Book Review: A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve hoping to find, David Rhodes, the father of her unborn baby. Problem is he lied to her once again: he's not there. Now she's pregnant, stranded, and alone. She wouldn't even be here right now if her three overprotective brothers--Linc, Mel, and Ned--hadn't said they were going to find David and force him to make an honest woman out of her.

Cedar Cover resident, Grace Harding, brings Mary Jo to her ranch for the night. When Mary Jo goes into labor two weeks early, paramedic Mack McAfee comes to her rescue.

Thanks to the Cedar Cove series on Hallmark Channel, I have fallen in love with the characters of this little town on the coast of Washington state. I decided to pick up the first book in the series and this Christmas story--since Cedar Cove's two-part season finale, which is a Christmas episode, aired last weekend and will conclude this weekend (2013).

It's interesting to see how Hallmark brings a book to life for its viewers. Last year, after watching Season for Miracles on Hallmark, I read the book by Marilyn Pappano. The sweeter TV version appealed more to me. If one were to compare Macomber's A Cedar Cove Christmas novel to its TV counterpart, one would find Hallmark's version a bit more romantic with a small dose of passion, and a lot less sappy.

I love Christmas stories, but this one went a little too far into the saccharin zone for me. A pregnant Mary Jo journeys to Cedar Cove, but her baby's father is nowhere to be found and all the hotels and the inn have no room for her. She goes home with Grace Harding, where she stays in a room in the barn above the animals--which just happens to include the animals for the live nativity that just wrapped up. How convenient. Mary Jo's brothers--the three Wyse men--wake up on Christmas Eve morning to discover she's gone, so they hop in their truck and have a long, terrible journey that involves tons of traffic, snow, fog, and  faulty directions from a grumpy guy at King's, until they finally spot a great light that leads them to the Harding ranch. I'm not even sure how this qualifies as a romance novel because Mac and Mary Jo meet early on when she comes to town after she gets dizzy at the library and a member of Grace's staff calls 9-1-1, and then they don't really see each other again until Mary Jo goes into labor.

That said, I can see where the television show got its inspiration from, and in the end, we have our happy ending. I still want to read more books in this series.


File Size: 204 KB
Print Length: 285 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0778325911
Publisher: Mira; 1st, 1st Ed edition (October 1, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B001ANST8Q

This post first appeared at The Book Connection. I borrowed this book from the library. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

First Chapter Review: Christmas in Time by Peggy Webb

Christmas in Time is a time travel novella by Peggy Webb. I downloaded it for FREE one day in 2012.

BLURB:   Everybody in her family and in the Gulf Coast town of Fairhope views Gilly as a woman whose life is plain and simple, one who has been content to spoil her great-niece Ann while living out her days in Windchime House. Only her best friend Margaret knows the heroic story of Gilly Debeau.

When Ann's Christmas gift of wind chimes catapults Gilly back in time, she finds herself seated at the café Parisiene, having tea with her Papa, whom she had accompanied on a business trip abroad, and enjoying her eighteenth birthday gift - return passage to America on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. As the string quintet entertains the passengers, Gilly can't take her eyes off the handsome, talented violinist from West Yorkshire. Under William's spell, she falls for both the music and the musician. But does an over-protected, unsophisticated girl from Alabama dare defy convention in order to become a woman? And how will she ever explain to Papa that she is planning a future with a man she's known only three days?

On April 14, 1912, Gilly is wrenched away from everything and everyone she loves. Can she survive the icy Atlantic? Can William? Can their love survive a lifetime and beyond?

COVER: I love it. The elegant young woman with the wistful look definitely captures your attention. The sparkling jewelry and the sparkly background makes you think of Christmas.

FIRST CHAPTER: Gilly is decorating Windchime House for Christmas when the phone rings. The elderly woman discovers her great-niece Ann on the other line. After a brief conversation, Ann asks if her present has arrived yet. A distracted Gilly hasn't remembered to check the mail, so she tells a little fib. Soon after their phone conversation ends, Gilly's best friend since elementary school, Margaret Finely, arrives. The women make plans to drive to New Orleans on the weekend. Gilly hopes she's able to hide her secret from her best friend.

KEEP READING: Definitely. Gilly is a likable character from the moment you meet her. She's battling old age, lives all alone in Windchime House, and admittedly talks to herself. Her internal dialogue is funny, and you really want to get to know her better. She has a secret that no one else knows, not even her best friend. Though she's never been married, she gives Ann advice about her fiancé. She's just a great character all the way around.

