READ: Review, Blame it on the Mistletoe by Joyce Magnin
Somehow, Christmastime evokes the best and the worst. You receive that toy you’ve always wanted, but you also get the itchy wool sweater that ends up at the bottom of your dresser drawer. You look forward to Grandma’s famous gingerbread cookies, but Aunt Fannie’s prize macaroni-and-marshmallow salad? Not so much.
Here in Bright’s Pond, Christmas offers the best and worst as well. A Thanksgiving spent with friends—and a Hawaiian-themed feast. The Fountain of Youth—and nursing home residents cavorting like drunken kindergarteners. A long-awaited wedding—and the potential of broken hearts.
When it comes to the elements that make a great story, however, author Joyce Magnin offers up only the best. Once again, she draws readers in via her skillful presentation of awkward-but-endearing characters in situations that seem absurd and realistic all at once.
Blame it on the Mistletoe pulls on some loose threads from earlier Bright’s Pond offerings (Will librarian Griselda get her pilot’s license? Can she choose between longtime beau Zeb and pilot Cliff, the new man in town?). But the twists, turns, and irregular bumps we’ve come to expect from this series find their way into this novel as well, along with an enduring message of love, faith, and the power of community.
Whether you’re shopping for a Christmas gift or seeking sweet relief from the holiday madness, I highly recommend this engaging read. Buy the book. After all, you can always Blame it on the Mistletoe.
