A Lot Like Christmas by Jennifer Snow was a love story between Jessica Connolly, a California baker and Mitch Jameson, a doctor working with Doctors Without Borders. Jess is run off her feet at Christmastime, which also seems to be a busy time for winter weddings and the cakes they require. Mitch is visiting his family after a stint in Cambodia, which traumatized him and his staff. A notice at the beginning of the novel advises readers of the inclusion of such topics as PTSD, a child’s illness and death, which was a good idea for those who may not like to encounter such tragedies within romantic Christmas fiction. This ominous subject matter is left hanging over the reader for most of the novel, as the love story builds and all the while in the background we know that some situation–the trauma that Mitch alludes to–will rise to the surface.
The attraction between Jess and Mitch is kept under control by both parties since Mitch is only in town for the holidays and will be leaving for his next assignment on Christmas day. Why give yourself so much heartbreak if you know it will all be over within a few weeks? The passion the two feel for each other cannot be tamed and they have their first sexual encounter–sexual intercourse while standing up–in the walk-in freezer in Jessica’s bakery. Snow gets graphic and uses no euphemisms. Once again I seem to have selected a series of Christmas reads which are light on the romance and heavy on the sexual activity. I can only hope the pair didn’t ruin any of the wedding cakes or confuse the ingredients for the custard creams.
Snow describes Jess as a 170-pound woman who is proud of her curves, yet the cover art does not depict such a voluptuous woman. Although Jess lives in California, snow does fall in that state and it shouldn’t be so out of the ordinary to encounter it or see it on weather reports. You’d think Jess was born yesterday as she goes berserk the first time she sees the white stuff. The secondary characters weren’t well developed and came off as comedic devices or parodies. Jess has the nosiest busybody neighbours who could have leapt off the script of an American comedy show. Mitch’s colleague Maria, a nurse with whom he fooled around while the two were on assignment in Cambodia, is on the same mission and they meet up again after Christmas. How does Snow deal with their friendship-with-benefits? She disappointed by writing a deus ex machina out for the two of them to part: Maria met someone on the plane ride over there “and we hit it off like wildfire”. Wow. Just like that: their relationship is over. No regrets and Snow avoids having to write up a way for Mitch to tell Maria that it’s over between them.
I noticed a few editing gaffes but one made me reread the passage and it ruined the flow:
“Jessica’s voice trailed and she cleared his throat. Fresh tears threatened.”
While Mitch is troubled by his most recent time in Cambodia and the death of a child he was treating, Jess is dealing with a lucrative offer from a large bakery firm which wants to buy her out. The neighbouring businesses fear for their own futures if Jess sells, so she is pulled at both ends. The reader never knows if she will sell up or not, as Jess has frequent inner dialogues that sway her either way. Mitch on the other hand is drawn to a life bringing his much-needed services to others. He in fact gave up his own practice to serve with Doctors Without Borders. How can he manage to continue working for them while in a relationship with Jess?
Naturally, the two find a way to stay together and Mitch is able to continue working on assignment for only a small part of the year. No spoiler warning needed as this is a Christmas romance with an obligatory happy ending, so the corporate bullying of the big shot bakery firm gets the shove and Jess retains her business.