Blue Chow Christmas was my first book in the Have A Hart Series. It is the fourth book of the series. I was able to enjoy the story as a stand alone, (though I am definitely going back to read the others along with the next Hart family story, Valentine Wedding Hound). Rachelle Ayala is a fairly new author for me. I have found her to be a brave writer. The books I have read by her, (a few that are part of box sets and a few from various series), have all been very well researched and written. I am very impressed with the skill and care she puts into those stories. I call her a brave writer because her some of her stories, like Blue Chow Christmas, deal with some parts of life we may have difficulty with. Sometimes it is a past that hurts and sometimes it deals with characters who have special needs. I love that she presents these characters and hurts in very real ways. Sometimes it can be difficult for people to relate to someone with special needs, even when we know and love them. It can be hard to realize they are capable people who just do or think of things differently than we do. Rachelle Ayala introduces us to them and teaches us love is not just for regular people while letting us discover how capable people with special needs are. At the same time Rachelle introduces us to characters who are disabled by a past they are holding on to. Sometimes you need to work through that hurt with the help of people you love. In Blue Chow Christmas we meet a character with Asperger. I have experience with family members who are on the autism spectrum. In my opinion it is not easy to write a character on the spectrum. There are so many symptoms and not everyone has the same ones. There are two boys in my family almost the same age on the spectrum. While they have some of the same symptoms they each have many differences. I personally feel Rachelle did a wonderful job with the Asperger/Autism parts. I think she wrote a realistic character giving insight to one of the ways a person on the spectrum may think. I don't wish to give spoilers but I do feel a need to let review readers know that a storyline involves a topic that has been in the news for several years, sexual abuse of a teen by a trusted adult. Rachelle handles this sensitively in my opinion. It is not graphic at all and mainly deals with the effect this has on the survivor as an adult. This storyline is one of the reasons I call her a brave writer. Ugly things happen in real life. I think our distaste of talking about it allows it to happen in some cases. Reading about it, along with it's effects on the people involved and those who love them, spreads awareness. Awareness that this happens and that there is hope for a better future. It sends the message that if you are a survivor, you are not alone. I know how much hope and strength there is in the knowledge that you aren't alone.
I really enjoyed reading the story of Cait and Brian in Blue Chow Christmas. It is a different romance in that we start off with a married couple we aren't sure love each other. They each have secrets from their past that haunt them. Will they get through them? Do they truly love each other or does one love someone from their past? And just how do the blue chows fit into the story? This is one book you don't want to miss!
I recommend it for adults due to mature themes.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for beta reading purposes. A review was not requested or required. I wrote the review voluntarily because I value the story. ( )

My heart broke for two lonely little boys trying to exist in a world not always kind. Blue Chow Christmas is a tearful look into the love of a father for a child he has never met. A woman's hope for a love that never was and a young man's struggle to understand the world around him. My anger bristled for the people who preyed on the vulnerable. It's hard to understand the actions of anyone who will abuse a child. So many broken people, so many destroyed lives. Ms. Ayala proves just how in touch with emotions she can be. She tackles the ugly that is hard to see with a beauty that is both inspirational and heartbreaking. Jennifer Groberg has that tear in her voice that digs way down deep. Love is never simple, but despite the pain we're all better for it. ( )