It’s never too early in the year for a Christmas story! Read on for my thoughts on the latest one by author Melody Carlson, A Christmas in the Alps.
After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.
During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who’s on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone’s family’s clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.
For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.
A Christmas in the Alps provides a story of family history and a search for treasure that leads to unexpected blessings and romance for the heroine, Simone. I enjoyed seeing the family drama play out, especially how generations can have an impact on the choices and heritage of the present.
With a sweet meet-cute and a friendship of happenstance, Simone and Kyle seem to be good for each other and complimentary in their pursuits. I like the way their friendship began with Simone’s fear of flying combining with his calm manner and advice. Though I do think their relationship was a little too insta-developed and lacked depth, even for the short page count of a novella.
I was expecting more sparkling details and looking forward to the Europe-at-Christmas setting a little more than this book fulfilled. It fell a little flat in the festivities, transportive quality, and depth of emotion I had hoped for.
Thank you to the publisher, Revell, for the review copy. This is my honest review.
The Green Mockingbird 