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Christmas Central #1
Miss Kane's Christmas
With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’.
Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists?
**Please note - this book was formerly titled 'Carol's Christmas'.
Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists?
**Please note - this book was formerly titled 'Carol's Christmas'.
138 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2012
1435 people are currently reading
2555 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Mickelson
62 books219 followersCaroline Mickelson loves her family and loves to write. She also loves a good adventure, among her favorites thus far were attending graduate school in a Scottish castle, riding a camel around the Pyramids in Giza, and taking a best-in-a-lifetime road trip to Graceland. Caroline lives in the American southwest with her husband and their four children, affectionately known as The Miracles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 661 reviews
October 4, 2023
Eigentlich keine neue Geschichte. Ich kann mich an einen Film erinnern, der einen sehr ähnlichen Inhalt hatte wie dieses Buch.
Carol Claus ist die Tochter des Weihnachtsmannes. Sie wird von ihrem Vater zu einer Familie geschickt: Ben und seine beiden Kinder feiern Weihnachten nicht wirklich, da Ben den Glauben an Weihnachten verloren hat und sogar ein Buch darüber schreibt. Carol soll ihnen die Magie von Weihnachten wieder zurückbringen.
Obwohl die Geschichte so vorhersehbar ist, hat sie mir richtig gut gefallen. Ich mag einfach Weihnachtsgeschichten und sie dürfen auch ruhig ein wenig kitschig sein. Zur Weihnachtszeit ist das völlig in Ordnung 💜✨
Carol Claus ist die Tochter des Weihnachtsmannes. Sie wird von ihrem Vater zu einer Familie geschickt: Ben und seine beiden Kinder feiern Weihnachten nicht wirklich, da Ben den Glauben an Weihnachten verloren hat und sogar ein Buch darüber schreibt. Carol soll ihnen die Magie von Weihnachten wieder zurückbringen.
Obwohl die Geschichte so vorhersehbar ist, hat sie mir richtig gut gefallen. Ich mag einfach Weihnachtsgeschichten und sie dürfen auch ruhig ein wenig kitschig sein. Zur Weihnachtszeit ist das völlig in Ordnung 💜✨
September 22, 2022
This is my second Caroline Mickelson book (this one was a freebie download over on Amazon!) and she’s definitely going on my favorite Christmas authors list. The season’s greetings were in full swing here. Elves. Reindeer. Santa Claus’s daughter sent on a mission to help a pair of kids whose father is being a total grinch. This was cute, had the perfect amount of Christmas, and a nice romance on top of it. Will definitely continue on in the series!
December 16, 2015
My Review:
Someone needs to call Hallmark and get to making this book as a movie. I loved it so much I already got a few more in the series. Santa sends his daughter Carol to help a family that is in need of some holiday cheer and Carol is the best person to do it. Ben Hanson is a scrooge and has made his children not the happiest kids on the planet but he’s not doing it because he’s an awful father I think he believes he is doing what is best. Carol needs to stop him from writing a book that will RUIN Christmas *gasp* The book is called Beyond Bah Humbug: Why lying to your children about Santa Claus is a bad idea….WHAT! Carol goes through so much to get him and the kids to have a very merry Christmas but Carol wasn’t expecting to fall in love.
This book was so much fun to read and it really reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I loved reading about how passionate she was about Christmas and how dedicated she was to giving the kids a happy Christmas. Ben was so angry when she started to decorate the house but seeing his kids finally smile was exactly what he wanted. Like I said he isn’t a bad dad just a little confused on how to handle the kids. It’s hard to be a single parent.
I loved the characters and I loved the story. I can’t wait to read more of this series. This book is a standalone and all the other books in the series can also be read as standalone but since I am so obsessed with christmas I am planning to read them in order, if I can. If you are looking for something quick and fun to read to get you in the holiday mood, I totally recommend this book.
This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life
Someone needs to call Hallmark and get to making this book as a movie. I loved it so much I already got a few more in the series. Santa sends his daughter Carol to help a family that is in need of some holiday cheer and Carol is the best person to do it. Ben Hanson is a scrooge and has made his children not the happiest kids on the planet but he’s not doing it because he’s an awful father I think he believes he is doing what is best. Carol needs to stop him from writing a book that will RUIN Christmas *gasp* The book is called Beyond Bah Humbug: Why lying to your children about Santa Claus is a bad idea….WHAT! Carol goes through so much to get him and the kids to have a very merry Christmas but Carol wasn’t expecting to fall in love.
This book was so much fun to read and it really reminded me of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I loved reading about how passionate she was about Christmas and how dedicated she was to giving the kids a happy Christmas. Ben was so angry when she started to decorate the house but seeing his kids finally smile was exactly what he wanted. Like I said he isn’t a bad dad just a little confused on how to handle the kids. It’s hard to be a single parent.
