Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is a sweet, gentle love story that is a little different than Lisa Kleypas' other works but absolutely no less appealing. I love the small-town atmosphere of Friday Harbor. It seems like a warm, friendly, peaceful place, and Ms. Kleypas' descriptions of the setting make me want to go there for a visit. Friday Harbor, in some ways, reminds me of Virgin River from Robyn Carr's series of the same name. I think fans of Ms. Carr would like Friday Harbor and vice versa. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor definitely has an emphasis on home and hearth as well as the importance of family and what exactly the word family means. It was such a lovely story, it even made me a little teary once or twice. Anyone who is show more expecting Ms. Kleypas' typical bone-melting love scenes should definitely think again. This book has only one, and it is extremely mild when compared to most of her other works. This didn't really matter to me though, because she created lots of tender romantic moments that made me believe in the slow-building love between Mark and Maggie. The two of them, Holly, and Mark's brothers also gradually meld into a family unit, which is something I think all the Nolan brothers desperately needed after their rocky upbringing and the loss of their only sister.

Mark was a really stand-up guy, who didn't hesitate to step in and raise his sister's child after her tragic death. Even though he initially knew nothing about parenting, he ended up growing into an amazing father who was fully committed to the responsibility of taking care of Holly. He lives with his brother Sam who helps out, but ultimately, Mark sees Holly as his charge. However, she becomes far more than just an obligation to him. He truly loves the little girl every bit as much as if she were his biological child, and is quite protective of her. Mark is a very practical man who's not given to flights of fancy, so when he meets the imaginative and free-spirited Maggie, he isn't quite sure what to make of her at first. It doesn't take long though before he's a goner for her, and once he realizes that Maggie is the woman for him, he won't let her hide away in her grief anymore. Mark was so patient with Maggie, giving her the space she needed and sweetly courting her until she came to terms with the idea of falling in love again.

Maggie suffered through the tragic loss of her husband to cancer, but through all her heartbreak, she has never lost her belief that a little “magic” can brighten anyone's day. In spite of that, she still doesn't quite believe that she can find true love twice in one lifetime. I adore Maggie's toy shop and the friendly manner in which she treats her customers. She is an excellent listener and has a natural affinity for intuitively knowing what each person she meets needs. I love the way that Maggie connected with Holly instantly and in an almost magical way. I think her background with a warm, loving family, which is something Mark never had, made her the perfect person to create a new family with Mark and Holly. However, the pain she went through while watching her husband slowly waste away makes her truly afraid to love again, as she views loving Mark and Holly as twice the risk. I really enjoyed the way that these two gradually snuck into Maggie's life when she least expected it and helped her learn to really live, and love, again.

For such a short novel, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor had some memorable secondary characters. Holly is an adorable little girl who obviously just wants to be loved and have a family. Renfield is a poor ugly dog, who was nonetheless incredibly cute. He too just wants some love and a family to call his own. He added a new dimension to Mark and Maggie's characters, showing even further what big hearts they have. We also get an introduction to Mark's two brothers, Sam and Alex. Sam seems to be the cheery one who is always joking around and full of mischief, while Alex is more serious and brooding as he weathers through a marriage that's falling apart. These two become the heroes of the next two books in the series, Rainshadow Road and Dream Lake respectively. When the story opens, Mark has a girlfriend, Shelby, which is something I had mixed feelings about. Even though Mark describes their relationship as non-exclusive, Shelby seems nice at first glance and it's pretty obvious that she thinks things are headed toward commitment. I have to say that Lisa Kleypas surprised me, and ultimately, did a good with this. Even though Mark considers asking Shelby to marry him at one point, it's clear that he's only doing it for Holly's sake and isn't even certain if he's in love with her. Mark and Shelby definitely don't connect on the deep, passionate level that two people who are thinking of making a lifetime commitment should. Eventually, Ms. Kleypas also draws a strong distinction between Maggie and Shelby that makes Mark's choice crystal clear and made me fully accepting of this part of the story.

Normally, I only read Christmas stories in December, but since I won a copy of Rainshadow Road, the next book in the series, from GoodReads FirstReads, I needed to catch up quickly. It turned out to be just fine, because the story takes place over the course of nearly a year, and the holiday theme doesn't really even come into play until the last couple of chapters. This story was a nice mix of touching moments and just a little humor. When Maggie finally coaxed Holly to speak again, it brought a few tears to my eyes, while the Nolan brother's disastrous attempt at cooking Thanksgiving dinner was hilarious. Overall, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor was a beautiful story that I would highly recommend at Christmastime or any time of the year. The Friday Harbor series is off to a great start for me, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading Sam's book soon. show less

I enjoyed this story set in one of the islands off the coast of Washington. I felt the draw of a community that knows one another. The story revolves around two unmarried brothers rearing their niece. The six-year-old girl, Holly, has not spoken since the death of her mother. But magic enters in the form of Maggie, a young widow and owner of a toyshop. Kleypas presents a story of imagery with a vivid description of the islands and the two brothers. Both brothers cater to man's need of drink. One brother, Sam, owns a vineyard; while the other brother, Mark, owns a coffee-grinding house. The story deals with family, relationships, and unconditional love. The story of the bulldog, Renfield, shows that love is blind and that everyone show more deserves love. This is a compact, but emotional Christmas novella. show less

