LitPick Review
Karen Miller hasn’t had the easiest time of things lately. After a relationship didn’t work out as she had planned, nothing was holding her in her current life in Poughkeepsie. Since her eighty-year-old grandfather just recently lost his wife of fifty years, maybe a relocation to live closer to him in Manhattan would be the perfect thing for the both of them. Quitting her job, she moves to Manhattan for a fresh start. Not only would she be able to keep a close eye on her grandfather, but also she has a new job with a computer service company that builds and maintains websites for clients. Between her crazy work hours she puts in on her job, she tries spending as much time as she can with her grandfather.
One night after having dinner with her grandfather, she heads home early because there’s a bad snowstorm happening. While walking on the sidewalk, she slips and falls, taking a pretty bad hit to her head. A kind man nearby offers her assistance and helps her to her feet. In their brief encounter together, sparks seem to fly between them. Knowing that she will probably never see this gentleman named Terry again, she tries forgetting about their encounter altogether. But since it is Christmastime and the time of miracles, a stranger by the name of Niels seems to make his acquaintance at different times with both Karen and Terry. Who is Niels and why did he enter both Karen and Terry’s lives at the precise time he did? Do Karen and Terry ever run into each other again?
Opinion:
In this fourth Christmas novella in Robert Valle’s series, readers are taken on a magical Christmas adventure seen through the eyes of both Karen and Terry. Readers will immediately be pulled into the smooth flowing narrative and feel as if they are another character seeing everything play out before their eyes as the story unfolds for both Karen and Terry.
I’ve read other Christmas stories by Valle and I love how he does his character buildup and how he makes the story unfold at just the right times pulling you deeper into his story. I enjoy that the stories all have a central theme wrapped around Christmas and this one was no exception. When Karen and Terry casually meet each other while Terry was offering her assistance after the nasty fall she took, I felt that magical tingle I always feel, while reading Valle’s stories, spread throughout my body in eager anticipation knowing the author was going to offer me a literary present I was going to unwrap layer by layer as I turned the pages.
Another thing I love about his storytelling is that he makes you feel these are everyday people you could become friends with in real life. They aren’t pretentious in any way and they are easy to fall in love with as their story unfolds. The characters, Karen and Terry, were no exception. Then when Niels, the older gentleman, magically entered both their lives, I knew immediately the warm Christmas magic was brewing up another special connection I couldn’t wait to be a part of.
One last thing I want to mention is that when I read this author’s Christmas stories, I know I’m going to walk away not only feeling good about how the story and the characters developed, but how satisfying each story is when I finish reading it.
Overall, Miss Miller’s Christmas is a story that will warm your heart, while leaving you feeling completely satisfied after reading it. Well done, Mr. Valle!
