I thought that this was a really sweet novella. With the text a dark green, this book immediately showed how unique it was even before I started reading. At the beginning of each chapter, a lamp post was behind the type, giving the book a cozy feeling. It had many references to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis and other musicals. I was hooked from chapter one with its slightly eerie beginning. Each character had their own, distinct personality. Julia was such a fun little girl, always with something cute to say. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. They have also been made into movies. ( )

I'm not certain which I heard of first: the Father Christmas trilogy of ChristFic books, or the related trio of Hallmark Christmas movies. In any case, I decided to check out the first book first, skipping the blurb and jumping in.

While I enjoy and love my share of holiday romances, there's such an abundance of them out there. Because warm and wholesome contemporary Christmas novellas that aren't romances aren't quite as easy to find, it was refreshing for me to learn that this tale isn't a romance.

Despite the fact that for the most part, the mild mystery here was predictable to me, I was most engaged as the points concerning the mystery unfolded. Between those points, though, the book would often take its time strolling through details about the setting and the minor doings of the characters. A time or two, it even felt to me like the story was prolonging itself by interruption, stalling the plot advancement with more minor doings.

On a different note, I can't say that every spiritual statement in the story jibed with me, and I found some of the message repetitive. It eventually became clear to me that the point of the tale is the faith thread—which ties up nicely right before the rather abrupt ending leaves the characters' other relevant matters at loose ends. It's obvious that this book begs for its sequel.

Well, I enjoyed the warmth and the overall Christmassy feeling of the read, and I'm interested enough in the characters' other matters to find out specifically how the next phase plays out. So I do plan on reading the sequel, perhaps after I watch the first in the trio of movies.

I reckon that unlike the book, the movie version is indeed a romance, which is all right with me. ( )

A woman travels to England in search of the father she's never met at Christmas time. A light holiday story about finding family in unexpected places. I was hoping for a little more depth from this one, but it's definitely a short surface story. Fine for a quick holiday read. ( )

Growing up, Miranda never knew who her father was, and her mother always answered her questions with a fanciful story. Then before her teenaged years, Miranda lost her mother in an accident. Now some years later, she is finally ready for a search that takes her across the pond to England to find her father. It’s Christmas, and there’s no better time to be united with family, if only she could find hers. In this lovely tale, Miranda is looking for her earthly father, but she is led to her heavenly Father as well. It’s a tender story, parable-like in its telling, and lyrical in its prose, a heartwarming story for any time, but especially for Christmastime. ( )

We all want a place to belong.

I have a hard time believing that it took Miranda as long as it did to realize her mother didn't always tell the truth or lived in a world of make-believe. Then again, I also wondered about schooling which wasn't ever mentioned, so I guess, not knowing anything different, that could be the reason.

On a whim, Miranda takes off for England trying to find her father from the few clues she has. In her search, she confronts some old resentments, appears to accept Christ,and finds a place to belong. ( )