Christmas in the Air: Snowbound Holiday/A Season of Hope (Steeple Hill Christmas 2-in-1)

by Irene Brand, Dana Corbit

Christmas in the Air by Irene Brand\Dana Corbit released on Sep 27, 2005 is available now for purchase.

Genres: Love Inspired, Christian, Christmas, Christian Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

In a writing career spanning three decades, Irene has won numerous awards and published 45 books that have sold more than two million copies. Irene primarily writes inspirational romances, but she has also published nonfiction books, devotional materials, and magazine articles. Before she became a full-time writer, Irene taught for 23 years in public schools. Her other passions include traveling (she has visited all 50 states and 35 foreign countries) and history (she holds a Master’s Degree in the subject). Her published titles include Where Morning Dawns, Listen to Your Heart, and the Kentucky Brides collection. Irene is an active member of her church and is affiliated with several writing organizations. She is a lifelong resident of West Virginia, where she lives with her husband, Rod.

Reviews

[Judy King · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a shame. good Christmas story plot concept, but why are the "Christian" writers so DRIVEN to TELL (even preach) instead of just SHOWING that Christians live a certain way and treat others with love and kindness and honor and respect. I resent being hit over the head with prissy and condescending statements of what a "Christian" IS and ISN"T and how one much live to be CHRISTIAN...

What was it Shakespeare said about protesting too much?

[Anna Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is two short stories in one book, one by Irene Brand ('Snowbound Holiday') and one by Dana Corbit ('A Season of Hope'). I have enjoyed Brand's writing before, although Corbit can't write her way out of wrapping paper... but I picked it up hoping that with them being short stories, Corbit couldn't foul up * TOO * much. ((Ha. Haha. Hahahaha.))

The Brand story had SUCH potential, but SO. BLOODY. MUCH. wrong with it, it's pitiful. First, we have a travelling quintet (?!?!) who just dropped off one of the members to their hometown, but never fear, cuz there's still FIVE of them. (!?!?!) They have a road map, but apparently don't bother to use it and end up off the interstate stranded between a jack-knifed semi truck and a pile-up behind them.

All eight of the characters are stranded - not at a JW.org church or something with electricity, nooooo... but a clapboard historical church in the middle of nowhere. But it's okay because the semi truck is carrying 'groceries'. Apparently an ENTIRE STORE worth - there's apples, crackers, chicken, soups, doughnuts... don't get me started. A bread truck would've been believable. A fruit truck, or a truck with meats. But the ENTIRE STOCK OF A STORE in it????

And they couldn't have broken into a modern church and had a believable story - it has to be one with shoveling to an outhouse and lugging wood to a woodstove? Arghle-bargggg!

I want SO. DESPERATELY to re-write this whole premise and do it SOOOOOO much better.

And *YES*, while Brand admits that X-mess is *NOT* mentioned in the Bible, she lies and says there's no record of what day Christ is born on, either. That's DOGMA, and not Truth, babe. Christ was born on Sukkot - it's a feast for a reason. God set those up for rEAsOn. I can point to more scripture than I have room here for and PROVE that X-mess is the bastard version of Sukkot. But nevermind. Nobody wants Truth, anyhow.

Three stars for giving me an idea to work with, but... mmmmmnnnno.

As for Corbit's story... we have David, a non-believer smart-mouth callous lawyer who's jonesing for some woman who's book came before this one (HATE references to previous books, hello)... and he's stuck being Joseph in a church live nativity (did I mention he doesn't go to church, so... what the farts?!?!?!), and he hates it, so he's being an ar$3hol3 to Mary, and Mary's a bratty girl grown up so she's mouthing back at him, and...

NO. THANK. YOU. I quit reading that rot. That's not inspirational and it's not romance, so what does that make that crap!? Garbage, that's what. ZERO stars for this one. Except Goodreads doesn't have that option. So one, then, but grudgingly. And the difference between the two ends up being two stars, so... there ya go.

[Christian Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

These two novellas show how God's plans are better than ours. In Irene Brand's Snowbound Holiday, some of the characters plan on spending Christmas with their family, but when plans change, an old flame rekindles.

When movie or book characters give up their dreams for the love of their life, it drives me nuts. However, in Love Inspired stories like Dana Corbit's A Season of Hope, characters make this sacrifice to follow God's will. This book shows that when we surrender our dreams and plans to God, He blesses us with a life beyond what we can imagine for ourselves. That doesn't mean the journey ahead is without pain or troubles, but it's a better life than what we can provide for ourselves with our own limited abilities.

[Lauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story, but used a lot of cliches from Christian novels such as - I learned to be a good Christian one must live in the country, not big cities like Louisville. Also, not doing much (any) research. I have a feeling that the author of the second story has never watched a NCAA basketball game. One of the side characters was an Ohio State player and for some reason he had way more time on his hands than could possibly be true.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars--One story excellent, the other is boring.