REVIEW: Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber

In Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber, Six months in Alaska, cooking at a lodge. Josie Stewart still isn’t sure what she was thinking when she agreed to work temporarily for the Caribou Lake Lodge before moving on to a prestigious job as a sous chef in Seattle. The minuscule town of Ponder is about as far removed from her busy hometown as you can get. But Josie has to admit that it’s growing on her. As are the locals. From the comical, always hangry Jack to handsome Palmer Saxon, she could honestly see herself settling down in a place like Ponder. Or maybe even in Ponder itself. But she can’t let that happen. Josie has worked too hard to let go of her one big chance to make it in the culinary world. Even if she is falling more for Palmer every single day.

‘I longed to get back to Seattle with the same intensity that I desired to stay in Ponder.’

Sword smith Palmer was pretty much a goner for Josie from day one. And he’s realized as he’s gotten to know her better that her beautiful smile is the first thing he wants to see when he wakes up and the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep. But as much as Palmer longs to sway Josie’s decision and have her stay in Ponder with him, he knows he may well have to let her go so she can follow her dream of being a chef. He could never take that away from her. Besides, if Palmer did talk Josie into staying, what could a small town in the Alaskan tundra offer a shining star like her? Well, aside from all the love he feels for her and the camaraderie of her newfound friends. But maybe, just maybe, that might be enough after all.

“I don’t understand why you’re helping me,” she said softly, as I continued to hold her close, savoring every moment…
“I would think the answer is obvious… I love you, Josie. I would do almost anything I could for you.”

What is Christmas without a Debbie Macomber book, right? (Or one of her Hallmark movies!) Her newest release, Alaskan Holiday, hit the spot with just the right amount of sweet romance, quirky but lovable characters, and of course the joy of Christmas.

“If I knew poetry, I’d recite it. If I could play the guitar, I’d serenade you. Sadly, I can’t do either. All I can tell you is that my heart is yours if you want it, Josie.”

Debbie Macomber is the queen of heartwarming, clean romance and I look forward to her books every year. Especially her holiday releases. This year she “traveled” back to Alaska–a place that has always fascinated me. And I think she did a great job of conveying how our heroine Josie went from being dismayed at the lack of amenities in teeny tiny Ponder to loving the quiet beauty of the town and its residents. The rather extreme way Ponder was cut off from the outside world became a big problem for Josie as she needed to head back to her life in Seattle and it was easy to sympathize with her while still chuckling over the “comedy of errors” that occurred toward the end of her six month stay.

To me it felt natural for Palmer and Josie to become a couple. They seemed to have the same basic beliefs and became friends first before it turned romantic. I loved that. They were both very honest, steadfast individuals who worked hard and were unfailingly loyal. There were some moments on both of their parts where there was some angsty inner monologues happening, but I thought it was fitting given their predicament–with Josie’s new job waiting for her at home. I did have to laugh (many times) over their friend Jack, a somewhat cantankerous older man who adored Josie. Well, he adored her cooking first. But Jack did love Josie and did his darnedest to get her and Palmer together. Jack’s, ahem, “advice” to Palmer in regard to sweet-talking Josie had me almost howling with laughter and I loved it when all three of them were together. You never knew what Jack would come out with. But I knew everything he said was steeped in love. (And hunger. lol)

A charming story that I think can be read any time of the year and still have meaning to it, Alaskan Holiday will be sure to entertain you and warm your heart–as will that adorable cover!
 

Book Info:

Publication: Published October 2nd 2018 | Ballantine Books |

An uplifting Christmas tale, set in the Alaskan wilderness, about finding love where it’s least expected–from the #1 New York Times bestselling author who’s one of America’s most beloved storytellers.

Before beginning her new job as sous chef at one of Seattle’s finest restaurants, Josie Stewart takes on a six-month position cooking at a lodge in an Alaskan lake town. It’s only temporary–or so she thinks, as she becomes a valued part of the local community, falling in love with the people who call the Klutina Lake home. But one man, in particular, stands out among Josie’s new friends: Palmer Saxon, a quiet, intense sword craftsman, whose very existence forces her to question whether her heart wants to return to Washington at all.