A Sea View Christmas

Klassen (The Seaside Homecoming) concludes the On Devonshire Shores series with a delightfully festive Regency romance. Sarah Summers has been pining over handsome Scottish widower Callum Henshall since he first stayed at her family’s Sidmouth guesthouse a year ago. So when he shows up with his teenage daughter around Christmastime, it feels like fate has answered her prayers. Still, the reignited romance isn’t without its challenges; Sarah, who would have to move to Scotland to be with Callum, feels duty-bound to keep running the family guesthouse, especially now that her tenderhearted mother, whose own health soon takes a turn for the worse, has welcomed a needy orphan into their home. As Sarah vacillates between starting anew and staying put, she turns to God to understand how to balance love and duty. Meanwhile, Callum struggles to reclaim a faith that’s been nearly destroyed by his wife’s death. Series fans will appreciate the reappearance of the lovable cast of characters, and it’s gratifying to watch the two wounded souls at the book’s center haltingly work their way toward love. This ties up the series with a sweet and satisfying bow. (Sept.)