A Semi-Precious Christmas

This is a fabulously enchanting story of mammoth greed and undying unending GODLY love. Peri (named after a gem) works in her Uncle's jewelry shop - was robbed. While she was being robbed Chris was outside and he realized what was happening and he called the police and took pictures of them as they were robbing the joint. The robbers got away, of course. but this is the catalyst to bringing Chris and Peri together. Peri was then robbed at home - from the same robbers - they had her Liscence from when they robbed the store - Chris was her protector - him and his daughter - all the while - relying on their faith - knowing GOD will take care of HIS own. Then the author threw in some major twists that you would not believe. You just have to read it to believe it. You will love every second of it.

That was a beautiful writing in this book. I loved it!

A delightful quick read. This light-hearted Christmas story is full of drama & excitement. It is well written and will appeal to many.

This book was excellent right from the very beginning when Peridot Keaton-Jones is robbed at gunpoint when she arrives to open her uncle's jewelry store, to the very end, which I won't talk about here. I fell in love with her protector, Christopher Lane, and his daughter, Maggie. This is the first time I have read a book by this author, but it won't be the last. There is excitement throughout the book. Read it. You won't regret it.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley.

Quirky characters and a budding romance keeps you glued to the pages. I just wished it was a bit longer. I have not read books by this author before, but will definitely keep a lookout for more books by Jan Elder

I highly recommend this book. It's a mystery with Christian romance thrown in. A beautiful story, as it also details Peri and her friend's prayers for the man she would end up falling in love with.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Peridot is so blessed to have your uncle and her sister. When she comes to work and encounters thugs who assault her and steal so much from her uncles store she starts to wonder how much of her life she has lived since loosing someone close to her. Chris just so happens to be in the right place at the right time and encounters a robby in process. The last person he expects is in there but he knows he needs to know more about her. But when they both face a disaster can they work together to fix it or will the continue to face another challenge that will divide them?
This book was a fun read, it was short and action packed from the go. The story is told from a first person point of view, I felt in a way that it would have been nice to hear a point of view from both characters since it seemed Chis played such an active roll in the story, in a sense it seem like something was missing. But that being said the storyline was fun and it kept my attention the whole time and was such a fun read. If you are looking for a good Christmas story in a small town, then this story is for you, its a quick read and worth the read.

Some of the grammer was pretty bad. Just one example is "...who'd sneaked up behind me...". Overall it was a sweet love story that moved well. The heroine could have been a little more realistic and not fall in love in just a few hours, but books are for our imaginations.

A Semi-Precious Christmas by Jan Elder

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

____________________________________________________________________

Story Notes

Jan Elder's novella in the Christmas Holiday Extravaganza series is a sweet little romance with enough thrilling action to make it a wonderful holiday treat.

The clever cover of this book grabbed my attention and when I saw it was a bit of a 'thriller' as well I knew I had to read it. Ms. Elder throws her readers right into the action with the jewelry store robbery that begins this fast paced story. Her main character Peridot is the niece of a jewelry store owner who is looking forward to a full day of Christmas sales when she finds herself at gunpoint upon entering the store. The two thieves proceed to wreck the store and grab thousands in merchandise, injuring Peri when she hesitates to help them. A "good Samaritan" manages to catch a photo of the thieves in action and further calls the police. And so begins a great story about finding love and trust again. Ms. Elder's hero, Chris is the good Samaritan who helps Peri in more ways than one. When Peri's uncle is discovered in the back alley badly beaten, Chris makes it his personal mission to ensure that Peri will stay safe until the thieves are caught. And when the thieves also break into Peri's home, Peri decides being alone anymore isn't the best idea. Still grieving over her husband's tragic death four years before, Peri hasn't been willing to put much effort into finding love again. And although she and Chris have just met, she is quickly sensing the attraction sparking between the two of them. Chris is also a bit wary of love, given his ex-wife left him and his daughter for someone else "who had more to give". But Ms. Elder brings them together through all their experiences and shows that there is no time requirement for love. I believe one of the best parts of Ms. Elder's story was the way in which it was told - from Peri's point of view. I loved the look into her thoughts and feelings and laughed out loud at her phrase "He kissed me again....and then I kicked him out because I wanted him to stay". I'm not always a fan of first person since I often find the many *frowns* and *smiles* to be annoying; however Ms. Elder had a good balance between what her character thought/did and the actions of others going on around her. I especially loved her way of having Peri and Chris "know" each other without having actually met - Peri had been the reading companion and friend of Chris's late aunt Margaret. This had given both of them the opportunity to know a lot about each other and their families before they met. And when they both realize that Peri had been praying for Chris and his family for years, including that he would find Christ, they discover the hand of God was preparing them for a life together. It was really nice to read this modern story in which the characters were able to fall in love with each other without falling into bed. I loved that family was important to everyone in the story and a welcoming kindness prevailed in each home. I will most certainly recommend this lovely Christmas time story to my friends and family looking for a good read.

I received this E-book free of charge from White Rose Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation from either company for this review.

Cute Christmas story; perfect for a quick holiday read. For those who love to read happy ever after Christmas stories, this is one to enjoy.