Christmas on Main Street

Christmas on Main Street

JoAnn Ross
Susan Donovan
Luann McLane
Alexis Morgan

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from Goodreads): ‘Tis the season to fall in love in these four small towns.

In “Christmas in Shelter Bay,” New York Times bestselling author JoAnn Ross returns to Shelter Bay, where Kelli has long tried to keep her feelings for her friend Cole a secret. But when the local matchmakers conspire to send them to a secluded lakeside cabin, the two friends soon discover that a little love will keep them warm.

TV producer Nathaniel Ravelle knows the Bayberry Island mermaid legend is a joke— how could a statue grant a wish for true love? But when a Christmas Nor’easter lands him in close quarters with local Annie Parker, they see magic at work in matters of the heart in New York Times bestselling author Susan Donovan’s “A Seaside Christmas.”

In LuAnn McLane’s “Mistletoe on Main Street,” Clint isn’t sure how to rekindle his romance with high school sweetheart Ava—until his father bows out of playing Santa at the annual Cricket Creek holiday parade and Clint gets the chance to make this Christmas one to remember.

And in Alexis Morgan’s “The Christmas Gift”, business is booming at Bridey Roke’s pastry shop. Everyone in town stops in to sample her holiday treats. But in her spare moments, she’s perfecting a special recipe to charm the handsome new neighbor—who has his own surprise gift for her come Christmas Eve!

Review: An easy to read collection of cheerful Christmas romances, just right for reading in front of a roaring fire.  Each novella is set in an already existing storybook town, which can be a bit confusing if the reader has never read the other books in the series, but each novella did stand alone.  I particularly enjoyed Donovan's story set in the town with the crazy mermaid ladies - some very funny images!

Rating: 3 stars (for a romance)

Candlelight Christmas

Candlelight Christmas

Susan Wiggs

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from Goodreads): #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR SUSAN WIGGS INVITES YOU TO AN UNFORGETTABLE CHRISTMAS IN THE CATSKILLS

A single father who yearns to be a family man, Logan O'Donnell is determined to create the perfect Christmas for his son, Charlie. The entire O'Donnell clan arrives to spend the holidays in Avalon, a postcard-pretty town on the shores of Willow Lake, a place for the family to reconnect and rediscover the special gifts of the season.

One of the guests is a newcomer to Willow Lake— Darcy Fitzgerald. Sharp-witted, independent and intent on guarding her heart, she's the last person Logan can see himself falling for. And Darcy is convinced that a relationship is the last thing she needs this Christmas.

Yet between the snowy silence of the winter woods, and toasty moments by a crackling fire, their two lonely hearts collide. The magic of the season brings them each a gift neither ever expected—a love to last a lifetime.

Review: Year ago I read several books in Susan Wiggs' Willow Lake series, and I really enjoyed them, so it was nice to pick up another book in the series and revisit the quaint town and friendly neighbors living in the Catskills.  This book was a quick and charming read about spunky and sporty city girl Darcy, who falls in love with loving single father Logan.  While I liked how Wiggs brought Darcy and Logan almost together in the years leading up to the perfect Christmas described in this book, the romance still felt a little quick.  But overall a fun to read, feel good Christmas story.

Rating: 4 stars (for a romance)

Starry Night

Starry Night

Debbie Macomber

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from Goodreads): ’Tis the season for romance, second chances, and Christmas cheer with this new novel from Debbie Macomber.

Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author.

Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a mega-bestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.

Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart.

Filled with all the comforts and joys of Christmastime, Starry Night is a delightful novel of finding happiness in the most surprising places.

Review: Debbie Macomber's books are always sweet, heart warming, and full of Christmas cheer, and this one is no exception.  So why the average rating?  I guess I had a hard time buying that two such polar opposites would be attracted to each other after finding themselves stuck together for a short period of time.  I couldn't help wondering whether they would actually be happy living together for the long term.  I guess I'm too realistic and not a sappy romantic anymore.

