Review - - Merry and Bright

Merry and Bright

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Reviewed by Janga

  

Merry Knight works as a temp for Matterson Consulting to save money for college tuition. With the company facing a major deadline on a report due before the Christmas holiday, overtime has become standard procedure. Adding to the stress is a boss who is a workaholic with little sympathy for employees who deviate from the rules. Merry also worries about her mother whose multiple sclerosis is worsening, and she is protective of her eighteen-year-old brother, Patrick, who has Down syndrome. But the concern is not one-sided. Merry’s mother and brother are concerned about Merry’s lack of a social life, so concerned that they sign her up for an online dating service for her birthday and give her the gift in advance of her December 26 birthday. Merry is not thrilled with the gift, but she is too fond of her brother to dampen his enthusiasm. With Merry Smith as a pseudonym and a picture of Patrick’s dog Bogie on her profile, Merry is officially part of Mix & Mingle for six months.

Jayson Bright is vice-president of Matterson Consulting. With an eye on becoming company president when his uncle retires, Jayson is doing all within his power to see that the big project for Boeing Company comes in on or before the deadline. His business has become his life. When his cousin and best friend, Cooper, shows up in Seattle to ask Jayson to be his best man at his wedding to an old friend whom he met through Mix & Mingle, Jayson decides to sign up for the service with Jay as his pseudonym and, inspired by Merry’s photo, a photo of his childhood golden retriever, Rocky, as his picture.

Jayson is still skeptical, but he wonders if “Merry Smith,” like him, is hoping to meet someone who wants to be valued for who she is rather than what she looks like or the size of her bank account. Based on this hope, Jayson sends her a “wink.” At Patrick’s urging, Merry responds, and soon Merry and Jason become online friends whose nightly chats become increasingly important to them. Of course, problems arise when they meet and real identities are exposed.

Debbie Macomber’s annual Christmas novels have become a holiday tradition for many romance readers. Merry and Bright is a sweet addition to Macomber’s long list of Christmas stories. Merry and Jayson are opposites in many ways. A holiday baby christened Merry Noelle, Merry loves Christmas and all the decorations and festivities. Jayson belongs to the Bah-Humbug group who sees Christmas as an interruption of work. Merry bakes Christmas cookies for all the people who render her service in her daily life. Jayson “gave at the office” and wants a homeless man out of sight. Merry is part of a close, loving family and has lovely memories of family-centered Christmases. Jayson grew up in boarding schools and summer camps, distant from his divorced parents, with Cooper as his only real family. Christmas brought lavish gifts but no memories to cherish. Part of Jayson’s attraction to Merry is based on how her very different upbringing has shaped the person she is. Macomber gives her characters an ending sure to please the most Christmas-addicted Scrooge fan.

The romance in this one is predictable from the beginning, but that predictability will not lessen its charm for Macomber’s large and loyal fan base. Others may find that the greater charm lies in the author’s portrait of a close-knit family who face adversity with courage and whose celebration has more to do with the love they share than with the presents they wrap.

If you have enjoyed Macomber’s other Christmas romances or if you are a reader with a fondness for kisses-only romance with traditional Christmas themes, you should add this one to your reading plans for this holiday season.

Review - - Any Dream Will Do

Any Dream Will Do

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: August 8, 2017
Reviewed by Janga

  

Shay Benson found a community program that offered a way out of the drugs, gangs, and poverty that had been her life. With help, she found a job as a bank teller, found a decent place to live, and began taking accounting classes. For the first time in her life, she had hope for the future. That changed when her younger brother Caden came to her for help. He needed $5,000 immediately, or he would be killed. Against her every instinct, Shay yielded to her brother’s frantic pleas and stole the money from the bank. Two months later, she is on her way to prison, having pled guilty to embezzlement charges. She had not seen her brother or the money he promised to repay within a week since she gave him the $5,000. Three years later, Shay is released from prison, bitter and hopeless. With no resources, she finds refuge in a Seattle church, thinking that she will be safe and warm there until it is late enough to find a bed for the night in a homeless shelter.

