Parents need to know that A Christmas Kiss is an innocent fairy-tale romance set in modern-day Boston. Originally aired on cable TV in 2011, it's a story that relies on wonderful coincidences, romantic kisses, and traditional male-female roles, despite the fact that the two women in this love triangle are accomplished professionals. One scene shows a woman accidentally hit on the nose, falling, then shrieking, her face bloody. A few coarse expressions ("bitch boss," "ass," "grab his nuts," "crap") give the movie some edge, but otherwise the movie is family-friendly, especially for kids who like their love stories simple, sweet, and with happy endings.
Wendy Walton (Laura Breckenridge), a talented young designer, is not looking forward to the holiday in A CHRISTMAS KISS. She's had to give up creating the sets for a local production of The Nutcracker Suite because of her demanding boss, Priscilla (Elisabeth Rohm), who expects her to come running night and day. It's no wonder that, while in costume for a party, she's delightfully stunned when a spontaneous elevator kiss with a perfect (and perfectly harmless) stranger turns everything around. In Wendy's eyes, it may have been her Prince Charming. As she tells her best friends, "If we were meant to be together, I'll find him again or -- he'll find me." Imagine the horror she feels when she discovers that this prince, Adam Hughes (Brendan Fehr), is, in reality, Priscilla's beau, the rich, powerful young man upon whom the designer has set her conniving heart. To make matters worse, without the glitter and pizzazz of her party costume, Adam doesn't even recognize her. When Wendy's job is to help Priscilla create holiday magic in Adam's lavish apartment for a Christmas fundraiser, the triangular fun begins. Can Wendy win Adam's heart with her warmth and gentleness? Will Priscilla's icy machinations be discovered? Is Adam truly a prince in businessman attire?
Philip is a widower who loved his wife, Jamie's mother, very much. For the last fifteen years, his widowed sister has run his household, and he has had no interest in remarrying. When the lovely Evalyn graces his home, he feels an immediate catch in his heart that he hasn't experienced for many years. Mistakenly believing that Evalyn is his son's intended fiancÃe, he cannot allow himself to entertain anything but the most noble thoughts about her, but after a few quiet conversations, Philip can't imagine a more unsuitable match for his son and a better one for himself. After nearly loosing control and kissing the young woman, Philip is determined to stay away from her, but little does he know that his own displeased reaction to their almost lip-lock has left Evalyn hurt and confused. Will Philip learn the truth and be able to set things aright before Evalyn disappears never to be seen or heard from again?
It is pretty rare in romance for the hero to be above thirty-five, so I actually found it rather refreshing that Philip was a bit more mature in years. I could very much relate to him being a closet writer and an introvert who didn't care much for entertaining. He was a progressive thinker who believed that everyone, from nobleman to servant, should be treated with equality, which made him a very fair and gentle man. He may have badly misconstrued his son's intentions toward Evalyn which led to all sorts of trouble, but I did like that he was self-controlled enough to stay away from her in deference to his offspring after nearly kissing her.
Traditional Regency authors seem to excel in the area of dialog, and Elizabeth Mansfield is no exception. I loved all the light bantering and gentle humor, and the dialog seemed to be pretty well-balanced with the introspective scenes. Other than a couple of mild profanities, this book had no objectionable content, so it should be appropriate for all romance readers. I really enjoyed reading about all the little Regency holiday traditions: kissing boughs, Yule logs, wassail, the dishes for Christmas dinner, and the games they played on Christmas Eve. There was just enough detail to make it interesting and bring the setting to life without overwhelming the rest of the story. I particularly enjoyed a conversation between all the guests about their favorite holiday traditions which I thought gave everything a nice, homey feel. The only thing that kept this story from getting a bit higher rating from me is that I would have liked Philip and Evalyn to have a few more scenes together. Overall, A Christmas Kiss left me with a smile on my face and a feeling of contentment. It may have been a nice, easy read, but was still quite enjoyable for me. This was my first novel by Elizabeth Mansfield, but it certainly won't be my last. A Christmas Kiss can be purchased as a separate book or as part of the two book anthology A Christmas Kiss and Winter Wonderland.
May contain mild to moderate sexual tension and/or possible implications of something more taking place off canvas, but nothing beyond kissing actually occurs within the text. Our take: These books would be appropriate for teen and sensitive readers.
Fire really is the Christmas grinch for WA mistletoe, with researchers discovering flames are the ultimate kiss of death for the festive plant. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1449240174198-2'); ); The 30-year study, which involved sampling dozens of mistletoe species across the entire southern half of the state, found only one species can re-sprout after a fire, while all of the others rely on seeds coming in from elsewhere to regrow after a blaze.
While mistletoe is most famous as a decoration for attracting a Christmas kiss, the plant is a parasite, attaching to and penetrating the branches of shrubs and trees, sucking water and nutrients from host plants.
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