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Emma Collins has always believed that the world is divided into two kinds of
people: those who love fruitcake and those who don't. She's firmly in the second
category, so it's ironic that her first major assignment for the Puyallup,
Washington, Examiner is a series of articles about…fruitcake. At least
it's a step up from writing obituaries.
Her task is to interview the finalists in a fruitcake recipe contest, and that means traveling around the state. Actually…flying around the state. Local pilot Oliver Hamilton, who's starting an airfreight business, has agreed to take her wherever she needs to go, in exchange for free advertising. Unfortunately Emma hates small planes—almost as much as she hates fruitcake.
But in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Emma falls for Oliver (who's not quite the Scrooge he sometimes seems) and his mutt, Oscar (who's allergic to her perfume, which makes him sneeze repeatedly). And she meets three wise women who know a lot about fruitcake—and even more about life.
It all reminds her that there's something about Christmas. Something special…
Her task is to interview the finalists in a fruitcake recipe contest, and that means traveling around the state. Actually…flying around the state. Local pilot Oliver Hamilton, who's starting an airfreight business, has agreed to take her wherever she needs to go, in exchange for free advertising. Unfortunately Emma hates small planes—almost as much as she hates fruitcake.
But in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Emma falls for Oliver (who's not quite the Scrooge he sometimes seems) and his mutt, Oscar (who's allergic to her perfume, which makes him sneeze repeatedly). And she meets three wise women who know a lot about fruitcake—and even more about life.
It all reminds her that there's something about Christmas. Something special…
Genre: contemporary romance
Publishing date: December 2013
Offensive content: nothing to report.
Review:
I picked up There's Something About Christmas as part of my Christmas reading list. It's not a new book (it was published two years ago already) but I'd never read it before and it sounded like a season appropriate read. Well, it is.
There's Something About Christmas is a nice, clean, Holiday romance. Emma is a journalist that, due to the twists and turns of life, ends up writing obituaries in a small regional newspaper. When she's given the chance to write a real piece, she takes it. Even if the story is about fruitcake. The fruitcake business and Emma's fear of planes, especially small ones, make for several funny scenes in the book, where you can't help but smile, especially when Oliver is in the picture as well.
But, mostly, this book is about lessons. How a good writer can turn almost anything (fruitcake, in this case) into a best seller as long as he (or she) finds the right angle. How you should not let regrets and past mistakes (yours and others') prevent you from living your life to the fullest (and enjoy the Christmas spirit). And how sometimes love is right in front of you, you just need to embrace it with an open heart. In addition, there are three wonderful recipes in the book that I plan to try someday soon.
I'm not giving this book five stars just because I think the author could have developed the characters a bit more. I missed the turning point in Oliver and Emma's relationship. One minute she's getting used to having Oliver around, and the next she's sure she's in love with him. While the storyline is believable, there's a missing link somewhere. In addition, I never understood Oliver and Walt's relationship (Walt is the owner of the newspaper where Emma works). In the end, There's Something About Christmas reads like a short story, even though it is almost 300 pages long.
There's Something About Christmas is a nice, clean, Holiday romance. Emma is a journalist that, due to the twists and turns of life, ends up writing obituaries in a small regional newspaper. When she's given the chance to write a real piece, she takes it. Even if the story is about fruitcake. The fruitcake business and Emma's fear of planes, especially small ones, make for several funny scenes in the book, where you can't help but smile, especially when Oliver is in the picture as well.
But, mostly, this book is about lessons. How a good writer can turn almost anything (fruitcake, in this case) into a best seller as long as he (or she) finds the right angle. How you should not let regrets and past mistakes (yours and others') prevent you from living your life to the fullest (and enjoy the Christmas spirit). And how sometimes love is right in front of you, you just need to embrace it with an open heart. In addition, there are three wonderful recipes in the book that I plan to try someday soon.
I'm not giving this book five stars just because I think the author could have developed the characters a bit more. I missed the turning point in Oliver and Emma's relationship. One minute she's getting used to having Oliver around, and the next she's sure she's in love with him. While the storyline is believable, there's a missing link somewhere. In addition, I never understood Oliver and Walt's relationship (Walt is the owner of the newspaper where Emma works). In the end, There's Something About Christmas reads like a short story, even though it is almost 300 pages long.
There's no "wow factor" in this book, but it is still a heartwarming, sweet story, perfect to read this season. Because there really is something about Christmas...
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