Christmas In September: 1225 Christmas Tree Lane: My Review

1225 Christmas Tree Lane (Cedar Cove)

About the Book:

The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise.

But...someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, puppies she’s determined to place in good homes. That’s complication number one. And number two is that her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth’s ex-husband, Kent, to  Cedar  Cove for  Christmas. 

The girls  have  visions  of  a  mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads. As always in life — and in Cedar Cove — there are surprises, too. More than one family’s going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending!

What would the holidays be without a new Christmas story from Debbie Macomber?

My Comments:

I've been known to say that I like happy endings tied up in a bow.  In this case, Debbie Macomber gives me a big bow.  This is the final book in her long-running series about the residents of Cedar Cove and she begins the book with a letter to her readers, telling them that various couples who met throughout the course of these books do indeed live happily ever after.  Other couples get their happily ever after during the course of this book.  If you have a favorite Cedar Cove resident, I'm sure you'll enjoy the resolution to his or her story.  If you are looking for a fluffy-as-snow Christmas read, this will charm you, though if you haven't followed the series you many wonder why all these characters make appearances.  If such things are important to you, it is squeaky clean.  

At 288 pages, it is shorter than most of the Cedar Cove books, but delivers love for Christmas for more than one Cedar Cove resident.  Grade:  B.

I'd like thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  I was not  obligated to provide a positive review.  

Christmas in September: My Review of Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook

Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook: Favorite Recipes and Holiday Traditions from My Home to Yours

About the Book:

We call her the "Official Storyteller of Christmas"—but Debbie Macomber is more than that. She's someone who loves the holiday and its traditions. Now she shares more than one hundred of her favorite recipes to help you enjoy this joyous season. You'll also find easy-to-follow instructions for crafts, decorations and gift wrapping—everything you need to create a beautiful holiday.

What makes this cookbook unique is Debbie's personal memories and observations. Join her as she reminisces about traditions past and present, and discover the craft ideas she herself uses. As she says, "The holidays are about being with others. They're about celebrating and sustaining our community of family and friends."

In this beautifully illustrated book, she shows you how to serve a memorable meal, whether it's a sit-down Christmas dinner for a crowd, entertaining friends at an open house or tea, or spending time with your children or grandchildren baking cookies and making gifts.

My Comments:

In case you haven't noticed, I've read a lot of NetGalleys lately.  NetGalleys come in two different formats.  Those I download to my Kindle are in black and white, and I get to keep them forever (but rarely do, I know I won't read them again so why bother?).  Those I download to my computer are in color (if the print version is) but they expire after a certain amount of time.  I'm happy with the arrangement, except for cookbooks.  For one thing, many cookbooks don't offer the Kindle version so if I want to keep recipes, I have to go through a work-around.  Even for those that do, the effect just isn't as nice as a book.  However, I have decided that if I review cookbooks I can download to my Kindle, I will make at least one recipe, photograph it (and my assistant cook) and give the book an "extra" post.  Those cookbook I only get to review for a short while will get a short "here is what I saw" type of review.

Debbie Macomber's Christmas Cookbook: Favorite Recipes and Holiday Traditions from My Home to Yours is a beautiful cookbook filled with delicious-sounding recipes as well as craft ideas.  Interspersed are holiday anecdotes from Macomber's family.  While there are not photos of every recipe, there are beautiful color photos of a lot of them.  I miss a lot of the effect with my Kindle, yet I can't bring the computer into the kitchen to use when cooking (well I guess I could bring the laptop, but my cookbooks always end up with stuff on them and computers are expensive).  It is books like this that make me long for "the good old days" of real review copies.  It includes breakfast foods, appetizers, Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner, Christmas desserts, baking with Grandma, family dinners and Christmas gifts.  

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley (even though I would have rather had a real review copy).  Grade:  B+   Stay tuned for another post with a recipe for German Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.

See this review and others on my Christmas in September link-up.  Come over and link up your reviews of Christmas-themed books.

