Synopsis
Sunny, Arianna and Molly are having three very different but equally terrible Christmases. Sunny is a newlywed with two new stepkids who want nothing to do with her; Arianna is newly divorced and hates having to send her daughter off to spend the holiday with her dad; for Molly, nothing is new, but her job at the post office is getting very, very old. The whole Christmas season has been a bust all around.
But Sunny and Arianna have a wild idea: What if they had a Christmas do-over in January? February? On Saint Patrick’s Day? Christmas all year long—what could that look like?
As these three determined women chase the perfect holiday through twelve months of cooking disasters, over-the-top festivity, and lots of laughter and tears, they’ll discover perfection is way overrated.
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Review
Sigh, this novel has all the feels – from joy to anger to sadness and love. This band of friends is there through thick and thin, the ups and downs, which is what all true friends do. That isn’t to say they don’t have their disagreements or misunderstandings, but this trio represents what friendship should look like.
Arianna, Ava, and Sunny are fast friends. They have been dealt with their own share of problems, but I like how they help one another through those times. Whether it is ex-husbands that are the scourge of the earth or stepchildren that make life crazy. There are also mothers who bring a fresh perspective to their world.
After a rotten Christmas, they decide to celebrate Christmas each month. There is a theme for the month, but they still bring in the joy of Christmas, from giving gifts to wearing stocking hats and more. As the year went on, I enjoyed seeing the ups and downs of each woman and their families. Not every day or celebration was perfect, but they made it balanced and stepped up to support one another during some dark and sad times. There are many moments where I shed a tear or two, but that is the sign of good writing when it tugs on the emotions.
I don’t know if I had a favorite character or not, but I think Molly might top the list. She is Ava’s mother and has worked as a postal worker for many years. She has her eyes set on retirement when she hits 60. Will she make it? There are many unhappy customers at the post office, which we may have all experienced in our own towns, but this monthly Christmas project puts a new spin on how she addresses these people. Perhaps there is more to them than just a transaction. I think I connected to her because of her age, and while I haven’t gone through what she has gone through, I can appreciate her struggles and successes.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there is a dog in here, too, Buster. He is adorable, and how could anyone not love him?
I was sad to see the book end but happy knowing there were so many positives that came out of this book. Be kind to one another; you never know what someone else is going through.
We give this book 5 paws up.
Excerpt
Sunny Hollowell had planned a perfect day for her first Christ- mas as a wife and stepmom and it was a fail. Who was it that said something about the best-laid plans getting screwed up? Whoever it was, her mom liked to quote him a lot.
“The best-laid plans of mice and men,” her mom had begun when Sunny told her about the latest development as she and Dad walked in the door, presents in tow.
“And women,” Sunny had added before Mom could fin- ish. Women who were trying their best to be a good wife and mother, women who only wanted to bring two families to- gether for a memorable day.
The day was memorable all right, but not in the way Sunny had intended.
It all began at eight in the morning. Sunny had found a recipe online for a crescent roll breakfast pastry with a cherry filling shaped like a candy cane and, to her surprise and glee, it had actually turned out like the picture, ready for the kids to be dropped off by their mom at nine o’clock. She was laying it out on the family room coffee table for everyone to enjoy while they opened presents when the Weed called Travis to let him know that she wasn’t going to bring the kids over for the big day.
“What do you mean you’re still stuck in Spokane?” Travis had growled into his cell phone.
Sunny had watched the anger roll over his features like a breaking storm. Scratch two kids from the guest list. Tansy strikes again.
“You did this on purpose,” he’d accused.
Of course, Tansy would deny it. That was how she rolled. Mess with the ex and his new wife as much as possible but never let it look like you meant to. Was Tansy’s mother psychic when she named her daughter after a noxious weed?
“Well, thanks a lot,” Travis had growled. “Way to screw up Christmas for the kids.”
“Okay, what happened?” Sunny had asked after he ended the call and dumped his phone on the coffee table.
“She did it again, managed to screw us over,” he’d said, and slumped on the sofa. “She and Jared accidentally—” he held up exaggerated air quotes “—missed their flight home last night and are stuck at his parents’ place.”
“Can’t they get another flight out? There has to be something going out today.” Of course, by the time they got to Bremer- ton, Washington, breakfast and Christmas dinner would long be over.
“Not until tomorrow.”
Sunny had made a superhuman effort to blink back tears. Poor Travis was already upset about not getting to be with his kids. She didn’t need to make things worse by having a holi- day meltdown. But darn, she’d sure wanted to.
About the Author
USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under various names, ranging from romance to self-improvement. Over three million books have been sold to date. Her humor and heart have won her a legion of fans, and her novels have been turned into movies for both the Lifetime and Hallmark channels. When she’s not out dancing with her husband or hanging out with her girlfriends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.
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