Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
Lisa Kleypas
St. Martin’s, Oct 26 2010, $16.99
ISBN 9780312605865
On San Juan Island businessman Mark Nolan has no time to grieve the death of his sister in a car accident as he is the guardian of his niece Holly. Used to taking no prisoners at the Seattle office, Mark is scared to death with how to deal with a frightened six year old child. Although he has the support of his sibling Sam while their other brother is overwhelmed with his own issues, adding to Mark’s fear is that Holly is so traumatized she has become psychologically mute.
Mark takes Holly to the Friday Harbor Magic Mirror toy store hoping the child will find something she likes. Widow Maggie Collins uses a “magic” conch shell to talk with Holly. The child says her first words since her mother’s death through the shell. The business mogul is shocked at how a stranger and his niece connected when he has known Holly all her life but failed. He soon realizes that Maggie may be his “One” although he feels unprepared for a permanent relationship; he even has a girlfriend. Besides his doubts he knows he must go slowly until she is ready to take a second chance on love as her late spouse died only a few years ago from cancer. Meanwhile the little girl has one wish for Christmas.
This is an entertaining sweet contemporary romance that is fun to read though the audience knows from the moment the key cast is set, the story line is set. The lead adult couple’s doubts re love is not deeply explored yet Lisa Kleypas shows her writing skills as she provides an engaging tale with the child’s plight providing seriousness to what would have been a sugary Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.
Harriet Klausner
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