Review: 1105 Yakima Street

1105 Yakima Street (Cedar Cove)

About the Book:

1105 Yakima Street, Cedar Cove, Washington Dear Reader, You’ve probably heard that my wife has left me. Rachel’s pregnant, and she says she can’t handle the stress in our household anymore. My thirteen-year-old daughter, Jolene, is jealous of her. Maybe it’s my fault. As a widower I spoiled her — Jolene was reading over my shoulder just now and says that’s not true. She claims Rachel ruined everything. But that’s not true. The real question is: How can I get my wife back? I don’t even know where she is. She’s not with Teri Polgar or any of her other friends from the salon. The other question is... when will Jolene grow up and stop acting like such a brat? Of course, I’m not the only one in town with problems. Linc Wyse’s father-in-law is trying to destroy his business. And you know Charlotte Rhodes? Seems she’s becoming forgetful, and the family’s worried about her and Ben. Lots of other stuff going on — but Rachel is better at keeping up with it than I am. If you have any idea where my wife is, give me a call. Please. Bruce Peyton

My Comments:

This  is the  twelfth book in Debbie Macomber's continuing soap opera about the residents of a small town in Washington State.  Like tv soap operas there are plot threads carried from book to book, and time is taken to catch us up on characters from other books.  The primary thread in this book is the relationship between newlyweds Bruce and Rachel, whose nuptial bliss has been taken from them by his teen daughter (who used to really like Rachel--but if you hadn't read the other books you wouldn't know this).  The main sub-plot deals with an elderly couple making the decision to move to assisted living.  I couldn't list all the other subplots if I tried.  Together they make a book that is a satisfying read if you are a fan of the series, and one that will leave you perplexed about the inclusion of so many useless undeveloped characters and unrelated action  if you try to read it as a stand-alone.   To her credit, Macomber does begin the book with a list of characters and their relationships to each other, however, if you haven't read the other books in this series, I'd start at the beginning rather than here, near the end.  Grade:  B.

I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review  copy available via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to provide a positive review.

Review: A Turn in the Road

A Turn in the Road (Blossom Street)

About the Book:

In the middle of the year, in the middle of her life, Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth. They’re driving to Florida for Ruth’s 50th high-school reunion. A longtime widow, Ruth would like to reconnect with Royce, the love of her teenage life. She’s heard he’s alone, too...and, well, she’s curious. Maybe even hopeful. Bethanne herself needs time to reflect, to ponder a decision she has to make. Her ex-husband, Grant — her children’s father — wants to reconcile now that his second marriage has failed. Bethanne’s considering it.... Meanwhile, Annie’s out to prove to her onetime boyfriend that she can live a brilliant life without him! So there they are, three women driving across America. They have their maps and their directions — but even the best-planned journey can take you to a turn in the road. Or lead you to an unexpected encounter — like the day Bethanne meets a man named Max who really is a hero on a Harley. That’s when Bethanne’s decision becomes a lot harder. Because Grant wants her back, but now there’s Max.... From Seattle’s Blossom Street to the other end of the country, this is a trip that could change three women’s lives.

My Comments:

In a lot of ways, this book is typical Macomber.  It features Bethanne, a character from the Yarn Shop books.  It starts in the Pacific Northwest.  It is sweet, and though a romance, does not have bedroom scenes.   As we watch these three women, all of whom are to some degree nursing broken hearts, travel across the USA we see then growing stronger in self-love which then allows them to deal with the men in their lives.  Who should Bethanne pick?  Grant is attractive, personable, attentive and repentant.  Going back with him would make her daughter and mother-in-law happy, but is it what she wants?  Max makes her heart beat faster, but she realizes their relationship has not been tested.  Should she give Grant another chance?  Listening to her daughter and mother-in-law talk about their love lives gives her the courage to live hers.

I enjoyed this book and thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley.  Grade:  B.

Review: The Knitting Diaries

The Knitting Diaries: The Twenty-First Wish\Coming Unraveled\Return to Summer Island

About the Book:

Knitting is many things to many people.

Knitting is a way of life

The Twenty-First Wish by Debbie Macomber
Anne Marie Roche and her adopted daughter, ten-year-old Ellen, have each written a list of twenty wishes—on which they included learning to knit. Like many of their wishes, it’s come true and now they knit practically every day. But Ellen has quietly added a twenty-first wish: that her mom will fall in love with Tim, Ellen’s birth father, who’s recently entered their lives.…

Knitting is a passion

Coming Unraveled by Susan Mallery
When Robyn Mulligan’s dreams of becoming a Broadway star give way to an intense longing for her childhood home, she decides it’s time to make a fresh start back in Texas, running her grandmother’s knitting store. But the handsome, hot-tempered T. J. Passman isn’t making it easy on her. If he can learn to trust Robyn, and overcome his tragic past, they just might discover a passion like no other.