Three years ago, Drew Douglas lost his wife to ovarian cancer. He has struggled since to care for his children, nine-year-old Sarah and thirteen-year-old Mark, and to fulfill his pastoral responsibilities. But his children are still hurting, his church is steadily losing members, and Drew is facing a crisis of faith. He is questioning whether he should resign his position as pastor, or even leave the ministry altogether. It is in this state of mind that he meets Shay. She has taken a seat in the church sanctuary as Drew prayed at the altar. She clearly needs help, but Drew is tempted to ignore the need and send her on her way with a promise to pray for her. Instead he finds himself extending a helping hand that includes a meal and, more importantly, a recommendation that she be admitted to Hope Center, a year-long life skills program operated by a local gospel agency.

Shay is admitted to the program. Gradually, she and Drew become friends, and friendship turns into romance. Shay also develops a close connection to Drew’s children. But not everyone in Drew’s church is pleased to see the growing tie between their pastor and a convicted felon. Complications ensue when Caden and Shay’s former, drug-dealing boyfriend reappear in her life, threatening her new life. Just when the problems they bring seem to be resolved, a theft and a promise further jeopardize Shay’s life. Will Drew’s love and the life he and Shay hoped to create together survive this latest threat?

Debbie Macomber is the queen of the sweet, heartwarming, inspiring romance, and this novel with its theme of redemption and the opportunity for a new life is very much in the Macomber tradition. Macomber’s readers expect that her books will give them relatable characters dealing with real-life problems and will offer an emotional pay-off in line with their values. Any Dream Will Do has all the right ingredients, but I failed to connect with these characters. I am a long-time Macomber reader, and her Blossom Street, Cedar Cove, and Rose Harbor characters all seem as substantial and familiar as my neighbors. Even her angelic characters such as Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy and Mrs. Miracle leave me eager for a return visit with them. But this time I felt as if I should be engaged with Shay and Drew to that degree, but I wasn’t. Devoted Macomber readers will likely be pleased with this story, but readers new to Macomber will do better to look elsewhere for books that more skillfully demonstrate that Macomber magic.

The Beauty of Blessings with Debbie Macomber

PJ, here. I've had the opportunity to meet many authors over the past ten years, some online and others in person. Of those I've met in person, one of the most genuine and generous is Debbie Macomber. I've been reading Debbie's books for almost 30 years, receiving mailings from her since before the invention of the World Wide Web, and chatting with her via her forum before the invention of Facebook or Twitter. In all those years, through good times and bad, what has most impressed me about Debbie, besides her ability to write enough keeper novels to have her own shelf in my home library, is her joy, her gratitude, and her kindness. Each year, Debbie sets goals, chooses a word, and, as she puts it, "lives with intention." Her word for 2016 was "Joy," a word that inspired her to create something called a Blessings Box. 


Blessings is a word I learned at a young age. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of time spent with my grandmother and the lessons I learned at her knee. Prominent among them were those of kindness, generosity, gratitude, and blessings. Those attributes were present in her life every day and, through her example, I learned to make them a priority in my own. She taught me to not only be grateful for the blessings in my life but also to be a blessing in life. To do for others. To treat others as I want to be treated. From her, I learned that being a blessing in someone else's life brings blessings to my own; bringing happiness to someone else multiplies that which I receive in return. That joy is in the giving. 

Back to that Blessings Box I mentioned earlier. Included in the Blessings Box that Debbie created are items that bring her joy: a tote bag, her favorite tea and candle, recipe cards printed with some of Debbie's homemade recipes, stickers, jam from a company started by two young women following their dream and spreading positivity, a pen, an inspirational print, and a personal journal in which Debbie provides suggestions, quotes, and guidance to help others reflect on their blessings and set themselves up for the year ahead. And, of course, because they bring joy to Debbie's life, she's hoping they will also bring joy to others.

Do you know someone who would enjoy Debbie's Blessings Box? They can be purchased from her website but, because of limited quantities left, will only be available until February 15th. Click here for more information. The Romance Dish readers, for one week from today, can use the code TRD5 while ordering to receive a $5 discount. In keeping with Debbie's commitment to sharing blessings, $5 from the proceeds of each box sold will go to World Vision to help educate girls around the world. 

Remember, at the beginning of this post, when I mentioned Debbie's kindness and generosity? She has generously offered three complete Blessings Boxes (that's a $120 value!) for us to give away here at The Romance Dish. So tell me...

