Customer Reviews

Christmas Letters

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Twenty-eight-year-old Katherine "K.O." O'Connor, adores the holidays on Seattle's Blossom Street. She spends her mornings lounging at the French Cafe, a peppermint mocha and bran muffin seated in front of her, and clicks away on her laptop, creating Christmas letters for the hurried and harried who have no time to write their own. It may seem like a crazy job, but it gives K.O. pleasure knowing that she's helping people out around the holidays, and gives her a chance to get away from her never-ending job hunt and medical transcription wonderland. However, when K.O. finds out that her younger sister has decided to boycott Christmas, and bury Santa under the sleigh, ending all of her lifetime holiday traditions and creating a horrible holiday atmosphere for her twin daughters, all because of a ridiculous child-rearing book written by Dr. Wynn Jeffries, K.O. gets angry. She feels that Dr. Jeffries is a pretentious quack, and finds his theories borderline insane. But when she comes face to face with the doctor of the hour, K.O.'s opinions quickly begin changing. Suddenly she realizes that the man who seems so evil on paper, is actually quite a warm-hearted fellow, who just happens to be quite easy on the eyes and absolutely irresistible. Oddly enough, Wynn finds K.O. just as irresistible. But when the two of them see just how much they disagree with one another, and realize that their personalities and beliefs are, quite frankly, on two different sides of the hemisphere, K.O. and Wynn begin to question whether or not their feelings for one another will make it through the holidays, or be shelved with the decorations come January.

I suppose I should admit that I'm a sucker for holiday romances, especially those that mention quaint cafes, fallen snow, and presents galore. So you can imagine that I was instantly taken with Debbie Macomber's CHRISTMAS LETTERS the moment I saw the cover, and read the inside flap. K.O. is a wonderful character, who instantly captured my heart. Her love for the holidays, determination to find the perfect job in PR, and creativity in starting a business writing Christmas letters are so admirable; while her witty dialogue, oft-times sharp tongue is hilarious, and keeps you laughing as she muddles through one awkward situation after another. Wynn, on the other hand, possesses many of the same traits as K.O., yet allows them to shine through in a less rough and tumble manner. The romance that develops between both him and K.O. is awe-inspiring; while the difficulties in finding a stronghold for their relationship often leave you on the edge of your seat. The appearances of characters such as K.O.'s friend LaVonne, Wynn's father Max, and LaVonne's assortment of cats, are also quite entertaining, yet never overshadow the main characters of the story, and leave room for a possible holiday sequel starring another pair of lovebirds next year...Will warm you from head to toe, and leave you craving more.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Katherine O'Connor loves Christmas. So much so that she has turned her ability to write charming Christmas letters into a second job. Understandably, she gets upset when she hears her sister is forgoing severing holiday traditions based on a book by Dr. Wynn Jeffries about child rearing. Katherine thinks the book and the doctor's theories are laughable. However, when she comes face to face with the man, she finds him to be much different than she expected. He's irresistible, and he thinks she is, too. Can these two find enough middle ground, or are they too different for love to triumph?

As always, Debbie Macomber writes vivid and heartwarming characters. Katherine is smart and spirited. Wynn has a sense of humor and a strong sense of self. Most wonderful, perhaps, are the secondary characters. The eccentric LaVonne and the aging hippie Max are funny and charming. All together, they create a fabulous world for this story to unfold.

The love story between Katherine and Wynn is quite engaging. Debbie Macomber fans will love the romantic settings and witty dialogue. However, due to the shortened length of this book, the resolution of the conflict is abbreviated and a bit unrealistic. Also due to the length, the entertaining secondary characters are lost in the final chapters. Because Ms. Macomber created such compelling characters, it is understandable the reader would feel cheated not seeing the resolution to their storylines. Still, fans of romance and Ms. Macomber's stories will love this book and will cheer for Katherine and Wynn to overcome the odds and find their happy ending.

Reviewed by Joelle Charbonneau-Blanco
9/28/2006

Her sister Zelda knows that Katherine "K.O." O'Connor has a full plate. Besides working as a medical transcriber and searching for a better job, K.O. writes Christmas letters for other people. Z knows K.O. is so good, her side business at the French café on Blossom Street in Seattle is booming.

Famous child psychologist Dr. Wynn Jeffries thinks Christmas is a commercial lie. He believes kids should know the truth about Santa. K.O. thinks otherwise and that kids should have some whimsy in their life. He got her tossed out of a local bookstore and now wants her removed from the French Café though he admits to himself he enjoys their debates over his "Free Child" methodology. She accuses him of being Dr. Frankenstein causing the change in her formerly precocious angelic nieces into cold monsters so she wonders why she cherishes their arguments.

