Once Upon A Christmas: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year/'Twas The Week Before Christmas (Steeple Hill Christmas 2-in-1) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lauraine Snelling (Author), Lenora Worth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Lauraine Snelling

Romance blooms between Blythe Stensrude and Thane Davidson after their dogs tangle leashes in the park--until Thane becomes guardian to his three-year-old niece. Blythe doesn't think she's mother material, but how can she refuse Thane's request to give a neglected little girl the best Christmas ever?

"'Twas the Week Before Christmas" by Lenora Worth

Upon arrival at her grandmother's Louisiana plantation for the holidays, socialite Elise Melancon is confronted with a shocking request--her grandmother wants her to "reform" a handsome man so he can date another woman! Perhaps Elise will discover that life's greatest gifts don't always come in a box.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like a double scoop of vanilla ice cream, these two inspirational novellas by Snelling and Worth are fairly predictable, go down smooth, and are extra-sweet. Snelling's "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" revolves around two successful, self-employed workaholics in California who meet by accident when their beloved basset hounds rendezvous (think 101 Dalmatians). An unexpected development in Thane Davidson's life causes love interest Blythe Stensrude to face some hidden fears (which are never explained fully or credibly to the reader), and Thane must choose whether or not he will judge someone he loves. In "'Twas the Week Before Christmas," a handsome, slang-talking Cajun is tutored in manners by a pearl-bedecked debutante type, whose hair, skin and eyes are described in more ways than there are drinks at Starbucks. In both novellas, the romance never heats up beyond a steamy kiss or two, and there's plenty of God-talk to please Christian readers. It's absurd, however, to include discussion questions at the end ("Blythe and Thane love their bassets very much... how has your pet... influenced your life?"). This is not the stuff of deep introspection, nor should it be. But as a curl-up-by-the-fireplace-and-escape-from-the-hustle-and-bustle read for the Christmas holidays, these agreeable novels meet expectations.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Mrs. Snelling's writing shines." -- Romantic Times BOOKclub

"Worth takes readers on a thrilling ride . . ." -- Romantic Times BOOKclub on After the Storm

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Steeple Hill (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373785496
• ISBN-13: 978-0373785490
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,148,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sweet if a little too trite, April 16, 2006

By 

Coppertop (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once Upon A Christmas: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year/'Twas The Week Before Christmas (Steeple Hill Christmas 2-in-1) (Hardcover)

I love Lauraine Snelling...and expected this to sweet Christian fiction, which it was. What disappointed me were the endings. There was all this build up on the "issues"...and then it was over like it was nothing. That was a pretty big let down. Don't pick this up expecting something new and wonderful...but it is an an enjoyable afternoon read. But I think both authors needs to work on their endings. It is like they didn't know what to do so just let it be magically fixed.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ...Not a bodice was busted ..., December 18, 2005

By 

TundraVision (o/~ from the Land of Sky Blue Waters o/~) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Once Upon A Christmas: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year/'Twas The Week Before Christmas (Steeple Hill Christmas 2-in-1) (Hardcover)

`Twere the Days Before Christmas ...
Somebody on the Basset Board was drooling over this book about love found between Basset people. This reviewer is "owned by" one of these bewitching, bedeviled short little big dogs so I thought I'd give these seasonal stories a shot. What I got was, to me, a whole new genre. Harlequin without the Harle - so to speak. I should have read the Publishers Weekly review more carefully - the part where it says: 'In both novellas, the romance never heats up beyond a steamy kiss or two, and there's plenty of God-talk to please Christian readers.' One should also note the back cover, which has the publisher's logo - "Steeple Hills," as in, here is the church, here is the steeple - and its mission: "fiction that inspires." This reviewer was uninspired and found it to be tepid romance with requisite agendaed religion.
Gimme Father Greeley any Day!
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer