Dear Santa,
I do not want Keller James for Christmas.
I will not fall for him, no matter how charming or irresistible or famous he is. I will not be swayed by his skills in the kitchen or by his British accent. I’m going to win the Great Gingerbread Bake Off and no one is going to stand in my way. Not even Keller.
All kisses are off. I mean all bets. All bets are off. And all his clothes.
Grr, never mind. I’ll figure this out myself.
XOXO,
Ginger Winter
The Main Characters.
Ginger Winter is the best sort of stereotype, and I am absolutely here for it. She comes from a holiday-obsessed small-town family, and she takes her legacy seriously. She's been baking sweets since she was a tiny tot. Her speciality is -- of course -- ginger treats of all kinds.
Keller James, a celebrity chef from the Food Network, is an absolute sweetheart. At first, Ginger suspects he's just buttering her up in order to get close to the competition, but -- spoiler alert! -- he's really just a nice guy who thinks she's adorable. This may make him come off as a bit of a flat character, but honestly, I just plain liked him. He's a kind, uncomplicated love interest who shares a passion for food with Ginger and isn't worried about letting her know he's attracted to her.
The Big Keyword: Holiday Story.
This short novella is the quintessential holiday story. If you unironically enjoy Hallmark holiday movies and romantic comedies, this novella is going to hit your sweet spot (pun fully intended). It doesn't involve any terrible real-life drama; even the so-called conflict is actually kind of cute. It's a fantastic palate cleanser between more serious novels, and it fully embraces all of its genre quirks.
The Big Misunderstanding.
Big misunderstanding might be a bit of a stretch. Cute misunderstanding, maybe. Adorable misunderstanding, sure. Basically, Ginger falls all over herself when she first meets Keller, the star of one of her favorite Food Network shows. At first, she thinks he's a celebrity judge for the show she's about to compete on -- but when she discovers he's a contestant instead, she decides his initial flirtations were just about buttering her up and scoping out the competition.
Again. He's just a nice guy. I kind of love that.
Fie, You Villain!
Villain? What villain? There's no villain here. Just a silly holiday love story. And lots of ginger sweets.
The Scorecard.
My Sweet Tooth Hurts.
The holiday references are over-the-top and utterly self-aware. Ginger makes an adorable female lead. Even the scenes where she's angry are still cute. Read this one with a side of holiday ginger snap cookies. It's short, adorable, and satisfying.
Why It's On the Bookshelf
I honestly can't say there was anything I disliked about this novella. It was the perfect read for the holiday season. I'll probably keep it around and give it a read every year from now on.