Who or what has been a blessing in your life? Large or small, recent or long ago, share those blessings that have brought you joy.

Three randomly chosen people leaving a comment will each receive a complete Blessings Box. (U.S. only)

Because international shipping on these boxes would be prohibitive for me, I'll also randomly choose one international commenter to receive a Debbie Macomber book of your choice from bookdepository.com. (value not to exceed $10 U.S.)

Coming next from Debbie Macomber...

If Not For You
Ballantine Books/Random House
March 21, 2017
Pre-Order

If not for her loving but controlling parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her life and moved from her native Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where she’s reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine and found a job as a high school music teacher. If not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never have met Sam Carney, although first impressions have left Beth with serious doubts. Sam is everything Beth is not—and her parents’ worst nightmare: a tattooed auto mechanic who’s rough around the edges. Reserved and smart as a whip, Beth isn’t exactly Sam’s usual beer-drinking, pool-playing type of woman, either. 

But if not for an awkward setup one evening, Beth might never have left early and been involved in a car crash. And if not for Sam—who witnessed the terrifying ordeal, rushed to her aid, and stayed with her until help arrived—Beth might have been all alone, or worse. Yet as events play out, Sam feels compelled to check on Beth almost daily at the hospital—even bringing his guitar to play songs to lift her spirits. Soon their unlikely friendship evolves into an intense attraction that surprises them both. 

Before long, Beth’s strong-willed mother, Ellie, blows into town spouting harsh opinions, especially about Sam, and reopening old wounds with Sunshine. When shocking secrets from Sam’s past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she’s come to love.

Debbie Macomber Twelve Days of Kindness Blog Tour and Giveaway

Kindness
noun
the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate

Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.

To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats and the disagreeable grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julia’s blog becomes an online sensation, as an astonishing number of people start following her adventures. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain—and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.

PJ's thoughts...

I've been reading Debbie Macomber's books since she first began writing category romances in the early 1980s. While I've enjoyed the many different types of books she's written in the intervening years, it's her holiday stories that hold a special place in my heart with this year's book, Twelve Days of Christmas, being a particular favorite. Why this book? There are a few reasons. First, I love a good Scrooge book and Cain makes a delightful Scrooge. He's so determined to be all 'Bah Humbug' when we all know that deep down he's anything but. He's been hurt - deeply - and building that wall around his heart is the only way he knows to protect himself.  

Then there's Julia. While naturally a friendly, considerate person, when she makes a concerted effort to perform specific acts of kindness, the resulting effect is something she never could have anticipated. She's changed by these kindnesses she's performing. Others are as well. 

Finally, there's the theme of this book that kept me smiling while I flew cross-country a couple weeks ago. Kindness: a simple word with life-changing properties. Kindness is like that pebble you toss into still water. The ripples it creates are endless.

Kindness is something I learned at a young age. My grandmother lived by the Bible's Golden Rule: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12). It's a principle by which she lived and one I have followed since my earliest memories. Treat others as you want to be treated. Perform random acts of kindness expecting nothing in return. Smile at others as you go through your daily life. It takes so little time and effort but what you receive in return is priceless. 

As part of this tour, the blog hosts were asked to post about a kindness they recently performed. I had to think about this one as I don't consciously perform acts of kindness. As a friend recently told me, it's just who I am. But here are a few:

While at a recent romance retreat, an author friend and I had breakfast at a restaurant across the street. While sipping coffee and waiting for our food, two ladies walked into the restaurant and began looking around for a place to sit. I hadn't met them but I had seen them at the retreat so I smiled and invited them to sit in our booth. There were other seats available - they wouldn't have had to stand there and wait - but by performing that small act of kindness, two things were accomplished. The women had the opportunity to get better acquainted with one of their favorite authors (the woman I was having breakfast with) and I met two amazing women who I may not have if not for a simple smile and small act of kindness.

I love cooking and sharing what I cook always brings pleasure, to both me and the recipient of whatever I whip up in my kitchen. Last week, the temperatures cooled a bit, my local grocery had chuck roast on sale, and my taste buds were urging me to feed them good, fresh, veggies. The solution? Hot, hearty, delicious beef stew. When it was ready, I called my neighbor who is always willing to help anyone in need. "You're not cooking tonight," I told her. I saw her a couple days later and she told me how very much she enjoyed the stew and especially the fact that I had wanted to share it with her for no reason other than to be kind. A little thing for me but it brought so much pleasure to her. It's easy to be kind. 

