Release Date: September 9, 2011
When Kyle destroys a snowman while doing research for his new book, he doesn’t realize it was meant to be a feature on Lexi’s lifestyle show. The two build a friendship, but can two people with a lot of baggage make a connection that lasts?
The challenge of the novella is to introduce the reader to the characters and settings without the feeling that the author has shortchanged the reader in the shorter format. The cast of characters might be smaller and the plot twists abbreviated. If a novella is too complex, readers will wonder why the author didn’t write that idea as a full-length story. I must admit, I don’t understand why [easyazon_link identifier=”B005ME39HU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Bah, Humbug! (A Christmas Street Romantic Comedy Novella)[/easyazon_link] was not written as novel length. The number of characters and information dump that readers get early on could result in a closed book for some readers.
The main characters are likable enough though maybe both are a bit awesome. Kyle is a famous author while. Lexi is trying to be the next Martha Stewart. Lexi is appropriately a bit tightly wound. She’s a mom with kids and we’re told that she’s hesitant to dive in again. I’m sure Dr. Phil would be the first to chastise her for how quickly she moves with the male lead. While the kind of speed with which the relationship develops is frequent for the genre, it’s not really set up in any believable way. In a 100-page novella, there’s simply no time to build a connection. If you’re engaged within a week, no one is going to believe that you’re cautious and guarding your heart. I’m also not eating that chocolate I have in the pantry … not until I do.
Once again, there was a love built of snap-together parts and a “good” woman meeting a “good” man. ”Bah Humbug” would have really made a great full-length story with properly developed characters and expanded plot. There was an evident charm to Horrocks’s writing style that makes me think her full-length novels are probably charming and filled with perfectly nice characters making each other very happy. Readers of clean romance may find [easyazon_link identifier=”B005ME39HU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Bah, Humbug! (A Christmas Street Romantic Comedy Novella)[/easyazon_link] appealing. I am not a reader that needs sex in a romance novel, which is a good thing as I’m not sure the characters ever even kissed.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B005ME39HU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Bah, Humbug! (A Christmas Street Romantic Comedy Novella)[/easyazon_link] is a novella that gives a reader a glimpse of the possible. It is a free novella on Amazon so if you’d like a glimpse of Horrocks’s style in a very quick-to-read package, pick [easyazon_link identifier=”B005ME39HU” locale=”US” tag=”rabidreaders-20″]Bah, Humbug! (A Christmas Street Romantic Comedy Novella)[/easyazon_link] up today.Read an excerpt and download Bah, Humbug! by Heather Horrocks for free on:
Amazon U.S. • Amazon U.K. • Amazon Canada
For more information about Heather Horrocks, visit her website. You can connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter @HeatherHorrocks.