Review: Nick and Noelle

Nick and Noelle
by Kara Lynn Russell

“What I want,” the pastor stated “is for you two to learn how to get along. Separately you both have much to offer the church. Together – you’re a disaster waiting to happen.”

Nick and Noelle have been in competition against each other from their Christmas day births to their present adulthood. After their rivalry causes chaos at a youth group event, Pastor Thorn assigns Nick and Noelle the task of decorating the church for Christmas. Can Nick and Noelle cooperate? Will they end up killing each other – or maybe kissing each other?

What a surprise this book turned out to be! And, yes, I'm reviewing a Christmas book in January. Fact is, despite the fact this story takes place during Christmastime, it has an enduring message that works any time of the year.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I selected this story to review, but I'm so glad I did. It's not a "I hate you" kind of book where the animosity between H/H is so strong it's nearly unbearable. This is more of a scab you pick at now and then... sometimes it hurts, sometimes it's annoying, and sometimes you don't even realize it's there.

Nick and Noelle are kids from different sides of the tracks who happened to have been born on the same day and were thrown together since birth. They're both competitive and stubborn and rub each other: both the wrong and the right way.

Though this is an inspirational novel, and both the hero and heroine are Christians, this is handled delicately and isn't the focus of the story. This is not a tale of spiritual conversion, but is instead truly a romance.

There are additional plot twists that only add strength to the story, and to our fondness for the main characters. The author has done a fine job building both the main characters and the secondary cast in a short amount of space.

Overall, this was one of my favorite holiday reads this season, even if I did read it in January.



Review by Poppy