AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber
NARRATOR: Suzanne Elise Freeman
PUBLISHER: Random House Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: October 4, 2016
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 5 hrs and 23 mins
GENRE: Romance/Contemporary, Holiday/Christmas
In a festive annual tradition, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber returns with another original holiday novel full of romance and cheer. This time around, a plucky young woman clashes with a real-life Scrooge—her grouchy, arrogant, annoyingly handsome neighbor—and tries to get even the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.
MY REVIEW:
This holiday romance gave me all the feels! It may seem like an odd time of year to be reading a Christmas book but, after reading lots of mysteries lately, I craved a comfort read and this one fit the bill.
Julia Padden is your typical girl-next-door type, and she quite literally is Cain Maddox’s girl next door! They live across the hallway from each other in the same apartment building. When Julia spots Cain stealing her newspaper just because someone stole his, she throws a fit! She calls her best friend, Cammie, to vent, and Cammie suggests that Julia kill Cain...with kindness. Cammie insists that it’s a great idea for Julia’s blog and would be sure to get a lot of attention. You see, Julia is vying for her dream job and the employer has pitted the two contenders against each other in a stiff competition. Because the job entails social media, the one whose blog gets the most followers will get the position. Julia had yet to come up with something brilliant, and Cammie convinces her to conduct an experiment on the effects of kindness and report the results on her blog. It’s sure to be a hit, especially during the holidays, and Julia agrees and names her project “Twelve Days of Christmas.”
At first, the results are disastrous. Cain is annoyed by Julia’s cheerfulness and thinks it's all an act. He is surly and rude, and Julia is ready to throw in the towel. The blog's readers give her the encouragement that she needs to stick it out, and Julia is shocked when Cain starts to reciprocate! Julia’s experiment is a success, but at what cost? When Cain finds out about it, he is none too pleased and accuses Julia of using him for her own personal gain. He was burned before, and he feels burned again. Will Julia be able to make things right? Well, it IS a holiday romance after all!
I loved, loved, loved this book! I read Macomber’s Dashing Through the Snow last year during the holidays, and this one is even better!! I am NOT someone who ordinarily reads contemporary romances, but holiday romances turn my heart to mush. The story is sweet and funny, and I really enjoyed Cain’s transformation. It is told from both Cain’s and Julia’s points of view, and it was fun to get inside Cain’s head to see what he thinks of Julia. It’s a perfect holiday read, and I will definitely be looking for another Macomber holiday romance to read this Christmas!
Memorable quote:
"To his credit, Cain had resisted as best he could, but it was as if she were the sun, spreading her glow and warmth over him. Without him ever meaning for it to happen, he found himself caught up in the centrifugal force that was Julia. He'd been swept up by the happiness he felt when he was with her, the feeling of belonging, which was something he hadn't felt in a good long while. It was like an elixir he was fast coming to crave."
Can I gush about the cover? The artwork is just beautiful, and the snow globe is a perfect festive touch. I love the snow falling in the background. It just screams Christmas!! I would buy this book for the cover alone.
Suzanne Elise Freeman was the perfect pick to narrate this audiobook! Her voice for Julia was sweet without being over the top and annoying, and her gruff voice for Cain was perfect. Her pace was excellent, and I was spellbound. Here is a sample of the narration:
MY RATING:
5 stars!! It was superb! I loved it and will likely read it again! You should definitely put it on tour TBR if you enjoy Holiday or Contemporary Romances!
This book qualifies as:
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Great review! I'll have to add this one to my list for my holiday reading!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erica! I hope you love it as much as I did.
DeleteGreat review. I look forward to reading this one. Maybe another Hallmark movie?
ReplyDeleteYES. I read Macomber's Christmas book every year and love them. I am so delighted this was well done on audio and that you adored it!
ReplyDelete