Monday, October 27, 2008

Christmas Letters - Debbie Macomber


I have just finished reading this interesting book written by my favourite author Debbie Macomber which is set during the Chirstmas season. "Christmas Letters" is a light, funny and warm read and the main character of the book is Katherine O'Connor, who often spends her days at a cozy café on Blossom Street in Seattle—where she writes Christmas letters for other people. She's good at making their everyday lives sound more interesting. More humorous. More dramatic.


But for Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who also frequents the café, Christmas means lies and deception. In fact, the renowned child psychologist recommends that parents "bury Santa under the sleigh." Katherine, however, feels that his parenting philosophy is one big mistake—at least, based on her five-year-old twin nieces, who are being raised according to his "Free Child" methods.


She argues with Wynn about his theories, while he argues that her letters are nothing but lies. They disagree about practically everything—and yet, somehow, they don't really want to stop arguing. As the days—and nights—move closer to Christmas, Katherine and Wynn both discover that love means accepting your differences. And Christmas is about the things you share….


I really enjoyed reading "Christmas Letter" as the writer also included in the book some of my favourite characters (Lydia Hoffman, Alix Townsend and Susannah Nelson)  from the Blossom Street series which is about the special bonds formed by a group of diverse women who meet in knitting classes and faces the challenges in their lives. I'm sure all fellow fans of the series would have enjoyed reading this book for the chance to revisit Blossom Street. I have read all the books in the series except for the latest book "Twenty Wishes" which i would be borrowing soon from the library after i finished reading my existing books. 


Writing a romantic comedy for Christmas has become a tradition for Debbie Macomber and i'm also looking forward to reading her latest book for this coming Christmas season "A Cedar Cove Christmas" which is based on the Cedar Cove Series and would revisit some characters from the series. I have been hoping to read the series and would do so after i finished reading the Blossom Street series.


My favourite and most funny scene from "Christmas Letters" was when Katherine tried to play match-maker for her neighbour LaVonne and Wynn's father Max by inviting them to her place for drinks which ended up in a funny and disastrious scene when LaVonne bought along her cat and he attacked Max. The inclusion of Katherine's sister into the end of the scene also make things more chaotic and comical. I ended up bursting into laughter while reading it in the middle of the night hehe... This book is easy to read and I liked it even though the storyline is quite predictable as it really sets me in the Christmas mood which is my favourite holiday season. So if you are looking for a nice and funny romance story, this is the book for you :>

2 comments:

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Hi, again. I'm definitely going to get this book from the library. I like Debbie Macomber's books. I'm looking forward to Cedar Cove Christmas too!

Ελλάδα said...

"Christmas Letters" is the perfect book to read to get a break from the stress of the holidays. It's a quick and humorous read. The romance between K.O. and Wynn is very sweet and there's even a second romance thrown in that's very cute. There's gentle humor throughout the book from the Christmas letters K.O. writes (especially the one she writes for LaVonne); to LaVonne's psychic vision from kitty litter; and to when K.O. and Wynn baby-sit her nieces, to name just a few. For a short book, the characters are pretty well developed: K.O. is a strong heroine, especially at the end which I really liked; LaVonne with her psychic "visions" is a bit eccentric, but loving; and Max, Wynn's aging hippie father. Wynn, with his unsettled childhood and troubled relationship with his father is the most developed and likable character. Fans who have read other books by Debbie Macomber will be pleased that "Christmas Letters" takes place on Blossom Street and several characters from her Blossom Street books make cameo appearances in this book. I wish the book had been a bit longer since it doesn't take that long to read, but the length is perfect for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.