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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Why I Wanted to Love Solve by Christmas More Than I Did

by Chautona Havig · 11 Comments

“Well, did you finish it?”

How I didn’t want to answer the question. When I did, she’d ask if I liked it. But, I couldn’t exactly say no, and anything other than yes would be deception—a lie anyway. I just didn’t want to answer.

“Chautona? Did you finish it?”

I tried not to show my thoughts as I nodded. “Yeah.”

Excitement bubbled over. “Well…?”

Who could blame her? Killer cover, great title, intriguing synopsis. Of course, she was eager to hear all about it.

I just wasn’t as eager to talk about it as I’d hoped to be.

Yeah.

Why I Wanted to Love Solve by Christmas More Than I Did

Note: this post may contain affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Why I Wanted to Love Solve by Christmas More Than I Did

I really wanted to love Solve by Christmas because it has everything I like in a book. Mystery, self-discovery, character growth, and all in a well-paced narrative that keeps you interested. It does!

In fact, there are so many things that I loved about it. Let’s start with those. Maybe it’ll make writing what I didn’t love easier.

The cover:

Some people might think that it’s not fair to put so much stock into a cover (pun intended for those who know cover design), but a good cover is a huge bonus for any book. This one has lovely elements that I have almost nothing to complain about.

The title:

This is equally lovely—short and snappy with everything it needs to tempt you!

Pacing:

The book never dragged—not once. That’s hard to do with a mystery, and I read somewhere that this is Amber Schamel’s first. Well done on that!

Characters:

Well, some of them. What I loved most about the characters is that they were varied and consistent. I just wish… well, let’s talk about that later.

Period in History:

Ms. Schamel chose a perfect time—just modern enough to have some of the more interesting elements of the new century without losing the delights that show the influence of Victorian and Edwardian culture.

Plot:

One could argue that the plot was rather simplistic and easy to follow. It was. But aside from parts that I’ll deal with later, that was part of the charm. I didn’t see this book as about being a complicated plot that we were supposed to have to riddle out but more about HOW Jasper, the hero, would do that and his character growth. Because of that (assuming I am right, anyway), I consider the plot to be a good one.

Writing:

I requested to review Solve by Christmas from Celebrate Lit. I assume that I received an ARC. If not, the book does have some typos but isn’t excessively littered with them. Other than the caveats I’ll share below, this book is written well with good attention to reader enjoyment. Details are there without weighing down the plot. She leaves enough clues throughout the book to give away the story without handing them over in a bag and saying, “Here… work out this puzzle. It should take you 2.5 minutes” like some books seem to.

Alas, Solve by Christmas also has some unfortunate flaws that kept me from loving it as much as I’d hoped to.

Characters:

I said I loved how varied and consistent they are, but that’s where it ends for most of them. While Denny was pretty much perfectly imperfect, our hero, Jasper, not so much. I LOVE flawed characters, and he is one. But you have to be sympathetic to them as well. I wasn’t. I just wanted him to figure everything out so I could be done with him. Yes, he improved over the book, but a little too neatly—like the insta-conversions you used to read in Sunday school papers.

Writing:

Okay, while most of it was great, at the beginning, I was nervous. Please don’t let it stop you. It gets good and quickly—except for a few things I need to note. There were a few odd word choices. The most notable was using the word whelp instead of welt. I even double-checked to be sure there was no archaic or unknown usage of it, but no. According to several dictionaries, whelps are only the offspring of dogs or a metaphor for one. In fact, I cracked up while reading in Denny’s when a rock, wrapped in a snowball, was supposed to produce a puppy on Jasper’s back by morning. Yes, I got odd looks.

“Stuff”: 

I don’t know what else to call this, but there were things inserted into the story that seemed placed there only to draw greater comparisons to Sherlock Holmes or other stories.  The mirrors?  I know there is probably some great symbolic thing I missed by not appreciating their insertion, but I found it rather mystical and weird rather than clever and cool.

Using mirrors to give us insight into what Jasper looks like?  Huge disappointment.  Unless the character doesn’t know what he or she looks like or has altered his or her appearance hugely, it’s just not a good idea. It’s awkward.

But that wasn’t the only one.  There were several places where things seemed inserted only as decoration or an aid to the completion of the story rather than because the story needed them.

Possible historical anachronisms:

There were a couple of things that made me blink, but nothing huge. Still, I note it only because I know I have a few readers who are really bothered by that.

One was the mention of discharge papers from the hospital. From what I saw in super-quick research, most hospitals had ledgers that showed admittance and discharge—sometimes with notes etc. But I didn’t find anything about being given papers to go home like we are now. Considering I don’t remember being given papers even in the late 70s (after copy machines and ditto machines), I suspect that it might not have been the custom back in 1913. Still, it was VERY minor. Only mentioning for the above reasons.

A disappointment:

One scene in this book—a pivotal one as well—is almost identical to one in Gaskell’s North & South. I’ll admit that I was surprised at how bothered I was by it… but I was.  It just felt much too identical.   Now it isn’t.  The aftermath is different etc., but the reasons, the situation, the positions… the injury etc.  Yes, it all feels way too familiar, and that disappointed me.

