Review: 4.5 Stars - Fun Holiday Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 6, 2013
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review as a part of a book tour from NetGalley.A sweet, second chance romance, featuring two damages souls, a small fatherless boy and the two pets that come into their lives, Christmas At Angel Lake by Edie Ramer, is an engaging tale heavily influenced by the theme of paying it forward. Well developed characters, good dialogue, and plenty of emotional angst, had me turning the pages to see how Ms. Ramer’s characters would resolve their problems and seize their opportunity to find a happy ever after. Set in a small town, with some political machinations taking place during the holidays, Ms. Ramer’s story is the perfect fit for any evening’s entertainment.Single, pregnant and abandoned by her baby’s father, Maddie Barrymore leaves the Windy City to move in with her sister and brother-in-law in Angel Lake, Wisconsin. Trying to avoid hitting a kitten in the road, Maddie finds herself in a ditch and rescued by one of the caretakers of an empty house. Telling herself she’ll only stay in the house for a couple of weeks and during the upcoming holidays, Maddie keeps the kitten, has her baby and gets a job in town. Preparing for the day the real property owner shows up, Maddie saves her money and “pays it forward” by helping others in need.Ms. Ramer does a really good job developing Maddie’s character; while realistic about her situation, she wants to help others and is determined to keep a positive outlook on life. While she’s reluctant to get involved in a relationship with another man, she’s completely devoted to her son. She knows it’s wrong to stay in someone else’s home but prepares for the day she’ll have to move out and sets aside money to pay the real owner for the time she’s been staying in his home. She makes the decision to help others, especially those who find themselves temporarily homeless, and becomes a member of the local community.Successful and handsome, Hollywood director Logan MacLeesh is heartbroken when the woman he loves dumps him for someone else. Determined to leave his old life behind and get back to writing, Logan heads home to the house his grandmother left him. Only the house is isn’t empty and he can’t help being charmed by the woman squatting in his house with her son. Taking a page out of 1001 Nights, Logan makes a deal with Maddie Barrymore – she, her son and their cat can stay with him in the house as long as she tells him a story every night.Ms. Ramer does a good job developing Logan’s character; he’s dark, brooding and used to getting his way. He’s also a little overly dramatic and realizes he’s emotionally a mess – especially since he now realizes his ex is similar to the Disney fantasy villains (think Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty). He sees the lightness of Maddie’s soul and is intrigued by her on more than one level.The scenes between Maddie and Logan are full of emotional give and take, smoldering chemistry and entertaining dialogue. Maddie’s nightly stories, while fairytales, tell both of their stories and help Logan realize what he’s been missing all of his adult life. They also help them establish an emotional connection either one was looking for. While they are obviously attracted to each other, and do eventually act on their attraction, it’s the emotional development that helps each of them heal. Something they’ll both need in order to deal with some of the upcoming events.The secondary characters are also well developed and I especially liked Caroline, Maddie’s friend at work, and Maddie’s older sister. We also get to meet Logan’s ex (who really is like a Disney villain) and some of the not so nice members of the town council. Ms. Ramer does a good job helping both Maddie and Logan learn to stand up for themselves and deal with what they attempt to do.Will Logan realize that Maddie is the woman he’s been searching for all of his life? Will Maddie open her heart to a future with Logan? You’ll have to read Christmas at Angel Lake to find out. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Ms. Ramer’s work.