5 Stars - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor , for me, was like…

...A homemade chocolate chip cookie accompanied by a cup of mocha with the right blend of roasted coffee and warm, smooth chocolate. All this, enjoyed sitting looking out at the harbour, with the sea breeze on my face, and the fresh scents of the air after a rain. I see a beautiful rainbow against the blue sky, and spy the dark storm clouds, which had just passed by, away in the distance. I More...

Anyone who reads historical romance has probably already been introduced to the art form that is Lisa Kleypas’ storytelling, so you’ll understand when I say that there really are no words to describe just what a talented writer she is. Therefore, I’ll save you all a lot of time and keep this short.

It must not be easy to give readers the feel of a full length novel in a short story such as this because very few authors actually do it. But with Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, we were given a trul More...

I am shocked. I didn't believe it was possible for me to EVER dislike a Kleypas book. How could this have happened?

Before I start this review, I must first go back in time a few days...

DATE : December 23

TIME : Lazy afternoon with the kids out of the house

ACTIVITY : My viewing of a taped movie - Christmas With Holly, based on the book I'm reviewing. Don't ask me why I decided to tape and watch it, but I have to admit to being curious about seeing a Kleypas book translated to film.

RESPONSE : Well More...

No big review, just some thoughts:

Kicking myself for hesitating over this one (when will I learn to listen to Shawna?) Of course I loved it. I didn't care that it was a G/PG-rated romance--the storytelling was second to none, and LK didn't really need to spell out that one incredible love scene. I felt it emotionally, and even shed a few tears near the end of the book. Maggie, Mark, little Holly, Sam, and even Renfield(!) were such incredibly drawn characters, and Friday Harbor? I want to move t More...

5 stars – Contemporary/Holiday Romance

Let me start by saying that I’m a romance addict, and I read for escapism and rate books solely based on my level of enjoyment and how they make me feel, not the literary value or social relevance.

Lisa Kleypas is my favorite author, and I’ve absolutely loved every book of hers that I’ve read because her characters and stories are always full of life, engaging, and poignant. I was beyond excited about her new contemporary Friday Harbor series, and although I More...

There is a reason why Lisa Kleypas is a New York Times Bestseller. For those of you who read historical romances, I’m sure you are aware of Kleypas’s amazing Wallflowers and Hathaways series. Kleypas is simply the queen when it comes to historical romance. Her cunning wit and endearing characters jump out of the pages and settles in your heart where you find yourself scouring her backlist to get that feeling back!

I will admit, I was terrified to read her contemporary novels just because I didn More...

2 1/2 stars

It pains me to say this, but I didn't enjoy this read. *ducks rotten tomatoes*

The plot is pretty simple and the book description is good enough to give you the gist of it, so I won't bother with writing a plot summary here. What can I say? I liked the premise of the story, but the book didn't live up to my expectations.

As usual, Ms. Kleypas' writing was solid and made the story flow easily. Her description of Friday Harbor was so charming and vivid that it made me want to move there.

A More...

This is a great love story with characters who are both well and deeply drawn. It feels as if the end of the story would only be chapter seven in a full-length novel. The dog alone is worth reading about.

There is not much of a plot in that the story depends on character growth rather than action. The theme here seems to be healing from emotional trauma.

The setting is lovely, I really liked the description of the holiday event where all the boats parade with lights, as the beautiful cover depict More...

Reread on 11/25/12. Better the second time!!

Lisa Kleypas is in a league of her own, and while I don't think that Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is by any means her best work, it's definitely great. Kleypas has such a unique voice and has a true talent for creating chemistry between her leads. This book is no exception to that rule.

This is a true "making of a family" type of story. It centers around the Nolan family. Victoria Nolan is killed in a car accident leaving behind her sweet 6 year old More...

'Dear Santa
I want just one thing this year
A mom
Please dont forget I live in friday harbor now.
thank you
love Holly'

Ohhhhhh, how I loved this little story! I was in the mood for a nice, sweet holiday read and that's exactly what I got. It was the first Contemporary Romance I've picked up by Kleypas and I loved it just as much as her Historicals; she's such a fantastic writer! I just wish there was more of it--after finishing within a few hours I was craving more.

