I've been on the lookout for short, "PG" Christmas novels featuring Black characters, especially ones dealing with family and friendship and such. So when I ran into this novel with its married, middle-aged heroine and such a warm, bright, Christmassy book cover, I was happy to snatch it up right away.

I found this to be an easy read to relax with. Not mind-blowing, nor the sharpest or most original in style, but a story that's easy to digest without being oversweet or fairy-tale perfect.

Granted, it felt a little weird to me for Beatrice to come out and describe herself to the reader as kind, humble, and considerate. I mean, it seems to me that humble people tend not to...announce it. Stylistically, it wasn't my favorite thing when the adult characters here would "whine" or "wail" in conversation.

Also, some of the dialogue fell a bit flat and the development of the story felt a little unfocused to me sometimes. Almost like when a person continues talking for a while mainly to keep words going out loud while they're trying to figure out where the conversation should really go next. I wasn't always sure where certain comments or descriptions in the book were supposed to land emotionally, and it took a little time before I could get a clear sense of Bea's character and the issues she's dealing with. (Just from the story itself—not from an explanation in the book blurb.)

Even so, I like how the story deals with some unfortunate and tragic stuff without becoming a dark and dreary read overall. Besides some accounts of past violence (no gory scenes), again, the content is "PG" mild. And of course, Bea's journey here has a positive destination, in tune with the Christmas season. I'll likely read another or two of this author's holiday reads sometime. ( )