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Title: The Christmas That Changed Everything (36 Hours)
ISBN: 0373484127
Author:
Mary Lynn Baxter
Marilyn Pappano
Christine Flynn
Publicate Date: 2000-11-01
Publish: 2000-11-01
List Price: $6.50
Average Customer Rating: 3.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $1.44
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.01
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Cute stories to inspire the Christmas spirit!
I hadn't realized until the end that the three stories are loosely interconnected in that they are set in the same 36 hour time frame, in the same Colorado town, during the same storm.
The first and last story follow the same trite recipe: a young pregnant woman, abandoned by the baby's father, is involved in some sort of accident and is then cared for by a man she previously considered to be just a friend. Mary Lynn Baxter's notes state that the caring for a pregnant woman, a birth, and an adoption by a kind man who is not the baby's father, are significant in drawing attention to the real reason we celebrate Christmas. When these stories are read with that mindset and seen from that perspective, they take on a deeper meaning than what's presented on the surface, and that's how I chose to enjoy them. I also appreciated the respectful and kind dialogue between the characters, which is a welcome break from the hostile and tense interactions often found in romance novels.
The middle story in the collection is about the reconciliation of a married couple torn apart by secrets of the woman's past. It is tenderly written and emotionally engaging, and my favorite of the three stories. I especially appreciate how it brings to light the importance of open and honest communication in relationships. However, as a health professional, it bothered me that Rebecca was told that because she had endometriosis, she couldn't have children. This book was written in 2000, when there are many effective treatments for both endometriosis and infertility, and a woman doesn't need to accept this poor prognosis and have it destroy her self-esteem and her relationship. Her husband is a doctor and should be well aware of other options too.
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2: One very good story carries the collection
From the back cover:
Days before Christmas, a storm sweeps a small Colorado town... Shocking secrets are revealed. Couples are united. Families and futures are made.
This exciting collection has it all--in three brand-new stories by three beloved authors!
"A Pregnant Pause"
A wealthy rancher delivers the baby of the vulnerable beauty he has always loved, in a captivating story by Mary Lynn Baxter.
"Holiday Reunion"
A doctor husband comes to the rescue of his estranged wife--and discovers the secrets that once tore his bride from his loving arms, in an emotional story by Marilyn Pappano.
"Christmas Bonus"
A sexy CEO pursues his single-and-pregnant secretary all the way to the altar when he learns she is in need of his passionate protection, in an entralling story by Christine Flynn.
Let this romance-filled collection change your life this Christmas!
And my review:
While this book was part of the "36 Hours" miniseries, each of these stories could stand perfectly well on there own. I have not read any of the other books in the miniseries, and I wasn't at all "lost" when reading this novellas.
Mary Lynn Baxter's story started out well, then seemed to fizzle out to nothing. The plot quickly went from compelling to cliched. The baby felt like nothing more than a flat plot device. The author didn't even spend a single sentence describing what the baby looked like! I couldn't feel why the characters should fall in love with each other. The "spark" you need in a romance was not there. I kept waiting for it to pick up again, but it didn't. Three stars.
Marilyn Pappano's story was my favorite in this book. (Maybe the fact this it was the longest one in the collection had something to do with it.) I love stories of estranged spouses reconciling, and this one was very well done. The reasons they were apart were compelling, not stupid misunderstandings like you so often find with romances. And when the heroine realizes how true her husband's love is, it was so touching that I got tears in my eyes. This one will be re-read in the years to come! Five stars.
Christine Flynn's story was just okay. It was a marriage of convenience story, which I enjoy, but it was not a stand-out. From the back cover description, I thought that there was actually something that the hero needed to protect her from. But apart from the struggle of single-motherhood, there was no danger to her, which was a bit of a let-down. I found that there miscommunications got kind of annoying after a while. (Hint: if you're marrying someone, even if it's not in the conventional sense, make sure you sort out the major issues, like say, sex!) This story was marginally better than the first one in the book, but not worth a re-read. Four stars.
As usual, one really good story in an anthology is right on par. Marilyn Pappano's was good enough to warrant the price of the book, in my humble opinion. The rest was pretty much padding - okay for a one-time read, but nothing special.
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3: Good, light read
I enjoy reading anthologies whenever I want a quick, light read. You really can't expect too much since the stories are so short , the romance does seem rushed and the characters don't develop like they would in a full length novel. However I did like this book. I enjoyed all the stories. I loved the holiday theme and the way the stories all interconnected. The first story especially seemed to have a rushed ending. The conflict and resolution happily ever after happened within a page pratically!Read this book if you want a quick, sweet read. Otherwise you might want to try a full length romance.
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