Knitting is a comfort

Return to Summer Island by Christina Skye
After a devastating car accident, Caro McNeal finds healing on Oregon’s sleepy Summer Island, where she’s warmly embraced by a community of knitters. She also finds meaning and purpose in the letters she exchanges with a marine serving in Afghanistan. But when life takes another unexpected turn, will Caro untangle her fears and pick up the threads of hope, opening her heart to wherever it takes her?

My Comments:

What could an anthology of three short romances by these authors be but sweet?  All feature knitters, and all three stories are preceded by knitting patterns.  The Twenty-First Wish is the continuation of Macomber's Twenty Wishes (my review) and like Macomber's recent work, it is squeaky clean.  With its short length, I didn't really get a feel for the characters, but since I "knew" them from Twenty Questions, it wasn't a problem.  Without that background, it is simply a predictable story with an overused plot--should she go for Mr. Steady and Reliable, or Mr Makes Her Heart Go Pitter Patter.  

The hero and heroine in Coming Unraveled are better developed than Macomber's characters.  Mallery's characters begin the book disliking each other but end it....  Both are hurting in their own way, each brings healing to the other and Grandma and her friends make this as cozy as a hand-knit scarf.  It is the only one of the three stories with an intimate scene, and I'd describe it as moderately graphic.

Return to Summer Island is about a young woman recovering from physical injuries and a young Marine she meets on the day before he is to return to Afghanistan.  While a bit unrealistic, the story was heartwarming, and if you are an animal lover, you'll be glad to know that a dog and cat are major characters.

While I doubt any of these stories will make any list of classic literature, they were all fun reads and if you like these authors and/or clean romances, give them a try.  Grade:  B-

Thanks to the publisher for making a complimentary review copy available to me via NetGalley.  I was not obligated to provide any review, much less a positive one.

1022 Evergreen Place: My Review

1022 Evergreen Place (Cedar Cove)

Either you are familiar with Debbie Macomber's Ceder Cove series or you are not.  This is book ten in the continuing saga (soap opera) about the lives and loves of those in this small Washington town, across the Sound from Seattle.  Each book focuses on one couple, with a problem, situation etc. that they have to face, along, usually, with a romance between them.  Each book also brings you up-to-date with the characters from  other books.  Macomber is nice enough to list the characters at the front of the book so as to refresh your memory of who they are and how they fit together.  While these catch up moments are nice for continuing fans, those who haven't read the other books will certainly wonder why these miscellaneous characters show up, do little and then fall out of the story. 

The main couple in this story is Mary Jo and Mack.  Mary Jo is the mother of a baby, whose father is Ben's son, who has all but abandoned them, except to threaten to try to take custody should she try to get child support.  Mack is the son of Roy and Corrie.  He is the EMT who delivered her baby in the last book.  He is also the brother to Linnette and Gloria.  He grew  up with Linnette, who moved to North Dakota, but Gloria had been given up for adoption by Corrie, since she and Roy had broken up when she learned she was pregnant.  You get the picture--lots of intertwined lives, lots of threads to follow.  Great literature it is not, but like all Macomber's books, it is quick easy read where most folks live happily ever after. There are no sex  scenes but plenty of romance. Grade B.

I got my copy from the library.

Hannah's List

Hannah died of ovarian cancer a year ago.  The opening scene of Hannah's List has her brother giving his best friend, and Hannah's widower, a letter from Hannah.  In it, Hannah tells her husband that it is time for him to remarry, and gives him a list of three women she wants him to consider.  One is her favorite cousin, another her oncology nurse and the third, a model she met recently.  Her husband isn't interested in dating but decides to honor Hannah's wish and at least contact the women.  With whom does he end up?  Well, I'll give you a hint:  this is a Debbie Macomber book; everyone lives happily ever after.

Part of the story is set on Blossom Street, so if you are a reader of Macomber's Yarn Shop books, you'll see some familiar names, but they really don't play an important part in this story.

