Sunday, November 8, 2015

The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson (Review)


  • Hardcover: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2015)
  • ISBN-13: 978-0800719678

Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that's exactly what she's getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix--in the dead of winter, no less--the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride--and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading this short Christmas book by Melody Carlson. The premise was interesting. Joy who is 85 years old wants to travel by RV with her middle aged neighbor Miranda down old Route 66 spreading Christmas Joy. Joy has a blog called Christmas Joy where she writes about Christmas. She held a contest for her readers and then picked six people who needed Christmas Joy. These are the stops she plans on the trip. She packs a ton of boxes with Christmas decorations labeled for each stop. Miranda is not sure what she got herself into but no way was she going to let Joy travel by herself at her age. I wish it was longer because I really liked the descriptions of each stop and the people whose lives were bleak and Joy rolls in and brightens it all up with Christmas decorations and sometimes a little more. When Joy gets sick before the last stop I was so disappointed! But Miranda takes up the reigns and does it by herself. I do not want to spoil the book for anyone but I did not like part of what happened on Miranda's last stop. I thought it was unbelievable even for a cozy Christmas book. Relationships between men and women do not form instantly or overnight into marriage talk especially strangers. Otherwise the conclusion was feel good and satisfying. This book definitely put me in the spirit to read more Christmas books. I have liked all the Christmas books by this author I have read. Recommended especially to fans of the Hallmark movies!



Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with combined sales of more than six million. She is the author of several Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas BusThe Christmas DogChristmas at Harrington's, and The Christmas Cat. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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