Franny Martin is an Oklahoma farm girl who's preparing to spend the holidays alone...again. Then Charlie Landau shows up one day, all wealth and polish, and offers to buy Franny's farm. Franny has no money to speak of, but she is clever and spirited, and she's more than happy to sell the farm and move to the city.
As Sinatra croons from the radio and Christmas descends upon her charming farm, Franny teaches Charlie the curious and sometimes comical ways of country life. In the process, they unearth some discoveries of the heart-that sometimes love comes when you're least ready for it. Will the holidays bring their most impossible dreams within reach?
My take: As I read the first few chapters of A Merry Little Christmas, I kept thinking the story would make a great Hallmark Christmas movie. Soon I realized the plot was much more complex than the usual Hallmark film (and much more complex than the book description implies), as it contained racism, murder, and intense family issues.
There is much to like about A Merry Little Christmas. Franny is a very likable, spunky heroine, and her romance with Charlie is sweet. These days, I'm all about stories where "older" women find love! Also, I really enjoyed the subplots involving Charlie's brother and Franny's friend. But there were so many subplots that I had difficulty believing everything actually happened between the beginning of November and Christmas Eve. I also didn't think the resolution of the plot line involving Charlie's father rang true.
Despite my reservations, I did enjoy A Merry Little Christmas. It's a quick read with engaging characters. And while I don't usually mention the physical nature of the book in my reviews, I want to talk about this one. It's a hardback with the title debossed into the cover, and the dust jacket is embossed. It's a very attractive book that would make an excellent stocking stuffer. 3-1/2 stars.
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Find out more about Anita at http://www.anitahigman.com.
About the giveaway: Author Anita Higman invites readers to kick off the season with a spirited holiday tale. Anita is spreading the Christmas cheer by giving away FIFTEEN COPIES of the book. To enter to win A Merry Little Christmas, just head over to THE CONTEST PAGE at Anita's website and fill out the short form. Be sure to put BLOG CONTEST in the Subject Line. That's it. Winners will be announced on the Litfuse blog (and notified by email) on 11/9.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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