Glad Tidings by Debbie Macomber

There's Something About Christmas

Emma Collins hates Christmas being a reporter for a local paper isn't all that bad sometimes. Yet when she is given the assignment to write about three local women finalists in a fruit cake contest, she is furious. It only gets worse when she has to fly in a small plane and well she hates flying as much as she hates Christmas. The pilot is a smart alec but has a scruffy dog that just might worm its way into her heart among other people.

It was fun to watch Emma realize what these women went through and how they came about creating their fruit cake recipes. She had a long way to go but things just might be better than she expects.


Here Comes Trouble!

Maryanne and Nolan are happily married with two kids. But their girls want to know how they met. Nolan thought that Maryanne was a spoiled débutante who got whatever she wanted while in reality she was a spitfire who wouldn't take no for an answer. She worked hard to prove herself but after Nolan wrote a column about their dinner together, well she feels she has more to prove. If only she can keep it a secret from her parents.

Maryanne is a very determined woman who isn't looking for hand outs. She wants to show that her last name isn't who she is. She's more than that. But will Nolan see that?

These two stories of stubborn people warmed my heart. They had to figure out how to work together or they'd be miserable. Both stories were sweet and I loved every minute of them. This is one author who doesn't disappoint. While I may not love every book, there's a big chance I will.


Debbie Macomber/ Christmas Romance/ Love/ 480 pages/ 5 out of 5

Okay, so I will get to my year in review tomorrow! I had to change days to go out with a friend. :)

Peony in Love by Lisa See

Peony has been entranced by the play The Peony Pavilion. Her father has been able to get a troupe of players to perform it for her sixteenth birthday. Peony catches sight of a man she falls in love with, but she is betrothed to another. That is the beginning of a journey that will change Peony’s life forever. She has a lot to learn and not time or space can change that.

Ms. See has written another book that will tear at your heartstrings. I got frustrated at times with the events in this book but I figured I would have a better understanding of it at the end. The dynamics of the story make you want to turn the pages. That the events may play out differently than what is laid out in the story.

Peony is a strong girl who just wants to be loved. Her parents push her and extol her to be better. Her father takes time to get to know her. The one thing Peony is good at besides writing is binding feet. The one time her mother praises her leaves her feeling flat because she knows it may not happen again. Falling in love with someone whom she is not betrothed to only makes her fall apart more and look for help in the pages of the Peony Pavilion.

This is a roller coaster of emotions presented in this book. I know there were traditions that Peony and other women of her time in the 17th century were doing their best to adhere to but I just got so frustrated. Ms. See writes with words in poems that the women could not express in any other way even to each other at times. The understanding of the play The Peony Pavilion transcends desire to hopefully finding whom that person is but family commitments do not always allow the heart to be followed. The story will certainly maybe difficult to read at times but I saw press through it. You’ll find it worth it in the end.

Lisa See/ Chinese/ Love/ Afterlife/Adult Fiction/320 pages/ 4 out of 5

I am about half way through Haunted Memories by Melanie Atkins. Definitely a book to not be read at night, and I am. Okey I think I lost my mind. lol

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Dean Robilliard’s world gets hit when he sees a woman in a beaver costume. He helps her and then finds her in his house in the country. Finding out who his housekeeper is another surprise he has to deal with. Yet Dean soon finds his heart stolen by Blue Bailey. But she is used to traveling the world and never looking back. She loves to paint but was stifled by her teachers in college. Now she is unsure of her talents and Dean wants to help her out in any way that he can. Blue doubts that he could even love her. Will these two ever realize what they mean to each other?

Ms. Phillips does a great job with this book. There is so much that both characters have to come to grips with. She really shows how family dynamics can or cannot work and how that can affect relationships. She knows how to present real people in her stories. Yes, she created them but I always able to really feel a part of the story.

Dean is a real sweetie if he would just get over the fact that he can be happy with anyone he wants. He kept driving me nuts about that kind of thing. Blue was a sweetie but didn’t want to give her heart away too easily so that she could walk away when she needed to. Both had commitment issues but then looking at both sets of parents, I could completely understand. They seemed to need each other more because of the hurt that they shared. I found myself laughing at the silly things that they would do in order to get what they wanted. I also really liked the character Riley. She was only 11 years old but wise beyond her years. She could be a little stinker but when shown the right way to fuel her energies she was a great girl! She just needed a little encouragement from her dad.

This book held my attention though I should not have waited so long to write this review. A lot of my enthusiasm for the book is gone but I do recommend it highly. Some of the characters from Match Me if You Can are in this book so I recommend reading that one first even though this is not a series. I give this book a 4/5 and look forward to reading more from this author.

Now off to read one more review book and then Terrorist by Caronline Cooney. :)