Review: Finding Christmas

by Joli
Published: Updated:

Emmie has Christmas spirit….a lot of it. She plans a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt for her workaholic boyfriend, Grant, that ends with him driving up to find Emmie in Christmas Point, a (you guess it) Christmas-themed town in the mountains above Seattle. When the doorman gives Emmie’s first clue to someone else in Grant’s condo on accident, Christmas craziness ensues. You see, the guy who gets the clue and proceeds to follow the whole thing is Sam, a hot guy filled with Christmas spirit who has already had a meet-cute with Emmie.

You can pretty much imagine how the rest of the story goes.

The author of Finding Christmas, Karen Schaler, is no stranger to these kinds of meet-cute stories:

Karen Schaler is a three-time Emmy Award–winning storyteller, author, screenwriter, journalist, and national TV host. She has written original screenplays for Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime Christmas movies, including the Netflix sensation A Christmas Prince. Karen wrote the Hallmark movie and novel Christmas Camp, and the sequel novella, Christmas Camp Wedding.

Naturally, when I picked up this book, I expected a whole lot of Christmas spirit and a whole lot of Hallmark-style, girly romanticism. I definitely wasn’t wrong.

While I certainly meant for this to be a light, girly read in between more serious novels, I was not prepared for the amount of fluff that it actually includes. It turned out to be waayyy more than I can handle! I think I read “____’s eyes lit up” or “____’s eyes got huge” at least once a chapter, and there are SO many scenes where characters are standing around saying the most polite things you can possibly imagine while smiling and laughing. It was the cheesiest thing I’ve ever read. Even the dog barked at all the right moments, in response to the characters 🤦‍♀️.

This book just wasn’t for me. Did it get me in the Christmas spirit? Okay sure, it did that job. But I rolled my eyes and said “oh, of COURSE that’s how it happens” throughout the whole thing. I couldn’t handle it.

If you love Hallmark movies and super cutesy romantic novels, maybe this one is for you. If you need a small amount of substance in your girly reads, skip this one. 2 stars from me.

About Finding Christmas

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (October 15, 2019)

With all the glittering decorations, twinkling lights, snow angels, gingerbread men and mistletoe, Christmas is Emmie’s first love.

This year, she can’t wait to share her favorite Christmas traditions with her boyfriend, Grant. She thinks he’s “the one.” So when Grant’s hectic work schedule has him more “Bah Humbug” than “Ho, Ho, Ho,” Emmie creates a holiday-themed scavenger hunt to help him find his Christmas spirit. At the end of the journey, Grant will arrive at the charming town of Christmas Point where she’s planned a romantic weekend filled with holiday activities.

But Emmie’s plan backfires when a mix-up has the wrong guy following her clues! Sam, a best-selling mystery writer, thinks Emmie’s clever Christmas riddles are from his agent, who is trying to help him get over his epic writer’s block.

When he arrives at Christmas Point and finds the stunned Emmie, he immediately feels she’s someone special, but she can’t see beyond the fact that the wrong guy has shown up. Inspired by the small, charming town, Sam decides to stay and convinces Emmie to join him in a little holiday fun while she waits for Grant.

When Grant finally shows up, Emmie is disappointed to discover he’s not enjoying the activities she planned and can’t help wonder if he’s really the one for her. She also can’t get Sam out of her mind and all the great times they had together. With Christmas coming fast, Emmie will need the magic of the season to help steer her in the direction of true love…

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Photo 2018 by Scott Foust

About Karen Schaler

Karen Schaler is a three-time Emmy Award–winning storyteller, author, screenwriter, journalist, and national TV host. She has written original screenplays for Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime Christmas movies, including the Netflix sensation A Christmas Prince. Karen wrote the Hallmark movie and novel Christmas Camp, and the sequel novella, Christmas Camp Wedding. Traveling to more than sixty-five countries as the creator and host of Travel Therapy TV, Karen is constantly inspired by the diverse people, places, and cultures she encounters. All of Karen’s stories are uplifting, filled with heart and hope.

Find out more about Karen at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.


Finding Christmas Book Cover
Finding Christmas William Morrow Paperback
author avatar
Joli
I'm currently a full-time writer/content strategist with an English degree living in Minneapolis, MN with my husband, young daughter, and black lab mix. I created Literary Quicksand to feed my love of books, writing, and community.

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3 comments

Karen Schaler, author of Finding Christmas, on tour October 2019 | TLC Book Tours October 26, 2019 - 3:13 pm

[…] Tuesday, October 22nd: Literary Quicksand […]

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Sara October 26, 2019 - 3:15 pm

I’m bummed this wasn’t a hit for you but I have to admit, your comment about the dog made me choke on my Cheez-Its. HA! Thank you for being on this tour! Sara @ TLC Book Tours

Reply
Joli October 27, 2019 - 10:29 am

Hahahaha Cheez-Its are amazeballs! I’m bummed too, but oh well – I’ll have to read a few more Christmas books to find my match 🙂

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