I loved the characters and I loved the story. I can’t wait to read more of this series. This book is a standalone and all the other books in the series can also be read as standalone but since I am so obsessed with christmas I am planning to read them in order, if I can. If you are looking for something quick and fun to read to get you in the holiday mood, I totally recommend this book.
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my review
Hope you have a great day and Happy Reading!
This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life
November 15, 2018
This was cute. Pretty predictable but still cute. For some reason, I kept imagining this story as a made for TV movie the whole time I read it. It just had that kind of feel to it. The kids were cute. Carol was a little too much Christmas spirit but I guess that would run in her family. Ben went from Mr. Grump to Mr. I Love You in the blink of an eye. I thought it was okay in the end but rather forgettable.
Book source: Kindle Freebie
Book source: Kindle Freebie
November 23, 2017
Kindle freebie & a lovely, festive, funny Novella. Perfect Holiday read.
More detailed review to come.
More detailed review to come.
December 6, 2018
So by the cover and cover copy, you know pretty much what you're getting. Which is good so you don't stumble when Carol mentions waking at dawn in December to see the sun rise over the lake in the early morning. At home. At the North Pole. Which doesn't have a dawn in December. Of course, if you're me you'll stumble on that kind of thing even if you know to expect not to take things seriously. Sigh.
Anyway, Carol is really cute and I loved her enthusiasm and simple refusal to adapt to the bad moods of others. Even though I know I'd find her irritating if I met her, I really liked her in this story. I love that she let Ben set the parameters (mostly) and she just worked within them to make the things she found important happen.
Ben, on the other hand, is a giant jerk and I have no idea what we're supposed to see in him. Carol muses about how kind he is and how much he cares about his children, but that is nowhere evident in the story. He's not only a huge grouch, but he's determined to suck the joy out of the lives of everyone around him, including his own children. Also, he's an idiot. He's all thinking "my kids are sad and I wish I knew what to do to help them" even as he sucks the fun out of absolutely everything they do. How about you stop being the human fun-sucker and go from there, Ben?
So this is a decent holiday story with a romance that happens way too fast but at least I liked Carol and the kids. And I really didn't mind all the magical Christmas nonsense, either, though that's because I was expecting it in a story like this one. So three stars, but mainly because Ben is the human equivalent of a holiday hangover.
A note about Chaste: This is pretty tame on the sex side. At one point, Ben has an arm immobilized and Carol has to help him out of his clothing and into bed but that wasn't played for sex, even though both characters were obviously aware. So there's a kiss later on but that's really all.
Anyway, Carol is really cute and I loved her enthusiasm and simple refusal to adapt to the bad moods of others. Even though I know I'd find her irritating if I met her, I really liked her in this story. I love that she let Ben set the parameters (mostly) and she just worked within them to make the things she found important happen.
Ben, on the other hand, is a giant jerk and I have no idea what we're supposed to see in him. Carol muses about how kind he is and how much he cares about his children, but that is nowhere evident in the story. He's not only a huge grouch, but he's determined to suck the joy out of the lives of everyone around him, including his own children. Also, he's an idiot. He's all thinking "my kids are sad and I wish I knew what to do to help them" even as he sucks the fun out of absolutely everything they do. How about you stop being the human fun-sucker and go from there, Ben?
So this is a decent holiday story with a romance that happens way too fast but at least I liked Carol and the kids. And I really didn't mind all the magical Christmas nonsense, either, though that's because I was expecting it in a story like this one. So three stars, but mainly because Ben is the human equivalent of a holiday hangover.
A note about Chaste: This is pretty tame on the sex side. At one point, Ben has an arm immobilized and Carol has to help him out of his clothing and into bed but that wasn't played for sex, even though both characters were obviously aware. So there's a kiss later on but that's really all.
December 16, 2016
This was a cute and fun Christmas read. I loved the festive spirt of it and I really liked Carol as a character for the most part. This book lost a star just for the whole 'three days and in love' thing which kind of annoyed me. Ben and Carol hadn't talked much apart from arguing about Christmas and suddenly they were in love. I don't know why being attracted to each other just couldn't be enough. I do think this would be an excellent Christmas movie and I was totally fancasting as I read it - Jude Law for Ben Hansen and Anna Kendrick as Carol Kane - perfection.
May 9, 2019
1.5 stars
"So I'm not judging you because we've all been there, but...WHAT?!" ~ my BFF's reaction when I told her about this book.
Yeah, even for a Kindle freebie this was a weird story. I passed it up multiple times but finally I thought, 'Eh, how bad can it be?'
Turns out: really, really bad.
