A cruise ship is the setting for this varied group of characters. Catherine is trying to cope with widowhood while facing a health crisis. Dr Nichols is trying to forget his short failed marriage to his second wife who he married after his first wife died of cancer. His daughter, along for the cruise, is going to make sure he doesn’t make that mistake again. Sophie, a hypochondriac, is sure a much older doctor is just what she needs, but a young businessman who owns his own chocolate company is sure he has the cure for what ails her - all kinds of chocolate. It’s a cute romance, with problems that eventually get sorted out, as the characters deal with the people in their lives who mean the world to them. They just have to realize that, and what to do about it. Well written and entertaining. ( )

I tried hard to read this, but kept having to cringe. If this is what a cruise is like, and these are the sort of people you meet, I'm not going! ( )

As the book begins, eight characters are going through Big Life Things, and they all decide to go on a holiday cruise vacation just before Christmas. They all meet and get to know one another while on their trip, and end up forming close friendships. There are two romance threads that run through the story, nice and light and heartwarming, but I'm not sure that I would call this one a contemporary romance, really. I think it's really nice that these characters learn that they can all lean on one another both during the trip and after, in their real lives.

For a portion of the story, I thought I might rate this one lower because a couple of the characters seem to be so negative when compared with the others, but this really has everything to do with their life circumstances. These same characters developed quite nicely across the entire story, especially as the story neared the end. I love the way everything resolved for everyone involved. The end was the most Christmas-y part of the story.

Thank you to Harlequin MIRA for giving me a free digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! ( )

A river cruise on the Rhine provides the setting for this Christmas novel, "One Charmed Christmas". The beginning of the story reminded me of the opening scenes of a film, in which the characters are introduced through little vignettes about each of them. I could picture the movie in my mind as I read it! Once I got the characters straight in my mind, the story seemed to develop fairly quickly. The author obviously has enjoyed a cruise or two (or did a good job with research), as the information seemed fairly accurate in my experiences.

The main characters set sail with their own emotional baggage: loneliness, marital and family problems, hypochondria, health problems. However, let readers think this novel is a downer, on the contrary, many moments of humor and fun accompany the passengers on their journey. There are romance elements and entanglements, as well as quirky characters and the surprises that accompany a holiday cruise. The novel contains mild profanity.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )