Samhain Publishing, $5.50, ISBN 978-1-61923-126-9
Contemporary Romance, 2015
Michael Montgomery wanted to marry Faith McClendon when he was 13. His infatuation persisted throughout his teenage years, but because Faith saw him as her best friend, he never dared to reveal his feelings for her. And then, she went away to college, married some asshole who would cheat on her down the road, and poor Michael never had a chance. Well, that was then, this is now. When A McClendon Thanksgiving opens, Faith – now a divorced woman – is back in town to catch up with her sisters and plan her post-divorce new life, and he may just have a chance to convince her that they are meant to be together.
A McClendon Thanksgiving is a sweet, pleasant story that is lacking in conflict. In fact, Faith’s jump-starting her new life is a painless process, mostly due to the fact that she is among close friends, beloved family members, and all. Every solution falls into place like magic, as if this story is dipped in chicken soup for the soul. The main characters are perfect and loaded, the secondary characters are beautiful and amazing, and there is such a “Fabulous!” vibe to everything here that the story seems more about escapism than anything else. As a result, while this story is readable, it isn’t very suspenseful or gripping. It’s okay to put it aside when there is something else more interesting to see to, because it’s not like things won’t still be as swimming as they always are when one comes back to it.
Also, the author name-drops brands and stuff, describing what her characters are wearing, eating, driving, and more as if she’s paid for product placement. While I personally have no issues with this, I feel that all the lengthy descriptions only add to the “There is nothing interesting going here!” feel of the story.The whole thing would be a nice read, I suppose, when one needs a pick-me-upper, but the author’s unwillingness to put her characters into anything remotely challenging to their happy mood means that A McClendon Thanksgiving isn’t a particularly memorable book at the end of the day. Too much of a good thing is never a good thing after all.
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