Review: Santa Wore Combat Boots by Barbara Witek

I am a huge fan of Christmas stories and will read them throughout the year. I am not sure where or when I picked this one up at, but with a cover like this, can you blame me?  I am as much a victim of  man candy-itis as the next woman.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book.  I actually read the chapter and a half and put the book aside for a month or so and went on to other books. But the story nagged at me, so I made time, restarted the book and this time read the book in one sitting.

There is a strong paranormal element in this book. Emma Turner's husband, Major Lawrence Turner died while in the military, away from his family.  His spirit shows up every year around Christmas time to check in with Jake Nicklaus and to make sure that Jake is looking after Emma and her children. This year Larry tells Jake that he must do whatever it takes to restore Emma's Christmas Spirit.

While Jake works towards restoring Emma's Christmas Spirit, all Emma wants to do is see a particular Christmas Spirit, ie her husband Larry, on more than Christmas Eve, the one night he shows himself to her each year.

There were quite a bit of the characters working at cross purposes that caused some laughs, but the bulk of this book more on the darker emotional side. But this is what happens when you are reading about death, transitions and acceptance. There were several scenes that had me grabbing for the tissue, although thankfully I was smiling at the end.  This turned out to be quite a roller coaster of emotions and except for the husband's spirit coming back to visit, could be the tale of any military widow. I really enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars.

Emma Turner feels like her life ended with the death of her husband. Three years later she’s doing the best she can for her children and moving through life on autopilot. She doesn’t believe true love can happen twice in a lifetime. As a matter of fact, she doesn’t believe in much anymore. Putting her trust in one honest man might be just what she needs to move forward.

Bound by duty Jake Nicklaus never imagined he’d cross the line and fall in love with the woman he swore he’d watch over. If only he’d died on that chopper instead of her husband, she wouldn’t be hurting. The only way to heal her heart is to show her how to live again. Finding the magic in Christmas is the perfect way to start.

Will one kiss under the mistletoe change their lives forever?

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN