The Christmas Note is another gentle, heartwarming Christmas story from the pen of Donna VanLiere. This one has a little more of a women's fiction vibe, as it primarily follows the growing friendship of two very different women who are next-door neighbors. It is written in first-person POV, alternating between the two main female protagonists. As with all of Ms. VanLiere's books, this one has a touch of serendipity in the form of unexpected – perhaps even miraculous – connections being made. The only reason I gave this one four stars instead of the usual five that this author's books typically receive from me is that for some reason, it didn't speak to me in as deep of a way as her other books I've read to date have. It still has a nice message and was enjoyable to read, but at the same time, it wasn't quite as engaging. I also thought that occasionally the author's word choices were a little too simplistic. Stronger, more interesting words, might have helped draw me in a little better. But overall, it was another nice Christmas story from this beloved author.

Gretchen is the daughter of Miriam (The Christmas Promise). She has just moved to the little town of Grandon with her two young children. At the outset of the story, it's unclear where her husband is. We know that he was in the military and there was an explosion, but we don't know whether he's dead or alive. Gretchen is simply trying to get moved into her new home and gets drawn into her mother's best friend, Gloria's plans for a “bake a difference” fund-raiser for Glory's Place, her charity for women and children in need in the community. Initially Gretchen is off-put by her new next-door neighbor, Melissa. The woman is extremely quiet, almost to the point of being rude, even when Gretchen is trying to be friendly. When Melissa's mother's landlord stops by, insisting Gretchen give Melissa the message that her mother has died, Gretchen doesn't want to get involved. Not only does she not like Melissa much, but she barely knows her. Informing her of her mother's death would be incredibly awkward. Gretchen thinks of what her husband, Kyle, would do in this circumstance and knows she has to “man up.” Not only does she finally tell Melissa about her mom, but she also offers to help her clean out the woman's apartment, which leads to some very unexpected information being discovered.

Melissa is a loner. She had a rough life as a child, growing up with a mom who was an abusive alcoholic and who didn't have any trouble finding a man but couldn't keep one around for more than a week. Melissa doesn't even know who her father is. She has low self-esteem and no real friends. She merely goes to work at her two jobs every day, in the morning at Wilson's department store and in the afternoons at Layton & Associates law office, but doesn't really know any of the people she works with. Melissa basically wanders through life, never experiencing any joy or happiness until Gretchen moves in next-door. At first, Melissa doesn't like Gretchen much. She views her as the type of woman who unlike her, has the perfect life and has everything together. Gretchen's small acts of kindness eventually get Melissa to let her guard down and allow someone to share her life. Eventually she meets Miriam and Gloria too and begins to feel like she's found the family she always wanted but never had. I enjoyed watching Melissa grow throughout the story. Keeping to herself like she's done in the past, Melissa never really did anything for anyone else, but Gretchen begins to inspire her to do more and helps her see how good it feels to do something nice for someone else.

Some of the characters from the previous books of the series pop up again. Gloria and Miriam whose equally unlikely friendship began in The Christmas Promise are front and center, baking up a storm and helping Gretchen and the kids get settled. Marshall Wilson isn't actually seen, but he is mentioned a few times. It seems the lonely widowed department store owner married Gloria somewhere in between books. Robert Layton (The Christmas Shoes) is Melissa's other boss, and he also helps her search for her missing and previously unknown siblings.

As I mentioned, The Christmas Note is a nice, touching Christmas story. I liked the building of the friendship between Gretchen and Melissa. They may not have liked each other at first, but they do give each other a chance and are surprised by what they find. I think more people need to have open minds and hearts like these two ladies did. I also really enjoyed seeing how the little town bands together at the end for a welcome home celebration. The way they help Gretchen and her family was extremely heartwarming. The Christmas Note may not have been quite as compelling as some of Donna VanLiere's other stories, but it was still an enjoyable read that brightened my holiday season. ( )

Just because people are neighbors, it doesn’t mean that they’ll have enough in common to be friends. Gretchen and Melissa seeem to have nothing in common except their proximity as neighbors. Gretchen is new to the neighborhood, and Melissa is as unwelcoming as can be. But when a landlord tells Gretchen that Melissa’s mother has died and since he can’t reach Melissa, Gretchen must tell her that her mom is dead and Melissa now has one week to clear out her mother’s things. Gretchen doesn’t want to, but her kids guilt her into complying, and this is the beginning of their relationship, a sort of friendship-in-progress. And while you likely will guess how it comes out, it is still a pleasant journey that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. The characters are likable and if the plot seems a bit contrived, it can be excused because it’s Christmas. Listen to the audio if you can - the author does a good job of narrating her own novel. ( )

The Christmas note by Donna VanLiere
This story narrated by the author herself is about a woman who relocates nearer to her mother with her two kids. Her husband is going through surgeries in Germany due to the war and the bomb blast.
She delivers a message to the woman next door, from the landlord that she needs to clean out her mothers room as she's passd away. Over the next few days the kids and her deliver flowers and a card that they made.
Gretchen also will accompany her and help clean out ther room where she finds a note about Melissas's other siblings that she knew nothing about. Love how the community help out in many different ways.
Lots of surprises!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )

A friend loaned me this book to read. I was surprised to find it was a signed copy--most people don't loan out signed copies of books!

I enjoyed this book, which was mostly about friendships. Gretchen Daniels and her two children move to a new home. Melissa is their neighbor. At first, Melissa seems stand-offish but then, as life events continue to put the two together, the neighbors become friends. I also enjoyed the friendship between Gretchen's mother, Miriam, and Gloria.

While cleaning out Melissa's mother's apartment, Melissa and Gretchen find a note that indicates Melissa has a brother and sister.

The book contained several plot twists. Some I guessed (like the identity of Melissa's sister) and others I didn't (several incidences involving Kyle). Some plot points are left open-ended (like will Gretchen's mother and father end up getting back together years after their divorce or will they just end up being friends again?) The way everyone she cared about comes together in Melissa's life is a bit over-the-top, but I couldn't help but feel for Melissa who seemed to need that caring friendship. ( ( )

got in mail today
I won this book
loved the book it was really good ( )