Snowflakes and Mistletoe Kisses: All I Want for Christmas / Local Hero

by Nora Roberts

What’s on your Christmas list…

All I Want for Christmas
Zeke and Zack Taylor, decide to write to Santa and ask for a mother. But when they see their new music teacher, Nell Davis, she meets all their requirements. Will the magic of Christmas bring their dad and Nell together and make the twins’ Christmas wish come true…?

Local Hero
When Hester Wallace and her 9 year old son Radley move into their new Manhattan apartment, they are instantly charmed by Mitch Dempsey, their upstairs neighbour. As attraction between the neighbours grows can Mitch overcome Hester’s reserve and convince her to accept him into her life on a permanent basis?

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Holiday, Novels, Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 2020

About the author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Reviews

[Nikki Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should start off by saying this book contains two short stories and I bought it not realizing I read the first already so I read the second one.
This was exactly what I needed, just a Hallmark movie in a book ♥️

[Karen Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I enjoyed the first book, all I want for Christmas which was an easy, light hearted read with the typical ending it was bound to have. However, I stopped reading the second book, local hero as I thought the way the character Mitch was portrayed was unnecessary and made him seem too dominating.

[Anna (bibliophiles_bookstagram) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not my fave. The book is comprised of two novellas, and the first one really has nothing to do with Christmas. The second one was cute, but (and I love Hallmark movies, so this speaks volumes) just too cheesy.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two books in one:

Local Hero : Single mom Hester Wallace and her son, Radley just moved into a new apartment after a job promotion. She is in a jam with finding new sitters for her nine-year-old. Along comes Mitch, another tenant who works from home as a comic book writer (the one that Radley loves). Rad and Mitch hit it off and reluctantly Hester accepts Mitch's kind offer to watch Rad after school. Soon (although Hester has determined she has no time for romance after watching her low-life husband take off never to return), Mitch and Hester fall in love...with the typical, predictable ending.

All I Want for Christmas Music teacher Nell moves to small town Taylor's Grove after being let go from her New York teaching position because of funding cuts. She finds a likeable town with great kids to mentor. She meets Zack and Zeke who are her student Kim's cousins. The six-year-old twins are smitten with Nell and secretly ask Santa to make her THE mom. Of course, curmudgeonly dad, Mac wants nothing to do with romance. Or does he?

Very childlike writing with adult issues makes for a strange juxtaposition of a storyline. Typical Hallmark-y scenes, settings, and outcomes.

[Karelisse Poventud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm gonna have to rate each story differently

A Local Hero 3 ⭐️
It was a cute story but it was a bit of a bore. Not really a Christmas story. Just set in New York when it snows. I'm not to sure about the title for this story. I didn't really picture Mitch a hero. Kinda throws you off. Maybe in the sense of his character in the comics he writes 🤷‍♀️. It had a cute ending. It was sweet.

All I Want For Christmas 5 ⭐️
I really liked this story. It was beautiful, sweet and tearful. It's a mini Hallmark movie. The twin boys, Zeke and Zack are just too adorable and asking Santa they want "the" mom, their words. It had a nice flow with the change of time amd going through the months. It didn't seem forced. This story was perfect start to the holiday season.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

First story, Local Hero, hated the male character. One, he was kind of a pervert. I know he'a supposed to be sexy and daring but came out as pushy, manipulative, and perverted. Didn't like it at all which made the romance bad. Second, where is the title coming from? There's no hero, nothing heroic happening...if it's refering to the comic's character, I get it less.

Second story, liked it a little more, BUT, again the male character wasn't so lovable. Not a pervert this time but I don't understand how they fell in love when nothing actually happened between them.

All in all, one of my Nora Roberts' least favorite book.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Local Hero: 2/5

This was alright. I didn’t really care for the characters and become frustrated with them often. It had it’s moments, but it moved too fast in terms of the relationship for me. Mitch was very pushy towards Hester and moving their relationship forward. She had her own things she needed to figure out first and he semi understood and respected it, but overall it felt he did not. I know he had good intentions, but some times he needed to back off.

All I Want for Christmas: 3/5

Cute story. Definitely a storyline you’ve seen for a Christmas romance movie on Hallmark. Loved the feel of it. The characters were sweet. I enjoyed them! Nell and Mac look cute together and I liked how their relationship professed. Zack and Zeke are adorable and them wishing for “the mom” is so sweet.

[Tricia Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted a believable feel good Christmas book. This book had 2 different stories in 1 book. The first was ok but not really a Christmas story, set in NY.single mom, struggle bit of a dragged out predicable ending. The 2nd was a total hallmark predicable ending Christmas story . Discovering I do not like completely predicable books even if Christmas themed. If you want a light read with happy very predicable endings you will like these stories. They ended satisfactory in both books joust the in between story lines were just ok.

[Amberlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Nora Roberts book & I was not a fan of either of these stories.
My biggest complaint with Local Hero was Mitch was so pushy and needed Hester to marry him immediately when he easily could have chilled and given her some more time.
I was liking All I Want For Christmas better until the last couple chapters when the relationship was such a rollercoaster and then suddenly they were engaged.

[Monica Pattison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for a cozy/Christmas book, but it did not meet my expectations! The book is split into two novellas. The first novella does not even hint at Christmas, but is a cute romance. The second novella only feels Christmassy the last 20ish pages. The title “Christmas Everlasting” does not match the book one bit!

[Abby Mace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Local hero isn’t a Christmas novel it’s just romantic and dull.
All I want for Christmas is a Christmas novel but it reads like a hallmark movie. It’s another romance very similar to local hero with some miracle on 34th St.

[Cathey McKay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Christmas I love to read a good Christmas story, do with that in mind I bought this book. It is typical Nora Roberts writing, but I was disappointed when I found the first story was written in the 80’s.

[Deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

With lines like: "She shifted uncomfortably......There was something unnerving about being alone with this man." Followed by; "a sensible man gave them a wide berth. Too bad because she was a looker." The 'good' guy procedes to force a kiss. I hated this book and stopped reading halfway into it.

[Merceda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book, but with all that has changed over the last 20 years in regards to relationships, it was not really what I wanted to read. It was a good book from Nora Roberts, but you can tell it was written in the '90s.

[Maritere Matosantos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm and fuzzy. Short and straightforward. Interesting characters, cute and smart children. Troubled single parents who work it out at the end. This book is a reprint of her earlier work but I hadn’t read them.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book consists of two stories about single parents finding love, and how much more complicated it is when kids are involved. The first story (Local Hero) was better than the second. I appreciated the complexity of adding kids to the equation, but the stories were pretty dull.

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mundane

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple stories, good Christmas time read!

[Judy Herling · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 short novellas. Cute and very “Hallmarkish”.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lonely guys and gals meet, spark and make permanent commitments within a few weeks or months, one in a Hallmark movie setting. Two stories.

[Annie Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but predictable. The first story is not even a Christmas story so what the hell?!?

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A warm Christmas read- 2 good stories!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

One book, 2 stories - easy read, no surprises with a happy ending. Very Hallmark-ish, so I wasn’t disappointed.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two stories in one book. Nice relaxing read. Thoroughly enjoyable!

[Shannan Rawcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book with two stories. Easy read to help bring some joy into my ever growing college reading list.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good rom-com. I do have a problem with promoting instant chemistry upon meeting someone. Sometimes you just know but I believe those times are rare. Quick read and enjoyable.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow. Very predictable.

[Charlene French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good short stories just wish they had been longer The second one was definitely shorter than the first though

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved each of the characters individually, but the romances seemed forced (the first more than the second).

[Anna Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has two older stories. They were average Christmas love stories.