(Review) Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

TITLE: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball
AUTHOR: Donita K. Paul
PUB DATE: October 2010
PUBLISHER: Water Brook Multnomah
PAGES: 226

SOURCE: Received from publisher

About This Book (from publisher’s site)
Can mysterious matchmaking booksellers bring two lonely hearts together in time for Christmas?

In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad’s (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick. And the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they’ve decided to bring together.

This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers’ best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?

MY THOUGHTS:
When I got asked to review this book I have to say I jumped at it. I loved the premise of the story and of course really anything involving a bookstore/books you can almost count me in.

I found this to be a quick, fun and interesting read. I thought this was the perfect book to read over the holiday season. The holiday season is a magical time and it makes you believe that anything is possible and this book is exactly like that. I love fairy tales and this reminded me that this book is just like a fairy tale.

I should let you know that this is Christian fiction with a little bit of fantasy thrown in. But honestly it didn’t really feel as though I was reading a Christian fiction book.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball is about a hard working young lady named Cora Crowder. Cora likes to spend the holidays alone (thats her tradition) but always plans ahead and makes sure she has all her holiday shopping done and shipped to her estranged family. For Cora its not about the frenzy of the holiday but what christmas is really about.

Cora is searching for a present for her uncle and she knows she will look for a book that has knights, castles, sword fighting etc. She happened to find this bookstore online and was her to go and check it out. It seemed as thougth this book was calling out to her online because Warner, Werner and Wizbotterdad’s would always be there in her search.

As she is in the bookstore her boss Simon walks in looking for a book as well. When they both leave for some reason they seem off key. Something has happened and they aren’t sure what.

I thought Simon’s character was fantastic. He appears to be shy and a very private person but really doesn’t appear to be friendly. He is the kind of man I think you hope to meet one day and perhaps he might be the knight in shining armour a girl is looking for. We realize that he is the man and stepping up to take care of his family (mother and sister, Sandy who has down syndrome). He works hard to take care of his family and he does want a family of his own but it just never seems to work for him. This was another thing I loved about Simon, he wasn’t embarassed by his sister.

I loved how both Simon and Cora got tickets to this magical ball that no one really knows about. When they both talk about it Simon would love to take his sister because he things she would love it and Cora has no plans on going and is willing to give her ticket to Simon. Of course circumstances bring these two together. Will the both realize it?

I loved this quote:

Be brave and try new things.

This is something that I try to do and I noticed that as I am getting older I feel as though I am constantly thinking that. I think we all need to be brave and try new things. Stepping outside our comfort zones.

Donita K. Paul is the author of several books and I have to say that this is my first time hearing of this author but after reading this one I plan on checking out some of her other books.