Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Review: A Winter Wonderland


About the Book:
In "A Winter Wonderland" by Fern Michaels, Angelica Shepard leaves New York for Christmas in Colorado to relax and unwind - but an out-of-control snowboarder almost has her laid to rest. When she wakes up in the hospital, all she remembers is the handsome angel who saved her. "The Joy of Christmas" by Holly Chamberlin introduces Iris Karr, who thinks "not all happiness is good for you," when she decides to move away instead of marrying her sweetheart Ben. Even years later, living with that decision isn't easy - until a familiar face comes to call her home for the holidays. In Leslie Meier's "The Christmas Thief," Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker's Cove, Maine - until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor's jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth's mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. 'Tis the season for a little investigating. In "The Christmas Collector" by Kristina McMorris, estate liquidator Jenna Matthews isn't one for Christmas nostalgia. But when one grandmother's keepsakes suggest a secret life, unwrapping the mystery leads Jenna - and her client's handsome grandson - to the true heart of the holiday spirit.

My Comments:
The fun thing about Christmas anthologies is that they give you a chance to sample writers whose works you keep seeing, but not buying.  I've never read any of these authors before but will definitely give Holly Chamberlin another chance.

None of these stories was terribly sophisticated or long and they were easy reads.  "A Winter Wonderland" was a pretty basic romance set in Colorado.  She's an actress who figures her time on stage is about at an end; he is a surgeon who just lost a patient and isn't sure he wants to remain a surgeon.  I really enjoyed "The Joy of Christmas".  It was a little darker than the average Christmas romance, but in the end... I really didn't care for "The Christmas Thief" but those who like a little "who dunnit" with their romance probably would like this one--it is part of a series about some crime solving old ladies.  "The Christmas Collector" fell flat for me but it included a second chance at first love.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to write a positive review.  Grade:  B-

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