Historical Romance Book Review: A Merry Little Christmas

November is upon us, and Christmas is right around the corner! You can get in the holiday mood or pick up an early Christmas present for a friend or loved one with this lovely book. =)

About the Book

"Fall in love with this cozy story about two people from different worlds.

Franny Martin is an Oklahoma farm girl who's preparing to spend the holidays alone...again. Then Charlie Landau shows up one day, all wealth and polish, and offers to buy Franny's farm. Franny has no money to speak of, but she is clever and spirited, and she's more than happy to sell the farm and move to the city.

As Sinatra croons from the radio and Christmas descends upon her charming farm, Franny teaches Charlie the curious and sometimes comical ways of country life. In the process, they unearth some discoveries of the heart-that sometimes love comes when you're least ready for it. Will the holidays bring their most impossible dreams within reach?"

Amber's Review

The synopsis of A Merry Little Christmas suggests that this is a simple falling-in-love story. And it certainly is a sweet romance! But what the synopsis doesn't convey are the twists and turns this story takes and the emphasis it places on the era in which it is set (the early 1960s). While the story started out as I suppose I expected it to, it quickly brought in some elements that surprised and intrigued me, including difficult family dynamics, the death and birth of dreams, the horror of racism, the clash of the social classes, and the shifting perspective on women.

Tucked between the historical and contemporary genres, this book shows how much society has changed in a relatively short time, while also showing some of the roots of modern American society - both the positive and the drastic. I appreciate its uniqueness and its occasional bold and confident tackling of big issues while still maintaining a "simple" charm.

There's a lot going on in this story, and one transition near the beginning caught me off-guard with its suddenness and didn't seem to flow very well, although it served as my wake-up call that more was going to happen than the synopsis suggested. Also, some of the confessions toward the end felt somewhat forced and inauthentic to me. But if you like a Christmas story that has problems resolved and tied up in a big red bow, this book pulls it off nicely.

A Merry Little Christmas begins with two people who are instantly drawn to each other and are given the opportunity to explore their new feelings...but it continues on with challenges and hardships and little surprises (both painful and precious) that draw Franny and Charlie out - out of the past and outward in their thinking and experiences. It begins with lots of clever lines and humor, and continues on ever deeper into more serious issues. But it also begins with a sweet love story and continues on with a sweet love story. An interesting and intriguing Christmas romance!

*With thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion, to be shared during the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.*

Cover Note: I was so wonderfully surprised when I received this book in the mail and discovered that it is a gorgeous little hardcover book! It's simple but rather elegant, and the size combined with the feel of the pages give it a "gift book" look. A pretty present idea!

[This review was originally posted on Seasons of Humility as part of the Litfuse Publicity blog tour.]

About the Author

"Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

Find out more about Anita at http://www.anitahigman.com."