Book of the Week #71 "Wrapped in Red"

Wrapped in Red

by Meghan M. Gorecki

Merry Grainger has a tough time dealing with the holidays. Five years ago, her grandfather passed away at Christmastime, just a week after her boyfriend dumped her on the eve of her birthday. Sam Shepard doesn’t much enjoy the holidays, either, his mother having passed several Decembers ago, causing him to become estranged from his family. When Merry gets caught in a snowstorm on the way home for Thanksgiving and a smug snowman comes to her rescue, the two think it will be the last time they ever see each other. Yet with the church’s Christmas play right around the corner, Merry’s meddlesome family has different ideas.

This was a sweet novella. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary romance, but I’m okay with it from time to time. I like that this wasn’t strictly about romance. It had lots of family elements, but also dealt with how hard the holidays can be. Sometimes I don’t think that’s portrayed enough in fiction; Christmas novels tend to be all about romance or all about the joyous side of Christmas. But for so many people, Christmas can be depressing, reminding us of loved ones we’ve lost, or painful memories that took place during the holidays, and this book deals with that. But it reminds us that there is always hope, because of Jesus, the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

Even though Wrapped in Red dealt with the harder side of the holidays, it still gave us a nice look at the happier side, too. From spending time with loved ones, to being outside in the snow, all the decorations and movies, and the food (!!); we still get those cozy touches of the holidays.

All in all, Wrapped in Red was a nice novella that fans of cozy Christmas stories will enjoy.

I give this book a 4 out of 5.