The holidays are almost here and if you are looking to squeeze in a few more festive reads, I've got you covered. These two holiday romances bringing all you would expect from a holiday novel with a side of family drama.
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery
Pages: 320
Genre: Holiday
Pub. Date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Harlequin
Source: Library
Other Books By Author: The Christmas Wedding Guest
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads says, "Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man she’s secretly dating.
But her plans go from cozy to chaotic when Nick and Dana plead for Christmas at the family cabin in memory of their late father, Julie’s ex. She can’t refuse, even though she dreads their reactions to her new man when they realize she’s been hiding him for months.
As the guest list grows in surprising ways, from Blair’s estranged mom to Heath’s precocious children, Julie’s secret is one of many to be unwrapped. Over this delightfully complicated and very funny Christmas, she’ll discover that more really is merrier, and that a big, happy family can become bigger and happier, if they let go of old hurts and open their hearts to love.
Julie is in her 50s and runs her family's towing company. She is divorced and finally focusing on herself. She is dating a much younger man, Heath, and things are going well with him despite the twelve year age difference. The one problem is she hasn't told her grown children about him. But there's no need to this holiday season as everyone is going their separate ways, so she plans on spending the holiday with just Heath. Her relaxing plans get blown up in her face when her kids want to spend the holidays together at their family cabin. So, Julie scratches the idea of a romantic Christmas for a full-blown family holiday complete with her daughter-in-law's uncle and grumpy mother. She convinces Heath to join them, as she will finally introduce him, and to top it off, his children want to attend now as their plans have changed, too. One thing is for sure Julie's holiday won't be short on family drama. One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery is a holiday novel full of family drama, a focus on repairing family relationships, and a lot of melodrama.
Julie is a bit of a control freak in One Big Happy Family. I really didn't understand her choices in the novel, especially involving Heath's ex-wife, but I guess it made the story interesting. There were so many family conflicts though, particularly between Blair and her mother that this novel felt stressful half the time. But have no fear, because Mallery gives readers what they want in a holiday novel: a happy ending. The ending did seem melodramatic and Hallmark movie-like, but I think that is what readers demand in a Christmas novel. My favorite aspect of the novel was the fact that Julie is a mature female protagonist and I appreciated her second chance with romance as I don't think we see enough of that in novels.
Julie is a bit of a control freak in One Big Happy Family. I really didn't understand her choices in the novel, especially involving Heath's ex-wife, but I guess it made the story interesting. There were so many family conflicts though, particularly between Blair and her mother that this novel felt stressful half the time. But have no fear, because Mallery gives readers what they want in a holiday novel: a happy ending. The ending did seem melodramatic and Hallmark movie-like, but I think that is what readers demand in a Christmas novel. My favorite aspect of the novel was the fact that Julie is a mature female protagonist and I appreciated her second chance with romance as I don't think we see enough of that in novels.
The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evans
Pages: 320
Genre: Holiday
Pub. Date: October 3, 2023
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Publisher for review
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads says, "Clumsy, earnest baker Sylvie West has worked at the Christmas Café in Silver Bells, Wyoming, ever since her boozy eggnog fruitcake won the town’s annual holiday bakeoff fifteen years ago. Her forever happy place, the café compliments her sweet, well-ordered life with her roommates: recently-widowed Gramps and her yappy chihuahua-pug Crumpet.
When Sylvie learns the café might be sold, she’s determined to put the Christmas Café on the map in a big way. Good thing the Holiday Channel* is filming in Silver Bells. And how perfect of bra-snatching Crumpet to have forced an awkward encounter with the film’s charming lead actor, Royce. When Gramps and Sylvie make a pact to be brave this Christmas, Sylvie knows just how to stretch her wings and save the Christmas Café in the process: get the film team to set a scene at the café!
Between her newfound acting gig, a booth at the Christmas Festival, an appearance at the Christmas Parade, and a budding romance with Royce, Sylvie has a lot on her plate. Good thing her old friend, gruff yet reliable Abe has just come back home to manage his parents’ goat farm. That is, until she catches herself feeling all too merry and bright in his presence. With a little help from family, friends, Crumpet, and the goat farmer down the way, Sylvie just might make this Christmas the sweetest she’s ever had…
I enjoyed the character of Sylvie and her interactions with her family, especially her grandfather. I do feel she was a bit codependent on him and it made her a bit of a hermit. I was happy to see her get out, go on dates, try new things, and get outside of her comfort zone. But the more she hung out with Royce, the more things got complicated. Her friend and goat farmer, Abe, is the person I was rooting for her to recognize as a love interest and I was so happy when he started coming around more as he is genuinely supportive of her. Also, my favorite aspect of the novel was Sylvie's dog---adorable! It made this holiday novel even more enjoyable. But be forewarned, The Christmas Cafe reads like a Hallmark movie. In fact, this plot feels very familiar, doesn't it? There's over the top gestures, melodrama, quirky townspeople, and endings that are too good to be true, which reminded me a bit of Virgin River as it had that small town feel with lots of sentimental moments. Nonetheless, it was a solid holiday novel that made me smile.
So, have you read these holiday novels? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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