Monday, December 27, 2010

Book Review: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: A Novella
by Donita K. Paul
Copyright 2010
WaterBrook Press
240 pages
ISBN: 0307458997
Fiction
 
From the Publisher:
 
In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad's (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick and the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.
 
Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they've decided to bring together.
This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers' best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?
 
My Review:
This book was a perfect holiday read with a light-hearted plot filled with family, romance and a little bit of magic.  Once I started this book, I was immediately transported into the magical setting and before I knew it, I had finished the book with a warm heart and a smile of my face.
 
The plot of this book is a mix of a Hallmark movie, Harry Potter and a Christian romance.  I loved the "magical" elements that kept happening through the story, such as the street appearing/disappearing, the ticket that was meant for Cora, the sisters and their dress shop and of course, the Wizard Ball.  The only downside was that issues within Cora's family were mentioned many times, but there was no resolution to them.  I guess that the reader is just supposed to be get wrapped up in the magic of the story and the fairy-tale-ending, but I felt like I was left hanging by not finding out that Cora's family resolved their problems.
 
I'm a complete sucker for a happy ending and this novella did not disappoint.  I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for a sweet, feel-good book, especially when Christmas rolls around. 
 
Many thanks to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book to review!  Sara's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

1 comment:

Tales of Whimsy said...

This was a fun book :) I'm such a sucker for Christmas stories.