Review of Home for the Holidays by Christine Lynxwiler

Title: Home for the Holidays
Author: Christine Lynxwiler
Source: Obtained from Amazon for free (12/19/12)
Format: ebook
Rating: 2.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: A heartwarming Christmas novella about true friendship, helping those in need, and falling in love. . .

What's a girl to do when she falls in love with her lifelong best friend? Small town librarian Lauren Forrester moves to St. Louis so that handsome contractor Jeffrey Warren can find a wife without having to deal with Lauren's moods. But when Jeffrey shows up on her doorstep to convince her to come home for a country Christmas, will the hardheaded pair lose their friendship or find something even more precious?

With the end of the holidays slowly approaching and the reality of five day work weeks in the forecast, I thought it was time to throw in a couple last holiday reads. 

This was a cute and light holiday story.  Lauren has been in love with her best friend for awhile, so when he starts showing serious interest in finding a wife she can't handle seeing him with other women and she flees.  While I don't necessarily see moving two hours away as a solution, I think what she did was realistic.  I understand her need to separate herself from Jeff so as not to ruin the friendship with her feelings.  Lauren was a very kind person with a big heart.  She was willing to help out those in need without anything in return.  I admired this quality in her and thought this was a great addition for a holiday read.

Jeff on the other hand, was a bit clueless.  He's had a hard past and is not willing to give people the benefit of the doubt.  I think he genuinely has a kind heart, but has a hard time looking past his own grief to use it to help others. 

As for the story there wasn't much sustenance to it.  I think if the main conflict would have been more the focus then I would have enjoyed it more.  The story was predictable and like a lot of novels out there would have been resolved earlier if only the main characters talked to each other instead of hid their feelings, but I guess the story would have been a lot shorter than. 

Do you enjoy reading seasonal stories?  If so, what are your favorites?