The Wish Book Christmas. Lynn Austin. 2021. [September] 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Bobby Barrett stepped off the kindergarten school bus and his foot sank into a pile of fresh snow. Some of the snow fell inside his galoshes and soaked into his socks, making him shiver. He couldn’t remember there being this much snow back home in England, where he was born.
Premise/plot: The Wish Book Christmas is the sequel to Lynn Austin's If I Were You. The year is 1951, the season, Christmas. Eve Dawson and Audrey Barrett are living together with their two sons Bobby (Barrett) and Harry (Dawson). Both women are working hard while prioritizing family. When the boys get their hands on a Sears Wish Book catalog, well, their domestic peace is temporarily threatened. These two boys get a case of the GIMMEs. They want EVERYTHING. Well, not everything. Not baby toys. Not girl toys. But every other toy is GIMME, GIMME, GIMME. Can these two mamas figure out how to show their boys the true meaning of Christmas?
In addition to being a cozy historical read, it is also a romance.
My thoughts: I enjoyed If I Were You. I did. But even before I knew this book was a sequel to a book I've already read and enjoyed, I wanted it. THAT COVER SAYS READ ME, READ ME, READ ME. It has to be one of the best covers I've ever seen. I also remember my own Wish Book years. There is a JOY in having a Sears Wish Book in hand and writing that letter to Santa. (For the record, I never wanted everything--nor expected everything.)
As for the book itself, well, it has a definite cozy, nostalgic vibe. It isn't as intense and suspenseful as the first book. There really isn't any conflict. It's just a comfy-cozy, holiday-themed, light-and-fluffy romance. Definitely has some predictable (but always welcome) themes of what the Christmas season really means.
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