Author: Jenny Hale
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: October, 2015
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Description: An uplifting, beautiful story about never letting go of your dreams, the special magic of a family Christmas… and the rush of falling in love under the mistletoe.
Single mother Abbey Fuller loves her family more than anything, and doesn’t regret for a moment having had to put her dreams of being an interior designer on hold. But with her son, Max, growing up, when a friend recommends her for a small design job she jumps at the chance. How hard can it be?
Nick Sinclair needs his house decorated in time for his family’s festive visit – and money is no object. What he doesn’t need is to be distracted from his multi-million dollar business – even if it is Christmas.
When Abbey pulls up to the huge Sinclair mansion, she has a feeling she might be out of her depth. And when she meets the gorgeous, brooding Nicholas Sinclair, she knows that she’s in real trouble…
With the snow falling all around, can Abbey take the chance to make her dreams of being a designer come true? And can she help Nick to finally enjoy the magic of Christmas?
My Thoughts: As I read this book, it rang so familiar to me. I realized it is because I recognized a lot of the same themes in this book that were present in the author’s book, A Christmas To Remember, which I read last year. Rich single brooding man, who lacks the Christmas Spirit, hires single attractive woman to be his nanny and she sets out trying to change him. This time, the single parent is the female and this time she’s an in-home nurse who dreams of being an interior decorator. Abbey is hired by Nick to decorate his entire home because his family is descending upon him for the holiday and he’s going to pay her an obscene amount of money to do it. When Nick’s ex-wife left him, she took most of the furnishings with her, so Abbey has her work cut out for her if she hopes to make Nick’s house a home in less than a month. She also has her nursing duties to Nick’s grandmother as well as being a single parent to her son, Max, and helping her mother take care of her grandfather.
Even with the similarities of themes between the two books, I liked this story. Abbey and Nick were wonderful characters and I liked how Abbey was able to get under Nick’s skin and how powerless he was to resist her or her son, Max. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Nick and Max and loved how quickly they bonded. Nick is a workaholic but he showed willingness on many occasions to put work aside and spend time with Abbey and Max. I really enjoyed these scenes the best. I loved Max, Abbey’s precocious little boy. My heart ached quite a bit for him missing out on the father-son relationship his school mates enjoyed, but he didn’t act out or misbehave. Instead, he gravitated toward Nick and the next thing I knew, Nick was agreeing to go to Max’s school for father-son day. This book had several Kleenex moments as well as many heartwarming and fun scenes. The author does a wonderful job of capturing the perfect Christmas background that brings her characters together to celebrate the joy and beauty of the Season. As a reader, it gave me the feeling that I was standing in the kitchen with Nick and Abbey sipping hot chocolate or outside helping them build a snowman.
Overall, this is a warm-hearted story that reminds me how Christmas can make you believe in miracles and love if you just open your heart to the possibility. I recommend this book as a must-read for anyone who loves Christmas and the joy it can bring.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Christmas Wishes & Mistletoe Kisses from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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