It feels like a children's book. You have the Scrooge like Dad who doesn't believe in Christmas, Santa, Santa's daughter, and elves who go around baking Christmas cookies and sprinkling people with 'forget me' dust. But it also feels like...a really, really bad Hallmark movie. Even by Hallmark movie standards. While not quite insta-love, the main couple fall in love so hard and fast it might as well be insta-love. Out of nowhere she starts spouting on about what a great Dad he is and he starts thinking about how lovely she is.
Like, awka-awkward.
Not, however, a 1 star read because I generally appreciated how the book kept things clean. I mean, there are some awkward innuendos/misunderstandings but they come across so heavy handed it is easy to ignore them. This book knew what it wanted to be - bad Hallmark movie - and stuck with it.
So, um, yeah. Don't recommend.
"So I'm not judging you because we've all been there, but...WHAT?!" ~ my BFF's reaction when I told her about this book.
Yeah, even for a Kindle freebie this was a weird story. I passed it up multiple times but finally I thought, 'Eh, how bad can it be?'
Turns out: really, really bad.
It feels like a children's book. You have the Scrooge like Dad who doesn't believe in Christmas, Santa, Santa's daughter, and elves who go around baking Christmas cookies and sprinkling people with 'forget me' dust. But it also feels like...a really, really bad Hallmark movie. Even by Hallmark movie standards. While not quite insta-love, the main couple fall in love so hard and fast it might as well be insta-love. Out of nowhere she starts spouting on about what a great Dad he is and he starts thinking about how lovely she is.
Like, awka-awkward.
Not, however, a 1 star read because I generally appreciated how the book kept things clean. I mean, there are some awkward innuendos/misunderstandings but they come across so heavy handed it is easy to ignore them. This book knew what it wanted to be - bad Hallmark movie - and stuck with it.
So, um, yeah. Don't recommend.
December 15, 2019
This was a really cute audiobook.
Miss Kane's Christmas kind of reminded me of a hallmark/lifetime/Netflix original movie. It was just that cute and predictable. In it, you will meet Santa's daughter - Carol Kane. Her one job is to make a non-believer a believer once again. Mostly because he is telling his kids that Santa isn't real - which honestly, le gasp, because they are kids.
Besides Ben becoming a believer once again, and finding love as well, everything romantic between these two had insta-love written all over it. Still adorable and I'm glad that this book flew by. Might even dive into the next book of this series.
Overall, is Christmas here yet? OR better yet - snow days?
Miss Kane's Christmas kind of reminded me of a hallmark/lifetime/Netflix original movie. It was just that cute and predictable. In it, you will meet Santa's daughter - Carol Kane. Her one job is to make a non-believer a believer once again. Mostly because he is telling his kids that Santa isn't real - which honestly, le gasp, because they are kids.
Besides Ben becoming a believer once again, and finding love as well, everything romantic between these two had insta-love written all over it. Still adorable and I'm glad that this book flew by. Might even dive into the next book of this series.
Overall, is Christmas here yet? OR better yet - snow days?
November 15, 2018
5 stars - Ebook - enjoyable short story about the daughter of Santa trying to save a family from Loosing the Christmas spirit. 🌲🎄🌲
July 26, 2019
Christmas in July! That is what this book felt like reading, and boy did I need a little Christmas spirit in my life!
Miss Kane's Christmas is a cute, short tale about Carol Kane and her magical abilities. She is sent to help Ben and his two children, Hillary and Patrick, fall in love with Christmas again. Along the way, Christmas isn't the only thing these guys start to love...
Ben is a massive Scrooge for most of the book and it's Carol's job to fix it! He's writing a novel that Santa doesn't want written and he's not spending as much time with his children as he should! Especially since their mother is no longer in the picture. Carol is super sweet, slightly innocent and utterly adorable. Ben has a heart that might grow five sizes bigger or turn into gold, you'll have to read to find out!
This book felt goofy (in such a good way!) and I absolutely loved it! This book screams Hallmark or Netflix movie with all of the romantic talk, Christmas references and adorable plot lines. Hillary and Patrick want a dog, Ben and Carol start falling for one another, a brother named Nick - there are so many fun aspects of this book. I am SO glad I picked this book up "on accident"- also known as forgetting a book and finding a free one on Bookbub to pass the time by.
If you like contemporary drama, a splash of romance and Christmas, this book will be for you! It reminds me of Harlequin and Hallmark, but it was super fun! It's not a book you'll want to take too seriously since it is founded on Christmas magic and love. It can easily standalone and doesn't end on one of those horrible cliffhangers that drive me mad. This book is rated PG for sure - it's sweet, has a little kissing but doesn't hint at much more.
