Christmas Book Review: Dear Santa

 

Lindy's happy to have two weeks off from work for the holidays. She's eager to spend time in her hometown with her parents relaxing. It's been a tough year for her. Her mom notices immediately that there's something wrong. After Lindy spills the beans, her mother suggests she write a letter to Santa.

Lindy scoffs at the idea. But then her mother brings out all her old letters to Santa. And they remember how each one turned out. Lindy decides to write a heartfelt letter. And soon enough she runs into her best friend from childhood who moved away in elementary school. Coincidence? 

My Thoughts: This was a fun story that takes place mostly over two weeks. I loved the interactions between Lindy and Santa. And I loved how that all worked out. I really loved her reconnecting with her best friend from childhood. I loved the day in Leavenworth, it makes me want to visit. Another fun romance with sweet family moments and friendships.

Cover Thoughts: Charming, but there is no dog in the story

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: A must have book for your Christmas Romance Collection - so many patrons adore Debbie Macomber and look forward to her yearly Christmas books (myself included)

Holiday Book Review: Jingle All The Way

 

Everly works too hard and too long. She has a hard time leaving the office. When her assistant flakes out again - Everly determined to fire her. Unfortunately her assistant is her business partner's niece. He takes his family's side, saying the Everly needs a break.

Jack forces Everly to take the month of December off. He has his niece book her a cruise. Instead of booking a luxury cruise, she books a cruise down the Amazon for revenge. At first, Everly is appalled. There's no internet connection aboard ship. There's no swimming pool. She's the only single person. She doesn't have the right clothing. It's a nightmare.

To make matters worse, she has a nasty reaction to a bug bite - leaving her sick as a dog. Luckily, a crew member is taking good care of her. The more she talks to Asher, the more she realizes how  consumed she has become by work. She didn't even go home for Christmas last year.  Asher makes her rethink her priorities. 

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book; it's not your typical setting. I like that it was inspired by the author's travels and the people she met along the way. The trip down the Amazon sounds intriguing. I felt badly for Daisy and all the mishaps that happened to her on the trip. It was sneaky of her assistant, but it turned out to be the right thing. I loved her talks with Asher. I loved the second part of the book on the farm with her family. It sounded sweet. Another heartwarming Christmas story from this author.

Cover Thoughts: Cute - but there is no dog in this book

Source: Highly recommended for your public library's romance collection. It's not Christmas without a romance from Debbie Macomber. 

Christmas Book Review: Alaskan Holiday

Josie has a job lined up in Seattle, but while she's waiting for it, she takes a summer job at a lodge in Alaska. She wasn't sure she was going to like it there in the remote town, but she grew to love the beauty of the place and made great friends. One friend, Palmer, doesn't want her to leave.

But his marriage proposal doesn't go the way he hoped. Josie can't pass up the opportunity in Seattle. Plus, she's not sure that she could live in Alaska. But she does enjoy Palmer's company and she might even love him.

Palmer decides to be patient. Maybe he can convince Josie of his feelings for her and ask her again in a romantic way. Once Josie leaves Alaska, maybe she'll realize how much she'll miss it - and him. 

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I loved learning more about Alaska and now I really want to visit. I liked the proposal scene and the what happened next. I felt badly for both Josie and Palmer, but I loved that she didn't give up her dream job to stay. The story is sweet and entertaining.

Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous. I'm ready to move there
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A must have for your holiday romance collection - it's a requirement to have a new Debbie Macomber book at Christmas time.

Review: Cottage by the Sea

After a family tragedy, Annie's life comes to a screeching halt. Unsure of what to do with her life, she returns to a seaside vacation village from her childhood. After she sleeps through the night, she realizes that this place could heal her.

Quickly, she finds a job and moves into the cottage her family used to rent. Annie's hoping to find herself again and to get her life back on track. But what she doesn't imagine is finding herself a whole new family.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story and I loved the seaside community. I loved Annie's relationship with Keaton. My heart ached for him and his family life. I just wanted to give him a great big hug. I really loved Mellie's character - I would have liked to learn more about her past. I enjoyed her banter with Annie. While this book tackles healing of all sorts - from several different types of abuse, it's a hopeful peaceful read.

Cover Thoughts: Gorgeous
Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Debbie Macomber should be an auto-buy author for libraries.

