A Father for Christmas

A Veteran's Christmas, Book 1

By: Rachelle Ayala

Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett

Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Single mother Kelly Kennedy can't afford lavish gifts for her four-year-old daughter, Bree. Homeless veteran Tyler Manning doesn't believe he deserves a Merry Christmas.

When Bree asks Santa for a father and picks Tyler, both Tyler and Kelly vow to keep Bree from being hurt while fighting their feelings for each other.

Tyler struggles with frightening flashbacks that scare Kelly. Meanwhile, Kelly's criminal past threatens her chance for happiness. Tyler and Kelly must believe in the power of love to give Bree her best Christmas ever.

©2014 Rachelle Ayala (P)2017 Rachelle Ayala Publishing, LLC

Feel good Christmas story

This book is a wonderful Christmas Story. I love how Rachelle Ayala truly captured what happens with our war veterans and didn't sugar coat any of it. It shows the love between a woman that has had a rough few years and a war veteran. Truly a wonderful book.

A Sweet Heartwarming Story

This was such a sweet story about a homeless veteran, who has PTSD (a not so easy subject to deal with, so please note this isn't simply a light hearted romance, but one with true emotional depth) a mother with a past and struggles of her own...and her child who wants nothing more than a father. It is a story of the journey to second changes in life.

This is a good quality read / listen with a strong message. And also this is a trilogy, so keep an eye out there for her other books.

I was provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Charming book

Any additional comments?

My initial impressions were negative: parts are too saccharine and emotionally manipulative. The narration is middle of the road. The little girl's lispy voice was really grating rather than endearing.

However, once I could get over that, I have mostly good things to say. The mother's plight and backstory are realistic and relatable. I think I was supposed to like the kid more and believe more about the spirit of Christmas and all that jazz, but it was really the mother who I was rooting for the whole time. I don't think I like her very much but I can relate to her and throughout I wanted her to succeed. Tyler's backstory is tragic and the handling of his PTSD was done tastefully which important for such a delicate and personal subject.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

great story

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Great story on 2nd chances. The narration was good, the story flowed nicely. I enjoyed the story like between the characters and the little girl. I would recommend this.

A wonderfully written story

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to A Father for Christmas by Rachelle Ayala.

This is the story of Kelly, a single mom who has had to face a very rough situation, her 4 year old daughter Bree, and Tyler, a homeless veteran who suffers from ptsd.

I was immediately drawn to the characters and their story. I have to admit, I didn't want it to end. While the book did not end on a cliffhanger, I would love for their story to continue.

Not my normal genre, but a good story

Christian Romance sneak attack. Not my normal thing, but not bad either. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Bringing awareness in the most beautiful way!

A Father for Christmas: A Veterans Christmas, Book 1 by Rachelle Ayala , narrated by Elizabeth Klett is a clean romance that brings awareness to PTSD. It is about single mom, Kelly, who has a 4yr old daughter named Bree. Bree longs for a father, and even asks Santa to bring her "a papa" for Christmas. The only problem is that a father wasn't part of Kelly's big plan, especially since she also has a criminal past she wants to keep secret.

In steps hunky Tyler Manning, hometown football hero turned homeless war veteran. Admirable as it may seem, Tyler isn't the same man he used to be. The events of the war have greatly affected him, and as a result, he suffers from PTSD. He also feels he doesn't deserve happiness after being part of so many unhappy war moments. But, doesn't everyone deserve to be happy during Christmastime?

As the worlds of Kelly, Tyler, and Bree collide, you will begin to see the spirit of Christmas working its magic. A Father for Christmas is a story about love, truth, forgiveness, acceptance, and the power of family. Told during Christmastime, you will understand why many call it the most wonderful time of the year.

It is not nececessy to wait until snow is falling to read this well-written story. In fact, today is June 22, 2017. Christmas is 6 months away, and I enjoyed this story every bit as much as I would, had it been December. Because Rachelle Ayala's books focus on family and relationships, you are able to enjoy her writing whenever you want.

