A Book A Week

The holidays are officially upon us. There may not be snow at my Texas home, but it is certainly snowing on the blog! Readers of the blog will know I usually stick to mystery/suspense novels as my primary genre. At the start of this year, I resolved to read a larger variety of books. I still read a ton of mystery/suspense stories, but I've added a lot more non-fiction, memoirs, horror, and even a few YA/romances to my list. In that same spirit, I've decided to read a few holiday-themed books to round out my year. Kimberly over at Caffeinated Reviewer gave a glowing recommendation to Elin Hilderbrand's Winter Series. Kimberly has never steered me wrong before, so I decided to kick off my holiday reading with the first novel in that series.

Winter Street follows the extended Quinn family as they deal with the various dramas of their life on Nantucket. Kelley Quinn, the patriarch of the family used to be married Margaret Quinn, the same esteemed Margaret Quinn who currently anchors the CBS Evening News.  Years ago, the couple divorced. Kelley moved himself and their three children away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan to the decidedly quieter Nantucket. Kelley has since remarried. He along with his wife Mitzi run the Winter Street Inn.

The first signs of trouble in paradise arise when Kelley catches his wife making out with the inn's long-running Santa. Mitzi quickly announces that she's in love with the Santa and has been conducting a twelve-year affair with the man. She abruptly leaves the inn, leaving Kelley to pick up the pieces. What is supposed to be a happy time of year soon makes a sour turn as each of Kelley's children are faced with crises of their own.  Legally questionable business deals, an unexpected pregnancy, and a love triangle plague each of the children. Kelly and Mitzi's son, the youngest of the Quinn clan, is stationed with the military in Afganistan. This leaves Kelley to try to rally everyone together to have a Merry Christmas.

Other than Kimberly's review, I had no real expectations of what to expect from Winter Street of Elin Hilderbrand. I was afraid the novel would be full of the schmaltzy happiness that fills all of those cringe-worthy Hallmark Channel movies. What I got instead was an honest portrayal of family life during the holidays. The novel shifts perspectives to each character as they each deal with their holiday woes. My only complaint is that with so many shifting perspectives we don't really get to see the full depth of each character. There are three more novels in this series, so I'm sure we'll get to learn more about them. For now, Winter Street is a genuine portrait of a family that more closely mirrors the other families of real life than those in the movies or TV. Despite their imperfections, the Quinn family is the kind I can relate to and the kind I'm happy to start my holiday season with.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
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