I did have one negative - this book moves WAY to fast. Relationship statuses, beliefs in traditions and much more happen so suddenly it doesn't feel real. I feel like it could have been solved with a time jump or a few more pages thrown in, but it's not that much of an issue. The rush might bug me, but it won't bug most readers.
I would love to continue reading this series. It seems like it'll be an enjoyable read and there are more books around!
Four out of five stars!
I found this book for free on Bookbub!
P.S. What type of puppy did they did?!
Miss Kane's Christmas is a cute, short tale about Carol Kane and her magical abilities. She is sent to help Ben and his two children, Hillary and Patrick, fall in love with Christmas again. Along the way, Christmas isn't the only thing these guys start to love...
Ben is a massive Scrooge for most of the book and it's Carol's job to fix it! He's writing a novel that Santa doesn't want written and he's not spending as much time with his children as he should! Especially since their mother is no longer in the picture. Carol is super sweet, slightly innocent and utterly adorable. Ben has a heart that might grow five sizes bigger or turn into gold, you'll have to read to find out!
This book felt goofy (in such a good way!) and I absolutely loved it! This book screams Hallmark or Netflix movie with all of the romantic talk, Christmas references and adorable plot lines. Hillary and Patrick want a dog, Ben and Carol start falling for one another, a brother named Nick - there are so many fun aspects of this book. I am SO glad I picked this book up "on accident"- also known as forgetting a book and finding a free one on Bookbub to pass the time by.
If you like contemporary drama, a splash of romance and Christmas, this book will be for you! It reminds me of Harlequin and Hallmark, but it was super fun! It's not a book you'll want to take too seriously since it is founded on Christmas magic and love. It can easily standalone and doesn't end on one of those horrible cliffhangers that drive me mad. This book is rated PG for sure - it's sweet, has a little kissing but doesn't hint at much more.
I did have one negative - this book moves WAY to fast. Relationship statuses, beliefs in traditions and much more happen so suddenly it doesn't feel real. I feel like it could have been solved with a time jump or a few more pages thrown in, but it's not that much of an issue. The rush might bug me, but it won't bug most readers.
I would love to continue reading this series. It seems like it'll be an enjoyable read and there are more books around!
Four out of five stars!
I found this book for free on Bookbub!
P.S. What type of puppy did they did?!
October 19, 2019
This is too cute!
3.5/5
I'm so glad that I grabbed this one off of Amazon for free because it was super cute and fun. It actually read like one of those great holiday movies that we all love: you know what will happen (mostly) but you don't even mind. The main character "Carol Candy Kane" is Santa's daughter from way up at the North Pole, sent down to help save Christmas. She gets a job as nanny for Hillary and Patrick after Hillary sends an urgent letter to Santa. Their Dad, Ben, is a real grouch who doesn't believe in Santa Claus. He is writing a book called: Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children About Santa Claus is a Bad Idea. Carol comes to their house with the full force of Christmas spirit and the North Pole behind her.
Ben resists the Christmas cheer, but it is practically pointless given who Carol is.
The way everything unfolds is pretty cute. This is a romantic comedy, so there are definitely some laughs and smiles while Ben falls for Carol. Go ahead and suspend your disbelief. It's worth it.
Audiobook Notes: I saw that this audiobook was part of Audible's Romance Package, so I listened to most of it while I was doing some work in my kitchen. It cooking and cleaning more enjoyable, and I even did some baking because I was feeling festive! Carly Robins narrates; some may recognize her from her work on other audiobooks by R.S. Grey, Helen Hoang, Kristen Ashley, and Taryn Fisher. She did a great job. It looks like there are about five novellas from this series that are available in audiobook at this point and Carly Robins narrates them all. I think I'll go ahead with the rest of the series.
Title: Miss Kane's Christmas
Series: Christmas Central #1
Narrated by: Carly Robins
Publisher: Caroline Mickelson
Length: 3 hours, 4 minutes, Unabridged
3.5/5
I'm so glad that I grabbed this one off of Amazon for free because it was super cute and fun. It actually read like one of those great holiday movies that we all love: you know what will happen (mostly) but you don't even mind. The main character "Carol Candy Kane" is Santa's daughter from way up at the North Pole, sent down to help save Christmas. She gets a job as nanny for Hillary and Patrick after Hillary sends an urgent letter to Santa. Their Dad, Ben, is a real grouch who doesn't believe in Santa Claus. He is writing a book called: Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children About Santa Claus is a Bad Idea. Carol comes to their house with the full force of Christmas spirit and the North Pole behind her.
Ben resists the Christmas cheer, but it is practically pointless given who Carol is.
The way everything unfolds is pretty cute. This is a romantic comedy, so there are definitely some laughs and smiles while Ben falls for Carol. Go ahead and suspend your disbelief. It's worth it.
