Let it Snow by Leslie Kelly and Jennifer LaBrecque
Contemporary Romance (except for the alien prince part)
Released: November 13, 2012
Harlequin

Reviewed by May

I wanted to love this book going in – in fact I was expecting to! Unfortunately, whether I look at these stories individually or together, I can’t recommend this book. Neither story captured my fancy, and if it is wonderful Christmas inspired romance you want, you won’t find it here. The key problem I believe, is that the stories are forced to be so short yet so full of things to deal with that they can’t be exceptionally satisfying.

The Prince who Stole Christmas by Leslie Kelly

Once upon a time in Manhattan a young woman invested everything she had in a bakery. She worked hard, as she had her entire life. Her gambler of a brother is in trouble again though, and this time if she helps him it will mean giving up her dreams and her bakery… but little does she know an out of this world prince is in town, and might be just what Santa ordered.

The heroine does her brother no favors by being such a martyr who always bails him out. Add to this a prince from another planet that comes to Earth to find a bride? It was just all too much for me, especially when I thought I was picking up a contemporary pair of Christmas novellas.

Grade: Did not finish

 My True Love Gave to Me… by Jennifer LaBrecque

Trudie and Knox have been friends since childhood, they’ve been through it all, and nothing could separate them. That is, until Knox’s grandmother dies and his current girlfriend encourages him to cut off all communication with Trudie.

Fast forward nearly two years, at a Christmas festival where the two meet up once again and sparks fly.

I absolutely loved the Alaskan setting and idea behind this novel. Unfortunately it didn’t work out. I found the characters to flip-flop emotions and ideas way too much, and because of the short length of the story and that they are already best friends there wasn’t much to latch onto here. We are shorted on festive details because there isn’t space. Trudie changes her mind with the turn of a page (because there is no time for her to do otherwise), and I never really warmed up to Knox.

I adore the idea of a couple exchanging gifts and having a twelve days of Christmas, I liked the set up that these two are friends seeing each other for the first time in more than a year. I loved the setting of Alaska and Jessup, Knox’s dog. The execution just didn’t work.

Grade: D

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