Rating: 3 stars (for a romance)

An Outlaw's Christmas

An Outlaw's Christmas

Linda Lael Miller

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from Goodreads): With his wild heart, Sawyer McKettrick isn't ready to settle down on the Triple M family ranch in Arizona. So he heads to Blue River, Texas, to seek a job as marshal. But in a blinding snowstorm he's injured—and collapses into the arms of a prim and proper lady in calico.The shirtless, bandaged stranger recuperating in teacher Piper St. James's room behind the schoolhouse says he's a McKettrick, but he looks like an outlaw. As they wait out the storm, the handsome loner has Piper remembering long-ago dreams of marriage and motherhood. But for how long is Sawyer willing to call Blue River home?

As the gray skies clear, Piper's one holiday wish just might bring two lonely hearts together forever.

Review: Years ago I read several of Miller's books about the McKettrick family, so it was fun to revisit them in this cute little Christmas romance.  I always enjoy Miller's writing style, and the story was engaging and zippy.  The heroine, Piper, is a likeable headstrong woman, who has met her match in handsome cowboy Sawyer.  A sweet and heartwarming story full of Christmas cheer.

Rating: 4 stars (for a romance)

The Christmas Cookie Collection

The Christmas Cookie Collection

Lori Wilde

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Four delightful novellas featuring characters from Lori Wilde's New York Times bestselling book The First Love Cookie Club. First published as e-originals, they are now available in one volume and in print for the first time

Review: Four easy to read short stories about couples finding love in Wilde's fictional town of Twilight, Texas.  I enjoyed the stories, but think that some of them would have been better if they had been longer and had more detail.  It felt like too much was crammed in a short story.

Rating: 3 stars

Christmas at Twilight

Christmas at Twilight

Lori Wilde

Genre: Romance, Christmas

Summary (from Goodreads): It's Christmas in Twilight, Texas. The Cookie Club is baking, the town is decorated, and Delta Force Operator "Hutch" Hutchinson has finally, reluctantly, returned home . . .

. . . only to get pepper sprayed by the delicious- looking stranger who's taken over his house. She says her name is Jane, and she immediately sets down ground rules. Top priority: no touching. For Hutch that isn't easy—he was wounded in action, but one part is still working very well.

Then Hutch learns the truth. Jane harbors a frightening secret—she's really Meredith Sommers, on the run from a dangerous ex-husband and desperately in need of the safety Hutch can provide. In that moment, he vows he'd do anything in his power to protect her. And as Christmas approaches, they discover that their love can conquer the past and overcome any obstacle—but what price will they pay?

Review: This was a sweet little book to read before Christmas; I had never read a romance by this author, and I enjoyed her writing style.  The characters were well developed, the plot was interesting, the writing was smooth, and the dialogue was realistic.  There was definitely a little bit of descriptive hanky panky going on, so be forewarned before you pick it up.  My only complaints were that the author has incorporated a lot of issues in this book (bipolar disorder, PTSD, and domestic violence) and that she brought in a lot of miscellaneous characters that aren't important to the story and get a little confusing (which makes sense when you realize that she has a series of books about the people in this town, and she's trying to update the reader about their lives, a la Debbie Macomber).

If I'm in the mood for a romance novel, I would definitely choose another by Lori Wilde.

Rating: 4 stars (for a romance)

Where Angels Go

Where Angels Go

Debbie Macomber

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Christmas is a time for angels.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are back! These three irresistible angels love their assignments on Earth. They especially love helping people who send prayer requests to Heaven (even though the Archangel Gabriel, their boss, knows they're going to break his rules)!

This Christmas, Mercy is assigned to bring peace of mind to an elderly man, who discovers an unexpected answer to his prayer.

Goodness is sent to oversee the love life of a young woman afraid to risk commitment a second time. And Shirley has the task of granting a little boy's fondest Christmas wish.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy go wherever they're needed. These three charming angels often find themselves in trouble, but somehow things always work out for the best - especially at Christmas.
 