While we see Ann's Christmas gift at the end of this chapter, the time travel incident hasn't happened yet, so the author has created an excellent cliffhanger. I would love to make time to finish this one, because it looks like it will be a blast.

• File Size: 327 KB
• Print Length: 62 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005R21Z6Y

This review first appeared at The Book Connection. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated for in any way. 

Luke and Lottie: It's Christmas by Ruth Wielockx

 

It’s Christmas! The twins, Luke and Lottie, are so excited. Christmas Eve is the best night of the year. A warm and recognizable story about celebrating Christmas together. For children ages 3 and up.

Lexile Measure : 480

Grade Level : Preschool - 2 

Hardcover : 32 pages

ISBN-10 : 1605374911

ISBN-13 : 978-1605374918

Publisher : Clavis (September 3, 2019)

First Chapter Review: Persephone Cole and the Christmas Killings Conundrum/Iced Diamonds by Heather Haven

The first chapter of Persephone Cole and the Christmas Killings Conundrum was sent to me by author Heather Haven. Since it was published in 2012, the author has opened her own publishing house, rereleased this book, and changed the title to Iced Diamonds, along with giving it a new cover.

BLURB: In late December, 1942, Persephone (Percy) Cole, one of Manhattan's first female PIs, has been hired to find out who killed a Santa Land elf and left the body in the storefront window of a swank 5th Avenue jewelry store. Was it the spoiled heiress whose big buck handbag was found on the scene? Or was it the rat who broke out of the big house to settle a score? Shortly after, the corpse of the Christmas Angel is discovered stuffed in Mrs. Santa's workshop. Will Santa Claus be next? With a penchant for Marlene Dietrich suits, pistachio nuts and fedora hats, this working mother finds diamonds to the left of her, diamonds to the right, and skullduggery aplenty. Armed with her noodle and a WW I German Mauser, Percy is determined to solve these crimes or it just might be the 'kiss off' for Christmas.

COVER: I absolutely love when a cover is designed that captures the essence of a book. So many of the details from the first chapter make their way onto this cover, that I already feel like I know Percy and where she lives.

FIRST CHAPTER: Percy receives a phone call from the owner of Waller and Sons Jewelry. An elf has been found dead in his storefront window, and he wants to know why. Though the police are already on the scene, Waller wants to talk to Percy face-to-face about hiring her, which would be great since Pop is laid up with a broken leg, and Percy is the sole support of her family right now.

KEEP READING: You betcha. In this first chapter, Haven manages to create a cast of characters you immediately connect with and care about: from Percy a street-smart, sarcastic dame with a penchant for Marlene Dietrich-style pant suits and pistachios to her boy-crazy younger sister Serendipity to her daffy mother and more. I don't always like so many characters introduced right away, but Haven did a fine job of giving them just enough interaction that the reader isn't confused.

The other thing I felt the author did well was add in the right amount of detail so that the setting and time period were clear without having to read the book blurb first. I had to chuckle at the plethora of ashtrays around the house to hold pistachio shells. Why it struck me funny I don't know, but it did.

I am eager to see how this mystery plays out. I hope to make time to read this entire book soon. Haven's style of humorous private eye stories continues with this latest endeavor. And I love it!


File Size: 372 KB
Print Length: 185 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Books We Love Ltd. (October 10, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B009OUMNMA


This review first appeared at The Book Connection. This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

Book Review: Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias

Prepare to be moved by this heartfelt story of the season.

Josie Meyers appears to be living the American dream when she falls in love with and marries Sam. Her world comes crashing down when she becomes a widow and must cope with the fallout of her husband's decisions. When she loses her home to foreclosure, Josie and her two small children are forced onto the streets and into homeless shelters.

Forced to lean on the experiences and lives of other homeless people she meets, Josie remains unconvinced that the God she once knew cares for her family. What she doesn't know is that the course of her life will be changed by the influence of a homeless Vietnam veteran, who will lead her home to the One who waits for her.

One thing you must know about the work of Kathi Macias: it will touch your heart in a multitude of ways. Unexpected Christmas Hero puts a name and a face to the many around us who are homeless. From Josie and her children, to Rick, the homeless Vietnam veteran who has given his life to God, to Karen and Mr. Foley who work at the homeless shelters Josie's family stays at when they can, to members of Karen's church, and more, this book is filled with characters that will come to mean almost as much to you as your own friends and neighbors.