The book is typical Macomber; if you like her other books, you'll like this one; if not, well, this is no different. Grade:  B

(My copy is borrowed from the library)

Summer on Blossom Street: My Review

 

Summer on Blossom Street is the current episode in the soap opera-like Blossom Street series by Debbie Macomber.  It picks up where Twenty Wishes ends.  Lydia Goetz is holding a "Knit to Quit" series of lessons at her yarn shop.  Her students are Alix, who has been in earlier books; Phoebe who is trying to quit loving her ex-fiancée; and "Hutch", a hard-charging businessman who has been told by his doctor to take up knitting to lower his stress level.  We watch these characters as they deal with the issues in their lives.  We also meet Lydia's new foster child and spend time with Anne Marie and Ellen from Twenty Wishes.  

If you've never read one of Macomber's Blossom Street/Yarn Shop books, you will feel you are missing some back story, but I think you could enjoy this book.  However, like a soap opera this book leaves threads  hanging to draw us to read the next installment.  In short, if you like Macomber's sagas, you'll like this addition; if you haven't read her other books; start with A Good Yarn (Blossom Street) and work your way through the series.

Review: Orchard Valley Grooms

 I passed the book rack at the grocery store Friday night and Orchard Valley Grooms: Valerie\Stephanie caught my eye.  I was in the mood for mind candy and I generally enjoy Debbie Macomber's books.  In some ways this was exactly what I expected--two sweet clean romances that shared some common characters.  In other ways I was disappointed--they were just a little too predictable, a little too trite.  I read the first; I gave up on the second--as I've said before, with romances, the ending is generally known; it is the journey that makes the story, and in the case of these two stories I'm afraid I didn't find the story very interesting.  Grade C

My Review: A Cedar Cove Christmas

I decided more fluff was in order tonight so I pulled A Cedar Cove Christmas off the stack of books I got from Bookmooch. I read the 279 page book in less than three hours. If you are a fan of Macomber's Cedar Cove books, or if you are searching for a quick easy heartwarming read, you will probably like this one. If you are looking for a substantial book with complex characters or novel situations, well, try something else.

The main character in this book is Mary Jo, an unwed mother-to-be. She was impregnated by David, the son of Ben Rhodes, Charlotte's husband (if those names mean nothing to you, don't worry, you can understand this book just fine without knowing the backstory, but Cedar Cove fans "know" the people I've named. David is a scoundrel who at first said he'd marry her, but has become increasingly hard to find. He told her he'd be spending Christmas in Cedar Cove, so she goes there to find him before the three Wyse men (her brothers) find him and "encourage" him to do something she has now decided she doesn't want him to do (marry her). By the time she realizes David isn't there, it is nightfall, and there is no room at an inn, so Grace Harding invites her to stay at the ranch with her and Cliff, in an apartment in the barn.

The story is sweet, most of our friends make a brief appearance, some for no apparent reason, but I can't say that this book was any different than I expected when I mooched it.

Fluff and More Fluff

Yesterday it was raining, so I needed someplace indoors, preferably someplace frequented by other children, to which to take my youngest. Also, my other daughter had a school report on which she needed to start. The library was the perfect place to take both of them. While there I grabbed a short romance by Debbie Macomber, The Matchmakers (Famous Firsts) which was about how two kids turned a near-miss on the road into new stepparents for themselves. He was a handsome ex-NFL player who usually dated blonds whose "brains leak out" when they open their mouths. He'd been burned by his ex and didn't want to marry again. She's the widow of a firefighter who died in the line of duty. Her son thinks it is time she found him a new dad. Guess how the story ends?

I was still feeling fluffy when I got home and there was another Debbie Macomber book in my Bookmooch stack. Since I don't have any deadlines I'm worried about meeting, I decided to fluff some more. This Matter Of Marriage (MIRA) is just a basic romance. She is 30, a career woman and has decided that her goal this year is marriage (with baby to follow). He is recently divorced and the father of two, and her new next door neighbor. He is also still in love with his ex-wife. I check the end of the book, and sure enough, I predicted the ending. Heck, I even have a feeling I read this once before, but who knows. A lot of Macomber's romances start reading alike after a while, but they are fun mind candy.

If you click on the names of the books above, the links will take you to Amazon.com, where, if you buy, I get a small commission. I wonder if that's enough to keep the disclosure police happy?