Review: Perfect holiday romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 16, 2013
JOURNEY OF THE MAGI is a contemporary romance set in a small American town in Minnesota. This upbeat love story is exactly the sort of reading material I look for when I'm craving that warm holiday buzz. I adored the way Dan and Noel were so sweet together, especially the way they speak to one another.The hero, Dan Longstreet, owns a Cheers-style bar/restaurant, which is pretty clearly at the heart of the small community. People go there to socialize, to connect, resulting in a supporting cast of interesting secondary characters who pass through the story as it progresses. The number of secondary characters was more than I like for a story of this length, but I found that the changing faces really fit with the setting.Dan isn't a classically handsome hero, but his eyes are wonderfully described as being soulful and very easy to envision.  His kind and generous nature is remarkable and shown in many ways. It is clear right from the start that the hero is a soft touch as he wanders around grumbling, "I'm done taking in strays."  But he then proceeds to take in the heroine and her two young children out of a snow storm and later a stray dog living in the alley behind his establishment. His giving nature is again demonstrated when he buys the heroine new tires with the money he intended to use for an insurance payment.Noel Martin is a protective mother to her two children: 6-year-old Holly and baby Nicolas. She is a widow of a truck driver who was killed in an accident, leaving his family destitute since he didn't pay his life insurance.  She has decided to take her children across the country to the house her grandparents left her along with the promise that they'll be home for Christmas.  The heroine's marriage was loveless and so she's more than a little starved for affection.  Noel's doubts serve as the source for internal conflict as she tries to balance her attraction to Dan with her promise to her kids. External conflict comes in the form of a tragic event close to the conclusion.All matters of storytelling are deftly handled. If I have a complaint, it's that the heroine's children were too good to be believed.  Since this is a Christmas tale, I shall assume they are tiny angels and move along.Barbara Edwards brings the right blend of humanity and harmony to the table to produce a Christmas tale that is inspiring without being sappy. The theme of "home for the holidays" is spot on in its touching message that home isn't a place but rather being with the people you love.  JOURNEY OF THE MAGI hits all of the right notes for what is a truly wonderful seasonal story of love and sacrifice.