This is a fun holiday romance as Debbie Macomber warms the hearts of her readers with this fine Christmas cheer. The two lead combatants make for a nice coupling as she really believes in the magic of the holiday while he literally writes if off as a bah humbug waste of parenting. Fans will enjoy how these beloved enemies find the way to each other's heart.

Harriet Klausner

Katherine O'Connor, commonly called K.O., has a lucrative Christmas letter writing sideline. During an interview with one of her clients, she sees someone she has never met yet thoroughly despises: Dr. Wynn Jeffries, author of the child-rearing book that K.O.'s sister Zelda considers a bible. K.O. disagrees with the "no rules" theory of the book and believes it is responsible for turning her lovely five-year-old twin nieces into terrors. Why is the author here on Seattle's Blossom Street?

Resolved to let Dr. Jeffries know how much she opposes his book, K.O. follows him. She is incredulous to discover him entering her own condo building. K.O.'s friend and neighbor, LaVonne, informs her that Dr. Jeffries has lived in the penthouse of the building as long as K.O. has lived in her own tiny condo. She is not surprised to hear that he is single and childless; only a non-parent could come up with such a skewed view of parenting.

K.O. calls to tell Zelda that she and Dr. Jeffries are neighbors. She grows angrier toward him when she learns that Zelda and her husband are taking his advice to downplay Christmas. They'll have no tree and no Santa for the children. K.O. once again vows to discuss Dr. Jeffries's philosophy with him --- after she attains an autograph for her sister at Zelda's insistence. However, when she does confront the author at the neighborhood coffee shop, she loses her cool and scolds him so loudly that he flees.

LaVonne invites K.O. to a party where she finds that the only other guest happens to be Wynn Jeffries (who is visibly appalled to see her). LaVonne informs them that she's seen their future --- first in kitty litter, then in her bowl of Raisin Bran --- and that they are destined to fall in love. K.O. laughs out loud; Wynn agrees that the romance would never happen. But when LaVonne informs them that she's made and paid for dinner reservations at a posh restaurant, neither can resist the invitation.

On their dinner date, Wynn is courteous, funny and sweet. They talk and talk, agreeing to avoid certain subjects. By the end of the evening, it's obvious to both K.O. and Wynn that a romance is in their future.

Everything is wonderful between them as long as they don't discuss his book. K.O. finally invites him to babysit her nieces so she can watch him put his theories to practical use --- and just possibly totally disprove them.

When Wynn's father visits, K.O. has an inspiration. She will introduce him to LaVonne, who yearns for a man in her life. K.O.'s matchmaking leads to a scene that is hilarious to readers and causes K.O. to swear off hooking up people forever.

All along, K.O. is just waiting until she and Wynn babysit her nieces. Then she's sure she will prove his theories wrong. However, as it turns out, the two of them are headed for disaster in many more ways than one.

CHRISTMAS LETTERS is a light, funny, warm read. Some may feel that a few problems are solved just a bit too easily. But more are likely to enjoy the easy feel-good charm of this romantic comedy. Debbie Macomber's familiar setting of Blossom Street in Seattle will make her many fans feel right at home, and the Christmassy atmosphere makes readers feel that they have just had a refreshing holiday vacation from real life.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon [...]

Katherine O'Connor (known as K.O.) is sitting in a café on Blossom Street working on her part-time job of writing Christmas letters for other people when she spots Dr. Wynn Jeffries. Dr. Jeffries has written a book called "The Free Child" in which he says, among other things, that parents should not allow children to believe in fantasies such as Santa Claus. K.O's sister Zelda swears by the book, but K.O. feels that the book has turned her nieces into brats and tells Wynn exactly what she thinks of him and his book. Not a great beginning for a relationship but K.O's neighbor LaVonne claims to have had a psychic vision that K.O. and Wynn belong together so she manipulates another meeting between the two. To her surprise, K.O. and Wynn get along great and are soon dating. But will their relationship stand up to the very real differences between the two?

"Christmas Letters" is the perfect book to read to get a break from the stress of the holidays. It's a quick and humorous read. The romance between K.O. and Wynn is very sweet and there's even a second romance thrown in that's very cute. There's gentle humor throughout the book from the Christmas letters K.O. writes (especially the one she writes for LaVonne); to LaVonne's psychic vision from kitty litter; and to when K.O. and Wynn baby-sit her nieces, to name just a few. For a short book, the characters are pretty well developed: K.O. is a strong heroine, especially at the end which I really liked; LaVonne with her psychic "visions" is a bit eccentric, but loving; and Max, Wynn's aging hippie father. Wynn, with his unsettled childhood and troubled relationship with his father is the most developed and likable character. Fans who have read other books by Debbie Macomber will be pleased that "Christmas Letters" takes place on Blossom Street and several characters from her Blossom Street books make cameo appearances in this book. I wish the book had been a bit longer since it doesn't take that long to read, but the length is perfect for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

"Christmas Letters" is a good book to read to put you in the holiday spirit.

