The Snow Bride

"The Snow Bride" is the full-length version of the short story by the same name which first appeared in _On A Snowy Night_. The premise is worth exploring, a young, beautiful executive assistant leaves the comfort of her Los Angeles home and heads to Alaska to meet the man she has been corresponding with over the Internet for the past several months. She learns, through a series of coincidences, that he is not the person he appeared to be and unexpectedly falls in love with a brash, rugged pilot. All in all, the characters are sweet and delightful, (the male lead is very funny!) but their tale makes a better short story than novel.

One plus is that Macomber writes wonderful romances without all the explicit language an graphic content that usually appears in this genre. Her characters and dialogue are usually fun, snappy and at times, very humurous (a quality not lost in main character Reid). Unfortunately, this story falls very flat. It is excruciatingly predictable and lackluster; having lost its zeal after the first two chapters. I like how one reviewer described it -- "cute". That about sums it up. It was dragging miserably, but still maintained its "cuteness" and humor.

I say buy a used copy or preuse a library copy on a day when you're looking to fill some time with a quick read.

3 and 1/2 stars.

Cris Cunningham

This book was very cute. That is about the word for it. No serious plot and you can guess from the beginning what will happen. None the less cute and an enjoyable afternoon read!

Okay, yes, the plot is cute. But its full potential (even for humor) is never explored. By far the most likable characters are the minor ones (i.e. the indomitable Chloe), there's almost no visual detail, characters' motives are barely touched on, and everything seems flat. The villain is so cheesy it's ridiculous. All in all, this book is an extremely light read despite its length; if you want a real Christmas pick-me-up, do what you have to do to find a copy of Rexanne Becnel's Christmas Journey.

I was very impressed by this book. It was extremely romantic but it wasn't dirty. I would like to see many more books like this. Bravo.

Prolific romance author Debbie Macomber brings readers a new Christmas tale, complete with a trip to snowy Alaska. Tired of being taken for granted by her boss and love interest, Brad Fulton, Jenna Campbell throws caution to the wind and travels to Alaska to meet her on-line pen pal Dalton Gray. But when her flight lands in Fairbanks, and Dalton isn't there as planned, her surly seatmate, Reid Jamison, agrees to take her to Beesley, Dalton's hometown, until he discovers that Dalton is the man she is meeting.
Because Dalton jilted Reid's sister Lucy, Reid "kidnaps" a furious Jenna and takes her to his home in Snowbound.

Humor and romance ensue as Reid and Jenna find themselves fighting an unlikely attraction between this burly pipeline worker and a sunny California girl, as a snowstorm forces them to maintain an air of civility in Reid's humble cabin. Quirky old-timers Palmer and Addy add comic relief to this fluffy Christmas confection, especially when Brad, Dalton, and Jenna's often married mother, Chloe, all show up in Snowbound. Whether one is snowbound or not, Ms. Macomber's latest provides welcome holiday cheer, away from the hustle and bustle.