21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sure to grab readers by the heart and add a little warmth to the holiday season, September 29, 2008
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
As is the tradition for Debbie Macomber, we have another Christmas story that is sure to grab readers by the heart and add a little warmth to the holiday season. The fact A Cedar Cove Christmas takes place is my favorite fictional town, just adds to my delight.
May Jo Wyse is a young woman in a tough situation. David Rhodes got her pregnant and then made lots of promises and said all the right things. Her three overprotective older brothers plan to make the father pay for getting her pregnant, no matter how much Mary Jo begs them to leave it alone.
Now, two weeks before her due date, Mary Jo is in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve where David said he will be to meet her. However she gets more than she bargained for when he is a no-show. Mary Jo is stuck in town overnight, but there is no room at the inn, so to speak.
Grace Harding takes pity on Mary Jo and takes her home where Grace and her husband Cliff have the whole family staying. They offer Mary Jo the room over the stable, where they are boarding all of the animals for Cedar Cove's Live Nativity. Add to the already crazy holiday, Mary Jo goes into labor with only young paramedic Mack McAfee by her side. Only in Cedar Cove can such an unusual Christmas bring about the magic of love and miracles.
Debbie Macomber is already well known for her wonderful stories, especially her annual Christmas book. Now she has another winner with a modern retelling of the original Christmas story in A Cedar Cove Christmas. Readers will recognize everyone from that very first Christmas in the various residents of Cedar Cove and surrounding areas.
One of the very best things about Macomber's series is that all of the characters become friends and each book is a chance to catch up on their lives. All of our beloved characters are present. Well except for my personal favorite anyhow, Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes, who is on a Christmas cruise with husband Ben. While irrepressible Charlotte may not be physically present, she and Ben play a pivotal role in the story. I enjoyed catching up with Cliff and Grace, Jack and Olivia, and all of the other friendly townsfolk however, even if I had to get the news about Charlotte second hand from her family.
It is important to note, there are some events and circumstances mentioned in A Cedar Cove Christmas that are spoilers to anyone not caught up on the series. I know there were a couple things in particular that surprised me since I'm about two or three books behind.
While A Cedar Cove Christmas is lighter and shorter and takes place over a much shorter period of time than the usual Cedar Cove book, all of the charm and subtle humor that mark the series are present on every single page. A Cedar Cove Christmas is a heartwarming story of love, forgiveness, and acceptance during the most wonderful time of the year.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, September 2008. All rights reserved.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
amateurish and dull, December 1, 2009
When I read the blurb on the book cover I thought it might be a nice Christmas read, but I was very disappointed to find it so predictable and lackluster. I don't like such shallow, predictable characters. Mary Jo's brothers are in their 30's and act like the three stooges. I found it hard to believe that three guys who run a successful business could be so inept at finding their way around and taking on a simple task like driving to Cedar Cove to find their sister. And I realize they are being protective of her, but she is 24 years old--a little old, I thought, for them to treat her like a preschooler. I should probably mention that I have read a few other Debbie Macomber books and really don't like them very well--for the same reason I didn't care for this one. The plots seem so thin to me, and even though there are some nice supporting characters, I found it dull. I couldn't wait for it to be over. Sorry, those of you who really like this author. I just don't care for her stuff.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
not up to par, October 13, 2008
I was really disappointed because I really do love Debbie Macomber. It was too hokey and, I thought, written in a very juvenile manner. Something
like a very beginning writing class. But a lovely Christmas story. It was amusing is the best I could give it.
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