A Gift to Remember

Christmas books, do you love or hate them? Or are you indifferent? Normally I reserve Christmas books for that oh-so-magical time of the year. However shipping delays have been interesting since life stopped being normal two years ago and my Mom received one of her purchased "Christmas" reads a couple months after the fact...lesson noted, I will be ordering any additional Christmas reads I want, well in advance this year. 

Anyway, I've been passing so many books along to Mama since my coping mechanism is excessive reading, that when she has time to read a book not handing to her by me it's usually one of the more murder mystery genre that is her favorite and my almost never read. However Christmas is a shared passion between us and I whole-heartedly blame her for my Christmas decorating craze every December. 

Thus the last time I visited her this book was thrust into my hands with an "I know its a Christmas one but you'll love it, also I want it back". 

Thus I found myself spending this lovely March weekend curled up with a Christmas novel...Though to me this novel could take place any time of the year and be just as beautiful. 

"A Gift to Remember" by Melissa Hill follows Darcy and Aiden. Darcy is a quiet bookish sort who has the fantastic fortune of surviving in Manhattan while working at an independent bookstore. Darcy loves biking everywhere even in the snow and is most often found curled up with her nose in a book, though she prefers mostly novels and classics and abhors the science fiction that her Aunt's PR firm often represents. 

On an unfortunate morning Darcy bicycles directly into Aiden and spends the next week attempting to help is traumatized brain discover who he is. Through a whirlwind of inquiries that always leave Darcy with more questions then answers followed along by Aiden's trusty dog Bailey she attempts to uncover who this mystery man is and who he belongs to. 

This story was super sweet and definitely had the feel of a modern day fairytale. Was it totally believable? No absolutely not, 1) Google, she could have googled his name 2) This Mel girl that kept calling, she could have redialed the number from the caller ID...why she didn't think of that when she was writing down other numbers, I don't know. Anywho, it was a fun light read and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her unravel the mystery of just who Aiden Harris was.

I always love a book about a bookish person, because more than ever I relate to them. If I thought it was possible to support my family working in a bookshop without massive stress every month, I would in a heartbeat...maybe when I retire. 

I loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, that always seemed to go with the chapter. 

Joshua's character is hysterical. He sounds like such a fun...and exhausting person to be around. 

Also can we just take a minute on Grace's character. That snobby quiet neighbor who turns out to be this incredible woman. Clearly everyone should bring a furry friend everywhere with them because obviously they are the gateway to peoples hearts. I mean being a massive introvert with severe social anxiety I already kind of knew that. Because I won't say good morning to a random person on the street but I will say  hi to their dog while completely ignoring their existence. But it's also a good reminder that we never know what another person is going through and they may be caught up so much in their own problems that they don't have the capacity to even be friendly.

I really loved that Darcy was named from "Pride and Prejudice" and it almost makes me want to attempt that book again. I didn't manage it in middle school and haven't tried since...maybe it's time. 

All in all it was a funny, heartfelt read that I greatly enjoyed. Also this is the first time in awhile I've had something to say about a book without writers block however short it may be.