Christmas Book Mini Review: Merry and Bright

Merry's life is filled to the brim that she's not even thinking about romance - until her brother and her mother sign her up for a dating service. Now she's talking with a stranger over email and he's looking pretty good. Should they meet?

The Good:
You've Got Mail Christmas story (and the role reversal)
Her relationship with Patrick
Patrick chatting with Jayson
Her Boss
Her moments at work
Getting ready for Christmas
The emails and their conversations

The Bad:
Nitpicking: I could have used another page or two at the end.

Final Thoughts: It's not Christmas without a new holiday romance from Debbie Macomber!

Review: If Not For You

Beth moved to Oregon to leave her sheltered life behind and to be closer to her aunt. She loves her new job as a music teacher and bonds with her co-workers. One of her friends sets her up on a blind date.

One look at Sam and Beth knows he's not the kind of man her mother would approve of. Secure in the knowledge that neither of them are interested in each other, they end the date as quickly as possible.

But on the way home, Beth's in a terrible car accident. Sam's at the scene and holds her hand as they wait for help. In that one moment, everything seems different.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this one - how the accident changed the course of their relationship. I really like how Beth struck out on her home and stood up to her overbearing mother. I really enjoyed Beth's father. I liked the slow burn of Sam and Beth - although they both made some terrible assumptions and decisions. Another sweet romance from Debbie Macomber. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library

Christmas Book Review: Twelve Days of Christmas

Julia can't figure out why her neighbor Cain is so grumpy. But when he steals her newspaper right in front of her, she realizes that she must do something!  While complaining to her best friend, her friend suggests that she kill him with kindness and blog about it for her potential job promotion.  She starts small by bringing up his newspaper in the morning, buying him a cup of coffee, and always giving him a great big smile.

At first, it doesn't appear to be working, but cracks appear in his grumpiness, especially after she accuses him of stalking her. He begins to count on her cheerful mornings, more than he would like.

Can Julia bring a new outlook to Cain just in time for the holidays?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. Julia and Cain had wonderful moments together with great banter playing off her cheerfulness and his grumpiness. I like how annoyed he appeared to be with her but at the same time couldn't stop thinking about her. I love how Julia wanted to do good in the world - and volunteered for various organizations. I like how their feelings started to change towards each other. I really enjoyed Cain's grandfather. I love the turning point of the book, when both the characters ended up sick and the outcome. If you're looking for a Christmas romance, this one is perfectly wonderful.

The Message: With all Julia's do gooding and reading this right around the election, this book made me think about becoming more active and doing more things for the community.

Cover Thoughts: Charming, but doesn't really match the book
Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must purchase for public libraries; it's not the Christmas Season without a holiday story from Debbie Macomber!

Christmas Book Review: Dashing Through the Snow

Ashley Davison wasn't planning on going home for Christmas. Then her boss had a change of heart and gave her a couple days off. Now she's desperately trying to get a flight home - only there's a problem buying a ticket.

The man behind her needs to get to Seattle for a job interview before Christmas. Circumstances lead to them sharing a rented car and driving up together.

They get off to a rocky start with insults, banter, and misunderstandings. As the day progresses, they realize that the tension between them might be something more. Can they reach Seattle in time for Christmas without killing each other?

My Thoughts: What a way to start off reading Christmas romances this year. This book was different than expected with the fun twist giving it a more action feeling. I liked the banter between Ashley and Dash - they both made me laugh. I loved the road trip and watching the characters stop along the way. Of course I loved Little Blade. The puppy added humor to the story, showing a soft side in each of the main characters.  Even though the timing of the book took place in such a short time, for the most part it worked. I could have used another few pages on the ending though, I felt that everything wrapped up way to quickly. 

Cover Thoughts: Adorable
Source: My Library
Fun Fact: This will be a Christmas movie this year on the Hallmark channel (So looking forward to it)

Final Thoughts: It's not the Christmas season without a new Debbie Macomber book.

Holiday Thursday Review: An Island Christmas

Felicia and her sister will be home in Nantucket for Christmas. Felicia's decided to use the holidays for a small wedding. AS she's not girly and hasn't been dreaming of this day for years, she asks her sister to plan it.

Once she and her adventurous boyfriend land, it's clear that her mother's not sold on idea of her marrying Archie. Jilly would rather her daughter marry their next door neighbor.  Will wedding bells ring or will Christmas be ruined?