The third act of kindness is one where I was the recipient. I recently had to cancel a dentist appointment because I had bronchitis. The next day, one of the dental office clerks (a lovely lady who I enjoy chatting with when I'm at the dentist office) called and asked if she could bring me something during her lunch break (my dentist office is only about a mile from my condo). She showed up with a smile, a get-well card, and a big container of some of the most delicious homemade chicken soup I've ever tasted. It didn't cure my bronchitis but it sure made me feel better!

So tell me, dear friends. What act of kindness have you recently performed? 

Haven't done anything lately? How about planning one for the near future? Maybe taking homemade cookies to your local fire department. Or paying for the drink of the person in line behind you at your local fast food restaurant or coffee shop. Or maybe something as simple as holding the door open, helping someone down the stairs or across the street, or taking soup to a sick friend. There are so many things we can do to bring kindness to the world. 

Tell me about an act of kindness you've recently performed or one you plan to perform. I'll randomly choose one person to receive a $10 Amazon gift card. My small act of kindness for you! 

Review - - Sweet Tomorrows

Sweet Tomorrows

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: August 2, 2016

 

 

Debbie Macomber takes her reader back to Cedar Cove and the Rose Harbor Inn for the fifth novel in her current series. Mark Taylor, who returned to Iraq to rescue an Iraqi informant who became a close friend during Mark’s tours of duty with U. S. military intelligence, has been gone for nine months. Jo Marie Rose, the owner of the inn, has heard from him only twice. However much she loves Mark, she refuses to allow herself to repeat the anguish of vainly hoping for the man she loves to come home to her that she experienced with her late husband. She tells herself that Mark is dead and, although grieving, gets on with her life, including dating a widower whose kindness and humor she finds quite appealing.

Meanwhile, Mark’s self-imposed task, which he described as a “suicide mission,” proves as difficult as he expected. He returns, barely alive, and Jo Marie and his love for her are key to his survival. But Mark cannot return to the life he left as a Cedar Cove handyman. He is heir to a family legacy of military service, and the Army still needs his skills. They have further plans for him, and Jo Marie refuses to live with the level of anxiety she would know as the wife of a man engaged in such work. The ordinary life the other man in her life offers seems more and more tempting.

A secondary plot involves Emily Gaffney, a young teacher who was introduced in Silver Linings, the fourth Rose Harbor book. Emily, who has two broken engagements behind her, has declared a moratorium on men and romance. She has accepted a teaching position in Cedar Cove and plans to build a new life that includes a home of her own and eventually foster children or adoption. Jo Marie has agreed to let Emily remain a guest at the inn until Emily finds the perfect house. The search for that house leads Emily into an uneasy friendship with the reclusive Nick Schwartz, a man haunted by the death of his younger brother in an automobile accident that Nick survived. Nick is drawn to Emily and to Rose Harbor Inn for the peace and healing they promise, but he is deeply troubled. His recovery is a torturous process. Emily has a problem as well that further complicates their relationship. Can the famous healing properties of the inn offer hope to these wounded spirits?

Macomber offers her usual blend of heartwarming sweetness and emotional punch in this conclusion to her Rose Harbor Inn series. The relationship between Jo Marie and Mark has slowly built through the series, and readers invested in these characters will find this novel particularly rewarding as the characters’ histories cast doubt on the HEA. At the same time, new readers will find that the author has provided sufficient details to allow this book to be read as a standalone, although they may find it a less nuanced read.

I confess that I am not a fan of love triangles, particularly those that leave a nice guy with a broken heart. Consequently, the Mark/Jo Marie/Greg story line accounts for the four-star rating. Other readers may not find this a detraction. I did like the multiple first-person points of view which I thought added immediacy and power. Emily and Nick are sympathetic, engaging characters with real problems that are not simplistically resolved. The book also provides updates on former guests who have benefited from the mystical healing powers of the inn.

