Christmas on 4th Street by SUSAN MALLERY

Fool's Gold, a town in California, is everything but fool's gold. It's the real thing. Susan Mallery has written about the small town all of us dream about living in at one time in our lives. For sure, it is a town no one wants to leave. I went a bit further. I wanted to own The Christmas Attic. The Christmas Attic is a Christmas store owned by Noelle. This season Noelle will meet a new love. Her first love, Jeremy, betrays her at the time she needs him most. Of course, Gabriel doesn't come with his own set of  sorrows and doubts. He is a son, a brother, a soldier and a doctor. Both he and his brother Gideon have soldiered in Afghanistan and Iraq. Both Gabriel and Gideon have been hurt by their father, but the pain was worse for Gabriel. His father just can't understand Gabriel's choices in life. Mostly because Gabriel's choices don't fit what Norm, his father, would choose for him. 

Oddly, all of these heavy relationships are what make this romance special. I hate romances where there is just kissy, kissy and no deep life issues faced. Susan Mallery's characters are three demensional. The kind of characters you take to bed with you at night. Noelle also has her share of baggage. However, it is far into the book before the author reveals the burden carried by Noelle. By the way, there is plenty of those kissy, kissy moments to make your toes curl with passionate desire.

"Christmas on 4th Street," left me with the wonderful thought that Christmas, the most wonderful holiday of all, can include stresses, and it's possible to still feel the love around us and for us. For me, the many heartaches in the novel are the symbolic of fool's gold. The heartaches aren't the real gold. The real gold is the coming together of the people in the town and the forgiveness of one another and the ability to patiently wait for the special and true love to come along. Even the mayor gets involved in the festivites. Her name is Mayor Marsha. I think the whole town knows the mayor personally. It's such a kind town.

I especially loved the snow all through the romance. I loved the kittens and two mother cats found by Noelle and Gabriel while they were trapped in the snow storm. In this romance even the lost, scattered and cold pets find people who love them and want to fulfill all their needs and desires. 

It is truly a wonderful Christmas story for any time of the year. I will definitely head back to Fool's Gold for another romance. susanmallery

 

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