Buttons Mom2003
Classic Debbie Macomber, sweet with an HEA. Fans of Debbie Macomber's sweet Christmas stories will not be disappointed by Alaskan Holiday. I've read many of her books over the years and her recent stories seem to be bucking the trend towards more and more explicit sex and language. In my opinion her earlier works were at lot more on the spicy side. While my tastes these days lend towards the spicier reads I don't mind a sweeter one now and then. Don't look for any on-page, or even off-page, sexy time in this book – there is none – at all, not even a hint of it. It is still a pretty good story, though. The blurb really tells you everything about the story, I don't think I can add one thing. It was a pretty quick read for me, especially for it being 256 pages long. The characters in the story are nice and I especially liked Jack, who is a friend of Palmer's. I also enjoyed reading about Alaska and the Seattle areas as I had the pleasure of visiting those two places last May. One thing that caught my attention is that the scenes from Seattle do nothing to convey how large that city it. The references to the hotel where Jack and Palmer stay, and the tourist areas they visit, make it sound like everything is very close together. There is also no mention of the sky-high price of hotel rooms in the city or the incredible hills in the downtown area that must be navigated to get from place to place. A quick mention of either thing would have increased the realism factor for me a bit. While this isn't a book that I ever see myself reading again, I'm still giving it 4 stars because the writing was good and flowed a lot more smoothly than the last book I read of hers, Cottage by the Sea. A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book. ***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on 10/2/18)
2 people found this review helpful
Sue Galuska
Josie Avery decides to take a summer job in Alaska while she waits for the start of her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants. While in Alaska, Josie enjoys the slowed down way of life there, but she especially loves enjoying spending time with Palmer Saxon, and his crotchety friend Jack Corcoran. Josie could really see herself married to someone like Palmer but after how hard she has worked to become a chef, she can't just give up that dream to stay in Alaska forever since there is no way Palmer would ever leave. Plus Josie can't leave her mom who is back in Seattle, since it has been only the two of them for a long time. When the fall season finally arrives, Josie is heartbroken to leave, but she knows that she has to. Palmer is just as heartbroken. He wants her to stay but realizes that he must let her go. Josie was planning on catching the very last ferry of the season out of Ponder, Alaska but ends up missing it. Palmer does what any guy in love would do....he helps her find a way out of Ponder, even though it breaks his heart. When Josie gets back to Seattle, she realizes that her dream may not be what she really wants. She also starts to realize a few things about her mom, her job and mostly Palmer. When Christmas time makes a little holiday magic, Josie must take a huge leap of faith to find her happy ending. I loved this story! These characters were so fun. Josie was determined to achieve her dreams, she just didn't realize what those dreams really were. Palmer was such a sweet and caring man and he certainly deserved to have someone wonderful love him. Now onto Jack....he was so funny! I'd laugh out loud every time he was in the story! I was so glad he even got his happy ending too!
2 people found this review helpful
Bette Hansen
This is an enjoyable sweet read that is perfect for the holiday season. It's a short quick read and easy to fit in and relax to during this hectic time of year. Palmer, Josie, and and most definitely Jack will leave you with a smile. Josie has spent the last six months working in Alaska and spending a lot of her time with Palmer Saxon. If things were different she could definitely fall for Palmer but she has her dream job waiting for her in Seattle and Palmer would never leave Alaska to live in the city. Sometimes though what you think you want isn't really what will make you happy. I would recommend this one.
1 person found this review helpful