As I've watched the author's work evolve over the years, each new book is a call to service, a call to help others as Christ asks us to do. Each new book breaks through our prejudices, tears apart what we think we know about others, and opens our hearts to the possibilities of what this world would be like if we all lived as Jesus did.

With masterful storytelling, rich descriptions, and a way of touching your heart and mind in a way that can only come from God, Macias inspires her readers. I highly recommend this touching Christmas story. May it bless you as much as it has blessed me.

Publisher: ‎ New Hope Publishers; A Novel edition (October 1, 2012)

Language: ‎ English

Paperback: ‎ 240 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1596693541

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1596693548

At the time the author wrote this book, there was a story of the homeless man who appeared on her cover. She sought to help reunite him with his family. The reunion took place in January 2013. You can read about it at https://kathimacias.com/2013/01/04/the-reunion-is-happening-now

This post first appeared at The Book Connection. I received no compensation of any kind for this review. 

First Chapter Review: Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

Since I posted this review at The Book Connection in 2012, the author has turned this book into the first of a series. As a result, it got a new cover. 

TITLE: Unexpected Gifts

AUTHOR: Elena Aitken

BLURB: Let it snow! Cozy up to the Castle Mountain Lodge in the middle of the remote Canadian Rockies for Unexpected Gifts.

Christmas represents everything Andi Williams is supposed to have, and doesn't. Running away to a remote mountain lodge in the Canadian Rockies, sounds like the perfect way to escape, until a mix-up finds her sharing a villa with sexy, rough around the edges, Colin Hartford.

Colin's determination to enjoy the holiday he’s missed for the last five years, sweeps Andi into a season of joy that she’s not sure she’s ready for. Can Andi open herself up to everything the holidays have to offer...including love?

COVER:  Not bad. You can definitely tell it's a seasonal story. It doesn't, however, tell me it's a romance novel. If you don't want to put a couple in a romantic setting on the cover, then why not a snow-covered log cabin nestled in the woods with smoke filtering out of the chimney. This would indicate not only the setting, but the smoke reminds you of warmth and the people who might be snuggling up by the fireplace. For a romance novel, this cover is kind of cold.

FIRST CHAPTER:  The reader meets Andi Williams and her business partner, Eva. They run a party planning business, which is doing so well they have hired two girls to help out. This makes it easier on Andi, who is dealing with a recent tragedy that has left her feeling miserable. She just wants Christmas to be over. An unexpected change in plans has her heading to the Castle Mountain Lodge to spend the holidays by herself curled up with a good book in front of the fire.

KEEP READING:  Sure. The scene has been set for what we know is to come--Andi meeting with "sexy, rough around the edges, Colin Hartford." You don't know yet how they are going to meet and what the immediate result will be, but you're certainly interested. The tragedy that changed Andi's life makes her a sympathetic character who you want to see find happiness.

Eva is funny and beautiful. She genuinely cares about Andi and hopes things will get better for her, which is why she suggests the free invitation from the lodge as a way to escape it all. This breaks the mold in that the female and male lead haven't met in the first chapter, but it is done so well that you are already captivated by the story and are eager for Andi and Colin to catch first sight of each other.


Publisher: Ink Blot Communications (November 11, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0066HBGCM


I downloaded a free copy of this book to my Kindle. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

First Chapter Review: My Christmas Angels by Jason W. Chan

There are so many seasonal titles I wanted to read in 2012, but I couldn't get to them. After reading the blurb about this book, I picked it up for free on Kindle. Since this review was posted at The Book Connection, the author has released an updated second edition with a new cover. 

TITLE:   My Christmas Angels

AUTHOR:  Jason W. Chan

BLURB:  My Christmas Angels is a tragic yet heartwarming Christmas story about Greg, a single father in his twenties, and Angie, his lively six-year old daughter, living in poverty in Vancouver. When they are evicted from their home, they move in with Greg's ex-girlfriend, Jessica, for whom he still has feelings. Just as their romance blossoms, Angie suffers a concussion and slips into a coma.

Riddled with grief and guilt, Greg stays at his daughter's side night and day. As the Christmas season approaches, he comes to terms with the possibility that his daughter may never wake up. He is advised to keep busy so he buries his grief in doing good deeds. Uplifted, Greg takes solace in the realization that great tragedy can give birth to great blessings.

COVER:  Simple, yet nice. Appropriate for the story, but it screams self-published.