A sunset, rife with wild and vivid tones of magenta, purple and orange, setting on the horizon while the waves gently lap at the pebbly shore; a salty breeze caresses your cheek, as you savor a cup of rich, steamy coffee and anticipate the blustering chill of Christmas. After reading this book, such scenery floats at random moments into my mind, and I begin to fantasize living in Friday Harbor. As a matter of fact, this book makes me want to pack up everything I own, and drive out to Anacortes, get on that ferry and never look back. Eat lunch at Market Chef, take a stroll along the beach on Orcas island, and make a life as simple as the one Lisa Kleypas so vividly describes in this beautiful book. The truth is, this book accomplishes no show more literary feat, it does not have a very unique plot, and it's a fairly simple read. But in my eyes, its simplicity is its charm - that and the fact that the author is able to take the beautiful location, and pull it into the story, making it part of the plot. Its characters, although in complex situations at times, are simple people, just like the book they are featured in. And the vulnerability, strength, and humanity that these characters display is extremely endearing, and its qualities like these that make you want to read more about them. I am not a very big fan of romantic novels, especially those that may seem devoid of reality, but I liked this one especially because the characters seemed like real people, with real problems. I really enjoyed reading this book, it was like eating your favorite comfort food - you know it's not that great for you, but it warms your soul anyway! Not to mention, the absolutely beautiful and colorful cover makes me smile every time I pass my bookshelf now! :) show less

Set in a small community on San Juan Island in Washington, it’s a story about a little girl, Holly, who lost her mother in a car accident. Mark Nolan’s life changes forever when he discovers his late sister deemed him guardian of her daughter, Holly. Mark is a confirmed bachelor living in a one-bedroom condo and thinks some mistake has been made. Unwilling to let Holly go into foster care, Mark moves into the battered old Victorian his younger brother Sam owns. Mark and Sam slowly rehab the house in order to make it a nice place for Holly, who after the accident has been unable/unwilling to speak. Mark wants to surround Holly with family and love.

Six months after the accident, they enter a new toy store in town and meet Maggie show more Collins. Maggie moved to Friday Harbor and opened up the store as a way to get over her husband’s death from cancer two years ago. Maggie finds a way to reach Holly and like magic, Holly is speaking once again. Mark is drawn to Maggie despite the fact that he is currently dating Shelby. After Holly writes a letter to Santa asking for a new mother, Mark starts thinking that Shelby might make a good mother for Holly. But it’s Maggie that Mark begins to recognize that would make them all a family – even though Maggie doesn’t want to take a chance on love again.

I’m nuts about Christmas and tend to love books set around the season. This book was not an exception. Mark and his brother were hilarious as the single guys forced to “grow up” and provide a home for their niece. The scene when Mark returns early from visiting Shelby felt very real. Of course a young guy would call in help. The scene at Thanksgiving was funny. I could just picture the incident and the looks on Holly and Maggie’s faces. I even enjoyed the glimpse we saw of their other brother, Alex. (I hope we see future novels with Sam and Alex.) I enjoyed Maggie and could understand why she was hesitant to give her hand another try at love. She was so young to become a widow. And I liked that Kleypas didn’t make Shelby into a monster – she just wasn’t ready to share Mark with a child.

My biggest complaint about this books was it’s length. At 211 pages the book was a quick read. I wanted more.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick diversion from shopping, wrapping, decorating, etc. It’s like one of those holiday movies on the Hallmark or Family channel. It’s light but it leaves you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face. 4.5/5 stars. show less

3.5/5

Es una historia muy sencilla, pero eso es precisamente donde reside lo bonito de esta historia romántica, me encanta Kleypas escribiendo novela romántica contemporánea y me parece que en este libro, que es el primero de la serie ha puesto la nota para saber que podemos esperar de esta serie.

Me encanta cuando las historias de este tipo presentan protagonistas tan normalitos, nada de tipos buenorros, ricos y del tipo macho Alfa ni mujeres hermosas, dispuestas a cazar marido o de que luchan con tanta fuerza por su independencia que resultan en mujeres muy espinosas.

Aquí tanto Mark Nolan como Maggie son dos personajes completamente corrientes, podría ser cualquier persona que conozcamos, Mark es un hombre maduro, de clase media, show more que tiene un negocio de venta de granos de café y que ahora tiene que lidiar con la crianza de una sobrina huérfana, mientras que Maggie es una viuda joven que tiene una tienda de juguetes en Friday Harbor.

Su romance, si bien no está exento de tropiezos, se nos presenta como una historia que podría ser la de cualquiera, dos personas que se conocen y que a partir de tratarse terminan por enamorarse, nada de fuegos artificiales ni largas escenas de tensión sexual y tampoco largas y explicitas escenas eróticas, este libro por el contrario demuestra que esto último no se necesita para presentar una buena historia romántica.

Me ha gustado mucho, así que por los siguientes show less

Mark Nolan's responsibility-free bachelor existence is changed forever when his sister is killed in a car accident and he's left the sole guardian of his niece, Holly. When he and Holly wander into Maggie Collins' new toy shop in Friday Harbor, Holly and Maggie quickly bond. As Mark contemplates just what his future will look like with Holly in his life, Maggie must overcome the tragedy in her past that leaves her skittish about letting anyone else in.

This Christmas romance was pretty satisfying. The writing was well-done and all of the characters were believable and well-drawn. My only quibbles are 1) that for a book with Christmas in the title it wasn't quite as Christmassy as I had hoped for and 2) the ending felt very abrupt. I was show more expecting a little bit more character development or another layer of conflict but the novel just suddenly ended. That being said, I'll likely pick up another novel by Kleypas as I enjoyed her writing style. show less

I love Kleypas's books and this was another good one, although in the class of short, sweet Christmas books. Mark is a confirmed bachelor who has just inherited his 6-yr old neice. Maggie has just opened a toy store and is trying to overcome the loss of her husband to cancer. The rest of the story is obvious, but well done. Mark and Maggie are likeable characters. Holly, Mark's neice is adorable without being syrupy. And the small island off the Washington coast where they all live creates an atmosphere of cozy escape.