I was scrolling through my Kindle in the airport, waiting for a flight to the UK at the end of November, and noticed a book called ‘The Christmas Catch’. Since it was Advent Sunday, I decided to read it despite having no idea what it was about, nor knowing anything about the author, Ginny Baird. Apparently I had downloaded it about ten years ago when it was free as a special offer.
The book begins with a prologue showing a man, woman and child doing some sledging. Or, rather, sledding: the book is set in the United States. The man and woman are clearly just getting to know each other, and the man is very good with the woman’s child. I’m not sure why the prologue was there, since it essentially told me the entire plot of the book but I hadn’t quite realised that when I kept reading.
The style is engaging, and the story is a pleasant one, if predictable: I guessed from almost the beginning what might happen. Christine is a single mother with a young son, Tyler. She meets John when stuck in a snowdrift; he is, naturally, attractive, and she, of course, has no wish to embark on any kind of romantic relationship despite her boss telling her she should.
John is quite a high-powered university lecturer who also has no desire - or time - to get involved with anyone, although he’s quite taken with Christine despite thinking her rather lame for having got her car stuck. Christine is only in his neighbourhood temporarily anyway; she has been persuaded by her boss to take a break and to house-sit over Christmas in snowy Vermont. She’s not used to driving in snow so appreciates being rescued, but not the attitude of her rescuer.
The two bump into each other again in a supermarket; both are pleased to see the other again, although they both deny it to themselves. It could have been rather trite, but young Tyler is a delightful character, and considerably more outspoken than either his mother or their new acquaintance. He’s very taken with John, and even more so with John’s dog. The dog is rather keen on Caroline and Tyler, too. And so a friendship begins with both determined not to become romantically involved…
Despite my cynicism about the predictability of the book - which is novella length rather than a full novel, so I finished it within the first half hour of my flight - I thought it well written. The characters are sympathetic, and it’s a nice touch having a small boy and dog play matchmaker. I didn’t much like Christine’s boss who appears later in the book, and all too quickly gets involved with John’s oldest friend, but they did add a bit of variety to the story.
Overall it made a pleasant, undemanding read with a satisfactory outcome, and felt like a good start to the Advent season.
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