My Thoughts: I think this is a companion novels to a book that came out last year. I really liked the family dynamics - and the moments between the two sisters. I loved the cat and how the family reacted to him, especially Jilly. I liked how adventurous Archie was and how he inspired the rest of the family at times. I really liked the ending. A fun Christmas read filled with family and togetherness. I'm looking forward to going back and reading the first book.

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library  

Adult Review: Rose Harbor In Bloom

 * Sequel to The Inn at Rose Harbor *

Jo Marie has an open house on Sunday, but before she can worry about that, she has a weekend full of guests at the inn and a rose garden she wants planted.

Annie's been planning her grandparent's 50th anniversary party; helping keep her mind off her own broken engagement. She wants everything to be perfect, but she never counted on her grandparents bickering all the time. What happened to the couple who looked at each other with love?

Mary shouldn't have made the trip - but she couldn't resist. She used to be so happy on the west coast and then on the east coast. Now everything's changed.

Was the ghost of Paul right - could Inn be healing everyone who stays there?

My Thoughts: I devoured this book - I love seeing old friends from Cedar Cove pop up and meeting new friends. I love the relationship between Jo Marie and Mark. I love Mark's gruff behavior but sweet nature underneath. My heart broke for Mary and George but I love the way the book ended for them. I liked Annie and her grandparents. They were sweet, but funny when they give each other a hard time.  I liked learning more about Oliver and his relationship to the family. I like the tiny tidbits we learned from the inn's previous guest. A huge fan of these books, I'm already anticipating  the next book in the series. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: my Library.

Mini Review: Garfield Sings for his Supper

Free Comic Book Day is tomorrow. So here's my mini review of the comic book series that I consistently read. My husband's a huge Garfield fan. I bring home the new books and we read them together.

The Good: Garfield's always funny - talking about sleep, food, TV, Jon's boring life, and picking on Odie. Several made me chuckle. You can't go wrong with the Garfield comics; they're really popular at my library. He's funny and timeless.

The  Bad: There's nothing really bad when it comes to Garfield. In this book, there were no Christmas comics, which disappointed me.

Adult Review: Starting Now

* Book 9 in the Blossom Street Series, but you could read this separately *

For years, Libby Morgan's been working her butt off hoping to make partner. When her boss calls her into his office, she never expected to be fired. He even told her to carve out a life for herself. She vows to find a job by the end of the day...but four months later, she's still looking for work.

She's decided to join a gym to get rid of the late night ice cream pounds and convinces her lawyer friend Robin to join her. Libby starts knitting again after visiting a yarn store on Blossom Street. After knitting several hats, she joins two teens in their trip donating them to the local hospital. 

There she's asked to volunteer to rock the babies. At first, it's awkward, but soon, Libby comes to love it. She's softening around the edges. While she's still looking for work, she's finding out more and more about herself. She has friends in Robin, Lydia (who owns the knitting shop), Lydia's daughter Casey and her friend Ava, and a doctor at the hospital. Could getting fired be the best thing that ever happened to her?

My Thoughts: Even though I knew it was coming, my heart broke of Libby in the beginning of the book. I enjoyed watching her discover a life outside of work. She blossomed into a well-rounded and wonderful person. It was just the type of book I needed to read as I too tend to let work consume me. I love the Blossom Street series for the blend of generations of characters, second chances, and a time to fall in love again. I wish these places and characters were real so could visit them!

Cover Thoughts: Cute - I love the yarn
Source: My Library

Review: Garfield Brings Home the Bacon

Garfield is a book I have on standing order at the library. I'm always happy to see a new one come in because I know people are going to like it, but also because bring them home to read.


My husband is a huge Garfield fan. He loves the books. We read them together and laugh.


This book, he laughed more than I did. I mostly chuckled, but he laughed. Garfield always makes me smile. 


I love reading these books together.

Review: Garfield Shovels it in

Another collection of Garfield's adventures.

My Thoughts: I love Garfield. Each new book that comes in, I bring it home and my husband and I sit together to read them and LAUGH! I'm a big fan of the Christmas comics, not so much the spider ones or the ones on the fence. This collection was great. I'm going to pass along several comics to family members!

Garfield is really popular here at my library

Cover Thoughts: Cute.

Source: my Library