Christmas in Bethel

By Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster/Thorndike Press, 2024)

Genre: Fiction

Via: Library

Pages: 314

Listen up

There are two things you oughtta know about Christmas in Bethel right out of the kennel says I, Kimber the Magnificent. 1) This isn’t a “Christmas book.” 2) Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. Like:

Regarding #1, this isn’t a “Christmas story” in the usual sense. Yes, it includes Thanksgiving and the holidays and Christmas. And all that good stuff. But its message of love and grace and forgiveness works year round. Besides. We put this book on order at the library in early November. It didn’t arrive until after New Year’s. So there!

King of Christmas Fiction

Still with me, Cupcake? Arf!

Now, regarding #2 and that Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs thingy? That’s Her Momness and Richard Paul Evans books. A master storyteller who’s penned an entire galaxy of finely crafted, clean and uplifting fiction, Evans has been one of Mom’s favorite authors since just after the Ark made landfall. Or at least since 1993. That’s when a perennial seasonal fave, Evans’ The Christmas Box, first came out. Evans topically publishes a new book every year coinciding with the Christmas season. That’s why RPE is called “The King of Christmas Fiction.” Mom’s read ‘em all. That Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs thing.

Why? Well, dear reader, keep reading:

Count On

There are a coupla things you can always count on in RPE Christmas fiction: Love. Loss. Heartbreak. Healing. And hope. Also exquisite writing. Expertly crafted, three-dimensional characters who practically leap off the page and into your heart. Transcendent themes that speak to the human condition as a whole. Boatloads of hope. Gently faith-flavored themes of mercy. Grace. Forgiveness. And second chances.

Also delicious food. Mouth-watering dining always puts in an appearance in Evans novels. So you may not want to read this when you’re hungry. Just sayin’, Toots. So do ripples of light-hearted levity and tongue-in-cheek humor.

We love that.

Speaking of appearances, Steinbeck and Vonnegut show up in Christmas in Bethel. No. Really.

“The thing is, writing s story is like falling in love. You think you’re pulling the strings until you discover you’re really the puppet.”

Basic Plot

Now. Regarding the story: Leigh Beth Stilton and J.D. “Lee” Harper both have painful pasts. Dark secrets. Lingering impacts of an unstable home life, abusive marriage, and the tragedies Leigh (Beth) sees as an EMT outweigh any chance of Christmas cheer. Convinced she’s not worth loving, Leigh decides she can’t go on – until she reads the book Bethel by J.D. Harper.

The book saves her life.

Harper’s words speak directly to Beth, giving her new strength. When Harper comes to town for a book signing, Leigh meets him. The two immediately click. Especially when Harper shows up at her book club. (The character of Maxine here is one in a mil. Insert eye roll here.)

Anyway, Leigh (Beth) and J.D. (Lee) are soon swept into a whirlwind romance. But when she discovers that Lee hasn’t been totally honest, Leigh’s hopes are dashed. Can they reconcile and can Leigh learn to trust her heart?

“It’s my experience that more church fellowship takes place in a church’s lobby than its chapel.” – Beth Stilton’s Diary

 

Behold!

Told in the first person from Leigh’s POV, Christmas in Bethel is written in Evans’ usual beautiful prose. The story is compelling. It’s also unlike most of Evans’ typical “Christmas fiction.”  It has several I-did-not-see-that-coming plot twists. And just when think you know where the story’s going, behold! Evans pulls out an O.-Henry-esque surprise ending that’ll leave you speechless. (That’s really sayin’ something for Her Momness, if ya know what I mean.)

“You can tell a lot about an author by what he writes. And what he doesn’t.” – Beth Stilton’s Diary.

Gripping

A gripping page turner brimming with heart, warmth, and hope, Christmas in Bethel is a great read any time of year. Mom read it cover-to-cover in one sitting. “I couldn’t put it down!” says the ‘Ole Curmudgeon. So go figure.

Bonus points: You don’t need to wash your eyes out with soap after reading an RPE book. Oh yeah. (Kimber: No idea what that means. But Mom likes it. So I do, too. In all the ways.)

Finally

Finally, the last few books we’ve read have been pretty disappointing. Think flat as a pancake. Or filet mignon without the filet. Or the mignon. So reading Evans’ newest release  restored our faith in the publishing world. Just in the nick of mignon. Oh yeah again. 

*You’ll get that if you read the book.

Now. Kindly pass the Cocoa Puffs.