Maggie Collins came to the island to recover from the loss of her husband. She owns a toy shop where she can surround herself with the magic that can only come from imagination. But believe as she might in imagination and magic, she doesn't dare hope to find love again. Mark Nolan, however, tempts the woman in her the moment he walks into ther shop. His little niece Holly tugs at her heart. Maggie knows what it's like to lose someone and understands the child.

Christmas time is coming soon. Can the magic of this special holiday help Mark, Maggie, and Holly see that they might just need each other?

As a fan of Ms. Kleypas, I can say that everything I love about her romances can be found here. Her characters are fully realized and endearing and the story is a well crafted blend of romance and heart-touching drama. The length of the book is new for this author but she pulls off the shorter story quite well. The story started slowly as the author set the stage which is something she does well. That being said, I would like to have seen more time spent in developing the relationship between Mark and Maggie because the bond that formed between them was so special. The setting was well developed and the plot not entirely predictable which was a treat. There were moments of pure emotion that had me in tears on more than one occasion. Wrapped around it all, like a glossy red ribbon, was the Christmas holiday. Lisa Kleypas has penned a beautiful story of how love and the holiday spirit touches the lives of three special people. This book should be under the Christmas tree of romance readers everywhere.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Roxanne
November 2, 2010