Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that’s exactly what she’s getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix–in the dead of winter, no less–the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride–and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.
‘Tis the season for Christmas books, and Melody Carlson is back with another heart-warming holiday story.
Joy and Miranda may seem like an unlikely pair to trek across the country together in a decked-out RV, but it really does work. You see, both ladies are in a season of transition. Eighty-five-year-old widow Joy is selling her home and moving from Chicago to Phoenix to live closer to her boys. Miranda is facing foreclosure after a brutal divorce and unemployment have left her with no other options. Sometimes, it just takes a kindred spirit to make change more palatable. Or sometimes… just some Christmas Joy.
The characters are pretty well developed for a novella, though no one really leapt out and settled into my heart until nearly the very end. The storyline is cute and sweet and would make a great Hallmark movie!! I could definitely see the scenes playing out in my head as I was reading. Even a tiny hint of romance comes into play for people like me who crave that sort of thing in the books we read. (Pepper Basham, if you are reading this, it’s totally appropriate for your daughter to read even at her young age 😉 LOL)
Bottom Line: Simple and sweet, this Christmas story will engage anyone who has the Hallmark Christmas movie schedule downloaded and DVR’d immediately after Halloween. With characters you will want to meet and a plot that reminds us all that this is a season of giving, The Christmas Joy Ride is sure to become a holiday favorite. The beautiful hardcover only adds to its appeal.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
About the Author:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than two hundred books with combined sales of more than six million. She is the author of the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, Christmas at Harrington’s, and The Christmas Cat. She’s received a Romantic Times career achievement award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com
Which one…the Song of Solomon aged one or the younger one 😉
I think both would be ok on this one lol