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Over the Holidays: A Novel
The best holiday traditions are meant to be broken.
It's only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can't afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience's home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help -- she'd rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress Her family will come to California instead.
In between "baking" cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can't stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience's teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas -- for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.
It's only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can't afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience's home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help -- she'd rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress Her family will come to California instead.
In between "baking" cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can't stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience's teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas -- for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.
325 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2009
1 person is currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Sandra Harper
2 books12 followersSandra Harper is the author of "Over the Holidays" "High Tea" and the play "Magpie's Tearoom." She has written a cooking column for SKIRT! The best job she ever had was working at the Cook's Library on 3rd Street in Los Angeles.
Read the first chapter of her new novel, "The Chicken Painting" at sandraharper.us
She is co-writing a memoir, "From Rags To Rigatoni" with Madelyn Alfano, owner of Maria's Italian Kitchens in Southern California. Madelyn is a past president of NAWBO (National Association of Women's Business Owners) and a commentator on CNBC.
Read the first chapter of her new novel, "The Chicken Painting" at sandraharper.us
She is co-writing a memoir, "From Rags To Rigatoni" with Madelyn Alfano, owner of Maria's Italian Kitchens in Southern California. Madelyn is a past president of NAWBO (National Association of Women's Business Owners) and a commentator on CNBC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 26, 2009
I am a Christmas fanatic and the thought of merging chick lit with a Christmas setting was an appealing one. I found Over the Holidays to be a fun read, as light and fluffy as cotton candy with a peppermint twist. I could relate to the main character, Vanessa, insofar as her desire to give her family a traditional, old-fashioned Christmas but running into the reality of job stress, energetic children, a husband unable to help and the very best of intentions going awry.
If you read author Sandra Harper’s guest post last week, you will recognize that all three holiday archetypes Ms. Harper discussed are present in Over the Holidays - - the Norman Rockwell-esque traditionalist and perfectionist Patience, the Hannah of Good Intentions Vanessa and the Rebel Without a Claus Thea. Patience cannot imagine a Christmas without cold temperatures, snow, a beautifully decorated house that would make Martha Stewart weep and homemade cooking from scratch. Vanessa wishes she could be like Patience, while at the same time resenting Patience’s perfection at all things domestic. Thea believes Christmas has turned into more of a showcase of greed and time of depression than a true celebration and wishes to set an example. Add in Vanessa’s husband JT, who gets an out of town job during the holidays, Patience’s husband Richard, who doesn’t want to rock the boat but finds playing golf in January appealing, Vanessa and JT’s twin 9 year old sons who have more energy than they know what to do with, Patience and Richard’s seventeen year old daughter, Libby, who is desperate to escape from the confines of their Wenham, Massachusetts home and Neil, a moody playwright who resents Vanessa’s help with his play but comes to need her.
As much as I could generally relate to Vanessa, I also had some issues with her. At times, she was downright abrasive and rude to Patience. While I could understand the frustration of having a “perfect” sister-in-law, I began to sympathize with Patience and get irritated with Vanessa. There was also a time or two during the story that I wished Vanessa wouldn’t give in to her children as much and be a little more of a disciplinarian.
I also had to remind myself during the book that Thea was her older sister and not younger sister because I continued feeling that Thea was represented more as a younger sister.
However, these are relatively minor gripes when taking the book as a whole. I felt drawn into the story from the first page and the characters were well fleshed out. Whatever your thoughts on the holiday season - - love it, dread it, tolerate it or are indifferent to it - - you can find something to relate to here. Not each individual storyline resolved itself as I thought it might, which left me guessing to a degree and provided me with a pleasant surprise instead of a shrug and sigh.
If you enjoy chick lit, if you have strong feelings about the holidays or just want some light, entertaining reading, you simply can’t go wrong with Over the Holidays.
