Book Review: A Connecticut Christmas
A Connecticut Christmas by Diane Ashley, Janet Lee Barton, Rhonda Gibson and Gail Sattler Barbour Books 2008
This is a great anthology containing 4 romances which centre around a Christmas gift shop in a Connecticut mall. These faith-filled stories were just what I needed in the hectic days of December. They reminded me that everyone is busy, everyone has struggles and everyone needs to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Santa’s Prayer by Diane Ashley – Delia feels robbed. She thought Nick, her boyfriend, might be the one, but he started going to church and going all religious on her. So, she did the sensible thing – she asked him to chose between her and his new religion. She just didn’t expect him not to chose her. Now, she’s alone at Christmas. When she peruses the new gift shop in the mall for a new Santa to add to her collection, she notices a special one of a Santa kneeling beside a manger holding the baby Jesus. The scene strikes discord within her as she sees it as a way for those religious people to pull attention away from dear old Santa. But the scene grows on Delia. She begins her own personal journey of discovery as she wonders what it is about Nick’s newfound religion that makes it more appealing than her.
The Cookie Jar by Janet Lee Barton – Jonathan and his twins have come to depend on the attention they receive in Cindy’s cookie shop. In fact, Jonathan would like more personal attention from the friendly lady but she’s always so busy with her business. The cookie shop was her mom’s dream and Cindy intends to bring it to the fruition her mom couldn’t before she died. She does want a family – some day – but with the business just starting up, she doesn’t see how she can take time off to date, marry and raise twins at the present time. But the kids have asked Santa for a new mommy and Cindy is their choice. Whatever will Jonathan do?
Stuck on You by Rhonda Gibson – This is the type of story that brings out your emotions. I was so angry at the hero even though I knew his intent. Morgan Frost meets the woman of his dreams but how can he get to know her better without admitting his feelings? So when Sheila, a children’s book author offers him a business partnership whereby she’ll write stories using the small creatures he’s designed, he goes one step further to ensure she’ll have to keep in touch with him after the venture is over. He doesn’t tell her why he wants to get to know her better and she assumes he wants to stifle her creativity by keeping creative control. Does she want to work with someone like him? Can she even trust him with her stories?
Snowbound for Christmas by Gail Sattler - Kade loves the Christmas story and everything it entails. He just can’t abide the commercialism of the holiday. He does have a business to run, however, and when new clients are enroute, Kade gives his staff free reign in decorating the workplace then regrets it later when he sees what new employee Rochelle has done. Everyone likes Rochelle’s work so much, they convince her to decorate the church lobby too so even there, Kade is bombarded by commercialism. The problem is he really likes his new employee. Rochelle knows Kade works somewhere upstairs but isn’t too sure about his actual job description. Maybe she shouldn’t have made those remarks about the building’s owner?
Heat Level: Affectionate
My Rating: Great - 4 stars (a keeper)
This is a great anthology containing 4 romances which centre around a Christmas gift shop in a Connecticut mall. These faith-filled stories were just what I needed in the hectic days of December. They reminded me that everyone is busy, everyone has struggles and everyone needs to remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Santa’s Prayer by Diane Ashley – Delia feels robbed. She thought Nick, her boyfriend, might be the one, but he started going to church and going all religious on her. So, she did the sensible thing – she asked him to chose between her and his new religion. She just didn’t expect him not to chose her. Now, she’s alone at Christmas. When she peruses the new gift shop in the mall for a new Santa to add to her collection, she notices a special one of a Santa kneeling beside a manger holding the baby Jesus. The scene strikes discord within her as she sees it as a way for those religious people to pull attention away from dear old Santa. But the scene grows on Delia. She begins her own personal journey of discovery as she wonders what it is about Nick’s newfound religion that makes it more appealing than her.
The Cookie Jar by Janet Lee Barton – Jonathan and his twins have come to depend on the attention they receive in Cindy’s cookie shop. In fact, Jonathan would like more personal attention from the friendly lady but she’s always so busy with her business. The cookie shop was her mom’s dream and Cindy intends to bring it to the fruition her mom couldn’t before she died. She does want a family – some day – but with the business just starting up, she doesn’t see how she can take time off to date, marry and raise twins at the present time. But the kids have asked Santa for a new mommy and Cindy is their choice. Whatever will Jonathan do?
Stuck on You by Rhonda Gibson – This is the type of story that brings out your emotions. I was so angry at the hero even though I knew his intent. Morgan Frost meets the woman of his dreams but how can he get to know her better without admitting his feelings? So when Sheila, a children’s book author offers him a business partnership whereby she’ll write stories using the small creatures he’s designed, he goes one step further to ensure she’ll have to keep in touch with him after the venture is over. He doesn’t tell her why he wants to get to know her better and she assumes he wants to stifle her creativity by keeping creative control. Does she want to work with someone like him? Can she even trust him with her stories?
Snowbound for Christmas by Gail Sattler - Kade loves the Christmas story and everything it entails. He just can’t abide the commercialism of the holiday. He does have a business to run, however, and when new clients are enroute, Kade gives his staff free reign in decorating the workplace then regrets it later when he sees what new employee Rochelle has done. Everyone likes Rochelle’s work so much, they convince her to decorate the church lobby too so even there, Kade is bombarded by commercialism. The problem is he really likes his new employee. Rochelle knows Kade works somewhere upstairs but isn’t too sure about his actual job description. Maybe she shouldn’t have made those remarks about the building’s owner?
Heat Level: Affectionate
My Rating: Great - 4 stars (a keeper)
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2008 Harlequin 100,000 Book Challenge: 113 books read
Harlequin Imprint: 104, Others: 9
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