"evergreen" by susan may warren

Fans of Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series will love this glimpse into the lives of John & Ingrid, the Christiansen parents.

An empty nest has Ingrid Christiansen dreading the upcoming holidays, but her husband, John, couldn't be more excited about this new season of life. He even has a surprise trip abroad planned. He’s sure she'll love it. What’s more romantic than Christmas in Paris?

Before he can stop her, however, Ingrid agrees to spearhead a major church project. Then their faithful dog, Butterscotch, needs emergency surgery, draining their savings. And then—because disasters strike in threes—an unexpected guest arrives, dredging up old hurts.

As a beautiful blanket of snow transforms the north woods into a winter wonderland, a deep chill settles over John and Ingrid’s marriage. With the holidays fast approaching, their only hope of keeping their love evergreen depends on turning the page on the past and embracing a new chapter of their future.

I'd be hard pressed to name a series I'm enjoying more than Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series. Each of the novels focuses on one of John & Ingrid Christiansen's adult children. Up to this point, we've seen glimpses of John and Ingrid, but we haven't really gotten to know them. But Evergreen, a novella that falls after the third book in the series (When I Fall in Love), rectifies that.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this novella. After all, how interesting could empty nesters be? Well, I shouldn't have doubted; Evergreen is every bit as engaging and heartwarming as the novels about John and Ingrid's children. There's also a depth of emotion—both good and bad—that I didn't anticipate. Yes, I cried. Twice.

Through the pages of this novella, John and Ingrid became more than the wise, supportive parents we saw in the previous novels. They became real, fleshed out characters who I wanted to both hug and smack at various times. I'm sure I'll look at them differently when they appear in future Christiansen Family novels. 5 stars.

Buy the book.
Read Susan May Warren's blog post about Evergreen.
Read my review of When I Fall in Love.

Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award-winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors.

Find Susan online: website, My Book Therapy, Twitter, Facebook

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers and the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."