"How I Came to Sparkle Again"

The title of this novel caught my eye. Maybe it's because I've felt less than "sparkly" lately. Usually when that happens I find a book set here.

It was a welcome change, then, to find Kayla McLaren's book. As in most novels of this kind, the characters are dealing with loss. But there is a comforting satisfaction in knowing that everyone will end up with a new resolve or a new love as they are running down the beach, or in this case, skiing down a mountain. 

Jill has just had a miscarriage and discovered her husband with another woman. She decides go back to Sparkle, Colorado, a place she called home when she was a teenager. There she finds her old friend Lisa, who is struggling to find love in the small town filled with ski bums and tourists. Living nearby is a young girl, Cassie, who is grieving for her mother.  

Jill finds temporary lodging with Lisa's neighbors and their dogs in a trailer home dubbed the Kennel. It is here the novel finds relief from all the heartache and inserts some touchingly comic moments. Jill also starts babysitting Cassie and helps her find ways to channel her grief.  As Lisa tries to mend her ways, she stops teasing and starts listening to her friend Tom.   

Though it may be predictable, sometimes hot chocolate by a warm fire, snow falling outside, is all you need. Even if it's only on the page.