Magic of Winter (Celtic Legends Collection, #3)

by Martina Boone

[readingwithwrin]

"There’s more than enough places in the Highlands dedicated to glorifying men in kilts. I’ll make the Library and Tea Room a monument to Scottish women. It’s about time someone remembered who did the real hard work while the men were off raiding cattle or playing war."

That quote is why I love this series so much. Finally focusing on something besides men in kilts and actually focuses on the women and kids and the history of Scotland.

The third book in the Celtic Legends series (I have only read BELL OF ETERNITY the second book) and I am very happy to say that they can all be read as a stand-alone, but side characters are also mentioned from the other stories.

After having already lost her mother and then going to her fiancee's Brice's house and seeing a woman leaving wearing his clothes she runs off to London and hasn't been back to the town since. With her father trying to keep her from coming home and not telling her the full story of things she decides to surprise him and comes home early for Christmas. Things aren't good at all her father is sick and has kept it from her and most of the town and has become a shut-in besides having Brice help him when needed. On top of that, her mother's beloved tea room and Library has closed and her father sold everything and is planning to sell the building as well. Cait is heartbroken and upset and wants to help, but isn't sure how because of how stubborn her father is. Brice helps as much as he can, and is also trying to prove to her that he has changed and is willing to do anything to get her back.

"It should have been different. She should have been different. The realization that nothing had changed, that she hadn’t changed, left her chilled."

Overall I really enjoyed this Christmas book. Cait is a little lost even though she has become a journalist in London and loves the work she does. She still hasn't truly dealt with the loss of her mom and with her dad encouraging her to stay away she hasn't returned home since and she hasn't talked to anyone else from home either. The amount of heartbreaking surprises waiting for her at home is a lot to deal with and she doesn't know exactly where to start, but she knows she must stay and bring back her mom's legacy, and help her dad get better again. With some help from the people in the town and Brice, she was able to start doing just that.
As for the love story part, I liked how things just didn't immediately get physical and how willing Brice was to show they he had changed and that he wasn't just going to let things go back to how they were. He truly cares for Cait, and Cait truly cares about him she just has some trust issues they are going to have to work through.
I also found it fascinating how until 1958 Scotland didn't celebrate Christmas and it was actually banned up to that point.
I can't wait to see who we follow next in this series!

"Family was what Christmas was for, arguments and gifts and memories that all had meaning only because there was so much history and love behind them."

Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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