Delightful English Christmas Romance

What a charming and well-done Christmas romance! This is the fourth book of the series, but the first book that I have read by this author. It’s a delight to find a writer who knows how to compose both very funny scenes and extremely poignant ones. That’s all too rare to find an author who does both well, unfortunately. The first scene, when we discover what is in octogenarian Ethel’s basement, had me laughing out loud. The scene near the end—where Granny Annie helps Dan, the hero, put his life into perspective in the way that only a loving relative with long experience in life can—definitely brought the feels. If only we were all so blessed to have someone like her in our lives. I really enjoyed the dialogue in this book, and the book had a lot of dialogue. I particularly liked the conversations between Dan and Alice. They were so humorous at the beginning but became so much more complex and character revealing as the novel went on. Let’s just say that both Alice and Dan have issues to be resolved if they are to become a couple, moving beyond their obvious friendship. They do have a chemistry that comes off the page. They are definitely a romance couple you can root for. I enjoyed the other community members in the story. I usually associate good, quirky, and believable characters with cozy mysteries, so it is lovely to see that in a small-town romance. If you’re looking for a good and immersive Christmas romance read, this one may do the trick.

It’s a Not So Wonderful Life . . . Unless You’re Willing to Change

This is a sweet and sometimes poignant Christmas tale that feels in parts like a spin on both A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life. The hero, Sam, is a near Scrooge-like businessman who demands as much from his employees as he does from himself, not taking into account that they have lives and families outside of work. A freak accident where he hits his head hard on icy ground gives him retrograde amnesia; at first, he can only remember fragments of his childhood. Angie, the heroine, is surprised at the new way her boss is acting. She had always suspected that somewhere buried deep inside was a decent, caring man; the accident rendered him more compassionate, kind, and even funny at times. Because Sam is estranged from his only living relative, Angie agrees to let him live in her home while he recovers and hopefully gets his memory back. Sam finds Angie’s home, which holds four generations of her Cuban and Puerto Rican family, to be a haven of belonging as he recuperates.

I absolutely adored all the characters in this story, especially Angie’s son and grandmother. I loved the sense of family provided by the interactions between the four generations; I do enjoy romances where a strong family element is a part of the story, and in this book, this is incorporated on several levels. All the characters were very well written. Sam definitely grapples with his memories and his sense of self as he recovers. That’s where the twist on It’s a Wonderful Life comes in. As Sam’s life is slowly revealed to him, unlike George Bailey, he doesn’t like the man he gradually learns about. Which Sam will he end up being if he recovers from the amnesia: the new Sam, the old Sam, or perhaps a blend of the two? And we can’t forget the romance, of course. The new Sam seems to fall for Angie pretty quickly; maybe old Sam had a crush he hadn’t acknowledged. Aside from this rather quick attraction, the rest of the romance is a slow build as the other elements of the story interweave and sometimes take precedence. All in all, I thought this was a charming, heartfelt Christmas romance.

Not an Easy Holiday Read, But a Good One

I am new to this author, and of course, am new to this series. So I feel like I wasn’t quite prepared for all this book would be. The cover of it looks like any inviting and lovely Christmas romance. I thought the blurb was a little confusing, as I couldn’t quite figure out the timeline and some of what the author was hinting at. Let me just disabuse you of one notion to start with. If you’re expecting a light and fluffy Hallmark-style Christmas romance, this is not it. I know for me, sometimes, I want to read that light and frothy holiday romance. But if you are in the mood for a holiday romance that tackles more difficult subjects, like severe postpartum depression and traumatic brain injury, this book definitely delivers a compelling story with all the feels.

I will have to say that I had a hard time liking the hero and heroine at the start before I knew their full story. I couldn’t imagine a mother willingly leaving her family, as Luke suggested rather angrily several times. I also didn’t like that Luke at first was unwilling to engage with Elizabeth more than he had to. Even his sister was surprised that he didn’t try to find out the “why” and other details on their trip back to Idaho. I probably would have had more sympathy for Luke if I were familiar with the series. But once the couple got back to Haven Point, and the full story began to unfurl, it was amazing and I’m glad I stuck with it. Elizabeth has been through so much. And the children, my goodness! This story is about so much, including the themes of forgiveness of both self and other and the meaning of family and all that entails. There are definitely moments that will have you breaking out the tissues.