I absolutely loved both Mark and More...

I remember seeing a lot of "meh" reviews of this; I liked it more than that but did find it somewhat... passionless for a romance. I thought it ironic that the hero Mark broke up with a women because he never had any conflicts with her and then went into another similar relationship, based more on compatibility than sparks. This line kind of summed up my dissatisfaction:

"As Mark walked outside with Maggie, he was filled with desire and liking and sympathy, all bound up with a thread of frustrati More...

I cannot believe I am about to blaspheme like this. . . but I have now read a Lisa Kleypas book that I did not love. Dare I say; I disliked it? Eek! What has the world come to?

‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor’ is the first book in Lisa Kleypas’s second contemporary romance series. The series is set in San Juan Island, off the Washington coast, and centres on long-time Sanjuanense residents, the Nolan family. There are three brothers, eldest Mark, middle Sam and youngest Alex. The brothers also ha More...

This book reads like a novella, it felt more like a short story than a novel, and I am a little disappointed it was over so soon. That being said, it has me in the Christmas spirit at the beginning of September and has successfully reeled me into Friday Harbor. I loved the characters and the setting and look forward to reading more about the Nolan brothers, who are as different as can be.

I read this book in a few short hours and enjoyed every minute of it. Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite auth More...

The first book in the Friday Harbor series by Lisa Kleypas. Six year old Holly lost her mom and is now being raised by her Uncle Mark. Mark Nolan is the owner of a coffee roasting business. Maggie is the owner of a toy shop. Three lost souls who desperately need each other.

I thought this was a delightful story but like many I felt it was cut short. We all KNOW there is a HEA but it doesn't really give you that. Still I can't wait for the next in the series.

STILL WAITING ON MY BOOK FROM FIRST READS GIVEAWAYS, WILL REVIEW AFTER I RECEIVE IT

This review is from an ARC, courtesy of a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book, but I guess I should also say that I adore all Lisa Kleypas books. I can't believe how her books are consistently great, without any flaws in my eyes. She is one of my favorite authors.

As far as this type of fiction goes, Lisa Kleypas is definitely one of the best. She has the best characters, takes time to develop relationships, is great at banter, and has moments of true humour in all of her books. This one is no where near her best, but overall an enjoyable and quick read.

My major beef (and the reason that this one can not compare to her other novels) is that the publishers actually packaged this and have the nerve to sell if for $16.99. This barely counts as a novella and More...

3.5 Stars

Hotness Rating 2 out of 5 (the one sex scene was summed up in a paragraph, so it is definitely a sweet read).

This was my first Lisa Kleypas read....ever....Yes I know I am a bit slow, but I finally made it.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor was only a short read, but it gave me a good indication of Lisa'a writing style. It is smooth and sweet, definitely well written. It was just a little slow for me. There was a lot of description about the town, the characters families, their jobs etc, bu More...

Page 188 -

My favorite line from the book was:

Holly began to giggle. Her gaze met Maggie's, and she said innocently, "I didn't know turkeys could fly."

I absolutely loved this book.

For me, it's always wonderful to read books about brothers and their family and tragedy.

The Nolan family has gone through tragedy and not lived the perfect life. The oldest brother Mark was awareded custody of his niece Holly when he sister, Victoria was killed in a car crash.

Maggie who helped nurse her husband through More...

3.5 stars
This was so lovely! I could have done without the love triangle, but whatever, it was fun. I can't wait to read book two, Mark was great, but I have a feeling Sam will be even better.

Cover & Title - 4/5
Favorite line - “I like pessimists. They’re always the ones who bring life jackets for the boat.
Favorite Character - Maggie

This was such a lovely book, if it was a candy it would be fudge - homely & super sweet.
I have an insane hatred towards holiday themed book, i realize it is illogical but *shrug* what can you do? So yeah because of the holiday hatred i normally avoid books named things like this or with cover like this. The reason i did not avoid it is because i h More...

This was a very short (4 hours listening time) and cute story. I think it could have been longer to spend more time on the romance between Mark and Maggie. I felt Mark's desire for Maggie and felt Maggie's fear of loving again, but I needed to feel more of them together. The connection wasn't as strong as it could have been.

