The Christmas Promise
The Christmas Promise book cover

The Christmas Promise

Hardcover – Deckle Edge, November 23, 2021

Price
$11.99
Format
Hardcover
Pages
288
Publisher
Gallery Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1982177423
Dimensions
5 x 0.9 x 7 inches
Weight
11.2 ounces

Description

“Cozy up to a crackling fireplace with your Christmas cookies and eggnog and enjoy this holiday treat.” — Kirkus “Enjoyable latest Christmas-themed outing from Evans… Probing how anger and fear can skew perceptions and poison relationships, Evans’s lovely tale packs an emotional punch.” — Publishers Weekly "[A] heartwarming tale... nothing says cozy Christmas read like a Richard Paul Evans book, and his latest doesn’t disappoint.” — Booklist Richard Paul Evans is the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than forty novels. There are currently more than thirty-five million copies of his books in print worldwide, translated into more than twenty-four languages. Richard is the recipient of numerous awards, including two first place Storytelling World Awards, the Romantic Times Best Women’s Novel of the Year Award, and is a five-time recipient of the Religion Communicators Council’s Wilbur Awards. Seven of Richard’s books have been produced as television movies. His first feature film, The Noel Diary , starring Justin Hartley ( This Is Us ) and acclaimed film director, Charles Shyer ( Private Benjamin , Father of the Bride ), will debut in 2022. In 2011 Richard began writing Michael Vey, a #1 New York Times bestselling young adult series which has won more than a dozen awards. Richard is the founder of The Christmas Box International, an organization devoted to maintaining emergency children’s shelters and providing services and resources for abused, neglected, or homeless children and young adults. To date, more than 125,000 youths have been helped by the charity. For his humanitarian work, Richard has received the Washington Times Humanitarian of the Century Award and the Volunteers of America National Empathy Award. Richard lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his wife, Keri, and their five children and two grandchildren. You can learn more about Richard on his website RichardPaulEvans.com.

Features & Highlights

  • This holiday season, the #1
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author of The Noel Collection returns with another heartwarming story of secrets, heartbreak, forgiveness, and the true meaning of Christmas.
  • On the night of her high school graduation, Richelle Bach’s father gives her and her identical twin sister, Michelle, matching opal necklaces. “These opals look identical,” he tells them, “but the fire inside each is completely unique—just like the two of you.” Indeed, the two sisters couldn’t be more different, and their paths diverge as they embark on adulthood. Years pass, until—at their father’s behest—they both come home for Christmas. What happens then forever damages their relationship, and Richelle vows never to see or speak to her sister again. In their father’s last days, he asks Richelle to forgive Michelle, a deathbed promise she never fulfills as her twin is killed in an accident. Now, painfully alone and broken, caring for the sickest of children in a hospital PICU, Richelle has one last dream: to be an author. The plot of her book,
  • The Prodigal Daughter
  • , is a story based on her sister’s life. It’s not until she meets Justin Ek, a man who harbors his own loss, that a secret promise is revealed, and Richelle learns that the story she’s writing is not about her sister, but about herself.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(2.2K)
★★★★
25%
(928)
★★★
15%
(557)
★★
7%
(260)
-7%
(-261)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Gripping story of the complexity in families

There will be no spoilers in my thoughts about Richard Paul Evans’s newest book, THE CHRISTMAS PROMISE. The author’s imagination, passion, and human insight combine at their most brilliant and compassionate in this story of a family burdened with sadness, loss, and misunderstandings, but that learns to love again and forgive. The reader’s mind will be enlightened with information ranging from the experiences of a Pediatric ICU, to the complexities of writing a story, and the reader’s heart will be filled with the challenges of loving others and oneself. The soul of Christmas is present with tree trimming and gifts. I urge all fans of Richard Paul Evans to read this book, and beg newcomers to dive into its pages, characters, and story. READ THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL. Thank you, Mr. Evans for this Christmas gift.
Norman in Reno
20 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Creepy and not at all Christian

I loved all the author's previous works but this one is so inappropriate. Without spoiling the story, it's hard to describe the abhorrent behavior of the characters. It's hard to imagine how people are giving this book 5 stars given the socially repulsive content. I'm not generally prudish but this story I found repulsive.
15 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Weird content

I usually enjoy his books and I have many of them. This one I did not!!! Just too weird! Not a Christian based book!! I feel disappointed as I was looking forward to reading his latest. Next time I will wait for reviews first!!
12 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

This Book Is Good, Could Have Been Better.

I'm in the middle of this one right now.
I think I know EXACTLY where it's going.
If it turns out I'm wrong, I'll come back and up my star-rating. I read every one of Mr. Evans' books, but this one just feels SO obvious.

Update:
I was right. The twist is EXACTLY what you think it is! Ricki is not a smart lady because literally anyone would figure it out twenty minutes after meeting this guy, and that would be the end of the story. If you want to read this because it's a tradition to read Evans, I get it. However...
A great book that feels tonally similar to this one but which won't be such a disappointment is What Death Taught Terrence.
7 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

A feel good Christmas story!

I wanted to see what the "Promise" was in The Christmas Promise and couldn't wait to read. I cried a happy cry. Such a great read. You'll love it!
5 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Not the uplifting Richard Paul Evans Christmas novel we look forward to each year.

First of all, a guy going after his dead wife’s twin? Eew. The whole thing was just yucky. And by page 50 we all figured out that’s what was happening.
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

I usually love RPE's books but NOT this one

About halfway through the book, I figured out where this book was heading. And it definitely went there. I usually enjoy RPE's books immensely but this one is just terrible. A twin setup story gone wrong. I cannot believe that this is receiving accolades.

Sorry, but anyone thinking that they want to read this - MOVE ALONG. Read RPE's Walk Series or earlier Christmas series. Just NOT this one. I cannot believe I wasted 2 hours reading it!
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Disappointing

After years of eagerly anticipating the new Christmas book by RPE, I can't begin to say how terribly disappointed I was. The "twist" was obvious from the first time this man appeared, and the book went downhill from there. The promise was like a bad horror movie, and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Horrible way to end my usual Christmas reading....so badly disappointed.
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Disappointed

I am a big fan of this writer but was disappointed in the story line of this book. I had figured out what was going on before I was 1/3 of the way through the book. The story did not seem something that would actually happen. I will check reviews of further books before I buy them.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

I can’t believe this book has sooo many good reviews.

I knew what was going to happen but I hoped to be wrong. Getting with your dead wife’s identical twin sister? How icky is that?! Need I say much more?

And for Richelle to be as smart as she is, she sure didn’t seem to connect any dots even though it was obvious. I’m nearly done but I kinda don’t care how it ends. It’s just so bizarre for Justin to try and justify is actions because he was “falling” for her🤯🤯 and her poor niece smh it’s giving “Echoes” that show from Netflix iykyk

I can’t believe how many people rated this book highly, I find the storyline very strange and CREEPY
2 people found this helpful