Review: Witty, humorous and full of fun
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2014
3 short stories about Diz and Clarissa spread across 3 Christmas’s“Nevermore” finds the pair at the Christmas party after working together for 2 years ‘in the basement’ at Clarissa’s family. Diz, gawky, geeky, Rachel Maddow lookalike, dreams of the fabulous, upmarket and “almost engaged” Clarissa. She promptly gets drunk and disorderly, and finds herself being ministered to by her dreamy guardian angel..A year later in “A Christmas Tree Grows in Baltimore’ Clarissa has moved to the 9th floor and hey have spent the year stuck in amber. It’s the day after the Christmas party and Clarissa is coming over for a late supper, except a Baltimore snowstorm has other ideas. Simply Red, tossing the Christmas tree and pink lights add up to a wondrous night for Diz.Blended Families jumps forwards another year and Diz is freaked out by Clarissa’s determination to have a Christmas party and invite both families. After several run-ins with the law and a husky, including one which has put Clarissa’s mothers prize whippet into therapy, Diz thinks the party will seal the end of their fragile romance. Little does she know quite how chaotic it can get.----------------Three brilliant short stories that take us from the first dawnings of a relationship through to “Meet the parents” on double vegan egg-nog. Diz and Clarissa are wonderful characters; chalk and cheese - ditzy geek who has no idea how attractive she is and long-suffering rich girl who knows just what she wants.Ann McMan has given us a charming Christmas delight. Witty, humorous and full of fun. Fast paced and full of non-stop rollicks - I couldn’t put it down. Anyone who likes some Christmas cheer will love this, and lets hope for more Diz and Clarissa adventures in the future.