Evan Edwards faces another lonely Christmas in the dorm. His mom is off on her fourth, or maybe it's fifth, honeymoon. A rain soaked ad promises free room and board in exchange for holiday decorating. He jumps at the chance to spend Christmas in a cozy home. The owners won't be there until Christmas Day, so he'll be able to practice piano for his graduation recital. He heads for Candle, Texas.
Across the street in Candle, Rise' Larkin is home from college with some bad news for her dad. As their friendship grows, Evan discovers that he's been living in and decorating...
THE WRONG HOUSE! Will this Mistletoe Mix-up ruin everything?
This little book is a definite cozy, quick Christmas read, but nestled in the lights and ornaments is a message - God's unwavering and unconditional love. Evan is searching for this, but will his past disappointments keep him from finding it?
Here's an early review: A senior music major and a brilliant pianist, Evan has a
problem: His mother has just begun her fourth or fifth marriage (he can’t
remember), and that means he must spend Christmas holidays in the dormitory.
But a professor tells him of a bulletin board ad for a house sitter over the
holidays. Evan finds the ad, calls the owner, and quickly lands the job. They
won’t meet, but the owner gives him a way into the house and instructions he
will find inside. Evan goes, but the house he finds is not the mansion he
expected.
Risé, home for the holidays in the house next door, has two
problems. She has just broken up with a man who becomes violent when angry, and
she worries about her father, recently widowed, who has a medical problem. She also
dreads having to tell him a secret that he won’t like.
With the
meeting of Evan and Risé as a base, Jody Bailey Day
builds a complex fictional world in which nothing is what it seems. The more
the two characters try to solve what should be simple problems, the more mixed
up their problems become. These and other likable characters become more and
more confused, but the author flawlessly weaves their mistakes and
misperceptions into an increasingly complex narrative. The suspense and tension increase until the
author brings everything together in a satisfying resolution.
This is a
delightful Christmas novella that will leave the reader wishing for more. D. T.
I hope you'll make some time for a little inspirational Christmas reading, and include Mistletoe Mix-up in your list.
Jody
