The Noel Letters (The Noel Collection)

The holiday season starts when I receive Richard Paul Evans’ Christmas book. Every year is a new story that captures your heart, and brings new characters to life. Their lives sometimes parallel our own, and we can relate to their circumstances.
Beautifully written, the book could be read in one sitting, but I like to savor each chapter, and immerse myself in the story.
This year’s book is The Noel Letters, and the reader is swept up in the life of an editor named Noel, born on Christmas Day. There are a few surprises in the book that aren’t expected, making the story even more meaningful.
The best part of the book is the dialogue between characters. That is the hardest part of writing, I think, and RPE has a gift with dialogue. It moves the story along, and tells it at the same time. It’s like you’re there listening, but you can’t be seen. I love that.
Treat yourself and buy a copy today. You’ll soon be getting his other books, too. They are that good.
Happy reading!

THE NOEL LETTERS, the fourth of Richard Paul Evans’s “Noel” novels, shares the inspiration, brilliance and family complexity of the first three, and then goes beyond in its dramatic exploration of a family misunderstanding that emotionally separates a father and daughter. Noel Book’s father owned a store that epitomized the complexity and excitement of small-town book shops across the country before online buying replaced the cruising through stacks of books - history, politics, novels, both frightening and romantic. Through her prolific reading Noel acquired the skills to become a successful editor of bestselling authors at a New York publishing house. She believed that her father was responsible for the death of her mother in a car accident, and while he was loved by all at his store and community, Noel blocked him from her heart.

Learning he was on his death bed, Noel made the decision to visit him in the small Utah town where she grew up and re-explore her feelings. He passed before she arrived, but once there, she entered his world of staff and loving friends, even beginning a romance of her own. Mysteriously, she begins receiving beautifully written anonymous love letters that she believes are from the new beau. They touch her mind and heart, and she learns the true cause of her mother’s death, and its consequences to others. Learning to face the truth about herself as Christmas approaches offers new potentials of creative explorations and self-love. Many of us, myself included, have mastered the art of preserving misunderstandings about our family. THE NOEL LETTERS offers a powerful and dramatic guide to seeking and accepting truth.

Norman in Reno

THE NOEL LETTERS is a beautifully constructed story, interwoven with thoughtful observations on family, relationships, forgiveness, and discovering how to live generously.

This book prompted me to laugh and cry and aspire, and mostly to relate and remember. Its a perfect book for gobbling up in one long fireside night. Or choose to savor it over a few days as I did, coming back for seconds every few hours.

To top it off, the much anticipated volume is packaged to resemble a bright Christmas gift and I received it on its release date. A precious gift indeed. Thank you Richard Paul Evans for once again pouring out your heart to your readers.

What a wonderful author. I felt every pain and could imagine the bookstore and the people. It was a book I couldn't put down. I started backwards, I guess. That was book 4 and I just ordered book1.

This year's release, The Noel Letters, was no exception. The plot sounded right up my alley. And while I think it's a good book, it wasn't as good as I was hoping. Usually, Mr. Evans' books encompass more of the Christmas spirit in terms of the emotions they bring out. This one didn't do that. The Noel Letters was about the long term effects of harboring a grudge. You can see why Noel distanced herself from her father. You can easily see why she felt the way she did. You can relate to the confusion she encounters when she arrives home to everyone singing his praises. How was this man the same man at the root of her pain? There is a heaviness of the heart as you read the pages of this book. How was it able to get as bad as it did? How was the distance and misunderstandings able to last as long as they did?

The letters Noel begins receiving weren't as impactful as I thought they would be. Rather, they were random nuggets of advice that you later learn are connected. Not to say the words written weren't wise, but you didn't always see the connection between them and Noel. Finding out who was behind them and involved with them was more impactful. Once you have this background information on the letters, you see them in a different light.

The supporting characters were both fascinating and confusing. Grace, I loved and wanted to learn more about. I loved her character. You just knew there was more to her involvement than just a friend of Noel's Dad. Your heart breaks to learn of her story, then it overflows with amazement when you see what she does with the circumstances. You aren't surprised to learn they were close friends, but shocked to see how the friendship came to be. I have to say, she was my favorite of the characters. I could just sit with her all day and gleam life lessons and wisdom from her.