If you read author Sandra Harper’s guest post last week, you will recognize that all three holiday archetypes Ms. Harper discussed are present in Over the Holidays - - the Norman Rockwell-esque traditionalist and perfectionist Patience, the Hannah of Good Intentions Vanessa and the Rebel Without a Claus Thea. Patience cannot imagine a Christmas without cold temperatures, snow, a beautifully decorated house that would make Martha Stewart weep and homemade cooking from scratch. Vanessa wishes she could be like Patience, while at the same time resenting Patience’s perfection at all things domestic. Thea believes Christmas has turned into more of a showcase of greed and time of depression than a true celebration and wishes to set an example. Add in Vanessa’s husband JT, who gets an out of town job during the holidays, Patience’s husband Richard, who doesn’t want to rock the boat but finds playing golf in January appealing, Vanessa and JT’s twin 9 year old sons who have more energy than they know what to do with, Patience and Richard’s seventeen year old daughter, Libby, who is desperate to escape from the confines of their Wenham, Massachusetts home and Neil, a moody playwright who resents Vanessa’s help with his play but comes to need her.
As much as I could generally relate to Vanessa, I also had some issues with her. At times, she was downright abrasive and rude to Patience. While I could understand the frustration of having a “perfect” sister-in-law, I began to sympathize with Patience and get irritated with Vanessa. There was also a time or two during the story that I wished Vanessa wouldn’t give in to her children as much and be a little more of a disciplinarian.
I also had to remind myself during the book that Thea was her older sister and not younger sister because I continued feeling that Thea was represented more as a younger sister.
However, these are relatively minor gripes when taking the book as a whole. I felt drawn into the story from the first page and the characters were well fleshed out. Whatever your thoughts on the holiday season - - love it, dread it, tolerate it or are indifferent to it - - you can find something to relate to here. Not each individual storyline resolved itself as I thought it might, which left me guessing to a degree and provided me with a pleasant surprise instead of a shrug and sigh.
If you enjoy chick lit, if you have strong feelings about the holidays or just want some light, entertaining reading, you simply can’t go wrong with Over the Holidays.
October 26, 2009
Vanessa Clayton and her husband, JT are struggling a little this holiday season. So they have decided to not travel to his sister’s place for Christmas but instead stay home and celebrate with their twin boys.
Every year Patrice holds an open house and decks out everything for the holidays. She goes a little over board. This year her family stands up and says…enough. Since no one is coming for the holidays, Patrice and her family decide to go to them. They pack up and head to California for Christmas. Though there won’t be any white Christmases this year.
To be honest, I didn’t really care for this book. I didn’t find any common ground with which I could relate to the characters. This in turn caused me to lose interest quickly. Besides, the fact that I found most of the characters to be really whiny and self absorbed in their own problems. Vanessa had this attitude against her sister-in-law. I mean I could see why but I felt like it was Christmas and everyone should try to put their differences aside for one time and enjoy each other’s company. For fans of chick-lit you might like this book. Sadly to say that Over the Holidays did not win me over.
October 6, 2015
I really didn't care for this book. I picked it up somewhere thinking that it would be a quick read but it took me a while to finish it because I just didn't identify with any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them.
January 29, 2015
Horrible.
January 8, 2024
Wanted a quick, fluffy holiday read. But this didn't fit the bill. I didn't like or relate to any of the characters. And the writing was odd. Some parts were filled with extraneous detail and others were frustratingly vague. Also more "adult" with swearing and sex than I was expecting. It's not THAT heavy-handed, but I was expecting a Hallmark movie.
Probably should have DNFed. I was not having a good time.
Probably should have DNFed. I was not having a good time.
