The Perfect Gift
(a novella)
by Dani-Lyn Alexander
Release Date: November 17, 2014
It’s the season of second chances in this heartwarming, contemporary holiday romance where two single parents find each other—and another chance at love—in the most unexpected of places. ’Tis the night before Christmas…and businessman and single father Jason is scrambling to find the dollhouse of the season for his seven-year-old daughter Emily. But when he finally strikes gold at an obscure toy store, he’s met with resistance—literally, as from the aisle across from him a beautiful woman named Leah is grabbing onto the dollhouse box with similar intent, determined to get the same Christmas present for her own daughter. Desperate not to let the other win, Jason and Leah forge a pact: stay together until they find the same dollhouse at a different toy store. It sounds simple, but ten stores and many hours later, they still come up empty. They might not be finding another dollhouse, but they sure are finding a lot to talk about and, as their mutual attraction grows, the unlikely pair finds the greatest holiday gift of all—love.
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Review: 4 Stars
This
Christmas Novella was really cute. If you’re looking for a really short read
that is fun and light, you’ll find it here. It’s really adorable.
Single
parents, Jason and Leah are both determined to get the same gift for each of
their 7 year old daughters for Christmas. Unfortunately, there is only one left
and they are stuck in a tug of war (literally and figuratively) for the toy.
When they first meet, despite their animosity, they have a spark that quickly
becomes a very strong attraction. They strike a deal and set off on a hunt for
another toy. Along the way, they learn about each other, their attraction
continues to grow, and they find themselves loathe for the time when they find
the treasure and have to part.
As
I said, it’s a very cute novella. That being said, it’s also very cliché. I
have no problem with “insta-love” in a story. The novella is even a little
short for that concept, but I feel like she made it work for the most part.
What bothered me the most was the constant proof that each of them was a good
person, and a good parent, and a good….etc. The author painted them to be a
little too perfect. I could easily see this becoming a Hallmark movie. And,
while that’s not a bad thing per say, Hallmark movies are often too sugary and
sappy. Unfortunately, that’s where this novella fell for me.
However,
like those sappy, happy movies, this book left me with the warm fuzzies. It’s a
short and sweet, make you smile, kind of story. Honestly, I think this novella
would have been better off as a full length novel. With a little more time spent on animosity,
then a longer build up to realizing that they have the makings for a great
relationship, etc…this could make for a slightly more believable, and less
cliché. But, overall, I enjoyed it and the warm fuzzies always bump my rating.
I’d give it a 3.5, but it’s worth rounding up.
Dani-Lyn Alexander Bio: Dani-Lyn Alexander lives on Long Island with her husband, three kids and three dogs. She loves spending time with her family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In her spare time, which is rare, she enjoys reading and shopping—especially in book stores. Some of her favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. She’s an incurable insomniac and has an addiction to chocolate.
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havent read reluctant prince
ReplyDeleteloved today's post. the review definitely swayed me towards reading this book from a new author i was introduced to in this post
Thank you so much for sharing the release of The Perfect Gift and for such a lovely review! I'm very happy you enjoyed the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting
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