Audiobook Notes: I saw that this audiobook was part of Audible's Romance Package, so I listened to most of it while I was doing some work in my kitchen. It cooking and cleaning more enjoyable, and I even did some baking because I was feeling festive! Carly Robins narrates; some may recognize her from her work on other audiobooks by R.S. Grey, Helen Hoang, Kristen Ashley, and Taryn Fisher. She did a great job. It looks like there are about five novellas from this series that are available in audiobook at this point and Carly Robins narrates them all. I think I'll go ahead with the rest of the series.
Title: Miss Kane's Christmas
Series: Christmas Central #1
Narrated by: Carly Robins
Publisher: Caroline Mickelson
Length: 3 hours, 4 minutes, Unabridged
December 20, 2014
There is something about the Christmas season that makes most people smile a little brighter, laugh a little longer and forgive a little faster. It is the one time all year that we go out of our way to live the 'goodwill towards men' lifestyle. Why? Maybe because for most of us, we retain memories and echoes of the feelings of magic and hope from our childhood Christmases. Dreams of Santa, the elves, North Pole and a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer, were encouraged and built upon year after year. Only a true Scrooge could deny the beauty of seeing the wonder in a child's eyes during the Christmas season. And that is exactly what we have in this book, a Scrooge. He can't even seem to help himself, even though he is not actually deliberately trying to remove all the joy from his children's young lives.
The story opens on Santa giving his daughter Carol an assignment. She will be playing the part of a nanny for a young girl and boy who's father, Ben, doesn't believe in Christmas. She has just a matter of days to show him the true meaning of Christmas and restore his Christmas spirit. Otherwise his book, Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Child about Santa is a Bad Idea could affect Christmas for an untold number of children around the world.
I will be honest, the romance portion of this book, just didn't do it for me. It didn't make sense to me how they managed to fall in love so quickly. But changing Ben's mind about Christmas was well played. I enjoyed watching him see his children change before his eyes and his realization of what he was doing to them was well written and touching. I adored the elves, especially Rapz, and wish I had gotten to see more of them and the kids were hoot. Overall, if you are looking for a feel good story, with a reminder of why the Christmas spirit is important, then this was a great read. I have it 3 stars on Goodreads.
The story opens on Santa giving his daughter Carol an assignment. She will be playing the part of a nanny for a young girl and boy who's father, Ben, doesn't believe in Christmas. She has just a matter of days to show him the true meaning of Christmas and restore his Christmas spirit. Otherwise his book, Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Child about Santa is a Bad Idea could affect Christmas for an untold number of children around the world.
I will be honest, the romance portion of this book, just didn't do it for me. It didn't make sense to me how they managed to fall in love so quickly. But changing Ben's mind about Christmas was well played. I enjoyed watching him see his children change before his eyes and his realization of what he was doing to them was well written and touching. I adored the elves, especially Rapz, and wish I had gotten to see more of them and the kids were hoot. Overall, if you are looking for a feel good story, with a reminder of why the Christmas spirit is important, then this was a great read. I have it 3 stars on Goodreads.
February 11, 2016
Author: Caroline Mickelson
Published: 17/10/2012
Recommended for: fans of chick lit novellas
Edition: Kindle
I found this short novella on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought that I would give it a try. A really nice lighthearted and fun book to read! The perfect quick book to read on a cold winters day :) a good book to read for fans of 'chick lit' books. I really love christmas themed books as they get me in the mood for the festive season and everything that comes with it. This was a really good book that was very well written. I thought that this novella showed how talented an author Caroline Mickelson is.
Published: 17/10/2012
Recommended for: fans of chick lit novellas
Edition: Kindle
I found this short novella on the Kindle Store for free and so I thought that I would give it a try. A really nice lighthearted and fun book to read! The perfect quick book to read on a cold winters day :) a good book to read for fans of 'chick lit' books. I really love christmas themed books as they get me in the mood for the festive season and everything that comes with it. This was a really good book that was very well written. I thought that this novella showed how talented an author Caroline Mickelson is.
December 6, 2017
3.5/5 I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Pros: cute, festive, well-written, alllll the Christmas, and Santa as the dad! Cons: I know it's short and supposed to be fluffy, but my God you don't fall in "love" after 4 days so knock it off.
I don't read romances, like ever, and I'm not even sure I know what the word means. But the Christmas theme was the main focus of this book and made it more palatable and fun.
I don't read romances, like ever, and I'm not even sure I know what the word means. But the Christmas theme was the main focus of this book and made it more palatable and fun.
December 12, 2016
Utter silliness but I really liked it. Would make a gorgeous Christmas movie.
March 7, 2021
4 Stars
This was an enjoyable read.
This was an enjoyable read.
