The Mistletoe Promise

The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's everything cheesy that you would expect from a Holiday book, but I loved it. I always seem to like Richard Paul Evans.
This is the story of Elisa & Nicholas. Two people who were lonely during the holidays & Nicholas, being a lawyer, came up with a contract which they called The Mistletoe Promise, where they would accompany each other during the holidays to Thanksgiving & Christmas events.
It reminded me of something like Pretty Woman, minus the hooker thing :)
It was a sweet story really as Nicholas swept Elise off of her feet through the holidays & as they started developing real emotions for each other. But they were both hiding a secret & not sure how the other would feel once each of their secrets were revealed.
Of course, as I mentioned, with cheesy holidays books come cheesy parts. Enter the role of Elise's ex-husband, Dan, who just got on my nerves & whose character just didn't fit with the class of the other two.
The stupid ex-husband didn't falter me from wanting to know what happens to these two.
It really was a fun read for the Holidays.

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Me Before You

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew this book was not going to have a happy ending.

When you hear of anyone talking about it & using the words like, heartbroken, tissues, puffy eyes... yeah, I knew going in to be prepared.

I still cried though. I'll use all those words myself now.

We meet Will Traynor. A man who had the life of a rich, powerful, business man playboy & how his life changed when he had an accident leaving him as a quadriplegic.
We meet Louisa who is looking for a job & not skilled for anything but somehow is hired for Will's caregiver. Two opposites together. She learning how to take care of Will. He learning how to make it through every day.

I don't want to give anything away because I think people have been really good at keeping the main points of the story to a place where you need to read it to find out where all this heart break comes from.

I will say I did enjoy the book. I was rooting for Lou. I was especially rooting for Will. I was rooting for the relationship they were developing. I was totally enraptured in the story.
It made me thankful for my health & the abilities I have & don't give much thought to.

The CONS of the book? I thought it was a little strange how they had a random chapter every now & then from someone else's point of view. It just felt odd to me.
The book is written from people in a different country, so to have different culture & use of words, it took me a bit to get used to some of it.
Neither of the cons made me dislike the book any less though.

In the end, I really enjoy the book, even though I closed it with a heavy heart & tear stained face. But if a book can move you to that emotion, then it gets a thumbs up for me.

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Neil Patrick Harris: Choose your Own Autobiography

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OK - let's put aside the face that I always said that I'm sure Neil Patrick Harris & I would be best friends if we met (which he confirmed in this book... seriously... he said those same words) - but this really is a fun book. Exactly what I expected from him.

And if you are wondering, it really IS an adventure book, just like the ones from when you were a kid. You can be on an adventure & make decisions as you want your life, as Neil Patrick Harris, to go.

I did try to do that but I was afraid I would miss something... which you would have if you didn't read it straight through. There's a spoiler for you. Or if you did do the adventure book style, look around for the pages that you missed then :)

But this is the story of his life from starting as a child actor, to a husband with twins & everything in between. It has its moments of realness, its moments of what growing up as a star looks like, its moments of what realizing you are gay, as a star, looks like. But even better, there are moments of funny, of a sense of humor that NPH has, a real person. & even pages of magic. Seriously. Real magic. He walks you through a few magic tricks ... that ALL work out! Don't ask me how. I really believe NPH is beyond magical now :) Try the tricks. You'll be amazed yourself.

I will say, there is language throughout the book & even a chapter that I was cringing with the language & the content.. but it was just a smidgen compared to the whole book.

In the end, I sat & read the last few chapters of how Neil & David became parents & what fatherhood is to him... & I seriously teared up. It was so moving. & the last part, just imaging how NPH would do it with the style of a Broadway star, I totally got choked up & wanted to start the adventure again.

I'm sad this book is over... a true sign of a good book.

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