Lakeshore Christmas

Shirley J.               Adult Fiction                                  Librarians, Child Stars, Community Service

Lakeshore Christmas: Lakeshore Chronicles Book 6 by Susan Wiggs  384 pages

Maureen Davenport, town librarian, and, former child star, Eddie Haven are like fire and water or a steel wool pad and chenille.   They are working on the town's upcoming Christmas pageant, Maureen out of happy inheritance of the role, Eddie is supposed to be doing community service for an infraction he committed several years ago in the town.   Maureen acts like a pissed off cat that somebody tried to bathe, constantly all claws, fluffed out fur like she stuck her finger in an electric socket just an old biddy with a terrible attitude.   She treats the guy like he is a total jerk all through the book, even though the reader finds out what a good guy he is and that she is too tightly wound to see.   They both have back stories but her prior poopy relationship and aftermath had nothing to do with him.   His backstory is he grew up with hippie show-biz parents who never celebrated Christmas they stayed on the road doing shows throughout the season so he never had a normal home life nor a normal Christmas at home and never got any presents.  He says he doesn't like Christmas but every year he shows up to help out with the Christmas pageant and does everything he can to help make it wonderful for everybody, of course, he had been assisting the former Christmas pageant director who was a wonderful motherly lady who basically let him do whatever he wanted.   Not so much with Maureen now taking over the event.   She is bossy, opinionated and she certainly does not like Eddie nor any of his ideas.   She says she loves Christmas but with that hateful attitude she would stop Santa in his tracks!  I did not like Maureen even after I found out what caused her to be the way she was.  Then for her to play, I hate you, I love you, just didn't sit well with me when Eddie was a descent guy trying to get along, offering his all for the town and the show only to be shot down at every gesture.   And then he falls for her.  Whaaaat?????  He must have dominatrix issues liking someone who is constantly mean to him but that is just my opinion.   The story kept me interested and there are some surprising twists and characters that really keep the story interesting.   It is a good story regardless of the fact that Maureen is such a crabapple.  I would recommend it to all who love Christmas stories, it would make a great movie on the Hallmark channel.