November 29, 2016
A very festive one hour read novella, in fact the most festive I've ever read! When Santa (yes, the real Santa) finds out that Ben, a widower, plans to release a book outing the lie that Santa is real, he sends his daughter, Carol Claus, AKA Carol Candy Kane, to him as a nanny for his two children. Her mission is to change Ben's mind and stop him ruining Christmas, not just for his own children, but all children around the world, and to bring back some happiness to his life after his wife died.
This was a cute and imaginative read, heavy on the seasonal love, with clever writing that ended up convincing Ben that not only was Santa real, but had him believing in joy and hope again. That all worked amazingly well and was super descriptive. Ben's children Patrick and Hillary were sweet and desperate for their dad to find happiness again, and fell in love with Carol immediately, and that was easy to believe. What wasn't so easy to believe was the romance that blossomed virtually overnight, between Carol and Ben. It just wasn't explored properly at all - this had the makings of an amazing Christmas romance that could be made into a film, but needed far more depth putting into showing us Ben being a wonderful father and the interaction that led him and Carol to fall in love, rather than simply telling us it did over just a few nights. Five stars for creativity, only two stars for the romance story, so a 3.5 overall from me. Enjoyable Christmas freebie.
This was a cute and imaginative read, heavy on the seasonal love, with clever writing that ended up convincing Ben that not only was Santa real, but had him believing in joy and hope again. That all worked amazingly well and was super descriptive. Ben's children Patrick and Hillary were sweet and desperate for their dad to find happiness again, and fell in love with Carol immediately, and that was easy to believe. What wasn't so easy to believe was the romance that blossomed virtually overnight, between Carol and Ben. It just wasn't explored properly at all - this had the makings of an amazing Christmas romance that could be made into a film, but needed far more depth putting into showing us Ben being a wonderful father and the interaction that led him and Carol to fall in love, rather than simply telling us it did over just a few nights. Five stars for creativity, only two stars for the romance story, so a 3.5 overall from me. Enjoyable Christmas freebie.
November 11, 2016
Carol Claus, aka Carol Kane, must go and do the impossible. In three short days, she has to find a way to convince Ben Hanson that Christmas is a magical time of year. I will admit her way of going about it would have driven me bonkers, but then again, I'm practically a prime candidate for Ben Hanson's book: "Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea". So I sympathized a great deal with his point of view. Though there is something magical when children believe in Christmas and Santa Claus. And Ben's children, Hillary and Patrick, are more than ready to join Carol in celebrating Christmas.
Written in both Carol and Ben's point of view, the reader gets a terrific view of both sides. Their viewpoints are fairly realistic and fun to read.
Since this is a novella, everything moves at a quick pace. It felt more like Carol had a week or two to pull everything off. But she was a master at elf management, so she put her skills to work to get everything done in record time. While the ending was predictable, it was done well. After all, happy endings are expected in Christmas stories.
Caroline Mickelson's writing is quick paced with just the right amount of detail. I know I won't hesitate to read another one of her books in the future.
Written in both Carol and Ben's point of view, the reader gets a terrific view of both sides. Their viewpoints are fairly realistic and fun to read.
Since this is a novella, everything moves at a quick pace. It felt more like Carol had a week or two to pull everything off. But she was a master at elf management, so she put her skills to work to get everything done in record time. While the ending was predictable, it was done well. After all, happy endings are expected in Christmas stories.
Caroline Mickelson's writing is quick paced with just the right amount of detail. I know I won't hesitate to read another one of her books in the future.
January 19, 2017
What a sweet little read! From bah-humbug to merry ho-ho in just 154 pages. Well done! Full review later in the week on my blog.
My Review:
When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be rather corny. I mean, Miss Carol Candy Kane Claus? Sweeter than candy canes and my teeth started to hurt from so much sugar! But I quickly got over that as I started to read about the problems faced by this young woman with this sad, little family. She tries her hardest with everything she can possibly think of. She even has some friends of hers help out a bit behind the scenes. But this man is writing the ultimate Christmas sabotage book! Failure doesn't come easily for her.
Her family is very supportive of all her efforts and welcomes her home to their holiday festivities. She's been sadly missed there as she's a very active part of the whole system. In the mood for one more bit of holiday magic? Choose this little bit of it to lift you up and share Carol's holiday surprises! I gave it a 4-star rating! Read it and rate it yourself.
I bought this in Kindle format from Amazon. This is an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
My Review:
When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be rather corny. I mean, Miss Carol Candy Kane Claus? Sweeter than candy canes and my teeth started to hurt from so much sugar! But I quickly got over that as I started to read about the problems faced by this young woman with this sad, little family. She tries her hardest with everything she can possibly think of. She even has some friends of hers help out a bit behind the scenes. But this man is writing the ultimate Christmas sabotage book! Failure doesn't come easily for her.