October 23, 2009
Summary: Vanessa is experiencing craziness from the holidays like she never has before: her husband’s relatives (who are extremely annoying) are visiting and taking over her holiday while he is out of town until Christmas eve, which means she has to entertain them, her sister is acting like she’s unrelated because she’s so wrapped up in her art (which she’s struggling with) and she’s trying desperately not to have an affair with the hansom playwright she’s working with…
My thoughts: It was really hard for me to see what the point of this book was, but i think it centered around holiday traditions, gifts, really weird relatives, and baking your pies instead of buying them from a store. there was no focus on the meaning of Christmas (Christ. hence, Christmas.) and i felt like the character’s decisions were not made based on what was right and the reason behind why it was right, but only to keep their dignity. the book seemed shallow in that sense. I really have a hard time understanding what these people were celebrating during Christmas—if you’re not celebrating the baby Jesus, what are you eating turkey for anyway?
The Plot: this book was a path through Christmas and New Year celebrations, so it took the four most important characters (Vanessa, her sister Thea, mother in-law Patience, and Patience’s daughter Libby) and told their Christmas stories from each of their perspectives. there were parts of the story that were really surprising—for instance, i didn’t expect what happened with Neil or Cal, and was very anxious to find out what happened.
The Characters: there were so many new characters all thrown at you at once in the beginning of the book, it’s a little tough to keep up with. Vanessa seemed to have her head on reasonably straight, which i liked. Thea though, out of all the characters, was the one who had the best grip on reality (maybe that’s just because she and I are both crazy temperamental artists, though). Patience (who was not patient) seemed trivial and silly and a little ditzy, which was perfect for her. I don’t think i was supposed to particularly like her. at least, i hope that’s the case. (because i didn’t.) Libby seemed melodramatic and had an overrated view of sex. but her love for her cousins made her endearing.
The Writing: there was a lot of swearing in this book. a lot. which really doesn’t bother me that much, because when i’m reading i skip over it and don’t really register it, but it might bother other people. the writing style in general seemed very casual, and some things were over described—i really don’t care if the toilet that she peed into was stainless steel or porcelain, and i don’t really want to know every detail of a woman’s Christmas shopping.
Recommendation and rating: I gave this book a 2 out of five, if you look on my side bar you see that I wrote “you might enjoy it, but you're really not missing anything if you skip it.” I rated it that way because I personally didn’t connect with this book (probably because of my view of Christmas being centered around Christ, not pie.) and would have lived to see tomorrow if I hadn’t read it. however, if you look below, there is a list of other blogs on this tour, and other people may tell you that it was fantastic. I guess this one just wasn’t for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a light quick fun read, ages 16+
check out the rest of the blog tour:
*Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com
*Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
*The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object:
http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
*Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
*Wendi’s Book Corner: http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
*Opinionated? Me? : http://readingwatchingliving.blogspot...
*Me, My Book and the Couch:
http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/
*Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
*Bookin’ With Bingo: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
*Books, Movies, and Chinese Food:
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogs...
*Psychotic State: http://www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com/
*Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
*That’s A Novel Idea: http://thatsanovelidea.blogspot.com
*All About {N}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
*Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot...
*A Sea of Books: http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
*Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
*Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot...
*My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
*Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
*One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books:
http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
*I Read: http://sumanam.wordpress.com/
*So Many Books, So Little Time:
http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot....
*Keep on Booking: http://keeponbooking.blogspot.com
*Reading at the Beach: http://ilratb.blogspot.com/
*Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
*Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
*Book Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com/
Thank you to Sarah Reidy from Pocket Books for providing me with my review copy.
win this copy of my book at haleymathiot.blogspot.com
My thoughts: It was really hard for me to see what the point of this book was, but i think it centered around holiday traditions, gifts, really weird relatives, and baking your pies instead of buying them from a store. there was no focus on the meaning of Christmas (Christ. hence, Christmas.) and i felt like the character’s decisions were not made based on what was right and the reason behind why it was right, but only to keep their dignity. the book seemed shallow in that sense. I really have a hard time understanding what these people were celebrating during Christmas—if you’re not celebrating the baby Jesus, what are you eating turkey for anyway?
The Plot: this book was a path through Christmas and New Year celebrations, so it took the four most important characters (Vanessa, her sister Thea, mother in-law Patience, and Patience’s daughter Libby) and told their Christmas stories from each of their perspectives. there were parts of the story that were really surprising—for instance, i didn’t expect what happened with Neil or Cal, and was very anxious to find out what happened.
