Tag Archives: clean romance

let it snow

Book Review of Let It Snow, by Nancy Thayer

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I won a paperback copy of Nancy Thayer‘s Let it Snow through Goodreads. I read it now, in September, so that I can put it in the Little Free Library with the other holiday themed (or set) books in December.

Description:

Christina Antonioni is preparing for the holidays at her Nantucket toy shop, unpacking last-minute shipments and decorating for her loyal Christmas shoppers. But when her Scrooge of a landlord, Oscar Bittlesman, raises her rent, it seems nearly impossible for Christina to continue business on the wharf.

Even so, Christina hopes there is a warm heart underneath Oscar’s steely exterior. When she bonds with Wink, his sweet, young granddaughter who frequents the shop, it becomes clear that perhaps he isn’t so cold after all. And with the help of Wink’s uncle, who happens to be a charming and very handsome bachelor, this may be the best Christmas any of them could have ever imagined. Nancy Thayer’s enchanting Nantucket setting provides the perfect backdrop for this holiday love story. 

Review:

This is a hard book for me to review, because everyone’s taste varies and this particular kind of book makes me cringe. At about the halfway mark I thought, “This is the sort of book people who like the Hallmark Channel would enjoy.” It’s completely true. At one point the main character even sits down and watches it herself. Unfortunately, that particular brand of wholesome, clean (read bland in my opinion), never rings true for me. I dislike it extremely. But I also acknowledge that there is a reason the Hallmark Channel has been around as long as it has. There are people out there who love tis kind of feel-good cheese. I’m just not one of them.

So, I’ll give it a middle of the road three stars. Acknowledging that the writing is perfectly solid and though I can’t relate to a 3-week romance culminating in a proposal, or the crass talk of who is rich and who is poor, or even the fact that everyone refused to get involved in the business issue and that was somehow supposed to be fair, others will no doubt love this.

Lifeblood

Book Review of Lifeblood, by Werner Lind

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LifebloodAuthor, Werner Lind lent me an e-copy of his novel Lifeblood; not so much for review as because we are friendly online and I was interested in reading his book. But of course I’m reviewing it anyway. It’s what I do.

Description from Goodreads:
All Ana Vasilifata ever wanted was a simple life, with a good husband, children, and a happy home. What she found was a vampire who made her his bride. And when she fled to England in the winter of 1665, she found a stake at the hands of a fearful and angry mob.

Over three hundred years later, an accident reanimates Ana in the quiet town of Meriwether, Iowa. She flees to an abandoned house where she meets Joshua Davidson, a kind-hearted carpenter who helps Ana adjust to this strange place and time. As her friendship with Joshua deepens, Ana begins to hope she can finally find the peace she has always sought. But dangers still haunt her, for even now there are some who believe in the stories of vampires. This time she is not friendless –but, she wonders, would Joshua continue to help her if he knew what she was? And even if he would, could he protect her from all the monsters lurking in the shadows?

Review:
I think saying this is a nice story is description rather than weak praise. That’s what it is, a nice story. The whole thing is very sweet in an ‘aw shucks’, Mayberry sort of way. The 24-year-old hero still happily lives at home with his mama and sisters. They all eat breakfast together and the sister fills his ‘lunch pail’ before he heads of to an honest days labor. Men go fishing together and courting couples go to the drive-in and roller-skating. It’s all very, very vanilla but purposefully so. These aren’t just Mary Jane characters, but meant to be notably good, small town people, God-fearing people. (And I say that as a reader who is very sensitive and irritated with authors who can’t seem to give their precious characters flaws.) They are good examples of what they are written to be.

I did find some stereotyping in the villain and their actions and some of the dialogue seemed bit stiff; some because the characters were from the 1600s and some just because it’s written that way. But it was very readable. And though I generally prefer a bit more grit in my fiction, this story, with a light Christian theme and miraculous HEA, would play well for that market of reader who doesn’t. So, if you’re looking for a clean paranormal romance, look no further.