A Cedar Cove Christmas (Hardcover)

by Debbie Macomber (Author)
Key Phrases: foot ferry, aid car, David Rhodes, Christmas Eve, Mary Jo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Mary Jo Wyse, the protagonist of this trite little throwaway, is extremely pregnant. She sets out for Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve to hunt down her child's delinquent dad, David. Hot on her trail are her three overprotective brothers (the three Wyse men—get it?), determined to make David do the right thing. Mary Jo can't find a hotel room or her man, so she takes shelter at Grace Harding's ranch, in an apartment above a barn. She delivers her child that night with Grace, an EMT, and several farm animals as onlookers, and everyone is reminded of the true spirit of Christmas. Clearly, subtlety is not the order of the day. Sadly, neither is quality storytelling. There's more life in a lump of coal. (Oct.)
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Product Description
Mother-to-be Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, searching for her baby's father. David Rhodes had said he'd be in town. But he isn't. Which leaves Mary Jo stranded, pregnant and alone. And there's no room at the local inn.…

So Grace Harding brings Mary Jo home to her nearby ranch. She and her husband, Cliff, have a houseful of guests, but they offer her a room over their stable (currently sheltering the animals—including a donkey and a camel—for Cedar Cove's Nativity pageant!).

When Mary Jo goes into labor that night, a young man named Mack McAfee, a paramedic, comes to her rescue, just as her brothers—the three Wyse men—show up in town. The people of Cedar Cove join them in celebrating the birth of baby Noel. But no one has more to celebrate than Mack. Because this Christmas brings him faith, hope and love…

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Mira; 1st, 1st Ed edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325911
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325918
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,080 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 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

By	Kelley Hartsell "Kelley" (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joy to the World, Cedar Cove Style, October 14, 2008

By	Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

What better gift could Debbie Macomber give her readers than a second visit to Cedar Cove this year? At the end of the previous story, 8 Sandpiper Way, the residents were nearing Christmas and in this latest entry into the series, Christmas Eve has arrived.

The story, as the author readily admits, is not original, but her modern day version of the famous story recorded in Luke. Instead of Mary and Joseph, we have young Mary Jo, single and pregnant, searching for the father of her baby. He was supposed to be in Cedar Cove for Christmas, for as we learn he is the errant son of Ben Rhodes. Unlike his father, David is a manipulative man we have met before when he tried to swindle Charlotte. The parallels are numerous down to Mary Jo's brothers, the three Wyse men. Linc, Mel, and Ned are no Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior. But they are a loving family, often slapstick, often irritating, but always endearing, even down to the modern day equivalents to gold, frankincense, and myrrh they bring for Mary Jo and her baby. And indeed, a baby is delivered, young Noelle whose arrival in Grace and Cliff Harding's barn brings joy to many of the beloved characters we know from previous visits to Cedar Cove.

The story is light-hearted and warm, a sure way to brighten your Christmas reading. It's also a story you can easily complete in one or two readings, so pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa with a dollop of whipped cream, and enjoy this joyful holiday visit to the most charming little city I can name.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read !, September 21, 2008

By	Frances M. Freel (California USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I;m reading the Cedar Cove series & looked forward to this book. When it came, I read it in two days..a delightful holiday story...I'd like to read more about Mary Jo & baby Noel...maybe she & Mack will marry ?? I highly recommend this to all Cedar Cove readers. !!