🎄🎸🎹🎼🎵🎶 “A Christmas Love Song” (2021) 🎶🎵🎼🎹🎸🎄 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW

 

 

Publisher: Champagne Book Group (November 8, 2021)
Language: English

 

“Once a huge pop star, Jake Wilder hasn’t written a hit song in over ten years. Stuck playing small-time venues where only his most dedicated fans remember him, a comeback seems improbable. But even those gigs are quickly drying up, and if Jake doesn't do something soon, he'll slide into permanent has-been oblivion. In a twist of fate, a record executive, with a soft spot for retro artists, holds a competition in search of pop musicians to write a new Christmas classic. 

 

Longing to become a serious and respected journalist, Mackenzie Stone scoffs at her latest assignment to write a profile about a washed-up pop singer. She would prefer to cover hard news rather than light stories assigned by her editor who seems unwilling to give her a chance. Determined to write a noteworthy story and at the same time prove herself, it’s up to Mackenzie to help inspire Jake to compose a Christmas classic. 

 

As Jake struggles to overcome his anxieties and write a great song, Mackenzie digs for a story of substance. Together they find love while also discovering the true meaning of Christmas.”

 

Thank you in advance to Kate Rock Book Tours for providing an advanced review copy. A positive review was not required, and all words are my own.

 

Those who know me KNOW:

 

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! There is definitely something magical about the season/holiday, and no matter how bad the year has been – Christmas definitely makes it entirely better.

Why is it so magical? Hmmm …

 

🍬Candy

🎄 Christmas Tree

🎁 Gifts

🎃 Pumpkin Scented Everything (almost everything)

❄️ Weather

🎼 Music

 

Yes, the music is a HUGE part of it. And, that’s what makes this story SO beautiful – the idea of a comeback with an ORIGINAL Christmas song. One of the ones mentioned, Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You is one of my favorites. And, the history of it is told in the story to inspire Jake.

 

This is the first book I’ve read by the author. I’ve had a lot of bad reads from “new-to-me” author, I’ve had some stellar reads. This is definitely one of the “stellar” reads.

 

And, this fits the season – curl up on the couch, warm blanket, twinkling lights, hot cocoa, cozy socks optional (I’m not into socks) – and how could you not want to jump right into reading this book? That cover definitely puts me in the Christmas mood already. Yes, I don’t care that it isn’t even Halloween. Again, I LOVE Christmas.

 

The characters are definitely a good mix up:

 

Jake – former pop star, trying to make a comeback

Mackenzie – journalist looking for more than fluff pieces

Bodhi – Jake’s manager, obviously wants Jake to have a hit

Kacey – not only Mackenzie’s friend, but a fan of Jake’s

 

Even the support characters really mix well into this.

 

A Christmas Love Song definitely has some realistic tones to it: former “hit” music star, 10 years later “who’s he” vibe, comeback story.

 

I’m sure some artists, even actors, can agree – fans and the industry are VERY fickle. One day/month/year/decade – they’re riding high and highly sought after. The next? “Uh, who are they? They did what? OMG, that was SO long ago!!”

 

Next thing you know, the actor/artist is on Dancing with the Stars, Celebrity Big Brother, or some reality show to make either a comeback or to come back to some kind of relevance. Or, in some cases – just to make some money to pay the bills.

 

The author definitely brings that reality into this story. I think that made this a fantastic, beautiful, and sweet story; yet at the same time, there is a bitter sadness. I could EASILY see this as a Hallmark Christmas movie (not this year of course, but for 2022??). It definitely has everything needed – great characters, great story, and four great POVs (Jake, Mackenzie, Bodhi, and Kacey).

 

From the first chapter it’s clear – Jake has had some great glory days. Yet, 10 years later? He’s not doing so well. His star is just about to go out permanently. He was even People’s Sexiest Man Alive at one point, which doesn’t seem to win anyone over. Sorry, but I got one better in my eyes 🥰 

 

Anyway …

 

Jake has a shot at redemption – writing a NEW Christmas song. That isn’t easy. As we all know, a lot of the songs on the radio are classics from about the 1930’s-1960’s; most of them have been “covered” by 100’s of artists.  