FIRST CHAPTER:  The book opens on a cold November day with an unknown person on a street corner waving a sign asking for help. The reader soon discovers Greg, a twenty-something father, is jobless and on the verge of being evicted. He is the narrator of this story, and the reader soon learns how he got to be where he is right now. Luckily, he has his daughter, Angie, to make his life better. A proud man, he refuses to take money from Angie's teacher, but ends up bringing his child to the local soup kitchen for a good meal. There he meets up with his ex-girlfriend Jessica. In the back of his mind, he wishes he could find a way to get Angie a Christmas tree with an angel on top like she wants.

KEEP READING:  Probably not. Between the awkward sentence structure and the lack of character depth, I don't think I could make it through the whole book. While Greg is a first person narrator, he doesn't draw me in. As desperate as his situation is, I can't sympathize with his plight. His actions don't really make sense. He's willing to stand out on a street corner and suffer that humiliation hoping for a few bucks, but when his daughter's teacher offers him a hundred dollars he turns her down, knowing his child will suffer for it. When he enters the soup kitchen and sees Jessica, he almost leaves without letting his daughter eat so that he's not embarrassed by Jessica finding out what has happened to him after all these years.

My understanding from reading other reviews of this novella is this is a true story. I would be curious what the real details are. This seems like a story of great promise, but it needs an editor to shape it into one that captivates readers.

Publisher: Jason W. Chan Entertainment Group (December 7, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004FN21J6

I downloaded a free copy of this book to my Kindle. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

First Chapter Review: Angel Be Good by Kathy Carmichael

I can't resist a modern-day Scrooge story. Why? Because I think the character Dickens created in A Christmas Carol is fascinating and his redemption inspiring, so I enjoy seeing how others bring this type of character to life.

TITLE:  Angel Be Good

AUTHOR:  Kathy Carmichael

BLURB:  Miracles still happen in modern day New York when "Scrooge" (Nathaniel Danvers) meets Heaven Can Wait (Daphne), who has been sent to give him one last chance at redemption. Angel Be Good captures the essence of the classic Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and offers a touch of humor and romance. This sexy romantic comedy is the perfect holiday feel-good read.

COVER:  Fabulous! The deep red silky dress against the green cover truly captures your eye. The ornament hanging off the author's name is a nice touch and lets the reader know this is a seasonal tale without turning the book over to read the back cover blurb. The genre is clear from the words, "Heartwarming, Sexy & Fun."
 
FIRST CHAPTER:  Nathaniel Danvers wakes from a dream where his deceased parents have implored him to mend his ways. Dismissing it as an effect of the rum punch from the office Christmas party, he begins making out the pink slips for employees that will be let go after the holidays. Have to keep those employees on their toes.
 
A crash in his outer office draws his attention, but he knows he's alone, since everyone else has gone home to celebrate Christmas Eve. When a sexy, beautiful woman marches through the door without even knocking and says, "Hiya, Nat ol' boy," he's not sure what the heck is going on. Suddenly trapped in his office by this woman, she informs him that his dream was very real and she's here to make sure he changes his ways.
 
KEEP READING:  Yes, but if I hadn't read the prologue first, I wouldn't really know what was going on in the first chapter. We discover Daphne is given a second chance to live a full life by helping Nathaniel's guardian angel, Leonard, convince Nat to change his ways--which isn't going to be easy. The conversations between Leonard and Daphne make the book worth reading, and it's pretty funny to watch Nathaniel's confusion over who Daphne is while thinking she's off her rocker because she's talking to some guy named Leonard who he can't see. What I thought was unique is how helping Nathaniel connects Daphne to part of her past.
 
Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 4, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1466482109
ISBN-13: 978-1466482104
Kindle edition: ASIN: B002YK45IW


This post first appeared at The Book Connection. I picked up a free copy of this book for my Kindle, but looks like only available in paperback now. I was not compensated in any way for this review. 

Novella Review: A Vision of Sugarplums by Jennifer Blake

Meghan Castle doesn't like Christmas at all. It's Christmas Eve and she wants to close up and go home to hide from the holiday and the bad memories it brings.

As she goes off to shoo away the last lingering customer from the Silver Bells Christmas Shop, she discovers an abandoned baby under a tree. The handsome hunk she had hoped to kick out of the store, convinces her to take the baby home and offers to help her take care of it.

Though they are both attracted to each other, secrets might tear apart this couple before they get too far.