Holly, Mark's niece and new ward was adorable. Now she was a strong character. The story, a romance, was also about Holly and her wish and dealing with losing her mother. It More...

My only complaint about this book (and it's a pretty self serving one!) is that I wish it had been longer. I loved being in the world of the island and the three Nolan brothers. I loved poor, orphaned Holly. I REALLY loved the notion of two formerly footloose men being brought to heel and finding new depth and meaning in life thanks to the experience of loving their niece. The conflict between the hero and heroine was understated, mature, and beautifully dealt with. Needless to say there was che More...

I'm a huge, huge fan of Miss Kleypas. Really. Who’s not? I've read most of her historicals and all of her contemporaries to arrive at this judgment. But for some reason this book wasn’t much to my liking as I hoped it would. I believe I felt this way may be because I read it at a wrong time or regrettably was looking for something else while I was reading it.

It tells the story of three forlorn people, who each had an empty post for fill in their lives, struggling to find each other to gain once More...

Magical Realism or Not?

Yes, I do think Kleypas 'blew a kiss toward' magical realism in Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor in the first toy store scene (an enchanted place for everyone) (view spoiler)[when Maggie gives Holly the shell and tells her she can talk into it and it may help her to speak when she’s ready. I loved that scene, especially when Holly does speak and Mark, who’s telling Maggie he doesn’t believe in encouraging a child’s flight-of-fancy, starts to tell her to not interrupt. Magic is all around u (hide spoiler)] More...

Wow....Lisa Kleypas is back with a bang! I absolutely adored this book. Mark and Maggie were perfect and Holly was so sweet and endearing. This is one of those stories that make you believe in the magic of love. I can't tell you how many times my chest tightened up while reading. Like everyone else, I wished it was much longer. As short as it was, the story was still perfect and I can only imagine how much better it would have been at full length. I might not have survived it without weeping ;)


P More...

This was a sweet story from Lisa Kleypas. It is rather short - I listened to it on an audiobook from the library and it was only 4 CDs. The story features Maggie as the heroine and Mark as the hero. The story starts with Mark's sister, Victoria, dying in a car accident and Mark becoming a guardian to Victoria's daughter, Holly. Mark is a good hero... strong, uncomplicated, and not crazy alpha like some heroes I've read lately. Maggie is a widow who took care of her husband while he suffered and More...

For Lisa Kleypas' readers, it's kinda a too light short story, but as usual it's sweet. It's the series about Nolan Brothers.

The hero Mark Nolan, has a 'perfect' relationship with his wannabe-bride. He wants to marry her to give his young niece a 'mom'. His niece has a traumatic experience because of a sudden death of her mom, and she becomes an orphan. But then, he realize his relationship is just perfect from other's point of view, not his.

In Friday Harbor, he meets Maggie Collins a widow who More...

I'm not usually a fan of novellas or shorter books because I feel that the plot is often rushed and I'm not given enough time to relate to the main characters. That was definitely NOT the case with this book. Once again, Lisa Kleypas did not disappoint. I really liked that this book wasn't initially your average 'feel-good christmas romance'. It began with major tradgedy and the effects of deep loss were felt throughout the book. Kleypas uses her words to create vivid imagery, and characters wit More...

Although a short a quick read, this book is going to be one of my favorite LK books. I love her books because they are mostly real stories. It isn't just a rich guy meeting a woman who may or may not be his equal and falling in love. The stories have depth and this one really did. I can't wait to read more about Holly and her uncles, especially Alex. Who just might join the ranks of Derek Craven and Lord St Vincent, my favorite of all her heros.

4.5/5 stars. This was a very sweet, romantic novella by Lisa Kleypas. It wasn't her usual style, but her writing skills shined as usual. I would equate this book to more of the style of the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr. If you're a fan of that series, you are very likely to enjoy this book.

I would guess that if you're a fan of Kleypas' heat factor you are likely to be disappointed. There is one sex scene in this book, but it is very abbreviated. Personally, I could have done without the sce More...