Pages: 272
Pub. Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Ballantine
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads says, "A Nantucket shopkeeper discovers that Christmas is the perfect occasion to make unexpected friendships . . . to warm the coldest of hearts--and maybe even find love. Christina Antonioni is preparing for the holidays at her Nantucket toy shop, unpacking last-minute shipments and decorating for her loyal Christmas shoppers. But when her Scrooge of a landlord, Oscar Bittlesman, raises her rent, it seems nearly impossible for Christina to continue business on the wharf. Even so, Christina hopes there is a warm heart underneath Oscar's steely exterior. When she bonds with Wink, his sweet, young granddaughter who frequents the shop, it becomes clear that perhaps he isn't so cold after all. And with the help of Wink's uncle, who happens to be a charming and very handsome bachelor, this may be the best Christmas any of them could have ever imagined. Nancy Thayer's enchanting Nantucket setting provides the perfect backdrop for this holiday love story."
Christina owns an adorable toy shop by the wharf on idyllic Nantucket. While working at her shop, she notices a young girl who tries to shoplift form her store. Instead of getting the girl in trouble, she realizes that the girl is lonely and offers her a job to pay for the items she attempted to steal. This girl, Wink, does come back to work and she hits it off with Christina. Wink isn't just any young girl who lives on Nantucket though. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Oscar Bittlesman, the richest guy on the island and he just so happens to own Christina's store along with a few other nearby stores that her friends run. Wink's mother is angry that she is working at Christina's store and when she visits the store, along with her brother Andy, Christina finally realizes just which Nantucket family she is dealing with. But to complicate matters, there's chemistry between Andy and Christina and despite her reluctance to go on a date with him, he finally convinces her. This is a Christmas story, so Christina and Andy should ride off into the sunset, right? Nope. There are more issues. For starters, Andy's father is raising the rent on Christina's stores and the other stores along the wharf. This is devastating to all the shopkeepers, so they solicit Christina to talk to Mr. Bittlesman on their behalf to convince him not to raise the rent. I mean she is sort of seeing his son, so she should have some pull, right? What could go wrong? Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer is a light holiday tale that fans of Hallmark movies and quiet reads will enjoy the most.
Christina is a charming character in Let It Snow. Readers know that her parents have passed on, so it's really just her this Christmas along with her Nantucket friends. She does have holiday parties to attend and her toy shop keeps her busy, but she wasn't even really planning to put up a Christmas tree. That is until she meets Wink and Andy. She helps Wink out who is going through her parents' divorce and despite the fact that her mother doesn't really approve of her side job, they still become fast friends. Also, Christina's budding romance with Wink's uncle, Andy, is super cute. At first, I was rolling my eyes. It was all overly saccharine, but I just gave into it, because it's a holiday story and sometimes you just want something sweet.
But that's not to say it was a perfect romance in Let it Snow. Andy's father, Oscar, creates all sorts of problems for Christina and the other shopkeepers on the wharf. Convincing Oscar, who is similar to Mr. Scrooge, to not raise the rent is a challenging feat. So, imagine dating his son. Well, this complicates things tremendously, especially if things don't go well between Oscar and Christina.
The island of Nantucket is beautifully described in Let It Snow. I usually read only novels that take place on Nantucket during the summer, so this was a delightful change. The descriptions of the snow, the holiday parties, the Christmas decorations, and the cold beach walks by the lighthouse were all well done. Shockingly, it made this summer gal smile.
While overly fluffy holiday reads really aren't my thing, I have to say once I gave into the fact that things were going to be cute and this isn't going to be a novel that digs too deep, I enjoyed it. I was recovering from surgery, so I will admit Let It Snow was the perfect lighthearted tale to curl up with. If you enjoy holiday stories and you love a beachy setting, give Let It Snow a try this holiday season. It will be sure to make you smile!
Sometimes you just need a light fluffy book!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I think I need more Christmas-y books in my life. Thanks for visiting, Angela.
Delete