The Christmas Eve Promise
Elyse Douglas
Excerpt
In the
early afternoon, Patrick sat alone on a park bench in Riverside Park, not far
from their apartment. The morning sun
had fled, and the sky had turned overcast, with a chilly wind and a scattering
of snow flurries.
Patrick
tilted back his head and watched two squirrels in a game of chase, skittering
along the branches of tall trees, leaping, clinging like acrobats. One false step and they’d plunge to the
ground. But they didn’t fall. They were skilled, fast, and daring.
He
turned his collar up against the blowing wind, noticing that he was the only
person in sight, sitting on a park bench as if it were a beautiful spring day.
A dog
walker came into view, a tall woman, wearing a long winter coat, boots and a
red ski hat. Her pet was one of those
little waddling dogs, with fluffy white hair, a panting tongue and a springy
step. To Patrick, he looked like a
wobbling snowball.
As she
was passing him, she glanced over.
“Merry Christmas.”
Patrick
nodded. “Yes… Merry Christmas.”
The
woman paused, her dog sniffing at the air.
Patrick thought she looked about his own age, somewhere in her thirties,
and she was attractive, with a friendly face.
She looked him over.
“So, are
you escaping from the family for a while?
I am.”
Patrick
lowered his eyes. “No…”
She
lifted a hand, catching snowflakes.
“We’re getting a white Christmas.
How nice. I can’t remember the
last time.”
Patrick
thought he should say something, so he nodded.
“Yes, can’t remember.”
“You’re
sitting on my grandfather’s bench.”
Patrick
sat up, gently startled. “Pardon me?”
“No…
It’s okay. It’s just that we dedicated
that bench to my grandfather. See the
little bronze plaque on the back?”
Patrick
stood up, turning to face the bench.
Sure enough, there was a small plaque screwed into the upper back rail,
and he stooped to read it.
The
woman said, “It says, To Amos Lewis, a Lover of Parks.”
Patrick
straightened and looked at her. “Yes,
I’ve seen these inscriptions. Very
nice.”
“He used
to sit there and smoke a cigar. Smoking
is prohibited in the park, but he did it anyway. He was old school.”
Patrick
nodded wistfully. “Old school. I can appreciate that. The plaque is a good way to remember
someone.”
“Are you
Irish?” she asked, taking a step closer.
“No, not
really. I was born in New York. My father was from Limerick; my mother from a
village in County Clare,” Patrick said, again turning toward the plaque. “How did you arrange to get the plaque?” he
asked.
“You can
go online, to the Riverside Park website.”
He
nodded. “Well, that’s a lovely thing,
isn’t it?”
“Please
sit down,” the woman said. “I’m sorry if
I interrupted you. I often pass by and
look at the bench.”
Patrick
kept his eyes on the plaque.
“Is
there someone…” The woman said, then hesitated.
“Are you thinking of someone you’d like to dedicate a plaque to?”
Patrick
turned, folding his arms across his chest.
“Perhaps.”
The
woman didn’t move, but her dog was itching to go. He looked up at her and whined.
Patrick
didn’t meet the woman’s eyes. “I guess
he has squirrels to chase,” he said.
The
woman lowered her chin. “Yes. Well, yes, I should go. Enjoy the bench. By the way, do you smoke cigars?”
“Not in
a while… I used to, but that was a long time ago. Centuries ago.”
She
smiled sweetly. “Perhaps you should have
one someday while you join my grandfather on the bench.”
“Perhaps…
Yes. Perhaps I will.”
And then
she started off. “Merry Christmas.”
Patrick
gave her a little head bow. “And Merry
Christmas to you and to your family.”
He eased
back down on the bench, his low mood falling deeper into darkness.
Why had
he put off the inevitable? Why had he
refused to enter Eve’s bedroom closet, kneel by the safe, open it and remove
the lantern? Yesterday, in a drunken
stupor, he’d almost summoned the courage, but he’d stopped in the doorway,
stopped cold.
MY REVIEW (four stars)
This is
the fourth in this time travel series, and although I hadn't read any
of the previous books, I was able to follow it with no trouble, and soon
got to know the various characters, who were easy to like and identify
with.
I
won't go into details about the plot, apart from the fact that it
features a mysterious lantern which has enabled Patrick to travel from
the past to the 21st Century, and the book begins with a promise that he and his wife, Eve, will always find each other and always love
each other, no matter what time period they find themselves in.
I
would have given five stars, but withheld one star for several
instances of wandering body parts: (there are a couple of instances with eyes roaming around 😊)
and a tendency to change p.o.v. mid-scene. A bit picky, I know, but
these did 'suspend my belief' for a minute or two, which was a shame as
it is such an intriguing and enjoyable story.
Yes, I
did enjoy this book and will be checking out the others in the series,
and I do like the fact that while there is obviously scope for a follow
up book, and although it is a series, this story did not end in a 'cliffhanger'
like many books do these days. This is a definite page turner and should
appeal to any reader who enjoys a proper 'time travel' story where the
main character ends up in a time they weren't expecting and needs to get back again.
Praise for theChristmas Eve Series by Elyse Douglas
“The Christmas Eve Letter is a beautiful, poignant story. It is well written and will have you turning the pages eagerly.
All of the characters are well thought out, and believably written, together with the well-constructed scenery, that has you feeling as if you yourself have just stepped into the past.
The story is unique and moving. It will hold you long after you turn the last page. A perfect Christmas tale of love and hope.”-
Whispering Stories
“This book is the perfect vehicle for a movie, and I can only hope that there will be more in the series. This novel is truly as close to perfection as the reader could imagine! 5 Stars!”
--My Devotional Thoughts Blog and Reviews
“I enjoyed the new characters, an update on characters from the first book, and the possibility for more books. If you enjoy time travel-themed novels you will love these books!”
--StoreyBook Reviews
“I am most impressed that this book did so well as a stand-alone novel. Kudos to the author! If you are looking for a good Christmas book with time travel, give this a go!”
--Carole's Bookshelves
“I love this whole story, and I especially love Patrick and Eve's romance and all of the adventures that they go on together. Eve is exactly my kind of character. I still can’t stop thinking about the feeling that it gave me and the arc that the characters went on. Everyone really developed a lot in this story and it was so rewarding as a long-time reader to watch that happen. It feels like every new book in this series just keeps getting better and better and I love these characters more and more. Every time a new one comes out I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
The Christmas Eve Secret is my favorite in the series so far, but if you have not read the first two books I would recommend doing that as soon as possible! If you enjoy romance, time travel, mystery and great writing, I promise that you won't regret dipping a toe into this series.”--
Cuzinlogic
