Lakeshore Christmas

I don't get to read as much as I used to. Before I had kids it was nothing for me to read several books in a week, but as my kids were born and I became a stay-at-home mom I found my reading time limited to Dr. Seuss books and Goodnight Moon. Now that my kids are older I have more time to read again (Oh, basketball practice, how I love thee!), but I'm having to develop the habit all over again. I'd never signed up for a book tour from MotherTalk before and thought that the book, Lakeshore Christmas, sounded like as good a place as any to start.

Now, normally I shy away from romance stories because they tend to frustrate me and make me wish my life was as romantic and ooey-gooey as the characters' in the story, but since this story was a Christmas romance I deemed it worthy of my hardened heart. The story takes place in Avalon, aka Smalltown, America, and centers around the librarian, Maureen Davenport, a staunch supporter and lover of all things Christmas and her task of producing the town's annual Christmas play. She's the quintessential librarian, complete with two cats and her hair in a tight bun, and likes her life to be uncomplicated and simple. Enter former child star Eddie Haven who turns her world upside down as he helps her with the play - and in the process helps her find her heart. Sprinkle into the story a crisis that could leave the town without a library, a couple of side stories about other citizens of Avalon and a mysterious boy named Jabez and you really have yourself a wonderful holiday read by the fire.

While the story was a little hard to get into for me, as it wound on I became more involved in the characters I was so caught up in the town's people and their lives and their dramas I found the book hard to put down. My husband has a new work schedule on the weekends so one weekend after I got him off to work at 4am I managed to get so caught up in the story before I knew it the sun was up and so were my kids!

I didn't realize until after I finished it that this book is part of the Lakeshore Chronicles series, but I had no problem getting involved with the characters, so it's evident that the story can also be read as a stand-alone novel. I have every intention of looking into more books by the author, Susan Wiggs, and reading the rest of the Lakeshore Chronicles.

Next time there's a forecast of snow, go check out this book (or better yet buy it!), pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, grab your favorite blanket, curl up in the window seat and enjoy Lakeshore Christmas.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by MotherTalk on behalf of Lakeshore Christmas and received a copy of the book to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”