The Characters: there were so many new characters all thrown at you at once in the beginning of the book, it’s a little tough to keep up with. Vanessa seemed to have her head on reasonably straight, which i liked. Thea though, out of all the characters, was the one who had the best grip on reality (maybe that’s just because she and I are both crazy temperamental artists, though). Patience (who was not patient) seemed trivial and silly and a little ditzy, which was perfect for her. I don’t think i was supposed to particularly like her. at least, i hope that’s the case. (because i didn’t.) Libby seemed melodramatic and had an overrated view of sex. but her love for her cousins made her endearing.
The Writing: there was a lot of swearing in this book. a lot. which really doesn’t bother me that much, because when i’m reading i skip over it and don’t really register it, but it might bother other people. the writing style in general seemed very casual, and some things were over described—i really don’t care if the toilet that she peed into was stainless steel or porcelain, and i don’t really want to know every detail of a woman’s Christmas shopping.
Recommendation and rating: I gave this book a 2 out of five, if you look on my side bar you see that I wrote “you might enjoy it, but you're really not missing anything if you skip it.” I rated it that way because I personally didn’t connect with this book (probably because of my view of Christmas being centered around Christ, not pie.) and would have lived to see tomorrow if I hadn’t read it. however, if you look below, there is a list of other blogs on this tour, and other people may tell you that it was fantastic. I guess this one just wasn’t for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a light quick fun read, ages 16+
check out the rest of the blog tour:
*Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com
*Frugal Plus: http://frugalplus.com/
*The Life (And Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object:
http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
*Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
*Wendi’s Book Corner: http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
*Opinionated? Me? : http://readingwatchingliving.blogspot...
*Me, My Book and the Couch:
http://memybookandthecouch.blogspot.com/
*Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
*Bookin’ With Bingo: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
*Books, Movies, and Chinese Food:
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogs...
*Psychotic State: http://www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com/
*Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
*That’s A Novel Idea: http://thatsanovelidea.blogspot.com
*All About {N}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
*Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot...
*A Sea of Books: http://aseaofbooks.blogspot.com/
*Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
*Blog Business World: http://www.blogbusinessworld.blogspot...
*My Friend Amy: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
*Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
*One Person’s Journey Through A World of Books:
http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/
*I Read: http://sumanam.wordpress.com/
*So Many Books, So Little Time:
http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot....
*Keep on Booking: http://keeponbooking.blogspot.com
*Reading at the Beach: http://ilratb.blogspot.com/
*Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
*Brizmus Blogs Books: http://brizmusblogsbooks.blogspot.com/
*Book Reviews by Buuklvr81: http://www.buuklvr81.blogspot.com/
Thank you to Sarah Reidy from Pocket Books for providing me with my review copy.
win this copy of my book at haleymathiot.blogspot.com
July 8, 2020
it was ok. I wouldn't read it again. I read this now since it's Christmas in July. The characters were a little prude and entitled, self absorbed. About two sisters and a sister in law and how each one preceives the spirit of Christmas and the holiday bustle
January 23, 2021
Light fluffy holiday read.
September 6, 2022
Quick, light read
December 31, 2022
Over The Holidays is a cute holiday novel about family and their quirks. It is a fun and quick Christmas story.
Read
April 17, 2023not my cup of tea. DNF tried flipping and reading after reading the first few pages. nope
October 22, 2009
"It was only December first but Vanessa Channing felt like it had been Christmas forever..." So begins Sandra Harper's latest fun and light holiday read full of family drama.
Vanessa Clayton,her gaffer husband JT, and the young twins, Ethan and Alex, usually spend the holidays in New England with her sister-in-law, but the tough economic times give her the excuse to celebrate at home in Los Angeles. Vanessa is far from a domestic goddess - her own family tradition is "store bought," her young boys are a handful, and her writing job is keeping her crazy busy. Vanessa's sister Thea has a very different life. An artist and single, Thea's life centers around her art. Her latest project involves compiling holiday memories and this starts her reminiscing about Cal, her boyfriend from fifteen years ago. Though Thea's reasonably happy with her gorgeous young lover, once Thea starts thinking about what may have been with Cal, Thea can't resist hunting him down.