Debbie Macomber can always be depended upon to give her readers stories filled with poignancy, hope, and sustaining love. She does so again in Sweet Tomorrows, an almost perfect end to a solid series. If you like your women’s fiction with a generous serving of “clean” romance or your romance sweetly real without descending to the saccharine, I think you will enjoy this book.

 ~Janga

Review - - A Girl's Guide to Moving On

A Girl’s Guide to Moving On

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Debbie Macomber returns to the world of New Beginnings to give readers the story of Nichole Patterson, sister of Cassie Carter, heroine of Last One Home (2015), and Leanne Patterson, Nichole’s mother-in-law. When Nichole filed from divorce from her husband Jake after discovering he had been unfaithful and his current paramour was pregnant, Leanne finds the courage to follow suit and divorce her husband of thirty-give years, no longer willing to tolerate his serial cheating. The women take modest apartments across from one another in a Portland complex and begin adjusting to a life very different from their experience as half of a country-club couple.

Realizing how easy it would be to sink in a sea of anger, depression, and self-pity, the two draw up a list of steps to survival in their new world. They call it “A Girl’s Guide to Moving On” and work hard at following the rules. The first “do” on their list requires them to reach out and do something for someone else. Nichole volunteers at Dress for Success where she helps other women who are hoping for a second chance at life. Her work at the shop quickly becomes a meaningful part of her new life. The same is true for Leanne who teaches English as a Second Language classes.

Through a minor automobile accident, Nichole meets Rocco Nyquist, owner of a towing company. Rocco, the single father of a fifteen-year-old daughter, offers Nichole a deal. If she helps his daughter Kaylene find a dress to wear to a dance that Kaylene likes and Rocco is willing to let her be seen wearing, he will tear up the check Nichole wrote for his towing service. Since Nichole is pinching pennies on her new budget, it sounds like a great deal to her. Soon she is dealing with the attraction she and Rocco share and finding her relationship with Kaylene has its own rewards. Rocco touches her heart with his genuine caring for her three-year-old son Owen. Leanne too meets a new friend, one of her students, a Ukrainian baker who courts her with fresh-baked bread. But both Nichole and Leanne discover that old ties can complicate new relationships.

There are many things I liked about this book. Macomber does an excellent job of showing all the difficulties in ending a marriage. Like most women in their situations, Nichole and Leanne must deal with a cut in income, but that is less significant than the emotional pain of crushed dreams, low self-esteem, and connections that cannot be severed by signing a paper. There are also the pragmatic considerations such as learning to take on tasks that the former spouse once did. Nichole’s divorce is even more complicated because Jake drags out the process for two years and because she and Jake must deal with long years of co-parenting.

As with most Macomber novels, I enjoyed her portrayal of women’s relationships. Nichole and Leanne, although former in-laws now, share a touching friendship and a mother-daughter relationship as well. They both have other friends, and then there are Nichole’s sisters. As a big fan of the first book, I loved that Cassie and Steve’s wedding is included in this one.

I didn’t like the implication, perhaps unintended, that working class men make better, more faithful husbands than men who wear suits. Rocco is a great guy, and Jake is a jerk, but I don’t think their character differences are rooted in their educational levels or their occupations. And I could never see Leanne and her baker as soul mates.

If you like sweet stories that blend women’s fiction issues with romance, you should enjoy this book. If you are one of the multitude for whom Debbie Macomber’s name on a novel is enough to make you happy, I can promise the book will leave you smiling.

~Janga

Review - - Last One Home

Last One Home

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Cassie Carter grew up in a middle-class home with parents who loved one another and their three daughters and with an older and younger sister with whom she shared close ties despite sibling rivalry fueled by Cassie’s status as her father’s favorite. But at eighteen, with college on a four-year scholarship the next step in her life, a pregnant Cassie ran away to marry a man her father had forbidden her to see. Her husband insisted his job opportunities were better in Florida, about as far from her family’s home in Spokane, Washington as one could get. Instead of the happily-ever-after life of which she had dreamed, Cassie found herself trapped in a nightmare. Estranged from her family and isolated from her new community, she was left with no support system when her husband became physically abusive. Her daughter Amiee was seven when Cassie realized that her very life was at stake. Escaping with Amiee through the window of a locked bedroom, she found sanctuary in a shelter for women.

