Karen Rose Smith has a way of making any arising circumstances seem completely realistic with genuine reactions and actual sounding conversations. TWINS UNDER HIS TREE is the sixth book in the always compelling Baby Experts series, and the emotional confrontations are frequently heartbreaking from true-to-life dilemmas.

Just as Dr Lily Wescott is about to receive a prestigious medical award, she goes into premature labor. Since she works as an ob-gyn doctor in Lubbock, TX in a practice with other baby specialists, she knows the dangers of having a baby early. With her having twins, the problems could be two-fold. Luckily, a colleague of hers, Dr. Mitch Cortega, is also at the presentation, and he immediately takes action by getting her quickly to the hospital. Before her husband left for a tour of duty in the Middle East, he had asked a good friend to look after his wife in case something happened to him, and unfortunately he will never get to meet his two little daughters. Mitch takes the promise he made to the husband of Lily very seriously, and he tries to make certain she and the infants are always taken care of in every possible way.

After suffering some physical injuries which changed his career when he served in Iraq as an Army surgeon, Mitch now usually avoids relationships but something about Lily makes him want to try the dating scene again. She profoundly loved her husband and although she is grateful for all that has been recently done for her and the girls, she believes there is no room in her heart for being more than a friend to the Iraq War veteran. As months pass and the Christmas season draws near, Mitch and Lily wonder if the time could perhaps be magical for them.

Emotional realism is always evident in a book by Karen Rose Smith. This author has a particular gift for creating scenes where every second comes across as actually taking place in real life. I have read this prolific writer since the beginning of her notable career, and each story takes me into the lives of the characters with gripping convincingness. There are joyous times and distressing moments plus even a few incidents filled with anxiety in TWINS UNDER HIS TREE, and each instant is portrayed with so much feeling. When something is upsetting in this story, regardless if it is caused by something physical or just emotional, any response conveyed will deeply touch you and bring about an empathetic reaction. Ms. Smith has written a story which is all too often true about heroic soldiers and the ones they leave behind. The anguish of losing a loved one or comrade is revealed through scenes where honest inner feelings are disclosed, and more than a few of these moved me with their lifelike depiction. Mitch and Lily are a couple who have a great deal to overcome as they both have experienced tragedy in the past, and the path they have to travel in order to discover long-lasting joyfulness is brimming with a myriad of emotional concerns. These two individuals engage in candid discussions from time to time, and I could just see someone reacting to what is said as they do during more than a few instances. Their loves scenes are exceedingly fervent from the very sincere feelings they express with each touch and kiss. Previous characters from the series are also featured and add interestingly to the storyline, and the holiday theme, especially at the end of the book, will affect the reader with its intensity. TWINS UNDER HIS TREE is a passionately affecting romantic story of love which is lost and then found again.

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