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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
I have read and enjoyed many of Debbie Macomber's books, but "Alaskan Holiday" wasn't one of my favorites. I appreciated the book's message regarding the necessity of compromise in building a successful relationship, but that was one of the only aspects of the story that really resonated with me. For a couple of reasons, I had a hard time connecting with the main characters, Palmer and Josie. First, it felt as if I was starting in the middle of their story because by the time the book begins, Josie and Palmer have already known each other for six months and are supposed to be in love. However, it's hard to get a sense of their connection when we don't get to see their relationship develop from the start. They really didn't seem to have much in common, and it was hard for me to figure out what they saw in each other. Second, I just couldn't relate to their desire to live in the middle of nowhere, Alaska. That isn't the author's fault, and she did a good job in the second half of the book showing the positives of Ponder's way of life. It's not a place I could ever imagine myself living, though, which made the whole idea of Josie's potentially settling there hard for me to swallow.
I also found a lot of the secondary characters to be annoying and overly pushy. Jack, in particular, bothered me. All he seemed to do was demand that Josie cook for him, until he basically lost his mind and "fell in love" with Josie's mom at first sight. (Thank goodness that went nowhere.) He acted more like a spoiled 5-year-old boy than a 50-year-old man. If I were Josie, I would have told Jack to take a hike long before he ever came to visit her in Seattle. (What was up with Jack tagging along on that trip, anyway? Who wants a third wheel on a trip to visit their girlfriend, whom they haven't seen in weeks?)
Overall, this wasn't a terrible book, but it wasn't great, either. Given a choice between "Alaskan Holiday" and one of Macomber's Cedar Cove novels, I'd choose Cedar Cove without hesitation.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I also found a lot of the secondary characters to be annoying and overly pushy. Jack, in particular, bothered me. All he seemed to do was demand that Josie cook for him, until he basically lost his mind and "fell in love" with Josie's mom at first sight. (Thank goodness that went nowhere.) He acted more like a spoiled 5-year-old boy than a 50-year-old man. If I were Josie, I would have told Jack to take a hike long before he ever came to visit her in Seattle. (What was up with Jack tagging along on that trip, anyway? Who wants a third wheel on a trip to visit their girlfriend, whom they haven't seen in weeks?)
Overall, this wasn't a terrible book, but it wasn't great, either. Given a choice between "Alaskan Holiday" and one of Macomber's Cedar Cove novels, I'd choose Cedar Cove without hesitation.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a sweet, fun book that I liked, but didn’t love. I liked the descriptions of Alaska and the story felt very cozy overall. If you like light, sweet romance novels, this one’s for you!
It is no surprise that this book took me 24 hours. The story is cute...and nothing more. There is little (no) depth to the story (more depth in a Hallmark movie), but that doesn’t meant it isn’t enjoyable. I wish I liked the straightforward, simple prose. But I didn’t:( And I’m the first to admit that every Hallmark movie is the same—this was no exception, but there just wasn’t enough in the plot to keep me going.
Maybe part of the problem is that the setting (small, quaint town Alaska) was BARELY described. The setting could have been a character of its own. There was absolutely no description of Christmas or this (what could have been) beautiful little town.
I want more Christmas! More tree decorating. More hot cocoa by fireplace. GIVE ME CHRISTMAS!
Maybe part of the problem is that the setting (small, quaint town Alaska) was BARELY described. The setting could have been a character of its own. There was absolutely no description of Christmas or this (what could have been) beautiful little town.
I want more Christmas! More tree decorating. More hot cocoa by fireplace. GIVE ME CHRISTMAS!
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
A cute holiday read. Cheesy and predictable, but just what I needed!
This was a delightful, relaxing summer read. Finished it in two days. Left me feeling hopeful and happy.
A cute, very predictable little book. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a Christmas book but it’s a warm story to read in the winter time! Thank you to the publishers and the author for an advanced copy to read!
I listened to the audio version of this book via the Libby app.
This was a comforting Christmas love story. I do think I spent some of the time trying to figure out if I actually like main male character or not. I am still not quite sure if he was a bit self-centered or just unable to express himself well. Maybe it was a bit of both. Overall, I enjoyed the story.
This was a comforting Christmas love story. I do think I spent some of the time trying to figure out if I actually like main male character or not. I am still not quite sure if he was a bit self-centered or just unable to express himself well. Maybe it was a bit of both. Overall, I enjoyed the story.