Courtney Cole

"A Wish For Christmas" is a delightful magic-real love story that enchanted me from the start. Many people would like to change something in their lives, but who has the chance to do it like this? These are characters that everyone will fall in love with, including Elliott, the Mastiff. It's impossible to resist all this joy mixed in with a Christmas theme. I highly recommend this book for reading at any time of year!
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.… (mehr)

Piper’s grandmother has died, and now Piper must make some decisions that could be life changing. She is a pilot, and she has been trained to take people on hunting trips in Alaska. She must decide if she wants to continue this business without her grandmother, or sell the resort that has been in her family for generations. Seasoned hunters sometimes go off on their own, and it is this aspect that sets in motion a chain of events that will change Piper forever. Fearing the hunting party is lost with a storm moving in, Piper goes to search for them. Falling down a gorge, she awakens in the snow, looking at strangers. They rescue her and take her back to her lodge, but it’s not exactly hers at the moment, since she has traveled back in time to the 1940s. She, of course, is shocked by what has has happened, not knowing how it came to be or if she will be able to return to her own time. But she is delighted to meet her grandmother, who is about the same age as Piper. They become friends, and Piper does her best to fit in with family who are, in essence, her ancestors. It’s quite a story, tender and heartwarming, and yet has moments of sheer terror as the residents battle the elements that make up the Alaskan wilderness. Though the author does a good job of setting the scenes in two vastly different time periods, some of the aspect of the time-traveling are glossed over and not explained. The characters are well-developed and quite likable, the plot is very entertaining and intriguing, and the story will leave you in a warm holiday mood.… (mehr)

This is a story about wishes and second chances. Nora and Jack are drifting apart in their marriage. Chasing their 200-plus pound dog through the streets after he gets away from them, they meet a kind, elderly store owner. He gives them a snow globe to wish on, and the next day, they wake up in separate apartments, leading separate successful lives as Noel and Jonah. Through a series of somewhat unusual events, Noel acquires a large dog, and both Noel and Jonah find themselves heading for the same small town to assist their families, specifically the dads, who are on opposing sides of what is best for the town. It’s quite an intriguing concept and an interesting and well written story. The characters are likable and believable, even if the magic of the snow globe is not. But if start to think that the store owner might just be Santa in disguise, you can believe in the magic that Christmas brings.… (mehr)

Meg inherits an apartment building from her recently deceased dad. Still grieving and feeling guilty for not visiting him more often, she is out of her league when it comes to managing the building. She is a fashion designer hoping to someday have her own label. She makes a lot of mistakes when she first arrives, alienating one of the residents who she really needs to have on her side. It will take a lot of effort to repair that damaged first impression. The residents are mostly elderly, having lived there for years, and Meg is unsure of how involved she needs to be in their lives. It turns out that she wants to be involved, but soon she realizes that the building is in disrepair and funds to fix it are nonexistent. She needs a Christmas miracle and she needs it fast. And of all things, it arrives in the form of a dress. The characters are likable and believable, especially Meg, and the story is well told. This romance is certainly sweet, and if things seem a bit contrived to arrive at a happily ever after, it’s an acceptable concept. After all, it is Christmas!… (mehr)