I really enjoyed the narration by Elizabeth Klett! She did a great job wirh the voices, even little Bree! She has a sweet sounding tone, which makes for an easy listening experience. Her pronunciation of words is right on and her pace is perfect. She is fun to listen to and easy to understand. I'm looking forward to hearing more of her her in the future!

I rate this book 5/5 stars. I think its best feature is the awareness brought to PTSD in war veterans. Many people, including myself, are not well informed about how war affects some individuals, nor do they know how to handle situations that arise because of it. Rachelle Ayala's beautiful story is a great start if you would like to start learning. It also teaches another valuable lesson...do not judge a book by its cover. Before you make assumptions about others, take the time to learn about their situations. Chances are there's a reason their lives are different than your own. Never know, you might make a new friend or find a new love along the way! ❤

A story rich with PTSD realism.

The cover of this audio book threw me a little. I was expecting sweet and simple, when in reality the book dealt with several rather heavy topics. It was a pleasant surprise that there was more to this book. The main character, Kelly is raising her child alone--the child truly has no father. When her little girl decides she wants a father for Christmas, it really throws Kelly for a loop. The little girl's prime candidate turns out to be a sexy, but homeless war veteran with PTSD, Tyler.
Tyler feels unworthy of love because of the things he has done. His PTSD plays a prime role in this book, and Ms. Ayala has done a wonderful job being true to the symptoms and all entailed (I'm married to a Wounded Warrior who suffers from it). Nothing was sugar coated and no resolution was right down the road. If you want an incite into what our veteran's go through everyday, this is a good book to without getting bogged down.
Kelly and Tyler are drawn into a complicated relationship that becomes even more complicated because of a secret Kelly has been keeping --that's a whole other heavy and rather unique aspect to the story. Can Kelly convince Tyler to forgive her when the truth comes out? It won't matter if she can't convince him to give love a chance and to become her daughter's father for Christmas.
This book has substance and grit. Don't be fooled by the cover. The narration was good.
I was given this audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Feel good Christmas story!

There is no better Christmas story than a little girl getting her wish from Santa! Bree asks Santa for a Papa for Christmas. Now we all know, this is a tall order, even for Santa, but what we don't know is how fate steps in and does it's best to deliver this wish! Tyler, a homeless veteran is thrown into the lives of Bree and her mother Kelly. Kelly is trying to rebuild her life after some unfortunate circumstances, and a relationship just isn't in her current future plans. Tyler is totally unexpected and Kelly is not sure she is ready for him. Tyler suffers from PTSD,and Rachelle Ayala approaches this with such compassion that you can feel both of their pain and frustration while learning to deal with it. Ayala has a way of writing charming romances and includes characters that are believable and issues that are prominent. This story of love, faith and compassion is beautifully written and will fill you with the Christmas Spirit!

Elizabeth Klett is a wonderful narrator, and her performance of this story brings the emotional struggles and love right to your ears.

Wonderful Christmas Romance With Depth

Former investment banker Kelly and her daughter Bree are at a shopping mall to see Santa when Bree asks for an impossible gift. She wants a father for Christmas, something that Kelly can't give her. Homeless veteran Tyler overhears, and when Bree runs away from Kelly later in the mall, she finds Tyler and decides he is the father Santa promised.

Tyler and Kelly get off to a rough start when Kelly misunderstands the situation and accuses Tyler of trying to kidnap Bree. She continues to suspect him even after she finds out he's a respected war hero and her family welcomes him. Tyler faced horrors in the war that he still suffers from, flashbacks and episodes caused by his PTSD. Kelly has some secrets too, and she and Tyler need to decide if they should fight their feelings for each other, or risk a romance that might hurt Bree.

I really enjoyed this Christmas story, it has a depth I haven't found in many modern romances. Rachelle Ayala writes about veteran's issues like PTSD in a mature and delicate manner. Tyler's PTSD wasn't a gimmick used to advance the story, it was a reminder of a real problem our veterans face every day that shouldn't be swept under the rug. I liked that both Tyler and Kelly needed their own second chances.

I always enjoy Elizabeth Klett's narration, she has a mellow even voice and doesn't dramatically overact the narration. Overall, it was a great story that I'll listen to again around Christmas time.