Member Review

Love Always, Christmas by Karen Schaler is a cute Christmas story. I enjoyed getting to know Libby Larson who is grieving the loss of her mother. Christmas was a holiday that was beloved by her parents. Libby is unable to decorate the outside of the house this year despite living in the most visited neighborhood in Seattle during the holidays. Libby buries herself in work to avoid her feelings. While looking for decorations in the attic for a video shoot, Libby stumbles upon an unopened Christmas card addressed to her mother. Inside the card is a picture of Libby’s mother when she was young standing next to another girl. With only the name of the town and the sender’s first name, Libby heads to Holly Peak for answers. There is plenty of Christmas cheer in this story. I loved the descriptions of the holly inspired decorations in Holly Peak. It sounded like a wonderful place to live. I can see why tourists flocked to the town. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story. It starts off in the first chapter when a Santa inflatable gets massacred (you need to anchor them down carefully). This incident has Libby meeting her next-door neighbor’s handsome son, Adam. In Holly Peak, Libby runs into Adam again (literally). Sparks fly between the pair, but they also manage to bicker. The romance progressed slowly (a slow burn) which I preferred. There is an adorable dog named Rudolph. I just loved him. Rudolph had a great personality. The ending was enjoyable. I did feel, though, that the story was way too long. There is also too much repetition. Some of the banter between Libby and Adam is a little on the sweet side (sometimes cheesy). I did tire of all the social media talk. Libby and her hashtags had my eyes crossing (too much of it). I admit that I did skim through some areas (I could only take so much hashtag talk). Love Always, Christmas reminds me of a Hallmark Christmas movie where you have a man and a woman who do not get along at first, but there are sparks. Something brings are two characters together. There is an ending that will give you a cavity from all the sweetness. Love Always, Christmas is a story that will put you into the spirit of the season (had me humming Christmas carols while putting up my Halloween decorations). Despite my critical comments, this was a fun story full of Christmas cheer. Love Always, Christmas is a charming Christmas tale with a slain Santa, a curious Christmas card, a fetching town manager, comforting cocoa, a social media specialist, comical ugly Christmas sweaters, a discontented kitty, a clever Rudolph, Christmas copycats, and a surprising revelation.