Christmas Letters is one of those books that hits home. I laughed all the way through especially during the baby sitting gig and the brown tailed African rat made my day. This is a must read for Debbie fans.

Debbie Macomber captures the mood of Christmas, its sights, sounds, and tasty treats, in her annual holiday gift to her readers. Her likeable heroine even writes Christmas letters for other people as a "second job." Between her at-home work as a medical transcriber and hunting for the perfect job in public relations, she has found the way to make even mundane or depressing lives cheerful for the annual Christmas message to friends and families.

Heroine Katherine O'Connor (K.O. to her friends) is outspoken and brutally honest, especially when she crosses paths with renowned child psychologist Wynn Jeffries. She has been predisposed to dislike the attractive doctor's philosophy of raising free children since her own two nieces have started to run amuck once K.O.'s sister adopted his child-rearing techniques. When they do meet, there are fireworks and harsh words, but an attraction that is undeniable. They disagree on many things, but somehow they agree that they have something special. There is the inevitable break-up until both discover that love means accepting your differences and Christmas is about sharing. No great surprises in this one, but a totally enjoyable tale to add to your happy holiday mood. If you leave out cookies for Santa and visions of sugarplums dance in your head, this is a perfect addition to your holiday reading.

Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber, a New York Times Best Selling Author. This book is a good, sweetly romantic, escape novel ... and easy read to curl up by the fire for an evening and enjoy. It is a simple love story of people with cross-purpose interests who meet in unexpected ways which promote instant dislike for each other. The novel has an alternate theme of an interesting apporach to child-rearing, and everything happens at Christmas time. So get this book, curl up in a comfy place, and escape the franticness of the season.

CHRISTMAS LETTERS was a very moving story. Katherine O'Connor bumps into Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who doesn't approve that Christmas be famed by giving presents to children. Is he being a Scrooge? Or did his parents prescribe the same thing for him when he was a child?
Despite Dr. Jeffries philosophy on Christmas, Katherine is drawn to him. Even though she doesn't understand his feelings on the Christmas subject, she confronts him about it. This leads to more arguing, which they both love.
Katherine's sister loved Dr. Jeffries new book "Free Child" and, begins to raise her twins by using his methods. Once she found out that Katherine knew Dr. Jeffries, she asked Katherine if she could get her copy of his new book autographed for her? Katherine agreed, even though she thought Dr. Jeffries wouldn't even talk to her after their discrepancy, let alone sign the book. Will Katherine and Wynn fall madly in love with each other? Or will the two, upon seeing each other, turn and walk away?
Debbie Macomber, a New York Times Bestselling Author, will make you laugh and maybe cry a little too, when you read CHRISTMAS LETTERS. Her ability to bring a smile, and maybe a few tears, to her many fans is something to be shared during the holidays.

Katherine O'Connor, who goes by K.O., is looking for work and making some extra money for Christmas by writing people's Christmas letters for them. Her greatest current passion, however, seems to be disabusing her sister of the notion that there is anything of merit in Dr. Wynn Jeffries's best-selling guide to raising children. K.O.'s neighbor, LaVonne, has discovered that she appears to be psychic and is able to read the future in cat litter and raisin bran.

As the story begins, K.O. has just discovered that Wynn lives in her building, and LaVonne has told K.O. about a psychic vision in which K.O. finds a man. Naturally, these two events turn out to be related, and the rest of the story can pretty much write itself.

The problem with the book is not the predictability, which is dictated both by the broader romance genre and the narrower field of Christmas romances; the problem is that the story seems rushed and poorly thought out. Wynn's theory, for example, is that children should pretty much be allowed to make their own rules, eat whatever and whenever they want, and be told the truth about Santa Claus. This theory, rightly, irks K.O., especially when her sister seems to have adopted the theory completely in the raising her twins. The problem for the reader, though, is that Wynn's theory is so patently absurd that it is simply too unreasonable to suspect that it would ever spawn a best-selling book or make anyone a celebrity.

Even this point would not be such a problem were it not for the fact that the Free Child theory is a major sticking point in K.O. and Wynn's on-again, off-again relationship. Nonetheless, K.O. has enough character to keep a casual reader going until the ending, which is far too forced and abrupt. Unfortunately, by that point, the best part of the novel, the Christmas letters themselves, has long been jettisoned as an important element of the plot.

"The Christmas Letters" is a light and fast read, and for those who do not want to think but want a fast, easy, and predictable dose of holiday cheer, it certainly works. For those who want more depth or plausibility, look elsewhere.