Book Review: A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson

About the Book:

Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school, and she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian Konig V, the ruler of a small European principality called Montovia.

What? No. That's the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Still, curiosity gets the best of her, leading to a Christmas break trip chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament, and the chance at a real-life fairy tale romance.

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My Thoughts:

A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson invites readers to Montovia, a small country with friendly citizens, Christmas spirit, and a dying king.  Law student Adelaide Smith receives a “Princess Diaries” experience when a DNA test identifies her as a close relation to King Max of Montovia. She agrees to meet King Max, who warmly embraces her, but she finds opposition in the form of a wicked stepmother and cunning step-sibling. The novella felt like a mashup of The Princess Diaries and Cinderella wrapped in Christmas festivities. There’s a mystery and a small twist at the end, but the story seemed predictable and mostly unoriginal. I wished for greater character development or more emotional depth, but readers who desire a light, Christmasy tale to pass a few hours with might enjoy this novella more than I did.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Book Review: A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson

About the Book:

Cuddle up with this cozy story of giving and forgiving--with a little bit of romance.

Christmas should be celebrated with family, but for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one--until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help.

With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's aid, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request--a Christmas quilt for Mama.

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all. And she may even find herself a new family of friends along the way.

Read an excerpt from A Quilt for Christmas on the publisher's website.

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My Thoughts:

A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson showcases the joy of giving and offers a beautiful story of intergenerational friendship. Set against the backdrop of the Christmas season, the narrative is peppered with feel-good Christmas activities that charmed me. I sometimes avoid novellas because the shorter length can hinder story and character development. However, because this story focuses on a condensed time period, the story expands within the pages and feels very well-rounded. 

My favorite aspect of A Quilt for Christmas was the intergenerational relationships between the women. From Fiona (age 4) to Tasha (mid-30s) to Vera (late 60s), the story demonstrates how all can benefit from having friends of different generations. I loved that it was Fiona who drew all these women together and instigated one character’s change of heart. The story reminded me of the older women in my life whose company I treasure.

I read A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson with my local book club, and it was a perfect Christmas selection for our gathering of ladies. Four stars.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

First Line Fridays: The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson

Happy Friday! 

First Line Fridays is hosted by Hoarding Books and participants share the first line from a nearby book.

Today, I'm sharing the first line from The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson.

"Emma Daley had always loved Christmas as a child, but . . . not so much as an adult."

Have you read The Christmas Swap? If not, check out the book blurb below and read my review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What are you reading this weekend? I'd love for you to share your book's first line!

Happy reading!

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About the Book:

All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. 

But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can't find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there's someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade.

West Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet--or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and to get better acquainted, he poses as the caretaker of his own house. But when Emma's friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things get . . . messy.

Book Review: The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson

About the Book:

All Emma Daley wants this holiday season is a white Christmas. 

But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can't find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there's someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade.

West Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet--or so strikingly pretty. Naturally, he decides to stick around, and to get better acquainted, he poses as the caretaker of his own house. But when Emma's friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things get . . . messy.

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My Thoughts:

The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson offers readers a fun Christmas novella with a Hallmark movie feel. While the characters tended to be pretty static, the events of the novel and the romantic potential for West and Emma kept me interested. The novella was a nice light read that marries well with Christmastime. I recommend The Christmas Swap to readers who enjoy clean romance.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

Double Take by Melody Carlson

Spring break means happiness, fun, and relaxation. But not for Madison Van Buren and Anna Fisher. Pressures from her family and friends leave Madison feeling attacked and stressed. Anna just wants to escape a monotonous life of chores and children. When the two girls meet, they realize they could easily pass for sisters and they have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to temporarily swap places. Anna will go to New York to experience life outside of the Amish community and maybe even find her old boyfriend. Madison will escape some pressure and stress by traveling to another Amish community to help Anna's pregnant aunt with chores and children. The quickly-hatched plan leads Madison and Anna on two incredible journeys to understanding another's point-of-view. Neither of them will be the same.

I expected Double Take by Melody Carlson to be a modern-day version of The Parent Trap without the part about getting the parents together. To some degree it was the classic swapping-places chick lit. However, I was pleased by the depth and originality that Carlson added by intergrating the Amish beliefs/practices and taking the characters on a spiritual journey. I would love, love, love to read a sequel. The ending was satisfying, yet there were a few things left open that could definitely be sequel-material.

Though targeted to young adults, I recommend this book to both young adults and adults who love chick lit or Amish fiction.

Click here to read an excerpt from Double Take by Melody Carlson.

Available June 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."