December 25, 2013

Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

Oh dear . . . oh dear. It looked like she was too late. 

Humans surrounded her, hugging and kissing, and there was Will, standing beside two people all alone with their backs to each other. 

Mercy could see what was about to happen and felt powerless to stop it. With a single nudge of his wing, Will caused these two strangers to stumble into each other.
-from Angels at the Table by Author

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Merry Christmas! I'm posting a bonus review today because this book is the perfect thing to pick up right between Christmas and New Year's Day. I couldn't resist throwing a recommendation your way for the holidays! :)

I picked up this audio book from the library for a light and sweet holiday read with little expectation other than to read something nice around Christmas. I had never read Debbie Macomber before and was happy to finally read a book from this popular author. What I got was exactly what I expected: a sweet and sentimental read to enjoy during the holiday season. 

Angels at the Table is a holiday novel from Macomber's Shirley, Mercy and Goodness series of novels about three angels who seem to always be getting themselves into a pickle on Earth. I have not read any of the other Angels novels by Macomber and can recommend this as a stand alone. In this installment, the three angels take their apprentice angel Will down to Time's Square on New Year's Eve where Will accidentally brings two humans together. Lucie and Aron bump into each other at the stroke of midnight, kissing as per tradition and then spending the evening chatting at a diner. They plan to meet again, but a twist of fate separates them from each other. It's up to Shirley, Goodness, Mercy and Will to bring these two back together the following year. But when the angels clumsily interfere more than they're supposed to, they find their task more difficult than expected. 

This book was happy, wholesome and just the kind of book I needed to read after I was finished with my Christmas shopping, needing some much deserved quiet time. There is nothing outrageous or scandalously entertaining about this book, but the warmth and amount of conflict issued was still just as stimulating in a different way. And even without the outrageous entertainment, this story is anything but predictable. I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of the angels and gasping at times, too.

Another thing that impressed me about this book was the Christian values and biblical allusions throughout. I enjoyed reading about the angel Gabriel and learning how angels functioned within the pages of this story. Everything I read lined up with the Bible without overcomplicating religion or sounding like it was preaching. I realized that this book would contain some sort of religious agenda what with "Angels" in the title and all, but there was no artificial sounding proselytizing, to which I'm somewhat sensitive. I really loved the message of this book and think it is a wonderfully light read for Christmastime.
Bottom Line: If you like warm and whimsical, wholesome, romantic stories then this is the book for you! I think it might be too tame for some, but overall it's a solid story with a great message! 3.5/5 stars.

1 comment:

  1. This sounds cute! My mom likes Debbie Macomber, but I've never read any of her books before. Maybe I should!

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