After testifying against her husband and seeing him sentenced to prison, Cassie began to build a new life for herself and her child. Rejected by her family who knew nothing of all she had endured, she depended upon food stamps and government housing while she earned a certificate in cosmetology. Five years later, she has created a home for her and Amiee in a modest apartment in Seattle where Cassie works as a hairstylist and volunteers as a victim advocate at a local shelter. She still struggles to make ends meet, but she dreams of going to college and getting a degree in social work.

Cassie’s life takes a turn for the better when she is approved for a Habitat for Humanity home and her older sister Karen contacts her. Although Karen is far from effusive when the sisters talk, Cassie is overjoyed with even a tenuous connection. Except for news of her parents’ deaths, Cassie has had almost no contact with her family since she left home more than a dozen years ago. Missing them has been a constant ache, and the possibility of providing her daughter not only with a new home but also the family Amiee hungers for seems to Cassie almost too good to be true.

Reestablishing a relationship with her sisters is not easy. Old resentments and guilt linger. Cassie, who thinks her sisters have near perfect lives, has told them nothing about the reasons for her split from her husband, but they too are struggling with problems. Karen, happily married with two children, discovers that her husband has lost his job but is too ashamed to tell her, and Nichole, mother of a toddler, finds out that her husband is following the example of his chronically unfaithful father. Cassie is also forced to admit that her first impression of Steve Brody, a successful contractor who is her supervisor as she puts in her sweat equity for the Habitat for Humanity program, is wrong. Rather than the judgmental jerk he seems to be initially, he is a still grieving widower who proves himself a friend when Cassie needs one. Steve is interested in becoming more than Cassie’s friend, but even though the attraction is strong and Amiee approves of the match, Cassie’s past has left her fearful and determined to protect her independence.

Last One Home is a rare standalone from Debbie Macomber whose popular series have made her a perennial on bestseller lists, but Ms. Macomber’s fans will find this story just as rewarding as her more usual fare. Cassie is a compelling character, and although the abused wife as heroine is a staple in romance and women’s fiction, Cassie’s lack of family and friends as well as her socio-economic status make her an exception.

She stayed because she didn’t feel it was an option to leave. She had no job, no money, no friends, no connections. She was completely dependent on Duke, and for more than her and Amiee’s physical well-being. Emotionally she was tied to Duke, but those ties were like barbed-wire fencing, ties that brought her nothing but pain. Still, she hadn’t been able to find the courage to leave, not until it became a life-or-death situation.

Her hard work, her love for her daughter, and her refusal to be defeated by her own bad choices in the past make Cassie an easy character to admire.  Although her relationship with Steve gives the novel a strong romantic thread, Cassie’s struggle to give her daughter a safe and happy life and the renewal of sisterly bonds lie at the center of this story.  Amiee with her eagerness to know more about her aunts and cousins, her enthusiasm for KFC, and her chatter about her BFF is an endearing and believable character, and the confining and defining family roles of childhood that complicate the reunion of Cassie and her sisters as much as their years of separation also has the ring of truth.

If you are a Macomber fan, you will be happy with this book. Readers who like women’s fiction stories that focus on the triumph of a female protagonist over obstacles that would have defeated a lesser spirit will enjoy Cassie’s story. Last One Home is likely to add another title to Debbie’s Macomber’s long list of beloved books.

~Janga

Review - - Mr. Miracle

Mr. Miracle

By Debbie Macomber

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Debbie Macomber gives fans an early Christmas gift with this story featuring Harry Mills, a guardian angel on earth for his first, eagerly awaited assignment. Harry’s human guise is that of an English instructor at a community college in the state of Washington. Harry expected his assignment to be easy, but it proves complicated in a number of ways. His charge proves stubborn, some of the faculty and staff of the college where he teaches are distressingly mean-spirited, and the human emotions Harry is now experiencing, including his response to champagne and a flirtatious French teacher, disturb his angelic serenity. Not even the advice of his angel mentor in the guise of tattooed barista Celeste Chapeaux is enough to restore it.

