October 14, 2002
High-quality, homegrown story-telling has long been Michaels's stock-in-trade, and this story is a holiday treat for readers seeking classic country Christmas atmosphere and an extra helping of romance for all; by the end of the tale, even the protagonists' dogs find true love. The touching, if melodramatic, plot line revolves around gutsy Loretta Cisco, the founder of a flourishing rural candy company. Loretta has been committed to a nursing home against her will by her son, a widower under the malevolent influence of his fortune-hunter fiancée, but Loretta's irrepressible 20-something grandchildren are determined to spring their grandma and bring her home for the holidays. What makes the tale uniquely charming isn't plot as much as its warmth and the wealth of evocative details that bring the broken family's Allegheny mountain celebration to vivid life.
Bursting with humor and high holiday spirits—unlike last year's inspirational but dark What You Wish For—this warmhearted confection is as soothing as a cup of hot cocoa. (Nov. 5)Forecast:Booksellers should have no trouble moving copies. Michaels's fans are legion, and a soft-focus cover image depicting a cottage and a Christmas tree will beckon browsers.
November 15, 2002
Furious with their widowed father for putting their adored, cataract-afflicted grandmother in a nursing home and seeking a second opinion, the Cisco triplets take matters into their own hands and whisk her off to a highly regarded hospital near her rustic mountain home in the Allegheny foothills. The hospital, however, holds some romantic surprises for two of the triplets, and by the time everyone gathers for an old-fashioned Christmas at Granny Cisco's, the romantic future of all the family members is clearly defined. The overriding theme of this fast-paced, sassy, but warmly sentimental contemporary romance is the importance of family. It will appeal to readers who like their Christmas stories sweet, home-centered, and filled with happy endings. Michaels (Kentucky Sunrise) is a veteran author of various fiction genres. This is her first holiday novel.
October 15, 2002
When their father puts their beloved grandmother in a nursing home right before Christmas, the three college-aged Cisco triplets, Hannah, Sara, and Sam, come up with a plan to bring her back home for the holidays. Their scheme threatens their relationship with their father, but the holiday season may just bring this family, along with some new additions, back together again. The importance of family is the focus of popular author Michaels' lightly romantic holiday story. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)