Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas #bookreview

 

You ever read a book and wish it would never end?  You just want to keep reading about these characters you've come to know so well?  Back in 2014 & 2015, I reviewed some of the books in Susan May Warren's Christiansen Family series.  So when she asked for reviewers for Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas, I jumped at the chance.  

I got a few pages in and thought, "I barely remember who's who.  Maybe I should just start over."  

So out came the whole series.  (Almost.  I couldn't find my copy of Evergreen, so I requested it from the library.)  Very little else got done around here as I devoured them all over again, remembering why I enjoyed them so much, even though they made me cry.  The Christiansens are a strong, close-knit family with a good balance of faith and humanity.  

The next time I picked up Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas, it was with eager anticipation to catch up with old friends.  HYACC takes place after a gap of about 7 years since the last Christiansen Family book.  The babies are kids, and the kids are teens now.  The young adults are (mostly) mature married folk now.  

One of the things I liked about Have Yourself A Christiansen Christmas, is that the characters are more mature than your typical romance.  A lot of books have all the fireworks of initial attraction and how a couple comes together.  This book shows the longevity of deep relationships and the hard work of living out that togetherness.  I think I appreciate that more because I'm no longer in the fireworks season of life, and while I still appreciate a good fluff romance from time to time, this book resonated with me more.  

The 7 couples (including Ingrid & John, the parents) deal with a variety of issues in this book.  Blessings, losses, good and bad surprises, misunderstandings, secrets, and opportunities.  But they face these challenges with a strong family support network.  I'm not supposed to share specifics, so as to not spoil anything for you, but I really enjoyed the book, and I hope author Susan May Warren will update us again in the future.