His primary assignment is to help Addie Folsom, a student in his literature class. Addie, a high school dropout who left home in a storm of rebellion six years ago, is returning with mixed emotions. She is embarrassed that she is returning not in triumph as she had planned but rather with her pride in tatters. Also, Addie’s father died a few months earlier, and she is concerned about her mother facing her first Christmas without him. Although not fully estranged from her father, Addie was never fully reconciled with him after his explosion over her dropping out of school led to her leaving home. Now she must deal with her regrets. She takes comfort in knowing her father would be pleased that she plans to earn the credit she needs to obtain her high school diploma and continue with her education.

Erich Simmons was the boy next door. He was a popular extrovert, the opposite of dyslexic Addie who was a misfit in school. The best friend of Addie’s older brother, Erich teased and tormented Addie and was generally the bane of her childhood. That didn’t keep a teen Addie from falling for him and having her heart broken. Addie can’t forget their past and has no interest in becoming friends with Erich, but when he has an accident that leaves both his arms in casts, Addie, with some less than subtle prompting from Harry and Celeste, agrees to take care of Erich so that their widowed mothers can take the Christmas cruise they had planned. Gradually Addie and Erich discover how much they have in common, and with Christmas kisses, romance begins to bloom. But it will take some electrical manipulation from Harry to transform Erich’s Scrooginess about Christmas and give these two a happy holiday.

For romance readers, Debbie Macomber’s name is almost as closely linked to Christmas reading as that of Charles Dickens, whose A Christmas Carol is the book Harry assigns his class. Mr. Miracle blends elements of the author’s popular Mrs. Miracle books with her even more popular Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy angel series. This one is thinner in story development and characterization than the earlier books. Addie and Erich’s past and Erich’s dislike of Christmas are drawn with very broad strokes, and, based on my experience, Harry’s literature class is definitely the stuff of fiction on several levels. Nevertheless, the book has enough sweetness, charm, and seasonal sentiment to make Macomber fans happy.

Like Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle, Call Me Mrs. Miracle, and Trading Christmas, Mr. Miracle has been adapted as a Hallmark movie with Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure, Numb3rs) in the title role. The movie is scheduled to debut November 29 during Hallmark’s 2014 Countdown to Christmas. Word is that it is also a backdoor pilot for a second Macomber series, following Cedar Cove, on the Hallmark Channel. Harry and Celeste and Mr. Miracle’s secondary cast, which includes Danny Wade, an enthusiastic ex-con who loves his flawed mama, and Andrew Fairfax, an Army vet with a heavenly service dog, hold the promise of delightful viewing for those who like their programming wholesome and heartwarming. In the meantime, the novel Mr. Miracle is a sweet start to 2014 Christmas romance reading.

~Janga

GIVEAWAY - Hannah's List

We have three (3) hardcover copies of HANNAH'S LIST to give away. In addition to the books, one lucky person will also receive a $25 Visa Gift Card. Many thanks to Big Honcho Media for providing the four giveaway items. Per their shipping policy, this book giveaway is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail.) Random.org will be used to select the recipients of the giveaway. Leave a comment on this post no later than 11:59PM, May 9, 2010 to be eligible. Earn extra entries by posting this giveaway on your blog or Facebook page. (post link in comments to be eligible)

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DEBBIE MACOMBER
REVEALS A LOVE LETTER LIKE NO OTHER.

A grieving widower receives an unexpected gift of love from his late wife on the anniversary of her death in HANNAH’S LIST, the emotionally powerful new novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. Connected to her bestselling Blossom Street books (SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET, TWENTY WISHES, BACK ON BLOSSOM STREET, SUSANNAH’S GARDEN, A GOOD YARN and THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET) this story continues her moving exploration of the complex relationships among family and friends.

HANNAH’S LIST
By DEBBIE MACOMBER
MIRA BOOKS
April 27, 2010
$24.95 U.S/$27.95 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2780-6

Debbie Macomber, the author of 92 Pacific Boulevard, 8 Sandpiper Way, Summer on Blossom Street and Twenty Wishes, has become a leading voice in women’s fiction worldwide. Her work has appeared on every major bestseller list, including those of the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly. She is a multiple award winner, and won the 2005 Quill Award for Best Romance. More than a hundred million copies of her books have been sold worldwide. For more information on Debbie and her books, visit her Web site, www.debbiemacomber.com and don't forget to check out the site for HANNAH'S LIST at www.hannahslist.com.

The Romance Dish received a review copy of HANNAH'S LIST in support of this post.