Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Review: Angels at Christmas/Where do Angels go by Debbie Macomber

From Goodreads:
Every Christmas, three lovable angels visit Earth. Once a year, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are allowed to intervene (or, more accurately, interfere!) in human affairs. Despite their frequent misadventures and the chaos they often cause, things always seem to turn out right….
This Christmas, join Those Christmas Angels as they respond to Anne Fletcher’s prayer request. She wants her son, Roy, to meet a special woman—and the angels contrive to throw Julie Wilcott in his path (literally!).
Watch as the heaven-sent messengers reunite a divorced couple, bring peace of mind to an elderly man and grant a little boy’s fondest wish. Because there’s always joy Where Angels Go.
Shirley, Goodness and Mercy offer you laughter and Christmas cheer in these two heartwarming stories!

“The busybody angels…provide a few delightful surprises as lives transform.” —Publishers Weekly



What's it about? A book with two separate stories regarding Angel Prayer Ambassadors who are on mission to help Anne in her prayer request for her son to meet someone and teach him to open his heart again to love in "Angels at Christmas" and giving Beth and Peter another chance to get back together after a very bad and emotional divorce that happened ten years ago, touching a boy's life to his most heartfelt wish and helping an elderly man set his affairs laid out in "Where do Angels go."


What made me go for it? Three Angels at Christmas with a rep to boot. *chuckles*


What are my thoughts after reading it? I'll start with "Angels at Christmas" 
There was a nice balance of angelic presence and the human affairs  in the story that really tickled me.  I think I felt Macomber's sense of humor by way of the angels interaction with each other.  I could easily picture every scene in my mind very easily as if I was watching a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. *hint* I had goosebumps when Shirley (one of the prayer ambassadors) appeared to Anne Fletcher letting her know that Heaven and her (co-prayer ambassadors) have heard her prayer requests. It was through this angelic visit  which she translated to her paintings  will later help in Anne's  monetary needs further on.  I was chuckling that our three angels found it challenging to bring two stubborn hearts together. Roy Fletcher was  unfortunate to experience his mom's divorce and the consequent betrayal of his fiancee's action who used him to get close to his father had left him very cynical. He had painted every woman (and Julie - the angels intended) to be after his money and nothing more. I felt Julie's frustration of not getting through Roy that she wasn't interested with his money but Roy always thought it was an angle so it later led to their quarrel. It seemed all lost but as they say, "actions speak louder than words" and Roy had to learn to open his eyes again to Julie's integrity and love that she brings.  I enjoyed the ease of how Macomber tied things in the story, nothing was left hanging or wasted and each plan of the angels neatly found its resolution in the end.

"Where do Angels go" 
The second story and while I expected this one would referenced back the "Angels at Christmas" it didn't and I wasn't affected too much by it as I had thought. There were three lives who needed divine help and this time around angels: Mercy, Shirley and Goodness were sent to Earth respectively unlike from the previous story where all three joined forces. The three stories didn't feel disjointed to me because Macomber seamlessly gave each character a chapter. It gave sufficient room for us, readers to get acquainted with the characters. The introductions weren't too long, their stories started just at the "middle" of their lives and went from there. I couldn't help by get tugged at  the heart in Carter Jackson's story and Harry Alderwood's. I was also moved by Beth and Peter's story too but the first two would get me going to reach for Mr. Klennex. I like that this story had three angels in separate missions since I was curious how they would do on their own. While the angels did meet at some point,  it was more to touch base with each other's progress. 

I recommend this to those looking for a heartwarming story with a dose of heavenly hilariousness  Christmas read. :D  5 out 5 stars





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