Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber – a Review

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber – a Review

 

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Description:
Lindy Carmichael isn’t feeling particularly joyful when she returns home to Wenatchee, Washington, for Christmas. The man she thought was “the one” has cheated on her with her best friend, and she feels completely devoid of creativity in her graphic-design job. Not even carolers or Christmas cookies can cheer her up–but Lindy’s mother, Ellen, remembers an old tradition that might lift her daughter’s spirits.

Reading through a box of childhood letters to Santa and reminiscing about what she’d wished for as a young girl may be just the inspiration Lindy needs. With Ellen’s encouragement, she decides to write a new letter to Santa, one that will encourage her to have faith and believe just as she’d done all those years ago. Little does Lindy know that this exercise in gratitude will cause her wishes to unfold before her in miraculous ways. And, thanks to some fateful twists of Christmas magic–especially an unexpected connection with a handsome former classmate–Lindy ultimately realizes that there is truly no place like home for the holidays.

In Dear Santa, Debbie Macomber celebrates the joys of Christmas blessings, old and new.

 

 

 

Review:

Dear Santa by Debbie Macomber is another one of her heartwarming Christmas novels.  We meet Lindy Carmichael, our heroine, at the start when she returns home to her parents’ house, in Wenatchee, Washington for the Christmas Holidays.  Lindy works and lives in Seattle, and waiting to see if her project was accepted; she has been feeling a bit down, after discovering that her boyfriend and best friend were secretly together.

Lindy’s mom decides to try and cheer her up, by giving her a stack of letters she wrote as a child to Santa.  After reading things she wished for back in the day, her mother convinces her to write a letter to Santa now, giving her some faith and hope.  In a short time, Lindy runs into her childhood friend, Peggy, whom she has not seen in a long time, and their friendship happily rekindles.   Lindy also runs into a boy who constantly teased her as a child, but who is now a handsome hunk. 

Billy Kincaide, our hero, has always had a crush on Lindy, even if she thought he was her nemesis back in those days.   Billy owns the successful local restaurant, The Wine Press, and it is there that he runs into her.  What follows is a wonderful romance that builds between them, with sizzling chemistry.   But Lindy is concerned, as she needs to go back to Seattle after Christmas, since she is hoping her project is accepted.  Will she be able to walk away from her feelings towards Billy?

I really enjoyed the Christmas spirit between family, friends throughout the book.  Lindy’s friendship with Peggy, and two other new friends, gives her happiness to move on past losing her friend whom she felt betrayed her.  Most of all I loved Billy and Lindy together, as they made a fantastic couple.   I also got a kick out of Santa, giving us the feeling that he knew her wishes and dreams, and made sure to read all her letters over the years.  Sort of a magical feel during Christmas.

Dear Santa was a sweet, delightful, heartwarming romance that was so very well written by Debbie Macomber.  If you love romance, and a magical holiday story, I suggest you read Dear Santa.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle – a Review

Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle – a Review

 

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Description:
Angela Carson wants nothing more than to be the third-generation to run her family’s holiday store, Heart of Christmas, successfully. They’ve weathered over sixty tourist seasons, major hurricanes, and urban sprawl, in their old decommissioned lighthouse. But the national chain that set up shop in their small North Carolina town of Pleasant Sands may be more than Heart of Christmas can survive.

Geoff Paisley has been at his mother’s side running the mega-chain Christmas Galore for the last ten years. When his mother falls ill, Geoff promises to answer the town’s Dear Santa letters in her stead. Soon he realizes the woman he’s been corresponding with on Dear Santa is Angela. How could the woman that grates his every last nerve in person have intrigued him so deeply through those letters?

Encouraged by her niece to ask Santa for help, Angela gives in and lets the words fly in a way that, if Santa were real, would no doubt land her on the naughty list. What’s the harm when it’s just a computer-generated response?

When Geoff reveals that he’s her Dear Santa, will Angela be able to set aside their very public feud to embrace the magic of the holiday and possibly find true love?

 

 

Review:

Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle is a sweet Christmas romance.  Angela Carson, our heroine, has lived all her life in Pleasant Sands, North Carolina; and she runs the local Christmas shop, Heart of Christmas; which she inherited from her mother.  Angela loves her shop, and mingling with the townsfolk who have always shopped at her store for unique high scale items, but lately she has been struggling, since the new Christmas Galore, a mega super chain, opened their doors.  It is hard to compete with a big store that has all kinds of items at cheaper prices.  Angela knows she needs to face reality, and think about closing the store after Christmas.

Geoff Paisley, our hero, is the owner (with his mother) of Christmas Galore, and they are all thrilled how well the store is doing.  When Geoff stops at the local coffee shop, he notices a pretty woman, who smiles at him.  It will take him a few days to find her, and realizes she is the owner of the store who is slowly going out of business because of their store. 

When they come face to face, each knowing who the other is, the conversation turns into a shouting match, with each walking away.  Angela’s sister tries to convince her to close the store and move on; and her niece makes her write to the Dear Santa app.  Angela writes a quick note to Santa that she is sad, her business is failing; of course she does not know that Dear Santa app is run by Christmas Galore, and Geoff’s mother.  When Geoff mother has a heart attack and ends up in the hospital, he will learn the truth of her past growing up in Pleasant Sands, and where his father died.  She begs Geoff to take over the Dear Santa letters, which he reluctantly accepts.  Geoff is a “suit”, a workaholic, rigid, all business and little compassion, but when he begins to answer the letters, he finds himself softening up.  He will be the one to open Anita Miracle’s (Angela’s pseudonym) letter, and start a friendship.

What follows is a sweet wonderful heartwarming story with wonderful characters, and an enemies to friends to lover romance.   The romance between Geoff and Angela is very slow burn, but it was fun to watch them argue and avoid each other, but at the same time fight off their attraction. Eventually Geoff will realize who Anita Miracle is, and starts his friendship with Angela with an apology.  It was great to see how Geoff changed, and I did love them together, though it took a long time. Lol

Dear Santa was very well written by Naigle, and a wonderful Christmas story about family, life and love.  This is a perfect holiday book you should be reading.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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