 

Some “original” ones I know of and love (besides Mariah Carey’s):

 

White Christmas (this has a funny story – accounts vary as to when and where Irving Berlin wrote the song. One story is that he wrote it in 1940, in warm La Quinta, California, while staying at the La Quinta Hotel. He often stayed up all night writing. One day he told his secretary, “I want you to take down a song I wrote over the weekend. Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it's the best song anybody ever wrote.”)

 

My take? He was definitely right. With 50 million copies sold, not only is Bing Crosby's “White Christmas” the best-selling Christmas song of all time, it's also the best-selling single ever, according to Guinness World Records. (Reference: Country Living, December 2020) (My favorite version: Bing Crosby’s of course)

 

Do You Hear What I Hear? (written in October 1962; has sold tens of millions of copies and has been covered by hundreds of artists). This is my SECOND favorite Christmas song. (My favorite version: Bing Crosby)

 

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree (written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists. By the song's 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had sold over 25 million copies with the 4th most digital downloads sold of any Christmas single.) (Brenda Lee)

 

Jingle Bell Rock (is an American popular Christmas song first released by Bobby Helms in 1957). (Is there any version BETTER than the original??)

 

An “honorable mention” goes to Amy Grant’s Let the Season Take Wing. Despite the rarity (if you weren’t around then, you wouldn’t know about it), this is one of my ABSOLUTE favorites. It was a 1992 Christmas music single that was released only on cassette tape and was sold exclusively in Target stores during the Christmas season with the purchase of her HOME FOR CHRISTMAS album. After 27 years, in 2019, the song was included on the limited-edition vinyl box set of Grant's first three Christmas albums.

 

That is roughly SIX (6) total “original” songs I can think of. It’s clear that Jake has some serious work ahead of him.

 

Bad thing? A looming deadline.

Worse? He doesn’t have the “feels” about Christmas that Mackenzie has (blasphemy!).

 

Mackenize is tired of doing “fluff” pieces at the newspaper. She wants a “real” journalist story; something with “grit”. Of course, her current boss (Mr. Hughes) thinks it would be a great human-interest story. To be honest, I’d rather read about good news than bad news. There’s far too much bad in the world. That reminds me of a line from Fiddler on the Roof – “why don't you ever bring us some good news?”

 

Of course, like me – SHE LOVES CHRISTMAS! And, that is a plus for her.

 

Her friend Kacey LOVED Jake’s music. Perhaps there is a story here after all!

 

The reader doesn’t have to wait too long to figure out what ruined Jake’s career.  

 

I HAD to laugh at the first meeting between Jake and Mackenzie. I had a feeling it was either him or someone close to him when she first met the stranger while looking for Jake’s house.

 

Despite Jake’s “good looks”, he’s still single. Though he had been engaged. Readers later learn this is the reason for the “bah humbug” spirit.

 

He tells Mackenzie he’ll come up with something, but he doesn’t know what it will look like. They end up singing Christmas carols for a bit.

 

There is a heartier story that comes up with regard to a councilman facing criminal charges, but the story is assigned to someone else. I mention this because I would’ve LOVED to have seen the conclusion with this story.

 

Bodhi invites Mackenzie and Kacey to a performance of Jake’s. And idea comes up for Mackenzie to help Jake write the song. But, would that really be ethical? It’s not mentioned and is quickly dismissed.

 

Of course, Bodhi wants Jake to succeed and he calls in Kacey to help reach Mackenzie. Things get off on the wrong foot between them. But, their “romance” ends up being a secondary storyline between the two and one I HOPE we get to read about in a future book.

 

When Mackenzie’s sister has a car accident (her sister and son are all right, thankfully – though no details about it). It is really fortuitous to Mackenzie and Jake. In addition, Mackenzie’s nephew Dylan gets a boost from Jake’s advice.