Her family is very supportive of all her efforts and welcomes her home to their holiday festivities. She's been sadly missed there as she's a very active part of the whole system. In the mood for one more bit of holiday magic? Choose this little bit of it to lift you up and share Carol's holiday surprises! I gave it a 4-star rating! Read it and rate it yourself.
I bought this in Kindle format from Amazon. This is an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review
December 5, 2018
A cute Christmas tale. Santa’s daughter is sent on a mission to stop a father from ruining Christmas for his children and children around the world. We all know the power of the written word and this guy is writing a book warning parents not to let their kids believe in Santa. Say it ain’t so!
But our heroine falls in love with the dad and his kids. So love and Christmas magic saves the day! BTW cookies for breakfast is genius!
But our heroine falls in love with the dad and his kids. So love and Christmas magic saves the day! BTW cookies for breakfast is genius!
November 18, 2013
Very cute story. I was into the Christmas spirit this weekend, our local radio station started playing Christmas songs so I wanted to read a Christmas book. This didn't take me very long to read. A fun cute Christmas feel good story.
Moral Note: Some language - heck, dang, gosh - and a few mild/heavy innuendos.
Moral Note: Some language - heck, dang, gosh - and a few mild/heavy innuendos.
July 7, 2024
As the weather in N. J. continues to roast all living organisms nearly to carbon, MISS KANE’S CHRISTMAS was a much needed breath of fresh, silly and sweet air. Without a doubt, this could be turned into a script for Hallmark’s 31 days of Christmas marathon.
Recently widowed, disgruntled, depressed and disillusioned dad has tossed out the Christmas season in total. He thinks that will spare his children from hurt and pain; tell them “the truth”. Ben is so badly messed up, Santa sends his daughter, Carol, to fix this desperate situation and the crazy ensues.
Making an appearance in this lighthearted novella are: elves, reindeer, sleighs, forget me dust and the big guy himself, Santa. Mrs. Claus, cookies, hot chocolate, peppermint ice cream, colored lights, music plus all the other stuff that makes the season bright, appears on these pages. I actually laughed out loud as the highly predictable story unfolded and I didn’t mind; not even a little bit.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas in July 2024, book 2
December 9, 2020
It's cute, magical, a perfect christmas story. Don't have THE argument or THE plot twist, but anyways I just wanted a cliché christmas love story and that was what I get.
January 1, 2023
I thought that this book was good
March 2, 2017
What's not to love about the holiday spirit? Erm... in this book? Carol, our Mary Sue lead's presumptive and pushy attitude, for starters. Yes, she's on a "holy mission" from her father Santa Claus to spread Christmas cheer in the lives of the Hanson family (note the single father) but... at the beginning when single father Ben Hanson tries to make her leave, her attitude amounts to "Screw what he wants, I know what's best for him," up to and including refusing to leave his house when he asks her to, planning Christmas (including food, decorations, a tree, and decorating his car) after he explicitly told her he wanted none of that, and then drowning out his protests with loud Christmas music. And this is just in the first three chapters. It's NOT a long book.
Around the halfway point Santa encourages Carol to force-feed Ben candy canes and eggnog and blast Christmas music 24/7, making it seem like their goal is to brainwash Ben into loving Christmas, rather than actually changing his mind in any human sense. Apparently Christmas is a cult now. This is also AFTER very responsibly planning to get Ben's 8-and-5-year-olds a dog that Ben DOES NOT WANT. Apparently the world needs more shelter animals. I love Christmas, but really??? Oh, and my "favorite" little detail? Ben starts falling for Carol fairly early on, but she has barely even a passing romantic interest in him until she beats the Christmas spirit into him. That's right, ladies, change your man to suit you! Santa says it's okay!! This is pure, processed American-ham-and-cheese wish fulfillment, and not the good kind.
Frankly the plot is basically a bad reinterpretation of the first half of The Sound of Music, except centered around Christmas instead of music. And if Maria was brazenly parading all of her nonconformist "undisciplined" behavior in front of the Captain the whole time in spite of his protests (and somehow managing to not get fired), rather than him finding out later what good it had done his children and that causing him to reevaluate his outlook on it. And he fell in love with her for disrespecting him.
You have to wonder if the author has any understanding at all of human behavior - if someone showed up at my door and shoved something I didn't like down my throat and refused to leave, I'm pretty sure (after I had the cops arrest them for trespassing) I'd probably hate that thing even more than I initially did. Even if it involved cookies.
All in all, this book is completely unbelievable and ridiculous EVEN taking into account the base premise that it's about a man who hates Christmas falling in love with Santa's daughter. It might give some people warm-fuzzies around the holidays, but it didn't do jack for me.
