LAURIE GRAFF, CAREN LISSNER, MELANIE MURRAY
ISBN #0-373-89537-2
November 1, 2005
Red Dress Ink, Silhouette Books, Harlequin Books, Red Dress Ink
233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279
Paperback
328 pages
$12.95 U.S./$15.95 CAN.
Contemporary Romance/Chick-Lit Novella
Rating:
The Eight Dates of Hanukkah
Nicki Heller believes that on the first day of Hanukkah God is actually putting her through
an experiment. As an event planner, she has always gone through bad moments in her
life. When she was a little girl her new dolly lost its head; another first day was an ending
to her marriage; and now to make matters worse, with the first day of Hanukkah her
boyfriend proposes but when she turns him down, he dumps her. To sweeten the pot, a
menorah crashes on her head when a robber enters her shop not long after her
boyfriend says good-bye. Nicki is sure she is cursed, especially when she starts
experiencing dates from hell the rest of the nights of the gala of lights.
After Nicki gets a bump on the head and lands in a coma, she is carried to a world
called Menorahville. She is trapped and wishes to leave, but there is one condition. She
has to marry. Well she messed that up when she tossed aside a great guy with a sweet
proposal. She should never have rejected her boyfriend’s offer prior to entering
Menorahville. Can she learn some lessons on life and love before it is too late?
Ms. Graff delivers a sweet story with a great message on learning valuable lessons. I
enjoyed where she expels the character of Nicki being a Sagittarius with the attitude in
life; that every boy she met wished to marry her, and that was simply the truth. That was
a smile turner. In a way I was reminded of the movie, Groundhog Day. This story is a
wonderful read and I really liked it.
Carrie Pilby’s New Year Resolution
Before Carrie Pilby turned twenty she graduated from Harvard. Unfortunately, she
received no social education. Now she agrees to attend a social and a professional
event within a week to make amends. She pledges to only talk to two outsiders at these
events, keeping her fingers crossed for a man in hopes of getting asked out. She
confides in her friend Kara that she is thinking of returning to college to gain the social
skills she missed the first time around.
Carrie excels so well in college that she finishes at an early age only to end up feeling
like she is stuck in limbo. Since she allows her dad to pay rent, she works only a
nighttime job, but she yearns for a social life. She figures the only way to change is to
get out of her apartment no matter what obstacles face her, but will it be enough to finally
make her happy?
Ms. Lissner has crafted a story that many can relate to especially when forming a list for
resolutions. It reminded me of how this really happens in everyday life with people. My
best part was when she wakes every morning and there is some kind of music running
through her mind. Oh, yeah, I can relate to that, too. And sometimes it is hard making it
stop. Ms. Lissner does an excellent job detailing Carrie’s New Year’s Resolution. This
was a story that I thoroughly delighted reading. Ms. Lissner paints Carrie so much fun
that the reader will love tagging along.
Emma Townsend Saves Christmas
Emma Townsend heads for New York and vows to never return to her parents Vermont
Christmas tree home for the holidays. Of course women are known to change their
minds, so deciding to return, she is shocked to hear her parents are headed to Jamaica
for the holidays. What she did not expect was to be left behind to care for the tree farm
with her high school sweetheart Tim Latch. Can they save Christmas?
After Emma resolves to skip Christmas with her rich boyfriend and head back to
Vermont to help her parents with the tree farm, she discovers they have left her in
charge and taken a vacation. But what Emma finds is an old acquaintance and learns
the important things in life. Can she finally make the best miracle in life happen for her?
Ms. Murray delivers a story that is unique for the holidays or any time of the year. She
creates a scene and details the story so vividly that it captures the reader and places
them headlong into a holiday mood. I really liked this story because it brought back so
much remembrance of such great old-fashioned movies during the holidays that sent
warmth all the way to the toes, not to mention recalling Bing Crosby and Rosemary
Clooney and the complete joy of decorating. This one is a must read, a page-turner.
Whoever said the holidays were not exciting, probably was a castaway on Gilligan’s
Island, alone. If you are feeling a bit down during this time of the year, then this is the
book for you. In Scenes from a Holiday, three great writers tell three charming stories
that bring much holiday cheer. From Hanukkah, to New Year Resolutions, to celebrating
Christmas, these creations will lift your spirits and have you believing that miracles can
happen if you truly believe. So grab a chair, a cup of hot cocoa, maybe a box of
chocolate covered cherries, and enjoy a bit of imagination at its finest. A great stocking
filler.
Cherokee
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