A Vision of Sugarplums by Jennifer Blake is a romantic novella that goes against Mark Twain's adage that "truth is stranger than fiction," because fiction has to stick to possibilities (make sense). While Blake is very talented when it comes to painting a picture for the reader and she can write a moving love scene, I can't remember when a story has made me so furious. It requires one to stretch the imagination so far that you can't truly enjoy it.

I can't go into all the details without giving away the story, but what I can say is if a man treated me the way Rick Wallman did Meghan, there is no way I would want a future with him--no matter his motivation. This is one time I wish the boy didn't get the girl.


Title:  A Vision of Sugarplums
Author:  Jennifer Blake
Publisher: Steel Magnolia Press
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B006A1Z06W


This review first appeared at The Book Connection. I downloaded a free copy of this book from the Kindle Store. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

First Chapter Review: The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne

This is one of the first e-books I sampled after Santa brought my first Kindle. I happen to be a sucker for cowboy stories. I enjoyed the sample and purchased the book a few months later. I've tried to make room in my schedule to read it, but it seems I always have other requests ahead of it. Now that I've read the first chapter, I really want to make time to continue this story.

TITLE:  The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle

AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne

BLURB: Christmas was tough for widow Jenna Wheeler and her four children. But even though she'd sold part of her family's land to make ends meet, she was determined to spin the holiday into the stuff of magic--no matter what it took. Now if she could only find a job....

Maybe her new landlord could oblige--gorgeous, child-averse Carson McRaven. He needed a chef, and he knew the lovely Jenna could do a bang-up job--if only she could keep her brood out of his hair. But as he found himself catapulted into the cheerful chaos of her family...not to mention Jenna's arms... he learned more about the spirit of Christmas than he'd ever dreamed.

COVER:  Nice. Definitely a cover one would expect to see on a romance novel: man and woman in each other's arms, the background appropriate to the story. I'm not sure, however, which house this is supposed to be. I'm guessing Jenna's, since Carson is a bit of a Scrooge, but the first chapter led me to believe things are tight financially and that Jenna is overwhelmed. That house on the cover is rather elegant looking; not quite what one would expect from a struggling mom.

FIRST CHAPTER:  This story opens with Carson McRaven coming upon the widow Wheeler's "brats" who are up to no good again. One of the three boys is walking along the rail fence on his property. It seems after the death of her husband, Jenna sold the majority of the land to Carson, but kept a small corner of it for her family to live.

The boy falls off the fence and hits his head, so Carson drives the boys up to their house, where Jenna and Carson have a tense discussion over her ability to keep her children off his land. Neither, however, can deny their secret attraction to each other.

KEEPING READING:  Oh yes! This first chapter is the perfect set up for Carson and Jenna to get more involved in each other's lives. Her kids are thorns in Carson's side. Jenna is overwhelmed with caring for her family all alone and trying to start up her catering business, so she can support her brood. Her youngest child, the only girl, is still a toddler. You know by this chapter that Carson and Jenna have had this "keep your kids off my property" conversation more than once, and he's not too happy that her stupid kid got hurt and he got stuck bringing the boys home. You also get a glimpse into how one of her sons feels about Carson when he accuses him of stealing their land. Definitely a story you want to read well into the night.

Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Silhouette; Special edition (November 1, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0373249330
ISBN-13: 978-0373249336


This review first appeared at The Book Connection. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

First Chapter Review: A Simple Amish Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

TITLE:   A Simple Amish Christmas

AUTHOR: Vannetta Chapman

BLURB: Annie Weaver always planned to return home, but the 20-year old RN has lived in Philadelphia for three years now. As her time of rumschpringe is about to come to an abrupt end, bringing for Annie an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She returns home and finds herself face-to-face with a budding romance with an Amish farmer and Annie has several important choices to make.

COVER:  I love this cover! It's why I picked up a FREE copy of this book when it was available. The buggy, the snow covered grounds, and the red barn in the distance make me think of a simpler time. The touch of holly gives it a Christmas feel, and I like the fonts they used.

FIRST CHAPTER:  Now, I am someone who reads prologues, so I dove into that first. Annie Weaver is almost seventeen when she leaves home to live with her Englisch cousins. Chapter One opens three years later in December 2009. Christmas is coming and Annie is feeling homesick. Now an RN, she is making her early morning rounds when her supervisor tells her she has an emergency phone call.

