Cam’s career and romantic prospects take a nose dive once she becomes guardian to her young nephew. She leaves a bustling Dutch city to move to a small, dull country town in England, and where once she restored magnificent old paintings to their former glory, now she operates the paint-mixing machine at a soulless hardware store. As much as she adores little Rowan, life has lost some of its sparkle.
However, a handsome and charming customer causes her heart to flutter once more. Fate, alas, seems determined to hamper any possibility of them getting together. So what chance does a tiny, naughty hamster have of bringing happiness this Christmas? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)
The hamster, or should I say “The Harley”, is a modern-day rodent Houdini!
A Christmas Hamster is a sweet story in and of itself, but The Harley really takes center stage here, weaving a “tail” that brings Cam closer to the dreams she never knew she wanted, or had. Within this hamster’s many tiny escapes and near magical hits and misses, Cam’s story unfolds a little at a time, giving us the background needed to better know and understand the type of relationship she has with her nephew, and why she’s made the choices she’s made that have placed her where she is.
I could appreciate the hard work and dedication she puts into everything, even when it isn’t her ideal life. But when she runs into the handsome and charming customer (Declan), we begin to see that there are times where we find out we are right where we need to be, even when we don’t see it yet. This also includes the animal force in Declan’s life, a precocious cat who at times interjects and gives his two cents’ worth, whether the reader asks for it or not. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel at first in hearing the cat’s point of view, but I found those scenes amusing and it gave us a look into what is going on behind the scenes with Declan. I think it would have been too easy to switch the point of view from Cam to Declan. It felt fitting to have an animal call the shots.
There are plenty of comical scenes sprinkled throughout, one of the most memorable being the pet store chaos. Cam really finds herself in a mess, and I was right there with her! Lisa is a really funny secondary character who works at the pet store, and every time Cam has a run in with her, it’s hilarious! It’s even more hilarious when identifying that there really are employees out there in similar stores and shops who are just like Lisa, and it was nice to see that Cam didn’t always handle those situations as well as she could have.
It’s been a while since I’ve been introduced to such a zany, carefree character like The Harley, and I’m not sure how I’d handle it if any of my pets (the guinea pig in particular) had near as much gumption as this little hamster has. It made for a super special spirited read, the perfect experience for the holidays!
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I'm an English expat living in France, having moved here with my family in 2006 after fourteen years as an expat in Ireland. Taking on seventy-five acres with three lakes, two hovels and one cathedral-sized barn, not to mention an ever increasing menagerie, makes for exciting times. The current array of animals ranges from alpacas to zebra finches, with most letters of the alphabet represented. And of course there are hamsters!
I'm a traditionally-published author of many children's books, and have been self-publishing fiction and non-fiction for adults for the last seven years. I combine freelance work as an editor with running carp fishing lakes with husband Chris. When time allows I enjoy cycling, geocaching, knitting and gardening.
Social Media Links:
Website * Facebook * Twitter: @llamamum/@penandfinch
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1 comment:
Thank you so much for taking part in my publication day celebrations! I'm glad you enjoyed reading about The Harley's adventures. Thank you for the lovely review.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas,
Kindest regards,
Stephanie
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