Customer Reviews

Comfort and Joy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Comfort and Joy" by Fern Michaels. Angie and Josh disagree on everything until they face the truth, encouraged by the loving relationship between his father and her mother who have found each other; that they need to look deeper inside each other's heart.

"A High-Kicking Christmas" by Marie Bostwick. Because she broke her foot, Rockettes dancer Kendra agrees to direct a Yuletides play in Maple Grove, Vermont; she never expected to co-star in a personal production with Pastor Andy and his daughter Thea.

"Suzanna's Stockings" by Cathy Lamb. As she lies in a coma, Suzanna's spirit overhears learning things about her family and friends that make her understand what caring truly is.

"Family Blessings" by Deborah J. Wolf. With her mother's mental state rapidly deteriorating from Alzheimer's, Kacey and her family struggle with celebrating Christmas.

Although not entirely upbeat (especially Ms. Wolf's insightful tale) these are four very different yet well written refreshing and inspiring novellas that will have readers thinking what the holiday season means.

Harriet Klausner

It was a very good book and a fast read. I love stories that I can read quickly and I love romance. Every story in this book was good.

This is an excellent group of stories and will make a fun extra tuck in gift for friends at Christmas time. I particularly love the one written by Fern Michaels. But then, she is my favorite!!!!!

...doesn't warrant more than 3-stars. I would have rated it at 1-star if not for the one redeeming contribution to this short collection of 4 holiday stories.

In the order published:

1) Comfort & Joy by Fern Michaels - I have enjoyed this authors past works, but have found some of the recent releases frivolous in dialogue, and just plain silly-this one included. Some of the dialogue between the characters was just far-fetched. This a romance about making a mall store prosperous for the Christmas season, with very little substance in my humble opinion, and nary a tail-wagging-fur-ball in sight. I don't know where the title even came from.

2) A High Kicking Christmas - Marie Bostwick - thank you, Marie, your story saves this publication. A charming, meaningful story about "Christmas" not just a holiday. Loveable characters, the children were wonderful, and the subject matter for the play amazing, I wanted to be in the front row when this unusual and meaningful production began. I loved this good-feeling little novel for the holidays. This alone makes the price of the paperback worthwhile, and one you could buy for anyone on your gift list. Too bad it wasn't offered as a stand-alone.

3) Suzanna's Stockings by Cathy Lamb - also unrealistic humor in a grave situation. I found it far-fetched to think anyone (out-of-body or not) could joke like this about a person in a coma or the grievers/visitors. The main character is the person in the coma looking down on herself, cracking jokes and following her friends around, in spirit, and learning about their lives. She also is reliving memories which include an abusive childhood, which seems out of place in this romantic comedy. The large cast of characters is eclectic, even a sex phone ring included, but not much of Christmas/holiday here except an occasional reference to the season.

4) Family Blessings by Deborah J. Wolf - This had potential...a story about a woman with Alzheimers who loved Christmas and wants it now, and even though it isn't Christmas season, she is dragging out decorations. Her daughter is the main character however, bringing her Dad and siblings together to deal with their mother's condition. I would have loved to share this with my Mom who is elderly and interested in Alzheimers, but right off the bat, the f-bomb is thrown into the dialogue, and even though the author mellows it out a little by substituting "friggin" for the f-word in other parts of the novel, she gets sexually explicit in one scene about one of the daughters when she was younger. In the same scene there is also drug use going on and it changed my mind about sharing this "holiday" novel. Why in the world do authors think that profanity, sex or drugs are necessary to sell a Christmas/holiday story?

Marie Bostwick's was the only one with a true Christmas message and wonderful believable characters.

This Book was not good at all. It was very boring, and some of the stories were horribly written. I advise not to waste your money.

This was a great read. I enjoyed all the authors stories. Not a bad story in the bunch.