[Book Review] The Noel Diary

[chroniclesofabookworm]

BY: Richard Paul Evans
SERIES: The Noel Collection (#1)
RELEASES: November 7, 2017 by Gallery Books
GENRE: Romance, Holiday Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction
AGE RANGE: Adult
RATING: 2 out 5
SYNOPSIS: Bestselling romance author Jacob Churcher hasn't been home for almost twenty years—not since his mentally ill mother kicked him out of the house when he was just sixteen. When a lawyer calls, days before Christmas, to inform him that his estranged mother has passed away and left her house to him, Jacob returns not just to settle the estate but to try and reconcile with the past and the pain and abuse he experienced as a child. Also, maybe cleaning out her house will be slightly less depressing than spending the holidays alone, watching re-runs of Christmas classics.

But as it turns out, the house holds more than just difficult memories, Jacob’s mother had become a hoarder and he must excavate through two decades worth of clutter. As Jacob digs through the detritus, like an archaeologist, he uncovers many puzzling items including a diary left by someone named Noel, a young woman he has no recollection of, who stayed with Jacob’s family during her pregnancy. That’s not the only echo from the past. Jacob has an unexpected visitor, Rachel, a woman looking for the mother who put her up for adoption thirty years before. United by their quest to make sense of the past and rewrite their futures, Jacob and Rachel begin a search for Noel. Along the way they find more than they possibly imagined, including grace, forgiveness and a chance at love.



REVIEW: It's too early to read a Christmas-themed story at this time. The book's summary grabs my attention, so I pick it up and read it. I read it in one day because it sounded interesting.

Although the story is somewhat predictable, the very beginning really hooked me and kept me reading. A further benefit was that the pages were thick, the chapters were short, and everything was easy to read. It shows how past experiences shape an adult's already-formed character, no matter what the person's nature may be! The story began to lose its focus after the beginning.

In some places, the text is lacking depth or pages, while in others, it is even too detailed. I kept rolling my eyes as I found certain situations absurd and completely unbelievable. An example would be the Male Lead and Female Lead falling in love within hours of meeting.

The lack of realism in such situations made it hard to stay immersed in the story. Despite this, the book's overall message about the enduring impact of past experiences on personal growth and relationships was thought-provoking. It left me reflecting on how our past shapes who we become, even when the narrative itself felt inconsistent.

Overall, while the book had its flaws, its exploration of how past experiences shape personal growth made it a worthwhile read.