Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

Mark Nolan's life plan didn't include children or a family. Not after the wreck his own childhood was. But when his sister Victoria is killed in a car accident, Mark has no option but to take on his six year old niece Holly, and try to do his best by her. To do so, Mark moves into his brother Sam's house in Friday Harbor (located in the San Juan Islands), knowing he can't do it alone.

But how well can two single men raise a little girl? Well, they are certainly going to try.

Maggie Conroy moved to Friday Harbor to start over after the death of her husband nearly 2 years before. In the island, she owns a magical toy shop, which enchants Holly and starts to bring her back from the sad place she fell into by missing her mom despite loving her uncles very much.

Mark doesn't believe in magic but he can't help to notice how Maggie connects with Holly. He can't help to notice Maggie herself!

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor it's a pretty straight forward story and I really liked it for it. I wouldn't really call it a Christmas story, but it was sweet just the same, more of a chick lit story rather than a straight-romance.

Still, there is a lovely relationship that develops between Maggie and the entire Nolan family. All of them are hurt and a bit afraid of love (Maggie and Holly because they have lost loved ones, and Mark, Sam and Alex (youngest brother) because most of their lives, family meant trouble rather than comfort). But they eventually give life another chance and that's always lovely to read about.

It's a short book, though. Or at least it felt very short to me and I wanted more (more info, more back story, etc), but I know that I'll see these characters again in Rainshadow Road, the second book of this series, which will be out in 2012.

Favorite Quote: "A good conversation always involves a certain amount of complaining. I like to bond over mutual hatreds and petty grievances.” - Maggie.

1/3