"Perfect for the holidays!"
I have the pleasure of reviewing the anthology Santa,
Honey by Kate Angell, Sandra Hill and Joy Nash, where
the common theme is having a hero who plays the role of
Santa during this joyous occasion. In Ho, Humbug, Ho, we see Alex Boxer as Scrooge, who
doesn't believe in Christmas despite being forced to put on
Santa's suit as part of his community service. Supervising
him was Holly McIntyre, the resident nutcracker and the
woman who can free him early from his onerous task, if she
were convinced of his good behavior. The story starts slow
at first, but there are moments of unexpected humor due to
the author's clever twist on words throughout this short
tale that had me laughing out loud. I feel though that as
the opening tale to the anthology, which is supposed to
draw the reader in to continue flipping the pages, Ho,
Humbug, Ho falls short of the expectations. The story
feels flat and personally, I didn't feel a connection to
both the hero and the heroine. In Naughty or Nice, Jessica Jones tries to salvage
Christmas for several orphans through some crazy antics and
takes Luke Carter as her hostage, who later volunteers his
help when he realizes his attraction to her. The story is a
rollercoaster of zany fun with a "certifiable loony" like
Jessica as the heroine, yet she is just what Luke needs to
feel alive once again. This is a wonderful love story about
finding love where you least expect it, and about Christmas
miracles that can come true, if you believe. Lastly, Christmas Unplugged is the tale of two
completely opposite sisters who travel to an isolated,
romantic lodge to have a white Christmas. Casey Harbison is
a workaholic and suffers from insecurity, though she hides
it from the world. She can't believe that hunky Matt Van
der Staappen would be interested in her, when her beautiful
younger sister Emma is nearby. Yet Casey is so different
from the women he usually encounters that Matt is attracted-
-irresistibly so. There's something about Matt that makes
him an appealing hero, that tugs at the heartstrings. Maybe
it's his vulnerability, then again, it could be his
gentlemanly ways. Whatever it is, this is a sweet romance
that warms the heart, and it is about two flawed people who
found perfection in love. Santa, Honey is a book that depicts the spirit of
Christmas and will make you believe once again in the power
of love.
Reviewed by Silver Winters
Posted September 11, 2009
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