Kelley Quinn has been the owner of the Winter Street Inn in Nantucket for several years, and with his second wife Mitzi, has enjoyed the renovations, the gatherings, and especially Christmas at the inn. They have one grown son, Bart, who has joined the Marines and is in Afghanistan.

Kelley’s three older children are grown and in various stages of “disarray.” Patrick, the golden son, has just committed an unthinkable act; Kevin, a bartender, has just gotten his secret girlfriend pregnant; and Ava, frustrated because her boyfriend treats her like a comfortable shoe and takes her for granted, has some soul-searching to do.

Margaret, the mother to this brood, has done well and is a TV anchorperson.

What happens on the night before Christmas that will change everything for Kelley? How will his worries about the debts and the cost of running the inn change how he views his new normal? And what surprising events will occur after Margaret unexpectedly comes to spend Christmas?

I loved how the story unfolded through the multiple narrations of Kelley, Margaret, Patrick, Kevin, and Ava. As I followed the stories of the characters, I could feel the Christmas spirit surrounding them all in this lovely place as they struggled through their various issues.

Winter Street felt like a place of comfort for all, with nostalgic feelings of Christmases past lending a spirit of hopefulness. However, the story just ended, with so much to resolve and a lot left up in the air. Despite the comfort of the read up to that point, the ending left me disappointed and stunned. 4 stars.