But after all that… I’m giving it four stars.

Why?  Well, it’s taking me a minute to grapple with that fact.  I was hovering at two or three while I read it and even when I began writing this review.  But you know what?  Amazon’s star system is about Loved it… (nope).  Liked it… (yep.  I guess I did because it was better than…)  Okay (not so bad that it was ho/hum)… Didn’t like it (but I did.  Just didn’t love it) and Hated it (did NOT deserve that).

So, with “liked it” for my final opinion (although barely above “okay”), I decided to go with four stars after all.  I just hope for more next time.  I think Ms. Schamel has it in her to give it to us.  And I can’t wait.

Recommend?

If you enjoy Christmas stories that don’t really focus much on Christmas (that was nice–just thought of that) but have the deeper themes of it in underlayers, if you enjoy mysteries that are written to show how the detective does his job, and if you like quirky characters and don’t mind a bit of underdevelopment of them… then I suspect you’ll enjoy this book.  Give it a chance so you’re ready for the next!

 

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Comments

  1. Phyllis says

    December 24, 2017 at 11:28 am

    I always appreciate your perspective and the great way you write reviews. Thank you for your honest opinion on this story.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 25, 2017 at 12:52 am

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Savings InSeconds says

    December 23, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    I enjoyed reading your thorough review. The small imperfections in research (discharge papers, for example) are the biggest reason I wouldn’t even try to write a book. There are so many nuances that readers might notice!

    Reply
  3. Kay Garrett says

    December 23, 2017 at 3:48 pm

    Thank for all the great information about Solve by Christmas. I loved your review and it gave me great insight as to what to expect. With a four star rating and what I read, I’d love to read the book.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 24, 2017 at 2:30 am

      I really think most people would enjoy it. I mark what I do based upon what I’ve seen my readers say about my books and others’ so they know what they can expect. I’m sure I miss stuff sometimes and get too nit picky at others. We all have those peeves that we coddle until they become little brats. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Amber Schamel says

    December 23, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Chautona, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such an honest, thorough review. I am sorry the book disappointed you, and I hope with your feedback I can do better in the future. That’s what makes reviews like yours invaluable.
    Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 23, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      I think the key, Amber, is that I liked it. You are a good writer, and I AM eager to read the next. 🙂 Thank you for not being offended at me.

      Reply
  5. allofakindmom says

    December 23, 2017 at 8:04 am

    I found your review delightfully intriguing. I appreciate honesty, and I think I would enjoy reading this book! 🙂

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 23, 2017 at 3:02 pm

      I think you will probably like it.

      Reply
  6. Lori Smanski says

    December 23, 2017 at 7:25 am

    wow thanks for this insightful review.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:30 am

      I hope you read and enjoy the book. I think most people would!

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
byChautona Havig

Chatting with Carrie Turansky is always fun, but guys, this gal is such a trouper!  But with her newest novel (Split-Time!!!), The Legacy of Longdale Manor coming out, and with it taking place in the Lake District (we were probably there at the same time!!!), I am crazy excited about this book. Listen in to see what a shepherd’s crook has to do with art and two women, a century apart, who both are dealing with daddy issues that only a Heavenly Father can truly help.

 

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

What Heart Issues Connect These Two Troubled Women Together?

Carrie Turansky and I were both in the Lake District in May (we probably overlapped a few days even! AAAK!), and I love the area she wrote about. I actually looked up Langdale Chase (the house that inspired Carrie’s book) as a potential for a book I’m writing in the area. I had decided to move it closer to Ambleside. Isn’t it amazing how two authors can take the same inspiration and write two totally different books?  I love that. 

The faith elements she’s put into The Legacy of Longdale Manor just touch my heart so deeply. Any time you are dealing with a shepherd or fatherhood, I’m all in, and I can’t wait to see what she’s done with it. 

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turransky

Two women–a century apart–embark on a journey to healing, faith, forgiveness, and romance.

In 2012, art historian Gwen Morris travels to England’s Lake District to appraise the paintings and antiques of an old family friend, hoping to prove herself to her prestigious grandfather. While at Longdale Manor, she meets David Bradford–the owner’s handsome grandson–who is desperate to save the crumbling estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. When Gwen stumbles upon a one-hundred-year-old journal and an intricately carved shepherd’s staff similar to one in a photo of her parents, she’s left searching for answers.

In 1912, after her father’s death, Charlotte Harper uncovers a painful family secret she can only confess to her journal. She and her family travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping eventually to find a home with Charlotte’s grandfather at Longdale Manor, but old wounds and bitter regrets make it a difficult challenge. As Charlotte grows closer to shepherd Ian Storey and rebuilds her shattered faith, she must decide whether she will ever trust in love again.

Learn more about Carrie Turansky and all the goodies for preordering The Legacy of Longdale Manor on her WEBSITE.

Also follow her on BookBub and GoodReads

BakerBookHouse.com has The Legacy of Longdale Manor on sale for 40% off with FREE shipping.  And don’t forget to go get your goodies, too!

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Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
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