Review:  I always enjoy Macomber's Christmas angel stories, and this book was no exception.  Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy are funny and entertaining, and the people they help are always sweet and well-deserving.  This book had a bit of a more serious note than her previous angel stories, which was welcome amidst the general fluffiness of Christmas novellas.  A very nice book for cozying up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate while watching the rain pour down.  Stupid El Nino.

Rating: 3 stars

The Christmas Hope

The Christmas Hope

Donna VanLiere

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Perennial New York Times bestsellers and Audie Award finalists The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing have become inspirational holiday classics, and THE CHRISTMAS HOPE is poised to become a seasonal favorite in its own right

Patricia and Mark Addison have long given up the hope of having a meaningful Christmas. But this year, Patricia’s job as a social worker will lead her to a very special five-year-old. Against her better judgment, Patricia bends the rules and takes the little girl to her own home. Through the presence of Emily in their house, and her penetrating questions about heaven, the Addisons learn that there is no sorrow so great that faith cannot help you find your way through. And Christmas will once more be a time of joy in their home. THE CHRISTMAS HOPE is a story of love in the face of loss, joy when all seems hopeless, and how light can shine into the darkest places.
 
Review:  This book was a cute little story, with sweet characters and a predictably happy ending.  Although it may have been a little too idealistic at times, it was a  nice Christmassy story that made me happy while reading it.

Becky, do you like this review better since it has two sentences instead of only one?

Rating: 3.5 stars

Unwrapped

Unwrapped

Erin McCarthy
Donna Kauffman
Kate Angell

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from Goodreads): From the streets of Chicago to the back roads of Kentucky to the wild dunes of a Scottish isle, mistletoe and mischief are this season’s hottest gifts...

Blue Christmas
ERIN MCCARTHY, New York Times bestselling author
While a blizzard blankets the world outside, Blue Farrow burrows into the arms of her highway hunk at the No Tell Motel. The road might be closed for dangerous conditions, but the couple navigates their own Kentucky Christmas curves. Nice and oh-so-naughty, Blue and her man open up to each other as they keep the Yule log burning.

Santa in a Kilt
DONNA KAUFFMAN, USA Today bestselling author
The wind-whipped December sands of the isle of Kinloch invigorate Kira McLeod as she sets out to tame rugged Shay Callaghan, a Scottish bachelor as wary of a wedding ring as a snowman is of the hot sun. It’ll take all the wiles of the canny islanders to weave a perfect Celtic Christmas for all...

Snow Angel
KATE ANGELL, National bestselling author
Snowed under in Chicago, free spirit Allie is trapped in Dutton’s department store on Christmas Eve when the lights go off and the holiday romance heats up. Our snow angel finds herself face to face with the dashing Aiden, the heir to the retail riches and her host for a night of winter wonder...

 
Review:  I generally love cozying up with a Christmas anthology in the middle of December, but I guess I have grown out of sexy Christmas romance short stories.  (Although I never liked romance stories where the characters jumped into bed too quickly.)  In the first story, the two main characters seemed quite likable, but then they jumped into bed together for no really good reason, and made me lose all respect for them as people.  The second story seemed to be part of an ongoing series, and since I had never read the first part of the series, I was left feeling confused and uninterested.  I gave up before the third story.

Rating: abandoned

The Perfect Christmas

The Perfect Christmas

Debbie Macomber

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from Goodreads): WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR CHRISTMAS PERFECT?

For Cassie Beaumont, it's meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing's worked. Not blind dates, not the Internet and certainly not leaving love to chance.

What's left? A professional matchmaker. He's Simon Dodson, and he's very choosy about the clients he takes on. Cassie finds Simon a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she's astonished when he accepts her as a client.

Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets him. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell ringer, dressing up as Santa's elf at a children's party and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all --- and she's finally ready to meet her match.

