Sandra Burson
Wow, what can I say about Christmas Camp? Karen Schaler is an incredible story teller. From the time I picked up this book, I did not want to put it down. From her carefully crafted characters so real, they feel like your friends, to her outstanding ability for making a setting come to life. Karen Schaler is one talented writer. Haley Hanson the star, plays a beautiful Grinch in this Christmas story. She doesn't believe in Christmas and has not celebrated it in years. She is sent to Christmas Camp for a week, by her boss, to help her find her Christmas spirit. She is determined to get the Tyler Toys account, which could win her a partnership in the company. If it takes going to a Christmas boot camp to do it, she will. Her normal Christmas tradition is to take her parents to the Caribbean for a week during the Christmas season. She would see a client there and work, while her mom and dad enjoyed the sun and sand. There are three other delightful families attending Christmas Camp the same week as Haley. The owner of the camp Ben and his son Jeff, along with Laura the cook, are the other characters. But let's not forget the real star Max, the beautiful and talented golden retriever. The Holly Peak Inn is a charming resort on a picturesque mountainside. Just down the road is a charming little town with everything Christmas. I loved the Christmas Camps vision of helping families to get away, slow down and remember what the main purpose of Christmas is. To maybe start their own family traditions. The activities Ben planned seemed fun and they really got each person involved. On your first day, you were given a list of all the activities and when they would be. You needed to complete them in order to get a certificate at the end of the week. Haley needed the certificate to show to her boss. I had so many favorite parts, I can not list them. Here are a couple quotes that really got to me. “Hey, I'm the restoration guy, remember. I like a challenge.” When he looked into her eyes, she wasn't sure if he was talking about the house...or her. “You know what they say, life is what happens when you're making other plans.” I totally enjoyed this book and plan on passing it on to my daughter and granddaughter. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Early Reviewers at LibraryThing. The opinions expressed in this review are my own
Gaele Hi
Haley is determined to make her mark in advertising, and has restructured her life to get one step closer to her dream. Friends, family and romance are all pushed aside, and the last big thing she thinks will ensure that promotion is on the horizon. If she can land this toy account, she just knows that she’ll get that promotion – but her boss has other ideas for her. He thinks Haley is missing that special something that only an injection of holiday spirit can bring – so he sends her off to Christmas Camp to find her inner Santa spirit. Not something she wanted, but she assumes that she can ‘heads down’ and strategize in order to win the client over, and that she can return to work bringing a new client in and adding partnership to her resume. A reluctant participant, Haley isn’t all that into the ‘activities’ list, and while she finds the owner’s son attractive – she’s got her own game plan that doesn’t include the myriad activities scheduled. Jeff is helping his father, and while it’s apparent that the camp is struggling, what’s not so apparent is that Jeff thinks his father should sell up and enjoy his life without the worry of finances and bookings. But, Haley isn’t an advertising whiz for nothing, and she sees the potential in the place, even if she was dragged, kicking and screaming, into activities. She’s not only got an eye on her own plans, she’s also found a way to help Jeff’s father make a going concern of the camp, much to Jeff’s dismay. Feeling very much like a Hallmark movie, although missing some key world-building and description that would have brought additional imagery into the story, allowing more of a feel for the camp setting. The reluctant celebrant in Haley – and not really feeling as if we have reasons to grab onto why she’s focused only on work, and while she discovers life other than the 9 to 5, there were still some questions and holes in her personality, and in the relationship that just didn’t work for me in the ways I’d hoped. Not a bad story at all, it just didn’t all fit together for me in ways that would make me rave about the story – although I can say that I think it would be an intriguing and entertaining tv movie. A bit of a mixed bag, I know, but with so many other choices out there for ‘finding your joy” holiday stories, this is one that goes on the if I have time pile. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-a4W/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>
