Liviania’s review of Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer
Contemporary Holiday Romance published by Ballantine 15 Oct 2019
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which hopefully means finding a few moments to curl up with a cozy book between making sure all the presents are bought and pies are baked and suitcases are packed. Let It Snow is quite cozy indeed. It has Christmas sweaters, friends working together to help each other, carols, an adorable little girl, and a grinchy old man who needs to learn the true meaning of community. That old man is a big problem, because he’s the landlord of Christina Antonioni’s toy shop and raising her rent too high for her to stay in business. He’s also the father of her new boyfriend.
Christina is a very likable heroine. She’s knowledgeable about what she does, but not a workaholic. She’s got a spine. She understands the importance of work-life balance and that a terrible in-law would eventually sour any relationship. She’s charmed by a little girl, Wink, who tries to shoplift from her, and listens to the girl and helps give her the support she needs instead of being punitive. That’s how she draws the eye of the girl’s uncle, Andy.
Andy does work in the family business and eventually plans to take over from his father, Oscar (an aptly named grouch). It’s easy to see he had a cold upbringing, but he’s a warm man anyway. There are very few obstacles to Christina and Andy’s romance, but fortunately Let It Snow is closer to novella length and the story doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s a simple story and Nancy Thayer doesn’t complicate it too much.
The bulk of the book is spent on Christina and her fellow Shedders (the other shopkeepers leasing from Oscar) working to change his mind about the rent increase. Some of their ideas are quite corny, but I’m willing to go with it in a sweet Christmas novel. A little cheese is exactly what I want to get in that cocoa and fireplace mood, even if it is 80 degrees outside and I’m running the air conditioner.
Since Let It Snow is so short, I don’t think it is a must-buy in hardcover format. But it’s certainly worth picking up from the library for a little Christmas cheer. It’s short, sweet, and won’t distract you from everything you need to get done for too long.
Grade: B
Summary:
A Nantucket shopkeeper discovers that Christmas is the perfect occasion to make unexpected friendships . . . to warm the coldest of hearts—and maybe even find love.Christina Antonioni is preparing for the holidays at her Nantucket toy shop, unpacking last-minute shipments and decorating for her loyal Christmas shoppers. But when her Scrooge of a landlord, Oscar Bittlesman, raises her rent, it seems nearly impossible for Christina to continue business on the wharf.
Even so, Christina hopes there is a warm heart underneath Oscar’s steely exterior. When she bonds with Wink, his sweet, young granddaughter who frequents the shop, it becomes clear that perhaps he isn’t so cold after all. And with the help of Wink’s uncle, who happens to be a charming and very handsome bachelor, this may be the best Christmas any of them could have ever imagined. Nancy Thayer’s enchanting Nantucket setting provides the perfect backdrop for this holiday love story.
Read an excerpt here.
