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romafo's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
krystlekouture's review
2.0
Loved the first book in this series. This one was very slow and repetitive.
jackiesam's review
4.0
Loved the history and the characters, wasnt as enthralled as I was with the first one. Maybe I'll pick up the third book next year.
fae_noir's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I loved the idea of the plot, and the inclusion of real historical figures and events. However, this book is a great example of an author not knowing what pieces of historical research are necessary to include, and which are bogging down the story. Writers are told over and over that not all of their painstaking historical research will ultimately make it into the final draft, and in the case of How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, the historical expose was so heavy it felt like I was reading a textbook instead of a novel. It definitely could have either been cut down, or at least reincorporated into the action so it would have informed the audience with the characters doing, rather than telling. I love the idea of Mrs. Claus telling the story in past tense like she's telling it to an audience, but in practice it actually disconnected me from the story. I never actually felt like I was in the middle of the events experiencing it with her. I've never felt that level of disconnect from a first person perspective before, and it wasn't fun. Also, for a person who has lived for over 1000 years, Mrs. Claus seemed at multiple points to be extremely naive and childish. Yes she and her friends try to stay on the fringes of society, but I can't believe that she would really be so ignorant of how suspicious it would look if she were seen sneaking into other people's houses. At one point she is accused of passing along information as a spy (not going to say for whom) and her response is that she was only inside so-and-so's house for a moment, not long enough to pass on information. Um, hello? A moment is all it takes to leave a note! Needless to say, as someone who loves historical documentaries I think Jeff Guin should write nonfiction Christmas histories, since the historical research comes through in his writing as his true passion.
megansgc's review against another edition
4.0
Delightful story that really speaks to the spirit of Christmas with a bit of interesting history thrown in there. Love this series so much!
paperbacks_and_ponytails's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a great read, I thoroughly enjoyed it as much as the first book in the Christmas Chronicles. This book is all in the POV of Mrs. Claus and her involvement in helping to save Christmas in 17th century England. I really love how Jeff Guinn brings in historical facts mixed with his great storytelling talent. I cannot wait to read the third book.
pbanditp's review against another edition
3.0
Fun alternate history story but it felt like the first quarter of the book was a retelling of The Autobiography is Santa Claus except there weren’t as many times of them making fun of Nicholas’ weight. The rest of the book was about the time that Mrs. Claus was separated from Nicholas. He went to America and she stayed in England and they were apart for like 30 or 40 years. The Puritans are taking over England and they want to ban Christmas. Mrs. Claus tries to save it while being on England’s Most Wanted List.
kemendraugh's review against another edition
4.0
That was the exact type of Christmas fluff I was looking for, yes it was.