Patience Clayton's life appears to be the opposite of that of her sister-in-law Vanessa Clayton. Patience lives for the holidays and devotes herself to maintaining their family's traditions from the cranberry tarts to the carefully orchestrated themed Open House on Christmas Eve. When her sister-in-law declines the annual invitation to a New England Christmas, Patience decides to bring her husband Richard and their teenage daughter Libby to Los Angeles in the hope that this will bring the family closer together. But with Libby acting curt and cold and Vanessa's ill disguised irritation, this is shaping up to be Patience's worst holiday ever.
I found Over the Holidays to be a light and engaging read. I would occasionally find Vanessa to be self centered and irritating and would sympathize with Patience - Vanessa's zingers would make me cringe. On the other hand, I suspect that many readers would be more inclined to regard Patience's insistence on doing things "right" annoying and identify with the younger, more creative Vanessa. Regardless of whether you prefer Vanessa to Patience, I believe that most readers would find both of them sympathetic. If you're looking for a fun book to read for the holidays and have a taste for chicklit or mommylit, you may well enjoy Over the Holidays.
Publisher: Pocket (October 6, 2009), 336 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Vanessa Clayton,her gaffer husband JT, and the young twins, Ethan and Alex, usually spend the holidays in New England with her sister-in-law, but the tough economic times give her the excuse to celebrate at home in Los Angeles. Vanessa is far from a domestic goddess - her own family tradition is "store bought," her young boys are a handful, and her writing job is keeping her crazy busy. Vanessa's sister Thea has a very different life. An artist and single, Thea's life centers around her art. Her latest project involves compiling holiday memories and this starts her reminiscing about Cal, her boyfriend from fifteen years ago. Though Thea's reasonably happy with her gorgeous young lover, once Thea starts thinking about what may have been with Cal, Thea can't resist hunting him down.
Patience Clayton's life appears to be the opposite of that of her sister-in-law Vanessa Clayton. Patience lives for the holidays and devotes herself to maintaining their family's traditions from the cranberry tarts to the carefully orchestrated themed Open House on Christmas Eve. When her sister-in-law declines the annual invitation to a New England Christmas, Patience decides to bring her husband Richard and their teenage daughter Libby to Los Angeles in the hope that this will bring the family closer together. But with Libby acting curt and cold and Vanessa's ill disguised irritation, this is shaping up to be Patience's worst holiday ever.
I found Over the Holidays to be a light and engaging read. I would occasionally find Vanessa to be self centered and irritating and would sympathize with Patience - Vanessa's zingers would make me cringe. On the other hand, I suspect that many readers would be more inclined to regard Patience's insistence on doing things "right" annoying and identify with the younger, more creative Vanessa. Regardless of whether you prefer Vanessa to Patience, I believe that most readers would find both of them sympathetic. If you're looking for a fun book to read for the holidays and have a taste for chicklit or mommylit, you may well enjoy Over the Holidays.
Publisher: Pocket (October 6, 2009), 336 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
October 31, 2020
Not exactly what I was expecting from a Christmas book, but it wasn’t bad. Most of the book I didn’t like either Vanessa or Thea. Vanessa can’t connect with her Martha Stewart-like SIL Patience. She doesn’t like the holidays, and resents having to shop, decorate, and plan the meal. Then she finds out Patience and family are coming to California from Massachusetts. And Patience keeps trying to take over. Thea hardly ever spends time with Vanessa and her twin boys. But eventually, each woman begins to see a different point of view and connection.