 

It is obvious that Big Bear gives Jake some of the inspiration that he needs to get the job done. And, Mackenzie gives him a boost with her vote of confidence as well. After all, as Mackenzie tells Jake, Mariah Carey wrote All I Want for Christmas is You in New York during the summer. She did so by decorating her home. As of note, between her and her co-writer (Walter Afanasieff), it took 15 minutes to compose and is a HUGE hit even as of 2020.

 

But, as with most cutesy Christmas stories – there’s a Grinch lurking. For Mackenzie it is in the form of Ross Overton who ends up putting a roadblock to her story. It starts off innocently with Hughes and a family emergency. And, yes, it is predicable that it only gets worse.

 

Meanwhile Dylan is trying to impress a girl with his own cover of Jingle Bell Rock. The band he’s in has quit, leaving him out of the performance for the tree lighting ceremony. But, as with everything Christmas – there’s a miracle lurking.

 

Mackenzie has enough faith for both her and Jake as it comes to the song.  

 

Jake, with Bodhi’s help, arranges a birthday surprise for Mackenzie.

 

The more Jake is with Mackenzie, the more he realizes certain things. One of those? He wants more time with her. And, he is there to help her when her career is upended by an archnemesis.

 

Jake eventually gets his song, and Mackenzie will have her story. She then wants more time with Jake.

 

Of course, the time with Jake will look bad for both of them. Though not through their own actions. Readers will definitely see who is behind the slander though.

 

The recording company is happy with the song … but there is a catch. Reilly really had a handle on this one, and it made me think of all those hits not sung by certain people.

 

Kacey and Bodhi’s romance is on hold because of her ex-boyfriend who returns. I wanted to scream “he’s your EX for a reason”.

 

Near the end of the story, I was almost biting my nails.

 

Were Kacey and Bodhi going to get together?

Was Jake going to get to record his song?

Was Mackenzie going to get her story?

What about that slanderous article?

 

Reilly got and held my attention until the very end. And, it was definitely a beautiful ending. I wasn’t ready for the story to end, and hope our favorite characters return for another Christmas story.

 

The short chapters made this a FAST read, and definitely held my interest from beginning to end. The relevant pop-culture references, realistic story, sweet dialogue, and over all goodness puts book up high on my list as a holiday favorite.

 

There were a few typos in this. Jake makes a reference to Epson salt. It is EPSOM. Not EPSON. EPSON is a printer/scanner brand. That didn’t affect the overall tone or telling of the story though.

 

I had a few similarities to Mackenzie – the Starbucks deal. Most people who know me would laugh at my coffee habit. Of course, nowadays I make my own drinks. Also, the scar above her right eye. I’ve got a similar one. That was an accident with a non-safety glass plate-glass window. I have another scar in the middle of my head too.

 

I also LOVED the shout-out to Palm Springs (a place I called home for a few years) as well as including Big Bear in the story. I’ve never been, but it is HIGH up on my list.

 

I absolutely adored Jake’s way with Dylan. He was patiently and kind, yet realistic without being a grouch or pessimist. And, they both seemed to have learned from each other.

 

For those looking for a “clean read” with no Christian or faith themed tones in it, this is exactly one of those books. There’s no intimacy (kissing and holding hands is all that goes on), and there is NO foul language. This would also be a cute “teen” read (15+). If Reilly puts out more work like this, I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to read her stories in the future.

 

It is true … we never grow tired of the songs we love. It’s two (2) months to Christmas, so here come the tunes!

 

 

 

 

RATING:

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – BookBub 

 

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Andee Reilly was born and raised in Los Angeles. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside. After many years of teaching writing and literature at California State University, Channel Islands, Andee moved to Maui to pursue her dream of teaching at the University of Hawaii, writing full-time, and surfing the beautiful waves of Hawaii.

 

You can find her on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andee.reilly

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andeereilly/

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/andeereilly

 

Website: https://www.andeereilly.com/

 

 

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