Alright, this was pretty disappointing for me. I really liked the premise of this story which is why I picked it up. The idea of one character being a glaciologist (not something you read everyday) interested me and although the rest sounded pretty typical and predictable, that doesn't mean it can't be a joy to read.Unfortunately this one wasn't very enjoyable, though. It was alright, for sure, but as mentioned in some reviews the characters felt very one-dimensional, very unreal, almost like puppets that were put in a certain box beforehand and then suited with the appropriate adjectives. One character was a big scientist, always using logical thinking, but not knowing anything about the emotional side of things (Ahm... what? I'm a big fan of logical thinking being a scientist myself, but that one is so far over the top, it's not even funny). He was awkward in social situations, never had an emotional relationship to anyone in his life, but had no qualms of connecting to a total stranger, trusting him with his and his nephew's welfare, and telling him 'I love you' in the span of what? a week? Hmm... that seems like a bit of a fast turnaround, doesn't it? The other main character, Lance, is, of course, his total opposite. He's emotional, nurturing, caring, and dreams of being a house-dad (that I actually liked, you rarely see this in books, but why shouldn't he dream of it?), although he got a proper college education as to not disappoint his family's expectations. He was very much the overly sensitive type, always taking everything to heart and feeling hurt very quickly. I found his character to be far more believable than Magnus', but he also lacked depth and ... personality, I think.I generally found it very hard to connect to the characters and although I knew after the first couple of pages how the characters looked like, at the end of the book, I still had no idea who they were. Not to mention the weird happenings with Jakob's other uncle and his wife (Seriously, what was that? What were the reasons for their behaviour? Why could they think they would get away with it? Not to mention that the actions of law enforcement seemed slightly unrealistic...) or the fact that Jakob seemed like a pretty weird 8/9-year old to me with his way of dealing with everything and with the things he said. And finally, the writing style: To me, it seemed pretty corny, awkward, and way over the top sometimes. I'm sorry to say that I seriously doubt I'll continue to read this series. A new twist on a Christmas season story. My first Serena Yates story and definitely not be my last! Serena weaves a wonderful tale of two very different men destined to complete each other. She had me cheering for them from the very beginning, especially for Lance. I was practically shouting "Come on Magnus! What are you waiting for? Step under that mistletoe and kiss that sweet boy!" If you are looking for hard core look somewhere else, but if you want to enjoy a sweet,touching, uplifting story that will renew your faith in love, The Mistletoe Phenomenon is a good choice. Serena's descriptions were vivid and her characters clearly defined. I felt cold when they were cold and hot when they were....er...hot. READ IT! You will not be disappointed.
What do You think about The Mistletoe Phenomenon (2009)?
Quite mediocre. Even for a Christmas story. It was too rushed and unrealistic.
—JENNI
Very cute story! Reading it was a great way to spend Christmas morning. :)
—mim
I enjoyed this story immensely. It left me warm and thoroughly satisfied.
—Shif
Christmas and romance, my favorite combination.
—MassieKur
