Christmastime is perfect time for some romance

By LEZLIE PATTERSON

u Lezlie Patterson is a former columnist for The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C. Readers may send her e-mail at lpattersonsc.rr.com. To read more of her romance reviews go to http://lezlie-romance.blogspot.com.

It’s that time of year.

The time Christmas romances are appearing.

Many, such as Linda Lael Miller’s 1990 “Glory, Glory,” are beloved reruns, which appear much like holiday movie classics “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”

Others are new gifts from familiar names such as Lisa Plumley, whose Yultide story and characters in “Home for the Holidays” may make you laugh — and shake your head — but are certain to put you in a holiday mood.

“Glory, Glory” by Linda Lael Miller (Silhouette, $4.99, paperback)

When she was 18, Glory was the town beauty totally in love with Jesse, grandson of the judge who ruled the town. Gramps discovered Glory was pregnant, and threatened to send her innocent brother to jail if she didn’t leave town immediately and never contact Jesse again.

Jesse thought Glory accepted money to leave town and didn’t know she was pregnant. When Glory returns to town many years later, she discovers the daughter she was forced to give up for adoption.

What ensues is fairly predictable. Jesse is pouting and moping about Glory leaving him all those years ago and refuses to trust her. It gets worse when he finds out they parented a child together.

Glory is determined not to let Jesse railroad her like his grandfather did. And although they “succumb” to their attraction a couple of times, it feels wrong and not completely satisfying.

For his part, Jesse is pretty much a jerk. A nice jerk, but a jerk. Of course, Jesse finds out what really happened and they all live happily-ever-after.

Still, he could have groveled a bit more.

HOW IT STACKS UP

uuuOverall rating. The first time you realize “Glory, Glory” is an 18-year-old book is when Glory stops to use a pay phone. Then you realize, Miller has come a long way with her writing since 1990. It reads a bit awkwardly at times, but it’s still a good way to get a holiday romance fix.

u Hunk appeal: 10. You just want to yell at him, “Get over it!” Though Jesse does realize his transgressions at the end and somewhat adequately grovels, you never get the feeling he truly empathizes with Glory’s plight years earlier.

u Happily-Ever-After: OK. Again, although the “light bulb goes off” so to speak, Jesse never satisfactorily realizes what it was like for Glory. He just mumbles an apology, and Glory forgives him too easily. And although Glory’s answer to his proposal was perhaps realistic and pragmatic — well, who wants realistic and pragmatic in a romance novel?

“Home for the Holidays” by Lisa Plumley (Zebra, $6.99, paperback)

Rachel is a rather annoying small-town-girl-turned-LA-snob, who gets an unfair comeuppance in the big city, and decides to hide out and lick her wounds back home during Christmas.

Reno is the local hero, the small-town kid who made it big in the NFL, who then returned home to run a sporting goods store and endear himself to the locals by being the go-to-for-any-favor man about town. So, he was only doing one of his favors when he agreed to pick up Rachel at the airport.

Their courtship was rather unorthodox, since Rachel was in full LA-is-so-much-better-than-this-place mode, and Reno was determined to change her mind. There was also the fact that Reno was suffering a lot of guilt because his best buddy fancied himself in love with Rachel, and was counting on Reno to hook him up.

Oh, and then there were Reno’s parents, who separated over Tom’s insensitive Christmas gift.

In other words, this is vintage Plumley. She’s created a cast of characters that are a bit eccentric, quirky and likeable and spun a story that will make you smile.

HOW IT STACKS UP

uuuuOverall rating. It’s really tough to not like a holiday book. And it’s really tough not to like the quirkiness and fun that Plumley infuses in all her stories. And there’s lots of Christmas in this one as well!

u Hunk appeal: 10. Reno is just a good guy. Almost too good, at times. He loses points when Rachel discovers he was supposed to be setting her up with his best friend, by deciding he’s the affronted because she doesn’t understand how he felt.

u Happily-Ever-After: Good. It’s another hero-rushing-after-heroine-to-stop-her-from-leaving scene. But hey, it works! Reno goes after Rachel, catches her, apologizes — accepts her apologies — and both say very mushy, very romantic stuff that makes it a good ending.