Around the halfway point Santa encourages Carol to force-feed Ben candy canes and eggnog and blast Christmas music 24/7, making it seem like their goal is to brainwash Ben into loving Christmas, rather than actually changing his mind in any human sense. Apparently Christmas is a cult now. This is also AFTER very responsibly planning to get Ben's 8-and-5-year-olds a dog that Ben DOES NOT WANT. Apparently the world needs more shelter animals. I love Christmas, but really??? Oh, and my "favorite" little detail? Ben starts falling for Carol fairly early on, but she has barely even a passing romantic interest in him until she beats the Christmas spirit into him. That's right, ladies, change your man to suit you! Santa says it's okay!! This is pure, processed American-ham-and-cheese wish fulfillment, and not the good kind.
Frankly the plot is basically a bad reinterpretation of the first half of The Sound of Music, except centered around Christmas instead of music. And if Maria was brazenly parading all of her nonconformist "undisciplined" behavior in front of the Captain the whole time in spite of his protests (and somehow managing to not get fired), rather than him finding out later what good it had done his children and that causing him to reevaluate his outlook on it. And he fell in love with her for disrespecting him.
You have to wonder if the author has any understanding at all of human behavior - if someone showed up at my door and shoved something I didn't like down my throat and refused to leave, I'm pretty sure (after I had the cops arrest them for trespassing) I'd probably hate that thing even more than I initially did. Even if it involved cookies.
All in all, this book is completely unbelievable and ridiculous EVEN taking into account the base premise that it's about a man who hates Christmas falling in love with Santa's daughter. It might give some people warm-fuzzies around the holidays, but it didn't do jack for me.
November 14, 2016
This book is suitable if you're looking for:
-Quick and easy read
-Sweet and fluffy romance
-A lift in Christmas spirit
-Childhood fantasy
One-line summary: Fluffy and childishly magical- a recommended holiday read.
I could see this book made into a movie in the same universe as Disney's Enchanted. In fact, I would be really happy if it happens. I read this book as a buffer between full-length books and I am so glad I read this book. The plot was simple yet interesting, the romance was sweet and fluffy, although I have to admit that there were certain parts that felt a little rushed but it is understandable being a novella. Three chapters into this book, I was already wishing this book was a real full-length story or better still, a movie. One may argue that the storyline may lean towards the childish side but seeing how this is a holiday-themed book, bringing some child-like fantasy is rather appropriate.
-Quick and easy read
-Sweet and fluffy romance
-A lift in Christmas spirit
-Childhood fantasy
One-line summary: Fluffy and childishly magical- a recommended holiday read.
I could see this book made into a movie in the same universe as Disney's Enchanted. In fact, I would be really happy if it happens. I read this book as a buffer between full-length books and I am so glad I read this book. The plot was simple yet interesting, the romance was sweet and fluffy, although I have to admit that there were certain parts that felt a little rushed but it is understandable being a novella. Three chapters into this book, I was already wishing this book was a real full-length story or better still, a movie. One may argue that the storyline may lean towards the childish side but seeing how this is a holiday-themed book, bringing some child-like fantasy is rather appropriate.
May 8, 2018
Miss Kane's Christmas is a story about Santa's daughter being sent on a mission to bring Christmas cheer to a family, single father Ben and his two children, when Ben doesn't believe in Santa nor does he want to celebrate Christmas.
I didn't like Candy's pushy behavior, if Ben doesn't want his children believing in Santa (even if in this story's case he's real) that's his right as their parent. Candy just dismissed everything Ben said and did what she wanted.
There were a couple mention of penguins and how they made Candy homesick. Why? Penguins aren't anywhere near the North Pole, since they are only found in the southern hemisphere.
All in all, it was okay for a freebie, but it's not a book I'd recommend or read again.
I didn't like Candy's pushy behavior, if Ben doesn't want his children believing in Santa (even if in this story's case he's real) that's his right as their parent. Candy just dismissed everything Ben said and did what she wanted.
There were a couple mention of penguins and how they made Candy homesick. Why? Penguins aren't anywhere near the North Pole, since they are only found in the southern hemisphere.
All in all, it was okay for a freebie, but it's not a book I'd recommend or read again.
December 4, 2017
There's actually more of these? This was really bad. Really. Poorly written, horrible dialogue, annoying characters... literally the antithesis of the Christmas Spirit. I'm sorry, she was TOO cheerful and TOO fake for me to read more than a few chapters. I'm sure it ended with (but again, I DNF, so I could be wrong).
December 24, 2017
Not bad for a freebie, but some serious character development was needed. The romance was fairly blah and reeked of instalove. I didn’t get the sense of a connection between the two of them at all.
Nonetheless, a cute premise.
Nonetheless, a cute premise.
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