If you read/hear this once, you’ll hear it a hundred times I’m sure...This is like a Christmas edition of Groundhog Day. Except Bill Murray’s got nothing on Maisie!

Maisie’s got quite a bit of drama and angst on her plate as the Christmas holiday comes to an end. I have to admit, I didn’t expect this to go the direction it did and watching it all through Maisie’s point of view was like a wacky sleigh ride over some treacherous hills. I enjoyed her so much as she is a heroine seemingly created from my perfect heroine list. With her quirky ways, a bit scatterbrained when in an awkward position, suffering from unrequited love, and beyond committed to her family both from blood and by choice, she won my heart almost from the very start and burrowed herself deep in there where she’ll reside as one of my top favorite heroines.

Actually, I fell in love with every character in this story. There isn't one of them that didn’t make me smile, laugh, tear up or experience another emotion somewhere along the way. This chaotic group of characters reminded me so much of my own family even as they were experiencing growing pains just as we all do when it’s time for change.

I don’t want to spoiler anything here but I will say that I was engaged from the first page and read this in one sitting. It’s a fast paced book with enough steam to cause my hot cocoa to boil, if I weren’t drinking iced tea. Add a perfect epilogue and I’ve just finished my first seasonal read. Anything following this is going to have some pretty big boots to fill.