But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

Review:  This was a cute little story about a woman looking for the perfect man at Christmas time.  I knew exactly what was going to happen in this story just by reading the blurb, and I was right!  Contrary to the book's description, there weren't any surprises in the book; but even worse, the main romance was completely inexplicable.  I generally like Macomber's quick, light, fluffy little stories, but this one could have used more depth to bring it up to the level of her other quick, light, fluffy little books.

Rating: 2 stars

The Spy Who Came for Christmas

The Spy Who Came for Christmas

David Morrell

Genre: Christmas Thriller

Summary (from Goodreads): It’s Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, but among the revelers on Canyon Road, a decidedly unholy scene is taking place. A desperate man, dressed all in black, feverishly seeks refuge for himself and the squirming bundle he holds tightly against his breast. Agent Paul Kagan’s bundle is a baby who has the power to change the course of global events. His pursuers are his former colleagues—members of the Russian mafia who will stop at nothing to accomplish their mission. Now Kagan is a spy on the run—he must ensure this baby’s survival, even if it will cost him his own life.Just a short distance away, Kagan will find an unexpected pair of allies—a mother and her young son, who huddle together after a horrible episode of domestic violence leaves them home alone, with no means of transportation.

And so, with the exquisitely honed skills of his profession and the help and good faith of a weary woman and a disillusioned boy, Kagan must take on forces that will stop at nothing. In the course of a wild and violent night, the unlikely trio learn lessons of generosity, courage, and selflessness, discovering within themselves the luminous strength of the true Christmas spirit.

Review:  It was interesting to read a thriller book set at Christmas time; I've never read a book by this author before, and I think I'll look up one of his regular books to see whether I like it.  As a relatively short holiday book, the story felt a little rushed, and I would definitely have preferred more of a backstory and more detail about the characters.  The mother and son especially could have used more fleshing out.  But it was the end of the book that caused me to knock my rating down a star; it had a creative ending that I quite liked, but the book was over to quickly and too incompletely for me to truly enjoy it.

Rating: 3 stars

Comfort & Joy

Comfort & Joy

Kristin Hannah

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): Joy Candellaro once loved Christmas more than any other time of the year. Now, as the holiday approaches, she is at a crossroads in her life; recently divorced and alone, she can’t summon the old enthusiasm for celebrating. So without telling anyone, she buys a ticket and boards a plane bound for the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When an unexpected detour takes her deep into the woods of the Olympic rainforest, Joy makes a bold decision to leave her ordinary life behind--to just walk away--and thus begins an adventure unlike any she could have imagined.

In the small town of Rain Valley, six-year-old Bobby O’Shea is facing his first Christmas without a mother. Unable to handle the loss, Bobby has closed himself off from the world, talking only to his invisible best friend. His father Daniel is beside himself, desperate to help his son cope. Yet when the little boy meets Joy, these two unlikely souls form a deep and powerful bond. In helping Bobby and Daniel heal, Joy finds herself again.

But not everything is as it seems in quiet Rain Valley, and in an instant, Joy’s world is ripped apart, and her heart is broken. On a magical Christmas Eve, a night of impossible dreams and unexpected chances, Joy must find the courage to believe in a love--and a family--that can’t possibly exist, and go in search of what she wants . . . and the new life only she can find.
 
Review: Even when Hannah is writing Christmas fluffy romance, she still has a knack for writing characters who exhibit real emotion and behave in relate-able ways.  This was my favorite of the holiday romances I read this season for that reason.  It had more depth than a typical romance, with a twist partway through that made it even more interesting.  A very nice book to read while sitting in front of a fire listening to Christmas music.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Gabriel's Angel

Gabriel's Angel

Nora Roberts

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR NORA ROBERTS COMES A CLASSIC TALE OF ROMANCE TO WARM YOUR HEARTS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON ...

Pregnant, alone and on the run to protect her unborn child, Laura Malone found herself stranded on a snowy Colorado road, at the mercy of a stranger. Fortunately, Gabriel Bradley's only intention that fateful night was to provide her shelter.

