Review: a heartwarming cozy read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 19, 2013
I was looking for a book to read that was Christmas romance themed for one of the groups I'm a member of on Goodreads. I actually came across this book on Goodreads and saw how many positive reviews there were for it. While I'm not known for reading romances very often, I decided to make an exception for this one. And I'm so glad I did!It was a very cute, heartwarming story. It took me no time at all to read, and I immediately liked the main characters, Carson, his daughter Eloise, and Eloise's dance instructor, Penny. I rooted throughout the entire book for Carson and Penny to find their way to each other. I just felt like they needed to find their way together--they seemed to be really good for one another. They complemented each other in ways that were so sweet and romantic. Right before Christmas was a perfect time of year to read a cozy feel good book like this one.The only problem I had and the reason I didn't give a rating of four or five stars was the way in which the deceased wife was villainized, in my opinion, especially by Penny. I lost my mom when I was young, and so I felt this aspect of the book hit close to home for me. Carson's wife died three years ago, and Penny couldn't understand why Carson still had pictures of her up in his house. It seemed appropriate to me, especially because Eloise is only four years old, and she needs to remember that she had a mom who loved her and to know what her mom looked like since she was so young at the time of her mother's death.Penny worried that Carson still loved his wife and was stuck in the past, not wanting to move on with his life. Penny had never been married or had any kids, plus she is pretty young, so she wouldn't understand what it's like to grieve over a spouse. I get that Penny was wondering if she had a chance with Carson and didn't want to fall for him if he wasn't ready to begin dating, but I disagree with the way the author went about this. Carson's daughter didn't even get to know her mother, and Carson, to me, was honoring her mother's memory. I actually felt hurt at times--it just hit a little too close to my own life.I still really enjoyed this read, and I agree with the positive reviews. This was a really sweet book with characters I liked and cared about, and I'm glad I decided to see what all the fuss was about. :)