Mistletoe safer bet than holiday romance novels

Around Christmas time, I try to pick up a holiday-themed book or two to put me in the Christmas spirit. This year, I found Debbie Macomber's Home for the Holidays at a grocery store and decided to try it.

Based on the fact that Macomber is a bestselling author and "a leading voice in women's fiction worldwide," according to the inside of the back flap, I figured I couldn't go wrong.

As it turns out, I was only partly right. Home for the Holidays is a really two mini-novels packed between one cover. The first story, called The Forgetful Bride, was written by Macomber in 1991, much earlier in her writing career. When Christmas Comes, the second short novel, was written much later than the first.

Macomber's writing maturation definitely shows when reading these two stories. The first is written in truly embarrassing prose in which Macomber makes some rookie novelist mistakes. But by the time I finished When Christmas Comes, it was clear that, while Macomber may not be a timeless writer of great fiction, her most recent writing does at least deserve its spot on the bestseller list.

The Forgetful Bride is a story of two childhood friends who reacquaint in their late 20s. The two main characters, Joe and Caitlin, stage a pretend marriage ceremony at the age of eight, and years later, Joe shows up, insisting they are still married. A predictable romance blossoms between the two during a Christmas season set in Seattle, and they eventually end up married.

Likewise, When Christmas Comes is another holiday romance tale, but one containing a few more plot turns to keep the reader interested.

In this story, Emily and Charles trade homes across the country, each hoping for a holiday vacation. They do this, however, without telling their friends and family first. So when Emily's friend Faith shows up in Leavenworth, Wash., hoping to visit Emily, she meets a stereotypical Christmas curmudgeon named Charles. At the same time, Charles' brother Ray shows up in Boston and finds Emily. Predictably, the two pairs find love from within the saccharine-sweet settings Macomber cooks up.

One thing Macomber's readers can be thankful for is the lack of lewd sex scenes that are incorporated into most romances.

It is always fun to read a book set in your own backyard, such as familiar Seattle restaurants like the Boathouse on Lake Union. Unfortunately, Macomber's writing style, while much improved over the years, still lacks a certain flavor. Her writing is stagnant, and while she knows how to move a plot along, her books aren't page turners.