KEEP READING:  Definitely! Since I enjoy exploring different cultures and faiths, I like Amish fiction. I don't read a lot of it, but I've read enough to be familiar with many of the terms used in these novels. I have to admit, I was a bit confused at the very beginning because it seemed like Annie and her best friend Jenny were at school, when actually, they are in the employee area of a hospital where there are lockers. This was further compounded by Jenny being an Amish schoolteacher. It wasn't until Jenny asked about Annie's nursing cap, scope and I.D. that I knew what was going on.

The introduction of a young cancer patient that Annie visits that morning adds a sentimental touch, but it's the superb cliffhanger ending of this chapter that makes me want to read on.


Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press; Original edition (October 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426710666
ISBN-13: 978-1426710667


This review first appeared at The Book Connection. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Picture Book Review: Little Mole's Christmas Gift by Glenys Nellist

A sweet story from beginning to end is what you’ll find in Little Mole’s Christmas Gift by Glenys Nellist.

Little Mole is thrilled when he finds the perfect mushroom for Mama’s Christmas gift. As he is dragging it home, he comes upon some woodland friends in need, and proves kindness is one of the best gifts of the season.

This is one of those Christmas stories you and the kids will never tire of reading. A little one so excited about giving his mother the best gift he can find, suddenly has to make decisions about how he can best help his friends.

Sally Garland’s artwork on Little Mole’s Christmas Gift is adorable and so realistic you can almost feel the wind blowing the snow around. These two women collaborate so well together. I can’t wait for more Little Mole stories.

A charming story of the season awaits you and your little ones. Highly recommended.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beaming Books; Illustrated edition (October 6, 2020)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1506448755
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1506448756
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 6 years, from customers
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD520L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 2

This review first appeared at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. I received a digital copy from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

First Chapter Review: One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson

TITLE:  One Imperfect Christmas

AUTHOR:  Myra Johnson

BLURB: Graphic designer Natalie Pearce faces the most difficult Christmas of her life. For almost a year, her mother has lain in a nursing home, the victim of a massive stroke, and Natalie blames herself for not being there when it happened. Worse, she’s allowed the monstrous load of guilt to drive a wedge between her and everyone she loves—most of all her husband Daniel. Her marriage is on the verge of dissolving, her prayer life is suffering, and she’s one Christmas away from hitting rock bottom.

Junior-high basketball coach Daniel Pearce is at his wit’s end. Nothing he’s done has been able to break through the wall Natalie has erected between them. And their daughter Lissa’s adolescent rebellion isn’t helping matters. As Daniel’s hope reaches its lowest ebb, he wonders if this Christmas will spell the end of his marriage and the loss of everything he holds dear.

COVER:  I'm a bit cool on the cover. The cream colored door is rather plain. I like the carrot that adds in the "im" to the title. The broken ornament is a nice touch. I would rather have seen a messy living room with a Christmas tree and some ornaments on the floor. If I were making a purchase based upon cover alone, I might have passed this one by.

FIRST CHAPTER: The story opens three weeks after Christmas. Natalie wishes her husband's schedule didn't take him away so much and hopes their daughter Lissa's adolescent rebellion can be kept under control. She's also dreading the arrival of her in-laws. Her mother-in-law is a total neat-nick. Natalie didn't inherit the cleaning gene from her mom, who also keeps everything tidy. When her mother calls and asks Natalie to help take down the Christmas decorations, Natalie explains how busy she is. It will be a decision she regrets.

KEEP READING?:  Yes. Though at first, I felt the story started off a bit slow: wife feeling sorry for herself as her husband is rushing off in a different direction, feeling neglected by her daughter, and dreading the impending in-law visit. The pace picked up as I moved through the story, and it ended so strong, that I continued reading all of Chapter 2. I definitely want to see how this turns out!


Paperback: 274 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 2009)
ISBN-10: 1426700709
ISBN-13: 978-1426700705



This review first appeared at The Book Connection. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Short Story Review: Mistletoe and Miracles by Wendy Davy

Looking for a tender inspirational romance for this holiday season? Pick up this free short story from Wendy Davy.

Noelle Barkley is planning to catch the attention of a man at her upcoming Christmas party. When she lands in the arms of a stranger, she soon discovers that patiently waiting for God's plans to be revealed is much better than trying to rush things along.

Mistletoe and Miracles is the perfect short romance to snuggle up with in front of the fire. Filled with humor and tenderness, it will warm your heart as you watch Noelle learn a very important lesson about God's timing.

This is a story you won't get tired of reading over and again.

This review originally appeared at The Book Connection. I have not received compensation of any kind for this review.