Stephanie Wood

A Greek island conjures images of natural beauty, and a people in love with love...at least for me it does. We get a little of this and a little of that in this story, as the author shares family heritage, traditions, and how days may pass, but the important things remain the same. I appreciated Georgina's search to find her father, and how that hole in her heart was simply so hard to fill without something, or someone to hang on to. I cared for Jane as she struggled to find her footing in a new place, but was so happy to see her try, try again...never letting anything or anyone back her fully into a corner. The outcomes for both characters were drastically different, and yet they helped to bring this installment in the series full circle.

I'd be lax if I didn't mention that I did have a few personal issues though. First, with a particular male character and how the Greek affinity for coupling was portrayed (though those are not notions I have based on research or personal experience, mainly a distaste to my own sensitivities). Second, I was still hung up on how one relationship changed from a connection to amorous so quickly (or really, at all). I suppose in the end, whether fiction or reality, to each their own...and there are certainly brighter spots to focus on here, if one desires.

So, if you're looking to escape your own prolonged stay at home, pandemic induced or otherwise, take a chance on a trip across the waters without ever leaving your comfy reading spot!



**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own… (més)

I chose to read this book because the cover suggested a delightful Christmassy tale, and the unsuitable romance and the matter in the past mentioned in the blurb intrigued me.

The Christmas Miracle is the sixth book in the Christmas On The Close series, but as per usual, this is the first I’ve read. It can easily be read as a standalone because the focus is on Diane, having only brief encounters with her other neighbours, such that the reader does not need to know their back-story.

This is an easy to read, short story set in the run-up to Christmas, although it doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy this. I liked Diane and Emma as characters and hoped that Diane’s ‘helping-hand’ would result in a romance for Emma and that Diane would find out what happened to Joe all those years ago.… (més)