October 26, 2009
Over the Holidays is a pretty apt read this time of year, I think. It's when we start thinking of (& sometimes, prepping for) the holidays--get the card list, buy the cards, take pictures to send with the cards, fill 'em out, work on a gift list, start shopping, get plans firmed up, guest lists put together, menus planned, etc. etc. etc. I don't know about you, but I know that I am usually quite ready for it to be all over before the middle of the month.
Vanessa seems to feel the same way I do. Her husband has employment issues, and money troubles are the least of their worries when she has to navigate the complex tides that are family relationships. The jockeying for who gets to "host". The subtle digs at whether you're doing things right. The pressure to prepare for last-minute plans to have her husband's family over, while he's out of town on a temporary job. And the stress of managing a temperamental writer's updates and her children's schedules. All combine to basically drive her nuts.
Ok, maybe nuts is an exaggeration. But Vanessa is carrying a lot on her shoulders. And when that writer shows an interest in her, she's flattered. But is she flattered enough to risk everything she has for a flattering interest?
I like Vanessa. Throw in the cast of characters that's in Over the Holidays, and you have an introspective look at the current state of the holidays and what it does to our relationships and our psyche.
Vanessa seems to feel the same way I do. Her husband has employment issues, and money troubles are the least of their worries when she has to navigate the complex tides that are family relationships. The jockeying for who gets to "host". The subtle digs at whether you're doing things right. The pressure to prepare for last-minute plans to have her husband's family over, while he's out of town on a temporary job. And the stress of managing a temperamental writer's updates and her children's schedules. All combine to basically drive her nuts.
Ok, maybe nuts is an exaggeration. But Vanessa is carrying a lot on her shoulders. And when that writer shows an interest in her, she's flattered. But is she flattered enough to risk everything she has for a flattering interest?
I like Vanessa. Throw in the cast of characters that's in Over the Holidays, and you have an introspective look at the current state of the holidays and what it does to our relationships and our psyche.
November 30, 2009
Three women, three different ideas for the perfect Christmas... and, of course, nothing going as planned. I thought each character - Vanessa, Patience, Thea - were well fleshed out and, although flawed, were fun to read about.
Patience had that Martha Stewart appeal to me. She wanted the perfect Christmas - I sympathized with her the most, because I myself get all stressed and worried about making everything absolutely perfect for the holidays (sans the snow since we're in South Florida). Vanessa was the most relateable though. She was the one dealing with her kids, job, stressing over money, impressing her sister-in-law and her family; all while trying to make their Christmas traditions as perfect as possible with everything that could go wrong, going wrong. Thea was just a free spirit with no cares - you just had to love her.
This was a fun, fluffy read. All sorts of holiday hoopla ensues. It had plenty of laugh out loud moments. Ms. Harper's writing was fun, young and hip. I will forewarn there was some cussing, but nothing that can't be overlooked. I really enjoyed this and though t it was the perfect read for this time of year. I guarantee there is at least one moment in this book that you can relate to. If you are a fan of chick lit with a fun holiday twist or just in the mood for a light, entertaining read, you won't want to miss out on this one.
Patience had that Martha Stewart appeal to me. She wanted the perfect Christmas - I sympathized with her the most, because I myself get all stressed and worried about making everything absolutely perfect for the holidays (sans the snow since we're in South Florida). Vanessa was the most relateable though. She was the one dealing with her kids, job, stressing over money, impressing her sister-in-law and her family; all while trying to make their Christmas traditions as perfect as possible with everything that could go wrong, going wrong. Thea was just a free spirit with no cares - you just had to love her.
This was a fun, fluffy read. All sorts of holiday hoopla ensues. It had plenty of laugh out loud moments. Ms. Harper's writing was fun, young and hip. I will forewarn there was some cussing, but nothing that can't be overlooked. I really enjoyed this and though t it was the perfect read for this time of year. I guarantee there is at least one moment in this book that you can relate to. If you are a fan of chick lit with a fun holiday twist or just in the mood for a light, entertaining read, you won't want to miss out on this one.
