Today's Christmas book is Debbie Macomber's Twelve Days of Christmas. I really enjoyed this book. It works on the premise of killing someone with kindness. It's difficult to do in real life, but worth it.
Julia is working for Macy's this Christmas season, but she's trying to get a job at a software company working in social media. The challenge for Julia and the other person vying for the position is to have a blog that has the most followers. Julia's blog isn't getting many followers at all. When her neighbor steals her newspaper, she calls her best friend in a tizzy. Cammie suggests that Julia kill her neighbor with kindness this Christmas season, and blog about the process. It's a great suggestion, even though Julia fights it, and it is gaurenteed to be something that people want to read! I'd want to read it!
So Julia starts to work on Cain Maddox, her neighbor. On the first day, she brings him his newspaper. He doesn't really appreciate it. On the second day, she attempts to buy him coffee. He doesn't like that either. But Julia persists. When they both end up at a concert at a local senior home--Julia because she's playing piano for the singing group and Cain because his grandfather lives there--Cain accuses her of stalking him and Julia nearly gives up. After wavering, her resolve tightens.
Cain has his reasons to be a bit Ebeneezer Scrooge-like, I will admit. I'll be the first to tell you how much childhood trauma and losing people can effect your mood and you're relationship with holidays. But as he starts to open up to Julia, you see a really sweet relationship develop. He also has a great relationship with his grandfather, although we mainly see Bernie through Julia's connections with him.
When the truth comes out about Julia's blog, Cain is hurt, and for good reason. No one likes to know that someone has been using them, even if it was well meant. By the time he finds out, both Julia and Cain have started to fall for one another. Will their budding relationship survive?
I liked this book a lot more than I expected to. I'm a bit cynical and I have a hard time believing that someone can change someone in just a few days, but I try and hold back on that around Christmas. This book was funny and sweet, and had just the right balance of all of the elements. Also, it wasn't a religious meaning of Christmas book. It was much more of a do something nice for your neighbor kind of feeling, but set at Christmas. I also loved it because it was quick to read!
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