Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (Kleypas)

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (Friday Harbor, 1)
Lisa Kleypas, 2010
Publisher
240 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780312605872


Summary
One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—1964
• Where—N/A
• Education—B.A., Wellesley College
• Awards—RITA Award (twice)
• Currently—lives in Washington, USA


Lisa Kleypas is a best-selling American author of historical and contemporary romance novels.

Kleypas has always loved to read, especially within the romance genre. She began writing her own romance novels during her summer breaks from studying political science at Wellesley College, Her parents agreed to support her for a few months after her graduation so that she could finish her latest manuscript. Approximately two months later, at age 21, Kleypas sold her first novel.

At approximately the same time, the 5'2" Kleypas was named Miss Massachusetts. During her competition at the Miss America pageant, Kleypas sang a song she had written, earning her a "talented nonfinalist" award.

Kleypas has been a full-time romance writer since selling that first book. Her novels have ranked high on major best-seller lists, sold millions of copies around the globe and have been translated into fourteen different languages.

In October 1998, Kleypas's Texas home flooded within a matter of hours after heavy rains inundated their town. She and her family lost everything except the clothes they were wearing and her purse. Within days,her colleagues at Avon sent boxes of clothes and books to help the family recover. For Kleypas, though, the defining moment was the after the flood, when she and her mother (whose home had also flooded), made a quick trip to the store to purchase toothbrushes, clean clothes, and other necessities. Separately, each of them had also chosen a romance novel, a necessity to them in helping them escape the stress they were currently under. To Kleypas, this realization validated her decision to write romance novels instead of more literary works.

Though primarily known for her historical romance novels, Kleypas made an announcement in early 2006 concerning her momentary departure from historical romances to delve into the contemporary romance genre. She does plan to write historical romances again in the future.

Lisa lives in Washington with her husband, Gregory, and their two children. (From Wikipedia.)

Book Reviews
Poignant, heartbreaking, and deeply satisfying.
RT Book Reviews


A sweet and romantic holiday love story…. Friday Harbor [is] a memorable place to visit.
A Romance Review


Kleypas (Love in the Afternoon) finds a little romantic magic in this spritely charmer. Mark Nolan's happy-go-lucky bachelorhood is interrupted by the death of his sister and his subsequent guardianship of her six-year-old daughter, Holly, who is traumatized into muteness and desperately seeking a maternal figure. Enter Maggie Collins, a toy shop owner who lost her own husband to cancer. As the holiday season draws closer, Maggie, Mark, and Holly begin to spend more time together, and Maggie and Mark's attraction becomes too powerful to ignore. Kleypas's holiday offering is sweet, romantic, and genuine, and avoids, thankfully, all the cheesy holiday miracle cliches. A solid romance with strong leads, this is a refreshing holiday treat.
Publishers Weekly


Thrown into instant fatherhood when his sister is killed in a car accident and he becomes the guardian of six-year-old Holly, practical, no-nonsense businessman Mark Nolan needs all the help he can get. He just doesn't expect it to come from imaginative Maggie Collins, the young, insightful widowed owner of the Friday Harbor toy store, who uses a "magic" conch shell to coax Holly to say her first words since the accident. Intrigued by Holly's immediate connection to a virtual stranger and curious about Maggie, Mark soon realizes she is "The One." Now he just needs to wait for Maggie to be brave enough to risk her heart once more. Verdict: With the perfect amount of local San Juan Island detail, an abundance of realistic, appealing, and a new take on the classic "bachelor father" plot, this well-written, heartwarming, gently humorous story is a charmer from start to finish. Kleypas (Love in the Afternoon) lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Library Journal

Discussion Questions
1. Mark and Sam accept the responsibility of raising their niece Holly, even though they have no previous experience with children. What are some of the positive and/or negative ways that instant parenthood would affect someone's life?

2. Mark tells Maggie, "Being alone isn't safety. It's just being alone." Maggie believes that she is
protecting herself by staying alone, but is she?

3. Mark considers that his parents' marriage "had featured all the worst components of marriage, but
none of its graces." How has his parents' relationship shaped the 3 Nolan children? Has the memories
of your parents' relationship affected the way you relate to people now? If so, in what way(s)?

4. At the beginning of the story, Mark thinks that a "strict diet of reality" is best for a child. Do you
agree? Should a child be allowed to believe in things like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus?

5. Maggie tells Mark that two uncles and a little girl can be defined as a family. Do you agree? How do
you define a family?

6. Mark tells Holly that "love is a choice." However, in Holly's opinion, "love is something that happens
to you." Whose view do you agree with, and why?

7. Elizabeth advises Maggie, "You have a new life. Keep the old friends, but it doesn't hurt to add some
new ones." Why might you need to add new friends for a new phase of your life? What could they
bring to the relationship that would be different from what old friends can offer?

8. While thinking about the death of her husband, Maggie reflects that "the loss would always stay
with you, like a reminder note pinned to the inside of your jacket." How long do you think a widow or
widower should wait before trying to find love again? How would someone know that she or he is
ready for new emotional risk? What are some of the possible complications of dating a widow or
widower?

9. Mark says, "I don't know that being right for each other is always the best foundation for a
relationship." What do you think he means?

10. Mark tells Maggie, "I've never thought of a failed relationship as a waste of time. You always learn
something." What is the most important thing you've learned from a failed relationship?

11. Some of Maggie's family holiday traditions, such as having her special mac and cheese dish, are
mentioned in the story. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions, and what do they mean to
you?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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