![A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights by [Jaeger, Peggy]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CSxuUCX-L._SY346_.jpg)
I absolutely adore Peggy Jaeger's Valentine novella about Chloe San Valentino and her large, meddling Italian family, so when I found out there was a Christmas story about Chloe's younger sister Gia, I snatched up a Kindle version to sweeten my holiday season.
Gia San Valentino is the baby of the family, a good Italian girl in her early twenties still living at home with her overprotective family. In the lead up to the holidays she's crazy busy with studying for her CPA exams while helping care for her elderly grandmother and helping out with her family's booth at the annual church Christmas festival.
Her well meaning family has set her up with numerous dates, but none of them make her heart stop like the new soon-to-be-ordained priest at her local church. She's more than convinced she's going to go to hell for having such carnal thoughts about a man of the cloth, and that's before he even kisses her. After? She can't think straight, let alone care. One kiss will never be enough.
This over-the-top New York Italian family makes for such fun reading, especially having grown up in Northern New Jersey with so many Soprano-like neighbors. Jaeger nails lots of the little details that make you both cringe and laugh out loud, and despite the fact that I figured out the story's "twist" well before Gia did, it only added to the fun to watch her emotional turmoil.
For a different sort of Christmas story that will definitely make you smile, grab a copy of this fun, fast read. You won't be disappointed!
Review
from Netgalley netgalley.com/catalog/book/102722
Review: A KISS UNDER THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, by Peggy JaegerRated 5 out of 5 stars by Iris Chacon. (An electronic copy of the book was given to the reviewer in exchange for an honest, objective review.)This delightful novel does for Christmas what Nia Vardalos did for Big Fat Greek Weddings. In this case, the loud, large family is Italian and staunchly Catholic.With a million close relatives watching her every move, both socially and professionally, Gia San Valentino is still living in her parents' house in her mid-twenties. She is dutifully helping her mother and incorrigible aunts with the annual church Christmas Festival when a new soon-to-be-ordained young priest is assigned to Gia's parish.That's fine. Old Father Mario is older than dirt and will be retiring soon. What's not fine is that Gia is terminally smitten with Father Mario's young, handsome replacement! She knows two things for sure: (1) her family must never find out what she feels toward the priest, and (2) there is a special spot reserved for her in hell for what she thinks when she looks at him.The author wisely lets Gia narrate the story from within the craziness of a huge, nosey, Catholic family, and the resulting story is brimming with heart and humor. With mild language and no explicit sex, this book is fun for readers of any age from 10 to 100. While certain social and cultural aspects of being Catholic are mentioned, there is no religious discussion of the meaning of Christmas. This is just good, clean, wintertime fun and a great Christmas gift for readers ~Iris C, Reviewer
