2.5**
I feel a little like Scrooge giving this a lower rating, but ... This is a short, (too) sweet story of love found unexpectedly – or at least unexpected by the characters; the reader sees it coming a mile off.

Lacey is a single mom with two children, scraping by on her wages as a waitress at a truck stop in Santa Fe, NM. She likes her work and has a 1000-watt smile for her customers, which has resulted in enough tips to get her children the gifts they really want this year. More importantly, after years of estrangement from her family back in North Carolina, she has made arrangements to ride with one of her regular customers to surprise her father, and perhaps arrive at a truce if not full forgiveness. But her plans are thwarted when her friend falls and breaks his leg; he can’t take her now, but he arranges for another trucker to give her a ride. She knows Cooper; she’s waited on him for years. But he’s a loner, not very friendly or forthcoming, and he doesn’t seem too happy about the prospect of giving her a ride – especially when he realizes that he’ll also have to tote her two children and their luggage. The “Bah Humbug” lighted sign on his truck doesn’t begin to cover his apparent disdain for the holiday.

This is a fast, easy read specifically targeted at the holiday market. It’s not great literature, but it isn’t meant to be. The writing is straightforward, the plot is simple, and the characters are not very complicated. I thought it was okay, but wouldn’t go out of my way to read it again or to recommend it to anyone.
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What a fun feel good Christmas story about Lacey and her kids who ride home for the holidays in Cooper's eighteen-wheeler. I found this interesting take on the humbug versus Christmas spirit theme very enjoyable. ( )

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