A Cliche' Christmas

Title: A Cliche' Christmas

Series: Love in Lenox #1

Author: Nicole Deese

Narrator: Amy Rubinate

Publisher: Brillance Audio

Genre: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Source: Scribd

My Review:

I adore reading Nicole Deese's novels, and this story did not disappoint. Although, it was not quite what I was expecting. 

 I was expecting this to be a very light, fluffy read. It wasn't. One thing I think needs to be mentioned right off the bat is that a little girl in the story has cancer. While it is not the main story line, it is closely threaded in, so this is not a completely light read. I found the scenes heartbreaking as I had a cousin who had cancer when we were children. Plus, I love kids, and it hurts my heart when they go through stuff like this.

That being said, I did enjoy the story. I liked Georgia, although she got on my nerves a few times toward the end. I also adored Weston's character and was glad he was not the cad that Georgia thought he was. Their banter was great and had me chuckling at times. I appreciated the character growth in Georgia as the story progressed and how she went for a new dream. 

This story has threads of forgiveness, moving forward, letting go of the past, and hope woven throughout it. It was another novella that did a wonderful job with the story line, character development, as well as wrapping things up nicely, so it doesn't feel too short or underdeveloped.  Fans of Denise Hunter, Beth Vogt, and Karen Kingsbury will enjoy this one as well. 

★★★/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

2014 American Christian Fiction Writers' Genesis Award Finalist

Writing happy endings is easy. Living one is the hard part.

Georgia Cole—known in Hollywood as the “Holiday Goddess”—has made a name for herself writing heartwarming screenplays chock-full of Christmas clichés, but she has yet to experience the true magic of the season. So, when her eccentric grandmother volunteers her to direct a pageant at Georgia’s hometown community theater, she is less than thrilled. To make matters worse, she’ll be working alongside Weston James, her childhood crush and the one man she has tried desperately to forget.

Now, facing memories of a lonely childhood and the humiliation of her last onstage performance, seven years earlier, Georgia is on the verge of a complete mistletoe meltdown. As Weston attempts to thaw the frozen walls around her heart, Georgia endeavors to let go of her fears and give love a second chance. If she does, will she finally believe that Christmas can be more than a cliché?