Review: Mary Christmas

MARY CHRISTMAS by Hanna Park

Fiction, Holiday Romance

3***

Blurb: I saw her through the melee of holiday shoppers, decked out in an ugly Christmas sweater with an elf hat atop her strawberry curls. Her emerald eyes sparkled. Her smile dazzled. Mary Christmas, the girl who stole my boyish heart and years later sent the man packing. I vowed there and then to rekindle the fire in her heart.

I could have married Christopher Northbrook. When he popped the question, I hadn’t said no—I didn’t say yes. Like my father and grandfather, I was charged with keeping the Christmas secret safe. Leaving Forest Falls was out of the question. So, I watched the love of my life walk away. Now he’s back, a handsome widower with twin boys in tow. Fa La La La La. In Forest Falls, second chances come wrapped in holiday magic!

Thoughts: This was a cute, magical Christmas story. The story itself is told in first person from the POV of both Christopher and Mary. Fortunately, the author kept them in separate chapters so there’s no confusion. The characters were well done, and there is beautiful imagery. Although promoted as steamy, there is very little of this until the end. Yes, there is attraction and tension, but they are not sexual in nature.

Mary is a character who has a secret—actually several secrets. One of which is that Santa and his reindeer are real and she hosts them in her barn. And keeps the secrets of the Fey to herself. Her magic helps keep the Christmas spirit alive. And she has to convince Christopher that it is all real. It’s much easier to convince his little boys.

What I had an issue with was that this would have worked better as a much longer story. Sometimes, the brevity made it hard to follow what was going on. Still, this was a quick read and a good holiday story.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”