Book Review: Starry Night

Starry Night

By: Debbie Macomber

Published By: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: October 2013

Page Count: 256

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Library

Adult - Contemporary Holiday

Out of all the Macomber Holiday novels I have read so far this season, Starry Night is by far my favorite. Perhaps it's the Alaska setting or my instant love of both leading characters, but I think ultimately it's that in many ways Finn reminds me a bit of my husband. As with other Christmas novels written by Macomber, you'll get a cozy story, a sweet romance, and a dash of holiday cheer when reading this one.

Carrie Slayton is working as a reported in Chicago covering the society page, but she longs to do something more meaningful with her time. She wants to be covering stories that matter more than whose marrying who in Chicago's upper echelon. She also wants to eventually move back home to Seattle as she finds herself homesick for her family - especially around the holidays. She decides if her boss won't give her a chance to prove herself, then it's time for her to resign and head back to the Pacific Northwest, but she is shocked when her boss agrees to give her a shot if she can track down and interview the elusive author, Finn Dalton. Carrie is nothing if not persistent and she dives into the challenge immediately.

After forsaking her vacation days that had been set aside for Thanksgiving with her family, Carrie heads to Alaska to track Finn down, but not before gathering as much information on him as possible.  She manages to convince Sawyer, a bush pilot and friend of Finn's, to take her to his cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. Her arrival isn't on Finn's agenda and he is less than thrilled to see her. To make matters worse, a storm is bearing down on the small cabin which will leave Carrie stranded with Finn for several days. Eventually the two begin to thaw towards one another and they even start to enjoy their time together.

When Sawyer is finally able to return for Carrie, she knows that she won't write the article on Finn - even if it costs her the job of her dreams. Carrie and Finn strike up a long distance relationship that will show them that love often happens when you least expect it and in the unlikeliest of places.

I won't say more and spoil this one for you, but it's one I plan to reread next December. I loved Carrie and Finn. The additional elements of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest setting make this story near and dear to my heart. If you only have time to read one Macomber Christmas novel, I'd recommend this be the one.

One Last Gripe: Finn's stubbornness was vexing at times.

Favorite Thing About This Book: I can't choose just one thing. I truly loved every moment of this read.

First Sentence: Carrie Slayton's feet were killing her.

Favorite Character: It's a tie between Carrie and Finn.

Least Favorite Character: Carrie's boss

Summary:

Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author. 

Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a mega-bestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.

Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart.

Filled with all the comforts and joys of Christmastime, Starry Night is a delightful novel of finding happiness in the most surprising places.