O Christmas books, O Christmas books… should I feel bad reading you before Turkey day? This Debbie Macomber holiday novel was short and sweet. Angels are sent to help a struggling girl, Addie, who left home six years ago without finishing high school, and has returned to get her GED. Eric, her neighbor, teased her mercilessly when they were kids. When he breaks both his wrists, and needs help, she reluctantly steps in to do the right thing.

This was definitely a slow burn, but a sweet one. Addie and Eric have plenty of sniping to do, and Eric is Mr. Grinch to her Christmas elf, which makes for some cute moments.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. ( )

3.5 stars ( )

The story had the potential of being very interesting. Harry the angel is human for the first time but there was not much there - his interest in the French teacher made for an interesting aspect of the story but wish there was more. Harry only did a couple interventions with his assignment. I expected him to do more 'goofs' as being a new angel, things that would have created humor to the story. Addie grew but Erich just got over a previous lover. ( )

'Addie had assumed she'd feel good about being able to do this for her mother. Quite the contrary. Already she was filled with dread, and her mother and neighbour hadn't even left for the airport.'

Plot

Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission to help Addie Folsom get her life back on track, and help her find love. Harry poses as a teacher at a local college in Tacoma, and although he's up to the task, he isn't prepared for the surprises coming his way.

After moving away and trying to make it on her own, Addie has returned to her hometown for Christmas, but this time she's staying for good and has enrolled in the local college. However, being back home has it's drawbacks, and one of those drawbacks is Erich Simmons.

Erich is her next-door neighbour, and he never missed a chance to tease and humiliate Addie as they were growing up. Addie intends to avoid Erich as much as possible, but when they are forced together, Addie must swallow her pride.

With a little encouragement from an angelic teacher, Addie and Erich soon find common ground and discover that they actually enjoy spending time together. They're in for a Christmas miracle.

My Thoughts

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, via Netgalley. I requested this book to read in December as I love to read Christmas books in the lead up to Christmas.

As this is in honest review, I'll start by saying that this book didn't really impress me. It was a short read, and if it was longer I might not have been able to finish it, as it just seemed to lack something. I enjoyed the concept of the guardian angel that's placed on earth to guide Addie and her classmates, most of which are in need of a push in the right direction. However, there just didn't seem to be a spark between the two main characters so I couldn't enjoy the story as much as I would have liked to.

At the start of the story, the difficult relationship between Addie and Erich is explained. Addie and her brother Jerry grew up next door to Erich, and while Erich and Jerry were friends, Addie's relationship with Erich was more difficult. She always had feelings for Erich and followed him around hoping for his attention. However, Erich went out of his way to make her life difficult, teasing her at every opportunity.

I found it a little strange that the small mention of Addie's brother at the start of the book was all we hear about him throughout the whole story. Jerry has a family of his own and lives quite far from his hometown, but as this is the first Christmas without their father, you'd think he'd make the effort to visit for Christmas. I just found this a little strange as Christmas is a time for family.

There's not much else to say about this book, as really not a lot happens. I did enjoy Harry's POV as he had to come to terms with the human emotions he was feeling while he was in a human body. He's not used to those feelings, so it was interesting to see how he copes with his new and complex emotions.

Overall, this was a nice read, if a little boring. I've certainly read better Christmas books, but I've also read worse. I wouldn't read this book again, but I don't regret reading it, as it did have a nice magical element to it. ( )

Ever seen one
of those Hallmark Channel
Christmas themed movies
in which two people who belong
to two completely different worlds
and are clearly the opposite to each other,
attitude, personality, and character wise,
find each other in this very freaky situation of sorts,
and eventually fall into each other's arms, kiss,
and eventually completely fall in love?

Well, if you have,
and if you believe in such a quick
true love as much as I believe in it,
don't hesitate, because Debbie's,
the author of this novel's
written a clear masterpiece
as far as Christmas themed
Romance Novels are concerned.

A masterpiece that involves
two completely different people
from two completely different worlds,
and a little bit of God's intervention
with the help of his two brightest Angels,
two brightest Angels who are in this story
for a very special reason,
which is of course to help these two
well-written love birds finally find
each other and to finally
fall in love.

And since this is a Christmas
themed romance novel,
we all know that in the end
love always
finds a
way
to two people's
hearts.

:) ( )