Title: I'll Be Home for Christmas
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Zebra Fiction
ISBN: 1420121421
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Before I launch into a review, I would like say something first. I bought this book during the last days of Border's. As I read the summaries on the back, I thought they were something I would enjoy reading. As I read the first few pages, something hit me. These words were familiar! I have read these (3 out of 4) already a long time ago (5+ years). But I could still remembered snippets. Initially, I wasn't planning on writing a review. However, I have to give my kudos to Ms. Michaels for writing some memorable tales that I still remember after hundreds of books later.
*A Little Head's Up: The stories have been updated and reprinted. These are not new stories.
Merry, Merry
4 stars - Andi Evans was a struggling new veterinarian, who lived with 30+ animals and piles of unpaid bills. Peter King wanted her property and was willing to pay any price for it. After meeting the feisty lady, Peter started to have a change heart. Not regarding the property. But towards the idea of having a family that consisted of him, some animals and a pretty, unsuspecting veterinarian.
The only reason I gave this book a 4 stars was because the writing tended to be all over the place for half of the book. For example, they would have long dialogues, switching between one and/or the other, without a break in between. So there are no descriptions but they will talked in reference to what they are doing. It can be a bit tedious at times. However, I found the characters to be real sweethearts. Andi was feisty, caring and not willing back down when it counted. Peter was a little slow but he did know how to humble himself when he had to apologize. Other than the writing, this story was short and sweet. A few funny scenes and little mystery kept the reader hooked.
A Bright Red Ribbon
3.5 stars - Morgan Ames has waited 2 years for her ex-boyfriend to visit her in front of her Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. And this would be the year he was going to propose and nothing was going to stop her from being there. However, what she didn't plan was getting caught in a raging blizzard without any gas. Doomed to death, a dog showed up with a red ribbon in his mouth and led Morgan to his home and his wheelchair-bound owner, Marcus Bishop.
The style of writing is very similar to "Merry, Merry." If you like Lass Small and Diana Palmer, you will like the first 2 stories. The other reason it was demerit another 0.5 stars was the inane heroine. I really couldn't believe that she waited 2 freaking years for a jerk and knew that he had many women and expected to get engaged and then realized after meeting Marcus Bishop that she never really love her ex-boyfriend after all. She just plum befuddled and annoy me. But luckily that was only for the first half of the book. At the end, she transformed into a savvy businesswoman. The hero did not get much show time. His dog showed up more often then he did. So, the development of love between the two seemed a little lacking but the writing cover it up very well.
The Christmas Stocking
5 stars - Gus Moss hated his father. When he found out that his father was allowing the family Christmas tree farm go to ruin, Gus dropped everything and went home. Amy Baran hated her mother. When her mother needed PR help with a charity campaign, Amy dropped everything and went home. Can these two save Christmas for their families, friends and themselves?
I loved the fact when the hero fell in love with the heroine at first sight. What I didn't like was when Gus referred to the heroine for a whole page as 'his love'. That got kind of old and kind of beating a dead horse. Other than that, this story was absolutely sweet. Everything just fell into place without too much effort. The romance was blown to the wayside as their parents' romance and the Christmas charity overwhelmed it. Great characters with great spirit is the perfect read for the holiday season.
Comfort and Joy
5 stars - Angie Bradford ran the gift wrap business in Eagle Department store. Josh Eagle ran the Department store. Due to his father, Angie does not have to listen to Josh. Over the years and lawsuits, Angie and Josh were at loggerheads. However, due to his father's poor management, Eagle was going shut its doors in January. Angie and Josh have to put their differences aside to save their jobs and maybe find love.
The friction between the Josh and Angie was fun to read. I sincerely admire these two. Angie was an intelligent business woman and Josh knew when to listen. All the characters did a wonderful job and you can't help but root for them to succeed. The story truly embodied the holiday season and miracles can happen. I would say this was the best story and was a great way to end the book.
I would deem all these stories to be practically clean romances. The first two were behind-closed-doors. If you like the Harlequin Romance line, I would definitely suggest this anthology to you. The stories were sweet with tongue-in-cheek humor. The stories were very uplifting, filled with great characters. Christmas was well represented and not use as just as a background. If you are looking for passion or a deep read, pass it by. Sincerely, pick this up during the holidays. However, at the price, it can be an iffy proposition. If you can locate this book a more reasonable price, read it.
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