coconut