Catching Christmas

Author: Terri Blackstock

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: October 9, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fun romance ride and just perfect for those getting ready for the Hallmark Christmas movie season.

Sydney Batson is trying her hardest to be a good granddaughter and take care of her ailing grandmother while also trying not to lose her job at her law firm. In desperate need of help to get her grandmother to the doctor at the same time she is due in court Sydney, calls for a cab to take her to the clinic. She knows she should be the one to go but if she loses her job she won’t be able to take care of either of them. Cab driver Finn Parrish is trying to make up for lost money after being robbed and when a call comes to pick up a woman and take her to a doctor’s appointment he reluctantly goes. Miss Callie is a hard reminder of his mother who he feels he let down in her last days and now every time he gets a call he can’t refuse to help. Even when Miss Callie doesn’t remember to pay him, Finn is there for her as she goes around running Christmas errands and looking for a date for her granddaughter. Finn is trying to do all he can to help Miss Callie fulfill her Christmas wish of doing something nice for the only family she has left. When he meets Sydney, he realizes he might just be getting a Christmas gift he never expected.

For me, when I read Terri Blackstock I know I am going to get a good romantic suspense. With her first Christmas novel, Blackstock takes readers on an adventure with these three characters that is sure to put a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.  I loved the way this story played out. Finn had just the right amount of grumpiness in him to make him reluctant to want to help but enough goodness in him to overpower and be there when he was needed. Sydney isn’t so driven by her career that she doesn’t care about her family, she just is in a position that makes it hard to be in two places at once. The characters meshed so well with each other in not only dialogue but also narrative sections, which can become a part that drags in the story if not done correctly.  Each paragraph brought out more interesting aspects of the characters and more enjoyment in the story.  It was fun to see Blackstock stretch her writing while keeping the story flowing without the suspense aspect. There was still plenty of tension to drive the story along, it was just presented in a different way. I recommend this to readers that love a great Hallmark Christmas movie and want to read a story that will play out like the movie while reading. And of course, all fans of Blackstock’s work will enjoy this as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.