Call Me Mrs. Miracle

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Synopsis

Jake Finley is the son of the CEO of Finley's Department Store, the last family-owned store in New York City. For now, he's managing the toy department and knows that he needs a small miracle to keep the store afloat and prove to his father that he has what it takes to run the family business. Against the wishes of their toy buyer, Jake has ordered five hundred Intellytron robots, even though they're rather expensive, on a hunch that it will be the hot toy of the season, but so far, they aren't flying off the shelves. Because of a Christmas Eve tragedy years ago, both Jake and his father refuse to celebrate Christmas, but a chance meeting with Holly at a coffee shop begins to change his views. After asking her on a date and meeting her nephew, she invites him to participate in Christmas-y things and he starts to think that he's really missed out on a lot over the years. But will it be enough to convince him to cancel his Christmas Eve trip to the Bahamas to spend the holiday with Holly instead?

Holly Larson currently has custody of her eight-year-old nephew while her widowed brother is deployed overseas. All she wants is to give Gabe the Christmas he deserves, but the only toy he's wishing for is an Intellytron, which is a little out of her price reach on her salary as an assistant to a clothing designer who doesn't appreciate her hard work. Holly isn't looking for a relationship when she chances to meet Jake at a coffee shop, but love finds her anyway. When she realizes that he's the heir to the Finley's Department Store fortune, she worries that he might try to buy the robot for her. The toy finally start selling like hotcakes, so Holly does ask him to hold one back for her, but only after making it clear that she wants to pay for it herself. When her boss denies her an expected Christmas bonus, though, she isn't sure it's going to happen, and then the robot Jake was holding for her suddenly disappears, leaving Holly very disappointed that she won't be able to fulfill Gabe's Christmas wish.

Enter Emily Merkle aka Mrs. Miracle who has come to Earth this holiday season to work in Finley's toy department. When Mrs. Miracle starts matchmaking and working her holiday magic, everyone just might end up having a Christmas they'll never forget.

The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber - Bonus novella.  

Review

Call Me Mrs. Miracle is the second book in Debbie Macomber's Miracle series. Mrs. Miracle has come to Earth again to help the son of a wealthy department store owner and a young woman raising her nephew find love and healing in time for Christmas. Jake manages the toy department at Finley's, the department store his family has owned for decades. Because of a Christmas Eve tragedy when he was a boy, he and his father, the CEO of the company, haven't celebrated Christmas ever since. Then he chances to meet Holly, who is everything he's wanted in a woman. Holly is raising her widowed brother's son, while he's on deployment with the military. All young Gabe wants for Christmas is the latest toy robot, and thanks to Jake's research and planning, Finley's quickly becomes the only store in the tri-state area to still have it in stock. The robot is expensive, but despite having a low-paying job and her stingy boss denying her a holiday bonus, Holly is determined to somehow pay for it herself. She's also hoping to change Jake's mind about Christmas. Everything is going well, both romantically and with her saving the money for the toy, right up until Christmas Eve. It appears that Mrs. Miracle who's been working as a salesclerk in Finley's department store has made a mistake and sold the last robot that Jake was holding for Holly. But in reality it's part of a bigger plan to give Holly, Jake, Gabe, and others a Christmas they'll never forget.

Holly works as an assistant to a well-known clothing designer. The pay isn't great, but she's managed to get by, taking care of herself and her nephew while her brother is deployed. When her most recent relationship ended, her ex had questioned her parenting ability when she had difficulties managing his son, so she's determined to try her best to do a good job mothering Gabe. Part of that is creating a memorable Christmas for him, when he's missing his dad, and getting him a special gift. The only thing he's really enthusiastic about, though, is Intellytron, the latest, cutting-edge toy robot, which is very expensive. However, Holly is certain that she'll be able to afford it, when she gets her Christmas bonus, until she overhears her boss telling the company accountant that Holly is to be excluded from a bonus because of her not putting in more hours and effort due to her now raising her nephew. In spite of that, Holly starts pinching pennies, figuring she'll have just enough to buy it in time for Christmas Eve. Along the way, Holly has a chance meeting with Jake at Starbuck's. They hit it off and begin seeing more of each other. Upon discovering that Jake is the heir to the Finley's department store fortune, she initially can't fathom why he wants to go out with her, and she also wants to make sure that she can still make it financially on her own. After coming to an agreement with him about the robot (he'll hold one but still allow her to pay for it), they quickly start falling in love. In spite of his past trauma, she hopes she'll be able to change his mind about Christmas, and things are going well on that front. But the mix-up with the toy could jeopardize everything. Holly is a really nice person who is a great mother figure for Gabe. Even when things are looking bleak, she tries her best to keep her head up and spread Christmas cheer to everyone around her.

As the heir to the Finley's Department Store fortune, Jake has been trying to prove himself to his father. He's been managing the toy department at the store, and after doing a great deal of research, he decided to override their buyer to order five hundred Intellytrons, believing it will be the most popular toy of the season. At first, sales are slow, but they gradually begin to pick up. Even though the store is right in the thick of the holiday planning season, Jake and his father haven't celebrated the holiday for the past twenty-one years, because of a family tragedy. Instead, they take a flight out of town on Christmas Eve for a working vacation in the Caribbean and don't return until after the holidays. When Jake chances to meet Holly that all starts to change. She invites him to do Christmas-y things with them, and while he at first declines, he starts to think of all that he's missed out on through the years and begins to warm up to the idea of celebrating again. Although things are moving quickly between them, Holly keeps proving that she's everything Jake has been searching for in a woman, and Gabe is easy for him to like, too. When Holly voices concern that she might not be able to afford the robot Gabe wants for Christmas, Jake is happy to help out by holding one back for her, but respects her decision to want to find a way to pay for it herself. Overall, Jake is a really nice guy, who's a great match for Holly. I'm glad that he was finally able to put his past trauma to rest and find some healing and enjoyment in Christmas again.

Call Me Mrs. Miracle is a heartwarming Christmas story that was an enjoyable read. Throughout reading it, my rating was hovering in the four-star range. I was liking it, but it wasn't hitting any emotional highs or lows for me to really grab my attention. I also thought that it was a little predictable. One thing that I thought might happen did, although I'll admit that the reasons for it were a surprise, as was how everything turned out in the end. The well-done finale turned out to be just enough to bump it up that extra half-star to keeper status for me. Holly and Jake were likable characters, as was Gabe who I felt was rendered very age-appropriately. Jake's dad and Holly's boss are a little grinchy to start with, but gradually warm up to the spirit of the holiday season. Mrs. Miracle, as usual, hovers around the periphery, minding her charges and helping them find each other, as well as healing, so they can have a hopeful future. Everything came together to make Call Me Mrs. Miracle a pleasant, if low-key, holiday read that was a prefect compliment to the season. I look forward to checking out the Hallmark movie based on the book as well.

The Christmas Basket by Debbie Macomber - Bonus novella.

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Debbie Macomber

Themes

Babies & Children
Beta Heroes
Christmas Stories
G/PG-Rated Romance
Opposite Sides of the Track