All I Want for Christmas

The magic of the holiday season is captured in Ann Roth's All I want for Christmas. It's an extremely heart-warming and lovely book full of fabulous characters and set on an island in Washington State. What more could a reader ask for than the warm residents of Halo Island. Tina Morrell lost both of her parents at a young age and her beloved Kindergarten teacher GG along with many neighbours have raised her in a loving environment, sent her to college, believed in her ability to someday run her ad agency and loved her to death. Tina is now a very successful advertising exec and up for a promotion at her Seattle firm. However, she has taken a leave to take care of GG who is recuperating from hip surgery. Ryan Chase, left Los Angeles as a successful business man and has taken his captivating five year old daughter Maggie and moved to Halo Island, to give her stability and a home in a wonderful neighbourhood. Ryan's wife died when Maggie was young, his fiancé left them for a "high powered" career and then his nanny also had to leave to help raise her grandson. The loss has affected both Ryan and Maggie. Maggie longs for a woman or mother figure in her life and Ryan wants no part of any sort of relationship, especially a permanent one. Yet when Ryan and Tina meet, his daughter is immediately drawn to Tina and does everything in her power to spend time with her and GG. Maggie longs for a mother and adores Tina......the feeling mutual. Ryan is extremely protective of Maggie and doesn't want her to become attached to Tina. Every step of the way, Ryan fights his attraction and puts up a protective armor. Both Ryan and Tina are attracted to each other immediately and fight their attraction for each other every step of the way. Their journey in finding love and each other will melt your heart. However, the entire story, it's marvellous characters, the warmth I felt while reading this story......well let's just say, it made me believe there "really is a Santa" and reminded me of the miracle of Christmas.

When her adoptive mother needs tender loving care to recover form surgery Tina Morell took time off from her Seattle job though that might cost her a promotion to provide for the beloved woman who raised her. They drive and take the ferry to spend the holidays together on Halo Island. Widower Ryan Chase has left the rat race of the big city to raise his young daughter Maggie as a single father. Although attracted to her, Ryan tries to avoid Tina because he fears once she leaves to go back to Seattle, Maggie will be crushed since he believes she has never recovered fully from losing her mom. Still all Maggie wants for Christmas is a mommy named Tina. This is an entertaining Christmas romance starring a likable lead couple and a precocious perhaps too perfect princess who knows exactly what she wants for the holidays. Readers will enjoy Ryan's attempts at denial and avoidance; Tina's assumption that this is short time as location crimps their relationship; and Maggie forcing the reluctant couple to come together although she needs a Pacific Northwest equivalent of a Miracle on 34th Street. Harriet Klausner