Book Review: Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason

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Mallory Maitland knows all too well what it's like to feel abandoned, whifch is why she's sworn never to give up on her two stepsons - her late husband's children. But when the teens land in hot water, she's got a whole new problem: how to resist the caring and handsome Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan. All Mallory wants is to give the boys a magical holiday. She doesn't need the distraction of wondering what it would feel like to kiss Gabriel under the mistletoe. After his wife died, Gabriel left his job as an adrenaline-chasing New York City homicide detective to focus on raising his three sons. But back in Highland Falls, he doesn't have to go looking for trouble. It finds him - in the form of his beautiful neighbor and her troublemaking stepsons. With Gabriel's mother-in-law looking for any excuse to gain custody of his sons (her grandchildren), Gabriel can't risk getting involved with Mallory, even though she's the only woman capable of making this Christmas - and all the rest to come - his best ever. ~~~~ For a holiday read I found this rather disappointing. There was just too much angst. Too much sadness and anger and conflict. Gabriel's mother-in-law is insistent that they don't celebrate Christmas because it was around that time her daughter was killed in a car accident. Gabriel's youngest son is determined to have Christmas, and also to see his father with Mallory. Mallory's stepsons just want to go back to boarding school, which she cannot afford. She is trying to bring them around with the holiday spirit. And then there is her long-lost father who abandoned her. See? Nothing but misery in this book. Yes, everything gets resolved in the end, but that was also a bit over the top. There were also way too many characters for me to keep track of who everyone is. It was also slow going and too long. Sorry. I can't find any praise for this book.