ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS by Sheila Roberts- a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 29, 2020

Catherine Pine is hoping her Christmas is a bit more jolly than last year’s. That one was her first without her husband, and with her kids and their families absent this year, she’s worried. But things change when her good friend invites her on a Christmas cruise to lift her spirits. Suddenly every day is an adventure and she’s making a bunch of new friends, including the lovable Sophie Miles.

It’s like a gift from Santa when Sophie and Catherine meet the charming Dr. Rudy Nichols, a perfect match for hypochondriac Sophie. But he comes with a two-legged lump of coal, his guard-dog daughter. And then there’s chocolatier Trevor March, who’s also interested in the scrumptious Sophie. Can he convince her that chocolate is the perfect cure for what ails her? Who knows what Santa has in store for these holiday travelers? Anything could happen this charmed Christmas!

•••••••••

REVIEW: ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS by Sheila Roberts is a contemporary, adult story line focusing on several passengers who have embarked on a pre-Christmas holiday boat cruise through Europe ( or more specifically Germany).

Told from third person perspective ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS follows sisters Sophie and Sierra, Dr. Rudy Nichols and his daughter Athena, brothers Trevor and Kurt March, and friends Catherine and Denise.

Breaking down the passenger agenda and backstory: Sophie Miles is a hypochondriac who reluctantly agreed to the European cruise when her sister Sierra’s husband bailed on his Christmas cruise tickets. Hoping to meet her future husband, Sophie will latch onto Dr. Rudy Nichols, a man several decades older but a man who has eyes for someone else. Meanwhile, Sophie’s sister Sierra struggles with the possible demise of her marriage, and begins to pull away from the other passengers, choosing to remain behind while the others play tourist.

Widower Dr. Rudy Nichols found himself attracted to widow Catherine Pine but Catherine is hiding a secret that will affect all relationships going forward. Catherine’s adult children wanted nothing to do with their mother in the face of her continued grief after the death of their father so Catherine’s friend Denise invited Catherine along for the cruise. Meanwhile, Rudy’s daughter Athena is a little over protective of her father believing him to be naive. Playing guard dog to her father, forty-something Athena makes more enemies than friends, and struggles to leave her father alone.

Chocolatier Trevor March agreed to the cruise when his brother’s girlfriend was unable to attend. Kurt March is chaperoning a history class of students on the holiday cruise but nineteen year old Harriett, one of the students, takes a liking to Kurt’s brother Trevor, and won’t leave him alone. Trying to distance himself from his brother’s class, Trevor finds himself attracted to Sophie Miles, a woman whose penchant for over reacting and believing she is going to die of any number of diseases pushes Sophie to follow Dr. Rudy like a love-sick puppy, in the hopes of marrying a doctor to cure whatever ails her.

In short: Harriett wants Trevor: Trevor wants Sophie: Sophie wants Dr. Rudy: Dr. Rudy wants Catherine: Catherine wants to survive another year: Athena doesn’t want anyone seducing her father: Sierra wants to save her marriage: and Denise is having the time of her life. Got it? Good. It’s like high school all over again !

ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS follows several intersecting pathways where love will blossom for some but not for others but saying that ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS has all of the ingredients of a YA (young adult ) novel, and in this I was disappointed with the attitudes and theatrics of most of the storyline’s unlikable characters. There are the jealous rivalries, mean girl comments, pouting and whining, secrets, lies, rejection and love. Poor Dr. Rudy was oblivious to his daughter’s attempts to keep Catherine and Sophie away from her father; and Sophie’s obsessive behavior regarding germs, illness and disease may have been funnier if not for the reality of COVID19 and the numerous deaths reported at sea. ONE CHARMED CHRISTMAS is a well-written story line but missed the mark with annoying and unpleasant characters that detracted from a potentially sweet plot.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

reviewed by Sandy