Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Forever Christmas

Title: Forever Christmas
Author: Christine Lynxwiler
Published by Barbour Publishing, 2007.
ISBN: 978-1-59789-821-8.
Reviewed for Reader Views, 8/07.

Wouldn't it be great to celebrate Christmas every day? No, you don't have to visit the North Pole in order to celebrate Christmas every day of the year. Welcome to the small town of Jingle Bells, Arkansas. Augustus Harding is the mayor of this small town who is affectionately known by Uncle Gus by all of the town's residents. Life had been quite content in this small town with its Blizzard Barbecue restaurant, Forever Christmas gift store, Reindeer Games and Toy Store and Snow Place Like Home Pet Boarding. Recently the town has experienced the closing of its biggest employer, Benning Distribution Center.

The economy could get a boost if Summer Valley Outdoors would come to town and acquire the empty Benning building. There is a glitch to it however, the corporation would like to rename the small town of Jingle Bells to Summer Valley. While it would give people jobs and traffic to the small town. But who would want visit the Forever Christmas store in a town called Summer Valley.

You can't find city hall or can you? Kristianna Harrington is the young lady owner of Forever Christmas and is a town council member. She is dealing with a broken engagement as she caught her fiancee' kissing another woman the night before the wedding. It is fortunate for her that she has good friends like Ami Manchester and Garrett Mitchell. It has always been the 3 of them as best friends. They have grown up together and made Jingle Bells their home. They seem to all have preserving the Jingle Bells name at heart.

Kristianna is like any young girl who dreams of someday having a wedding, but she wants to someday have a Christmas wedding. Ami will be getting married soon and Kristianna is in the wedding. Will the young lawyer Shawn working for Summer Valley Outdoors be her knight in shining armor or will he be just a wolf in sheep's clothing to her ? Can Shawn woo the residents of Jingle Bells over to his side of things. Just what is his interest in Kristianna personally? Kristianna's parents who are both lawyers don't understand why their daughter has so much passion for this small town. But they think that Shawn's the perfect man for their daughter. She isn't about to let anyone take away her beautiful quaint town with quirky characters and will let no man stand in her way. Perhaps Kristianna will need Garrett's input on keeping her feet solidly on the ground rather than in a whirlwind romance.

"Forever Christmas" is a wonderful book for those who enjoy holiday sentiments, a touch of mystery and a delightful romantic story. Once you visit Jingle Bells, Arkansas through the pages of this book you will Christmas in a different light. Her desire for God's will for her life reigns true and love comes in the most unexpected places. Come dashing through the snow and be warmed with the love of "Forever Christmas."

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