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After trying to make it on her own, Addie has returned home to Tacoma for the holidays, but this time she plans to stay for good, enrolling in the local community college to earn her degree. What she doesn’t plan to do is run into Erich Simmons.
Addie and her next-door neighbor, Erich, are like night and day. Growing up, he was popular and outgoing while she was rebellious and headstrong, and he never missed an opportunity to tease her. Now she intends to avoid him entirely, yet when they’re suddenly forced to spend Christmas together, Addie braces for trouble.
Perhaps it’s the spirit of the season or the magic of mistletoe, but Addie and Erich soon find they have more in common than they thought—and that two people who seem so wrong for each other may actually be just right. With a little prompting from a certain angelic teacher, the two are in for a holiday miracle they’ll never forget.
From the Hardcover edition.
The years went on and the rejection letters piled up. Her family was living on a shoestring budget, and Debbie was beginning to think that her dreams of being a novelist might never be fulfilled. She began writing for magazines to earn some extra money, and she eventually saved up enough to attend a romance writer's conference with three hundred other aspiring novelists. The organizers of the conference picked ten manuscripts to review in a group critique session. Debbie was thrilled to learn that her manuscript would be one of the novels discussed.
Her excitement quickly faded when an editor from Harlequin tore her manuscript to pieces in front of the crowded room, evoking peals of laughter from the assembled writers. Afterwards, Macomber approached the editor and asked her what she could do to improve her novel. "Throw it away," the editor suggested.
Many writers would have given up right then and there, but not Macomber. The deeply religious Macomber took a lesson from Job and gathered strength from adversity. She returned home and mailed one last manuscript to Silhouette, a publisher of romance novels. "It cost $10 to mail it off," Macomber told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2000. "My husband was out of work at this time, in Alaska, trying to find a job. The children and I were living on his $250-a-week unemployment, and I can't tell you what $10 was to us at that time."
It turned out to be the best $10 Macomber ever spent. In 1984, Silhouette published her novel, Heartsong. (Incidentally, although Heartsong was Macomber's first sale, she actually published another book, Starlight, before Heartsong went to print.) Heartsong went on to become the first romance novel to ever be reviewed in Publishers Weekly, and Macomber was finally on her way.
Today, Macomber is one of the most widely read authors in America. A regular on the New York Times bestseller charts, she is best known for her Cedar Cove novels, a heartwarming story sequence set in a small town in Washington state, and for her Knitting Books series, featuring a group of women who patronize a Seattle yarn store. In addition, her backlist of early romances, including several contemporary Westerns, has been reissued with great success.
Macomber has made a successful transition from conventional romance to the somewhat more flexible genre known as "women's fiction." "I was at a point in my life where I found it difficult to identify with a 25-year-old heroine," Macomber said in an interview with ContemporaryRomanceWriters.com. "I found that I wanted to write more about the friendships women share with each other." To judge from her avid, ever-increasing fan base, Debbie's readers heartily approve.
"I'm dyslexic, although they didn't have a word for it when I was in grade school. The teachers said I had 'word blindness.' I've always been a creative speller and never achieved good grades in school. I graduated from high school but didn't have the opportunity to attend college, so I did what young women my age did at the time -- I married. I was a teenager, and Wayne and I (now married nearly 37 years) had four children in five years."
"I'm a yarnaholic. That means I have more yarn stashed away than any one person could possibly use in three or four lifetimes. There's something inspiring about yarn that makes me feel I could never have enough. Often I'll go into my yarn room (yes, room!) and just hold skeins of yarn and dream about projects. It's a comforting thing to do."
"My office walls are covered with autographs of famous writers -- it's what my children call my ‘dead author wall.' I have signatures from Mark Twain, Earnest Hemingway, Jack London, Harriett Beecher Stowe, Pearl Buck, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, to name a few."
"I'm morning person, and rip into the day with a half-mile swim (FYI: a half mile is a whole lot farther in the water than it is on land) at the local pool before I head into the office, arriving before eight. It takes me until nine or ten to read through all of the guest book entries from my web site and the mail before I go upstairs to the turret where I do my writing. Yes, I write in a turret -- is that romantic, or what? I started blogging last September and really enjoy sharing bits and pieces of my life with my readers. Once I'm home for the day, I cook dinner, trying out new recipes. Along with cooking, I also enjoy eating, especially when the meal is accompanied by a glass of good wine. Wayne and I take particular pleasure in sampling eastern Washington State wines (since we were both born and raised in that part of the state).
Debbie Macomber is my favorite author. For me, the appeal of a Debbie book is that it's not about extraordinary women living glamorous lives. Her books are about real women, and people in general, who are relatable, who are living the same types of lives that her readers are living. She knows her audience and her audience loves that Debbie loves Christmas! We wait for her annual Christmas story with great anticipation! Mr. Miracle does not disappoint. It is a very sweet story about love and family and an angel's first time on Earth and his perception of humans and love. Debbie delivers another delightful Christmas story to her fans. . . she is our angel!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Barb00
Posted Tue Oct 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Mr. Miracle is another extraordinary book from Debbie Macomber. It's a beautiful, joyous, humorous Christmas novel. For me, I could read this book anytime; it doesn't have to be read just at Christmas time. If you want a clean, easy-to-read, lovely holiday story, I believe you would enjoy Mr. Miracle. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber and unquestionably recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This review is one hundred percent my opinion.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I like to read Debbie's Christmas stories. This is a change up from all the women angels to a middle age gentleman angel. Harry Mills is getting his first case. Celeste is his mentor as a college tattooed barista. Addie has come home for good. Erich is her childhood crush next door. They still detest each other. Spoiler here. It turns out he has 2 broken wrists and Addie gets to take care of him. She loves Christmas and he hates it. Harry is her literature teacher along with several new friends. Debbie always has the truest people in her books. Something tells me we will hear from Harry and Celeste in the not too distant future. I have this book for an honest review for NetGalley.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Oct 11 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Received the book in the mail this morning and just finished it. Another delightful Christmas story from Debbie Macomber. Sharing it with my Mom now.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Annie619
Posted Fri Oct 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I was disappointed in this book. It did not flow together as a story at all.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Read from October 06 to 07, 2014
Book Info
Kindle Edition, 256 pages
Expected publication: October 7th 2014 by Ballantine Books
ASIN B00JNQMLF4
edition language English
other editions (8)
Source:Netgalley EARC
Book Buy Links
Amazon
B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS
Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber celebrates the most wonderful time of the year in this heartwarming Christmas novel of romance, hope, and the comforts of home—coming soon as a Hallmark Channel original movie!
Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission: help twenty-four-year-old Addie Folsom get her life back on track—and, if the right moment strikes, help her find love. Posing as a teacher at a local college in Tacoma, Washington, Harry is up to the task, but not even he can predict the surprises that lay in store.
After trying to make it on her own, Addie has returned home to Tacoma for the holidays, but this time she plans to stay for good, enrolling in the local community college to earn her degree. What she doesn’t plan to do is run into Erich Simmons.
Addie and her next-door neighbor, Erich, are like night and day. Growing up, he was popular and outgoing while she was rebellious and headstrong, and he never missed an opportunity to tease her. Now she intends to avoid him entirely, yet when they’re suddenly forced to spend Christmas together, Addie braces for trouble.
Perhaps it’s the spirit of the season or the magic of mistletoe, but Addie and Erich soon find they have more in common than they thought—and that two people who seem so wrong for each other may actually be just right. With a little prompting from a certain angelic teacher, the two are in for a holiday miracle they’ll never forget.
From the Hardcover edition.
My Thoughts
This is one of those books you willingly read as an escape as it is heartwarming, joyfully imbued with delightful insight and as it also uses one of my favorite premises from the 1946 movie It’s A Wonderful Life as well as trading on Dickens well known beloved classic book A Christmas Carol the story had some messages you do not usually find in a contemporary romance.
The best part about reading romance stories that feature a couple whose relationship started in childhood and was one of antagonism rather than friendship is that it is fun to see how a few years and a few shared experiences can change that same antagonism into attraction or even love.
Addie let home in a moment of rebellious anger towards her father, in the 6 years that followed she learned to regret her hotheadedness but now that her father has passed away she will never get the chance to make amends. Coming home for the first time since leaving she planned to spend Christmas holidays with her Mom, only to find out her widowed Mother and her also widowed best friend and next door neighbor are planning on taking a two week cruise together.
Addie than finds out that the whole thing may fall apart as Erich Simmons, the son of her neighbor and Addie’s childhood crush who made her life miserable more than once, has been in an auto accident leaving him with two broken wrists and only his mother to take care of him.
Having a kind heart and not really wanting to see her mother lose the money she spent on the vacation cruise Addie volunteers to be Erich’s caregiver. After the initial rocky beginning to the arrangement surprisingly the two find common ground with of all things watching Jeopardy together. From that moment on things seem to change, for the better.
Along the way to finding out more about each other Addie and Erich also face some truths about themselves and before the two weeks pass the pair have fallen deeply in love with each other, proving that Christmas miracles present themselves when we least expect it!
A truly heartwarming story of change and holiday magic.
[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]
Bookworm_Debbie
Posted Tue Oct 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014
A light, entertaining Christmas story.
Debbie Macomber once again develops quite an array of characters. Addie Folsom displays her maturity throughout the story as she deals with a difficult situation and a difficult neighbor. Harry Mills is a guardian angel on his first mission to earth. I really enjoyed Debbie’s ideas on what it is like for an angel to take on a human body.
There is only one thing that did disappoint me in this novel. I’ve read a number of other Christmas stories by Debbie. Each of them had multiple riotous comedic scenes in them. I only found a few amusing scenes in this story and I missed being able to let loose with laughter.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
amybooksy
Posted Tue Oct 07 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I thought Mr. Miracle was good. Though it is a little slow at times, but is a quick, easy to read book. It. A good light romantic, uplifting Christmas story.
3 1/2 stars.
Harry is a very new to earth angel and is on trial, will he get sent home early? He has some help in Celeste, but the reputation left behind by Goodness, Shirley and Mercy, have made things a bit harder for him.
A very cute Christmas story, with Addie coming home, and wishing she had done it before when her Dad was still alive. She is going to go back to school and hoping to spend time with her mother. Her Mom has plans to take a cruise with Julie the next-door neighbor, and they are both looking forward to a different type of Holiday. Julie is also the mother of Erich, her nemeses from growing up, and when you read some of the things he did to her it is a wonder she ever speaks to him.
Now Henry’s task is to bring them together, and not a very easy challenge seeing these two don’t even like each other. There are some really funny happenings and big surprises when Erich breaks both of his wrists.
I felt that this would make a cute Hallmark movie, and I would watch it, the book is a fast read, and a refreshing Christmas read.
I received this book though Net Galley and the Publisher Ballantine Books and was not required to give a positive review.
Overview
Harry Mills is a guardian angel on a mission: help twenty-four-year-old Addie Folsom get her life back on track—and, if the right moment strikes, help her find love. Posing as a teacher at a local ...