October 23, 2009
Christmas isn't a joyful time of year for Vanessa. Her sister-in-law is having Christmas in her home, but thankfully, Vanessa and her family cannot afford the trip. Vanessa is super busy after agreeing to help with the town's play.
Everything seems to be going great. No stress, no worries. But then, BAM! Her sister-in-law decides that they will venture out for a California Christmas with Vanessa's family.
Once they arrive and the holiday begins, these women find out that they are more alike than they ever expected. Family has a way of creeping up on you and snatching your heart.
This is a hilarious book that reminds me of my family. A great book to curl up with, especially since the holidays are right around the corner.
Everything seems to be going great. No stress, no worries. But then, BAM! Her sister-in-law decides that they will venture out for a California Christmas with Vanessa's family.
Once they arrive and the holiday begins, these women find out that they are more alike than they ever expected. Family has a way of creeping up on you and snatching your heart.
This is a hilarious book that reminds me of my family. A great book to curl up with, especially since the holidays are right around the corner.
December 5, 2009
When I started this book, I was looking forward to it but unfortunately I was disappointed. I didn't connect with any of the characters. I thought everyone was way too dramatic and too concerned with themselves. The only characters I enjoyed was JT. He seemed like a real, sweet guy.
And I thought there was too much going on with everyone and that the individual plots were too rushed. The feelings between Vanessa and Neil, the playwright, seemed to come out of nowhere. And there were other side stories and flashbacks to the past that just didn't fit. I think that if the story had been one main idea, it would have worked better.
And I thought there was too much going on with everyone and that the individual plots were too rushed. The feelings between Vanessa and Neil, the playwright, seemed to come out of nowhere. And there were other side stories and flashbacks to the past that just didn't fit. I think that if the story had been one main idea, it would have worked better.
May 12, 2014
Someone gave this to me, so I started it over the holidays and finally finished it. The premise centers around a variety of characters, each frazzled in their own rights, and the holidays just aren't helping with the stress in their lives. There were moments I could relate and laughed, and at other moments I felt that they brought some of the negativity on themselves. I do realize, however, that everyone's lived experiences are different. That means that their responses are different as well. In the end, I didn't love or hate the novel. I can't say that I would readily recommend it though.
December 17, 2009
After winning a free copy of this book through a GoodReads giveaway (Thank you), I was super excited to read this holiday story. The book included a balance of light elements to keep it fun and entertaining and more serious subjects that many women can relate to. I found the characters, especially Vanessa very likable. Even the characters I didn't like (P), redeemed themselves in the end. A great (quick) read for a cold, snowy evening by the fire. Puts you in the holiday mood but still reminds us to relax and not let the holidays take over.
December 29, 2009
This was a nice, fluffy read for the holidays. It's the story of four women... two sisters, a sister-in-law and a niece and their interactions around the holidays. The chemistry amongst the characters is great. There is tension, but you can tell deep down these women truly love and care about one another. It was a perfect read for the holidays.
January 5, 2012
Well I finished the book, however I didn't like it at all. I'm not sure why I actually finished reading it, I think it was because there were so many characters with major things going on in their lives that I had to find out what happened to each of them! I doubt I will be reading anything more by this author.
December 23, 2010
Terrible. There were too many voices, and I couldn't relate to any of the characters. There were also way too many loose ends by the time you were finished. It definitely did not put me in the holiday spirit.
November 30, 2009
this book was ok. I was hoping for more Christmas talk. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, but it was a decent quick read. Read it in one day
October 30, 2009
I thought this was an enjoyable read. Didn't hurt that it had a dog on the cover! Some laugh out loud moments. Fans of chick lit would most likely enjoy this book.
December 13, 2009
The characters weren't entirely believable, but an okay holiday read.
December 26, 2009
This book got better as I got into it. The start was pretty slow but it picked up steam about a quarter of the way into it.
February 2, 2010
Great easy read. It was fun to read and to find out the book was set in the town I live in! I did a double take since Wenham is not that well known. It was nice to see the women come together.
August 14, 2014
Good Fast read.
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