Customer Reviews

Touched by Angels (Angel Series)

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

 

 

Goodness, Mercy and Shirley, 3 sometimes faulty guardian angels, are given three new charges in New York. A novice teacher in an inner city school, a Montana maiden who aspires to be a broadway singer, and a New York city girl-a sweetheart betrothed to a man she doesn't love but who her parents adore. Like many Macomber books this one deals with the loves of the everyday person and the hopes and heartaches they sometimes face. A sweet, romantic tale-a good lighthearted book to curl up with this holiday season:)-Merry Christmas!

Brynn, Hannah, and Jenny all have dreams. Brynn is a teacher who dreams of making a difference in her students' lives, even if Roberto Alcantara thinks she is in over her head. Hannah is so used to following her parents' wishes that she is engaged to one man, Carl, while in love with another, Joshua. Small-town girl Jenny's dreams of becoming a star on Broadway are growing dimmer by the day and she misses her family - and Trey LaRue. All three must learn to follow their hearts and they'll have some help along the way from three angels - Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy.

First released in 1995, "Touched by Angels" is a cute, at times poignant, novel set in New York at Christmas time (this is one novel, not three separate stories). Of the three women, I found Brynn's story to be the deepest, saddest, and most realistic, (outside of the discussion she has with her students regarding sex which felt out of place and merely a plot device). Author Debbie Macomber touches on several issues in this story that she normally stays away from and handles them all deftly (have a tissue nearby when reading this - there are some genuinely sad moments in this book). Macomber does a pretty good job of showing what life is like in a school in a poor neighborhood and doesn't sugarcoat the story - not everyone has a happy ending. The Brynn/Roberto romance is a pleasant surprise as Macomber's romances are almost always lily-white. The Hannah/Joshua story was my next favorite. While I sometimes wished Hannah would get a backbone, the chemistry between her and Joshua is well done (and very romantic) as are the family dynamics (I also like the fact that Macomber included a Jewish family in what could be considered a Christmas book). Hannah's struggles to please everyone instead of listening to her heart was very believable. Jenny's story was my least favorite of the three, mainly because there didn't seem to be much chemistry between her and Trey (I think this is because they already knew and cared for each other - readers had no chance to see the romance developing). As for the three angels, the story could easily have worked without them (and in fact they disappear for long periods of time) but they add a nice touch of humor to the story.

"Touched by Angels" is a nice novel set during the holiday season.

I didn't like the way she skipped from one angel to the other in a chapter. I like books that flow. I just skipped around in it after reading half of it and made myself do that.

I had a copy of this book on my kindle and loved it. I love the Auther Debbie Macomber so when my friend had an 85th birthday, I decided to give it to her o hardcopy. She's in the middle of it.

While it's not clear from the cover, "Touched by Angels" is new release of a book that was originally written in 1995. Some of the technology has been updated for this release to make it more believable to today's audience. (For example, characters now use cell phones.) The book is about three angels - Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy - who are being sent to Earth for the third holiday season in a row, to help answer someone's prayers. This year, the angels have been assigned to three young women in New York City.

Goodness is assigned to Hannah Morganstern to make sure she becomes happily married. Hannah is almost engaged to Carl Rabinsky, a rabbi's son. It seems Carl will make a perfect husband, but Hannah and Goodness may have other ideas.

Mercy is assigned to help Jenny Lancaster make it back to her hometown in Montana for Christmas. However, Jenny has much more on her mind than how to make it home. She could be on the verge of making her dreams of becoming a Broadway star come true, but what about her dreams of love?

Shirley is responsible for helping Brynn Cassidy, a young teacher that wants to make a difference in the lives of her inner-city students. Brynn wants to help, but it looks like the inexperienced teacher, as well as her guardian angel, may both be in over their heads.

While the three angels interact in short passages throughout the book, the stories of Hannah, Jenny, and Brynn are completely separate. It's really like three shorter novellas in one book. The angels are always looking out for the best for their charges on earth, even if their "boss", the angel Gabriel, doesn't always agree with their methods. The three angels are amusing and have great insights into the actions of others. However as characters, the personalities of the three angels blend together for me and the book would be better if the three angels were more distinct.

I enjoyed reading about the everyday struggles of Brynn and her budding romance with one of her student's older brother the most out of the three stories. This story is the most dramatic and has the most depth and realism, yet is the most moving out of the three. Brynn is caring and kind, but tough enough to make it in a challenging environment even when faced with tragedy. It is realistic love story between two people from different worlds, as well as the power of dreams and education for young people. Brynn is an inspirational character to whom readers can relate. If only the other heroines in the book were as likeable as Brynn!

Hannah is sweet and wants to do the right thing, but instead ends up leading on two men and making everyone miserable until the very end. Maybe she needed a bit more guidance from Goodness, because her story starts to drag on until I began to think maybe Hannah and Carl deserved each other and her new love interest, Joshua, should move on!

Jenny's story had potential, but the ending seems forced. Jenny has settled in and made new friends in New York, but so far a job as a singing waitress is the closest she has come to her dream of performing on Broadway. I like the friendship between Jenny and her roommate Michelle, also an aspiring singer/dancer, and the way they support each other even when they are competing with each other for roles. The love story between Jenny and Trey, the rancher from Montana, falls flat for me. There is no doubt the two love each other, but I wish their story would have ended a little differently. Jenny says she is happy with the way things turn out, but as a reader, I felt cheated and thought Jenny got cheated as well.

Overall, the book is pleasant, light reading for the holidays. The angels come to New York as an answer to a prayer, but the book is not at all "preachy". There are some passionate kissing scenes, but it's definitely an inspirational and not a steamy romance. While Hannah and Jenny's stories are a bit lacking, the story of Brynn and her students make the book worthwhile. Fans of Debbie Macomber that missed this book the first time around may want to give it a try this holiday season.

This review was originally written for The Season E-Zine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Was a wonderful book. One you laugh with and cry with. Took a little getting used to with three different stories going on at once.