She was an angel with midnight blue eyes and a shock of blond hair, and Gabe might have thought she had come out of the snowy night to save him --- if he were the kind of man to believe in such things. But ever since he had lost his beloved brother, he had lost hope. Now the only solace Gabe took was in his solitude.

Together they weathered the storm, sharing their intimate secrets and soon powerful passion. By the time the roads had cleared, a promise had been made. For Gabe understood Laura needed protection if she hoped to keep custody of her child through the coming court battle.

For her sake, he was prepared to offer marriage. But his motives weren't nearly so pure. Truthfully, this beautiful, vulnerable stranger had given him an invaluable gift. Life with Laura had given Gabe a reason for being --- courage to hope, and the power to dream that he could have the future and the family he had once dreamed of ...
 
Review: First of all, this story wasn't set at Christmastime, even though the cover image seems to indicate that it is.  Nope, it starts off during a Colorado snowstorm in springtime, and then ends sometime in the summer in California.  I was disappointed that it was billed as a holiday romance, when it clearly was not.  Plus, it was published as a hardcover in 2005, but the original copyright date was 1989.  The clothing was definitely dated, but I found the characters' attitudes to be dated as well.  I am always disappointed to pick up a book that seems relatively current, only to find out that it is actually over 25 years old.  It is obvious that Nora Roberts has grown as a writer in that time, since this reads like one of her earlier novels.  I was also put off by the descriptions of Laura and Gabe's life with a newborn baby, including losing baby weight, desire for intimacy, and the ease with which they returned to a normal life.  Sure, there was one scene where the baby didn't want to sleep through the night, and everyone was exhausted, but immediately after that, they were back to a normal life.  It's almost like Roberts thought, "oh wait, they have a newborn, guess I should throw in one typical newborn night in the midst of all the skinniness and sex."

Having said all that, this was a sweet story and an enjoyable holiday read (although it would have been much more enjoyable had someone taken 5 minutes to update the time to reflect the holiday season when it was republished.)  I don't have very high expectations for holiday romances (why not?  shouldn't someone write a good holiday romance?) and this one was a nice little book.

Rating: 3 stars

Angels at the Table

Angels at the Table

Debbie Macomber

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): In this joyous and whimsical holiday novel, Debbie Macomber rings in the season with the return of Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy, delivering laughs, love, and a charming dose of angelic intervention.

Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy know that an angel’s work is never done, especially during a time as wondrous as New Year’s Eve. With an apprentice angel, Will, under their wings, they descend upon Times Square in New York City eager to join in the festivities. And when Will spies two lonely strangers in the crowd, he decides midnight is the perfect time to lend a heavenly helping hand.      

Lucie Farrara and Aren Fairchild meet after bumping into each other—seemingly by accident—in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. They immediately hit it off and find they have a lot in common: Lucie is a burgeoning chef and Aren is a respected food critic. But just as quickly as they’re brought together, another twist of fate tears them apart, leaving Lucie and Aren with no way to reconnect.

A year later, Lucie is the chef of an acclaimed new restaurant and Aren is a successful columnist for a major New York newspaper. For all the time that’s passed, the two have not forgotten their one serendipitous evening—and neither have Shirley, Goodness, Mercy, and Will. To reunite the young couple, the angels cook up a brilliant plan: mix true love, a second chance, and a generous sprinkle of mischief to create an unforgettable Christmas miracle.
 
Review: A sweet little story about Macomber's lovable Christmas angels, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy.  As always, the angels are sent to Earth to help fulfill a prayer request, and while they are trying to bring the main characters together, they get into a fair amount of mischief.  This book focused on only one couple, Lucie and Aren, as opposed to the previous angel books I have read, in which each angel gets her own person to help.  I felt like having the three angels, plus one trainee angel, focused entirely on one couple was a bit of overkill.  Plus, I didn't see why Will, the trainee angel, needed to be included in the story.  I was looking for a quick, cozy, happy read this Christmas, and while this delivered, I wonder if I am growing out of Debbie Macomber.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Secret Santa

Secret Santa

Fern Michaels, Marie Bostwick, Laura Levine, Cindy Myers

Genre: Christmas Romance

Summary (from the publisher): Christmas is the time for miracles, mayhem, and holiday romance in these wonderful stories from four of today's most beloved authors…


"Mister Christmas" by Fern Michaels
A week before Christmas, attorney Claire O'Brien is summoned to Ireland to change her wealthy client's will--only to encounter resistance from his handsome nephew. Will Claire be forced to spend the holidays up close and personal with her irresistible Irish nemesis?


"The Yellow Rose of Christmas" by Marie Bostwick
Though Miss Velvet Tudmore wrote off romance years ago, rumor has it she has a secret admirer. And when her surprise suitor promises to reveal himself at the annual Christmas ball in Too Much, Texas, Velvet starts to wonder: is it ever too late to find love?


"Nightmare on Elf Street" by Laura Levine
Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa's elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she's teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he's found murdered on the job--and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer…


"Room at the Inn" by Cindy Myers
When a Rocky Mountain blizzard forces Barb and her husband to spend Christmas in a remote Colorado cabin with their fellow travelers, Barb struggles to cope--especially when her husband reveals troubling news. But sometimes a holiday shake-up is all a woman needs to discover what she's truly made of….

Review:  I have a secret weakness for cheesy holiday romance short story collections, and so I thought this would be a fun book to read in the car on the way down to my in-laws to celebrate Christmas.  However, I was seriously put off by the beginning of the first story, when Claire gets drunk in an airport and vomits in the bathroom then runs to catch her plane completely hungover.  I have no interest at all in reading about the shenanigans of irresponsible young women like this, so I gave up on the book.  I did come back to it later and read the last story, "Room at the Inn" by Cindy Myers, which I mostly enjoyed.  It was a nice little story where rich society wife Barb discovers the joy in having a simple Christmas, and in the last page, discovers what she really wants to do with her life.  I read the first page or two of the middle two stories, but decided they weren't my cup of tea either.

Rating: abandoned

The Christmas Promise

The Christmas Promise

Donna VanLiere

Genre: Christmas Fiction

Summary (from the publisher): Each Christmas we are given a promise from heaven. And each year on earth we make promises to each other.

This is a story about how a promise from one person to another shows us the true meaning of faith, remembrance, and love.Seven years ago Gloria endured a family tragedy that almost shook her faith entirely. Each Christmas she places a card in an envelope on her tree, restating a promise she made to her husband before he died. Now, having moved from her small town and all the painful memories it held, she is building a life by caring for people in need. Whether it's a young mother who can't pay her electric bill or a family who needs some extra food, Gloria always finds a way. Miriam is a thorn in Gloria's side. Miriam is a constantly critical, disapproving neighbor who looks with suspicion at all the good things Gloria does. When a twist of fate makes them roommates instead of neighbors, it's the ultimate test of patience and faith.

Chaz has a good job as head of security at Wilson's Department Store, but each night he returns home to an empty apartment. He longs for a wife and family of his own but realizes that the life choices he's made have alienated him. He befriends a young boy whose mother has fallen on hard times, giving him a chance to have a life he thought impossible.In The Christmas Promise, the lives of these characters collide and we learn that even as we move ahead, the past is never far behind. And when we are forgiven much, we love much.

In this warmly humorous and deeply poignant story, we are reminded that the Christmas Promise is the promise of second chances.

Review:  This was a nice, quick, feel-good Christmas read.  The story touches a little on runaways, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, so it's not entire a light and fluffy story.  The main characters had enough flaws to make them interesting, and by the end, everyone had addressed their problems and found their happy ending. There were a few too many ancillary characters for such a short book, and I think a little more depth and length would have improved it.

Rating: 3 stars