3 stars & 3/10 hearts. Well, this wasn’t what I expected! While it had all the hallmarks of “cute, contemporary Christmas romance,” it ended up twisting a lot of the tropes!
First of all, I loved how it was set in this wee little town, but mostly in a tree farm! That was so unique. I thought the writing style fit the book well, and there were some really great descriptions in there ;) The characters were nice too. Noah was a nice twist on the “mysterious, brooding hero,” as a great dad and a good man, but still reserved and definitely brooding. For Clari, it was great seeing a girl who not only thought she wasn’t pretty, but actually wasn’t, by the world’s standards. Both had great families, and I specially loved how close-knit the Sinclairs were, and how they kept up their traditions and honoured their parents. Lucy was very sweet, and Eden an interesting addition.
I enjoyed the way the storyline was set up, partly during their childhood, and partly during the present day. It was fun to see Noah & Clari’s history. The plot was laidback, and I loved that there wasn’t any Big Misunderstanding And Fight—the two of them actually communicated (how revolutionary!). Although the romance was a little more than I personally agreed with or liked (see content down below), I appreciated how Clari stuck to her standards and remained pure in spite of everything. Noah’s storyline was a surprise, but well done. Both characters had a great arc.
My favourite thing of the book was the theme: wait on God for Mr. Right. I love how Grammy prayed over it for Clari, and how Clari said she didn’t really have any demands—she just trusted God would show her who Mr. Right was. Actually, that’s when I started crying, because I thought I was the only one. I also really loved the theme of letting go of guilt and moving on, and coping with fear of loss.
Overall, it was a fun, Christmassy contemporary romance with surprising depth and sweetness. Everything is handled well and is non detailed, but I’d recommend it for ages 18+
Content: The storyline involves marrying a girl so she can be a wife before she dies. She wants to become pregnant; her husband doesn’t want her to, because it would endanger her life. This necessitates some comments on conception and poking holes in condoms, birth control pills, “doing the things married people do,” etc. There’s also talk of people kissing “with their tongues down each others’ throats,” and a scene where a guy kisses a woman in a very revealing dress and hucks her into his house. There’s mention of being abstinent (or not) before marriage, getting married instead of “burning with passion.” Clari dates a couple of times and kisses; there’s also some flirting. The romance is non detailed, but they do smell each other, hug, and kiss. Santa Claus does play a part, and there’s one euphemism. There’s also some talking to dead people.
A Favourite Quote: “...I’m scared. What if—”
…“Noah, don’t play the what if game. It only feeds fear. My life, your life, Lucy’s life—we’re all in God’s hands. He alone determines our days, remember?”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Why did he have to be so wonderful with Lucy? Didn’t he realize how hard Clari was trying not to melt here?