By Mary Kay Andrews
Harper Collins
Publication date: October 24, 2006
ISBN: 978-0061146015
It's Christmas time, so I've been in the mood for good ol' fashioned Christmas-y books. I saw an ad on the Harper Collins website for Blue Christmas, originally out in 2006, and thought to give it a try. I haven't read anything else by Mary Kay Andrews, but I know the name. And name recognition is half the battle, right?
Antique shop owner Weezie Foley loves the holidays, so much so that she's determined to win Savannah's historic district's annual decorating contest. Competition arises, however, from the competing store across the street - a trendy antiques store that's pulling out all the stops, including fake snow and a choir. But as Weezie puts the final touches on her display, things start going wrong. Pieces of her display go missing. Food is stolen from her house. Her dog runs away and then is mysteriously found inside her truck. But with all that, good spirited Weezie still wants to make the most of the holidays and perhaps get her moody Christmas-hating boyfriend, Daniel, to stop being sour and possibly propose.
The book features characters from Andrews' other books, Savannah Breeze and Savannah Blues. I haven't read them, and thankfully that doesn't get in the way of enjoying the book. I am interested in following up with Savannah Breeze, though, because it follows Bebe's story, Weezie's best friend. And Bebe ended up being my favorite character. I like strong female characters who don't mind spilling coffee to get their way.
The book is full-on cheesy, but in a fun way. It's a book moms and grandmothers will adore because it's full of charm and adorableness. Did I like it? Sure, it was an easy, cute read that did, in fact, get me into the Christmas spirit. The story is simple and completely predictable, but that's nice around the holidays, right?
Two things that got to me, though: first, Andrews has four gay characters. That's awesome - I'm all for more gay characters in literature. I applaud her for doing that. However, every time one is mentioned, it's repeated that they're gay. It's as if it's required - if we say Manny, we must say the gay competition across the street! We get it, we don't need to be reminded. Also, at one point, a young child is playing a Game Boy. Now, I'm pretty sure the book takes place in the 2000s. Most children have no clue what a Game Boy is, nor would they ever want to play one.
Minor complaints aside, it's a fun book that you'll finish in about a day. While called Blue Christmas, the book is anything but that. It's full of life, and brings the historic streets of Savannah to life.
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