Victoria James (1)

On the whole, I absolutely loved it! It seriously has so much going for it, it's hard to know where to begin, but begin I must...or we'll be here all night!

I was appalled by Maxi's behavior, and to be quite honest the revelation of that whole situation SHOCKED me. I was definitely thinking something else when Janie was the one holding all the cards, walking into a bar, far from home...with a cat on a leash. (LOL! No, really...it happens, and you've got to read it!) As for the grandfather who passed, he was horrid and seriously not worthy of a second thought, but thorns in our sides tend to linger even after they are pulled, and boy did he do a number on our main man Aiden...but despite his horrendous influence, he grew into a REAL man. Now Janie, our auntie that was more like a mom than the actual one, and Aiden, our newly discovered dad, were definitely souls to know! I admit, I saw a lot of it coming...but it didn't make one moment any less enjoyable, and how they handled all the BIG moments was so touching. Even Will, the boy turned man little too early thanks to circumstances, was a big key holder here, and while he could have pulled the typical teenage sullen act, he chose to participate. Yes, he makes mistakes, and yes, some of those start to turn some things sour, but he TRIES...and he even aims to make things right.

In the end, I couldn't be happier for how thing turned out then if I was actually there in Wishing River myself! Just seriously, all the feelings, even after the SURPRISE visit, and the uncovering of memories better laid to rest, made it stick that much more in my heart...



**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own… (mais)

I googled for “dysfunctional families” and was not the least bit surprised to see that this novel had won an award for the most dysfunctional characters in one novel. No, not really, none of that is true, except for the part that all the characters ARE dysfunctional! Goodness, what an unhappy lot. So many bad things and poor choices. I will say that by the end of the story, some of the characters showed growth and were headed in a happier direction. Some found happiness late in their lives, others much earlier. And that middle generation were last seen arguing. But who knows? Maybe that’s what made them happy. Anyway, I thought the writing was good, and I appreciated that the novel was a romance without being explicit about what happens in the bedroom. I just wish that some of the characters could have had happier lives sooner rather than later.… (mais)

This book is primarily a story about second chances and dealing with one's past. Grandma Ruby opens the doors of Christmas House (her bed and breakfast) to her dysfunctional family, in the hopes that they will come to grips with the past and move forward to a happier future. Grandma Ruby also discovers her own "happily ever after" in the process.

I would not consider The Christmas House to be filled with happiness and joy, although there are some of those moments in it. Some parts are downright depressing and dragged on too long for me. Themes include broken promises and families, pregnancy out of wedlock, disputes between sisters, and how the past catches up with our present and can affect our future.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (mais)