Wendy, the coworker with her father in his bookstore, was a character I couldn't make sense of. You knew they were connected as she worked side by side, for years, with him. She was his righthand man in the business operations, as well as some of his personal life. Both she and Grace were the ones to care for him all the years Noel wasn't there- especially during his illness and death. There was a mourning with a touch of bitterness you meet right away, but can't quite figure out. I have to say the revelation of Noel's Father and Wendy was a surprise I didn't see coming. It was one I couldn't really understand. You aren't there to watch it unfold, so it's hard to imagine.

Overall, I'm glad I read the book. It was a story that tackles a darker set of feelings and emotions that can exist during the holidays. Grudges can bring damage that takes years to heal, if you let them. This book is a reminder of there always being two sides to every story, but being willing to learn both sides is key. Forgiveness was the center point of the story. Forgiveness from both sides. I felt much of the emotions Noel felt within the pages. I understood them. I cried a few tears and points. It's a good read, but not one that I think I would read again.

Richard Paul Evans has done it again. Another story that leads both the reader and character, on a journey of self-discovery. Even though this is a holiday book; in my opinion the holiday is only part of the scenery in a sense. This is more a story about facing truths about ourselves and things we thought were true.

Noel Book Post blames her father for her mother's death. Almost twenty years ago, she shook the dust of her hometown from her shoes and never looked back. Over the years her father has tried to find a mid-way point where they could get along without Noel's animosity toward him. When her father finds out that he is dying with only a short time left; he begs her to come home because there are things that need to be said. Noel reluctantly agrees to return home; leaving her senior editor position at a big name publishing house in New York City back to Salt Lake City, Utah. Unfortunately, her father dies before she arrives. She meets the woman that has worked for her father for many years and who has made all the arrangements for her father's funeral; leaving Noel with nothing to do but be present.

Noel is reacquainting herself with her childhood home and town. She is still reeling from her recent divorce, is being kicked out of the apartment she shares, then her father's death, is fired from her job, and inherits her father's book store. She has been put through the proverbial wringer. She's angry and scared and feeling sorry for herself. Then she starts getting some mysterious letters that begin to "speak" to her and make her examine some of her choices/decisions of the past and maybe help her find her future.

Such an emotionally charged book. It shows us that recollection of past events as a child is rooted in what is perceived to be the truth at the time. Memories from childhood can be flawed because the knowledge to see things as they really were hadn't been learned yet. As children most of us saw things as black and white; where there are always shades of grey as well. Does Noel learn this lesson too late? Can she find/see the truth and let it set her free?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story; if you read it, I hope you do as well.

Richard Paul Evans has a way of talking about feelings that makes it safe to look at your own feelings and see what is happening inside your own heart.

I read this book in three days. Not because I was engrossed in the storyline, but because it didn't really take much brain power to read. For it being close to 400 pages, not much is said for the first 300. And for it being written in first person, I never felt like I ever had a connection with Noel or the people surrounding her. You never really get a sense of who Noel is, what her emotions, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are. Nor do you get that from the other characters. It reads like a laundry list of Noel's days. It's also dialogue heavy, which was a missed opportunity by the author to give the reader a more well rounded picture of the characters. You'll read a full page of dialogue without knowing how the conversation is going. Like what is their tone, mannerisms, thoughts, etc? It feels like a lot of talking without a whole lot being said. That's how I would describe the book overall, a lot of words without meaning.

I finished this book in less than 24 hours. I was glued to it from start to finish. I cried my eyes out in between. Very emotional book for me..it was a great storyline. I loved reading the individual quotes for each chapter by well known authors; it set the tone for each chapter.

I am not going to give away any spoilers to this book. Well maybe one, it is a Christmas Romance Novel! There you go! I was voted Richard Paul Evan's biggest fan a year ago and there is a reason- I LOVE his books! I love Christmas in general but there has never been an author that has moved me in so many ways, in just a book! I buy 7-15 copies of his latest book every Christmas and I send them out instead of Christmas cards. I send them to friends, random strangers and family, without a name, hoping to brighten someone else's Holiday season. If you love Christmas books, you need to go through Amazon and purchase every single book that he has written. Then when you're done with those, start on his non Christmas books! You will thank me!!!