Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: A Novella

A lovely novella with a beautiful cover,a new to me author Donita K. Paul writes a charming story that will definitely put you in the holiday spirit.

When Cora Crowder finds herself needing a book for an uncle's Christmas gift she heads into the Warner,Werner, Wizbotterdad book store. She has no idea that she will wind up on the receiving end of the stores matchmaking scheme to throw her and her boss Simon together.

I loved this book, it had the right balance of romance, fantasy along with a great underlying spiritual message. The characters were fabulous, and I loved the cat.

A delightful Christmas romance that will get you in the holiday spirit,and would be great read anytime of the year. I highly recommend this wonderful book!

I always have a hard time writing a review like this, especially when I am really not that hard to please. However, "Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball" left me a little flat.

There were two things that bothered me about this book; the use of wizards and magic in a Christian book, and the fact that the plot was very slow-moving.

From reading the description of the book, I thought it would be a cute, light-hearted read. The cover was lovely, and I was very much looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the fact that I had a very hard time staying interested in the book, and again, with the use of magic in a Christian story. To me, the two do not go hand-in-hand.

I tried very hard to find the "hidden gems" that might be in this story so that I wouldn't have to write a negative review, but I was unable to do so. The plot was jumpy, and honestly, a lot of it just didn't make sense to me. It wasn't a horrible book, but it is not a book I would recommend to anyone either. :(

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of review.

[[ASIN:0307458997 Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: A Novella]]
Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donika K. Paul

This was a hard review for me to write. I really wanted to like this book. This is what the publisher's web site says about it...
" Can mysterious matchmaking booksellers bring two lonely hearts together in time for Christmas?

In a sleepy, snow-covered city, Cora Crowder is busy preparing for the holiday season. Searching for a perfect gift, a fortuitous trip to Warner, Werner, and Wizbotterdad's (a most unusual bookshop) leads to an unexpected encounter with co-worker Simon Derrick. And the surprise discovery of a ticket for a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas Ball.

Every year, the matchmaking booksellers of the Sage Street bookshop host an enchanting, old-fashioned Christmas Ball for the romantic matches they've decided to bring together.

This year, will Simon and Cora discover a perfect chemistry in their opposite personalities and shared faith? Or will the matchmakers' best laid plans end up ruining everything this holiday?"

Can you blame me after that set up? What I wasn't prepared for was all the references to wizardry and magic. It's obvious the author thought it might be a problem too since she describes a wizard as meaning old and wise, several times in the book. Depending what dictionary you use, the definitions of wizard include, " a wise man, one skilled in magic, a conjurer, enchanter, sorcerer." The Bible warns Christians to stay away from anything that might be connected to the occult. I just couldn't meld the two in my mind. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been projected as Christian fiction, but rather as a fantasy. The story, minus the "spooky" wizardriness, is basically a cute story. The disappearing streets, miraculously appearing tickets, etc. would have just seemed fairy tale-ish had the author not tried to wed it to Christianity. While the book doesn't go into all the details of wizardry, I can't recommend it as Christian fiction. That being said, it is a very easy read and the artwork on the dust cover is beautiful. The down-syndrome sister of the male main character is delightful and refreshing in her simplistic grasp of Christianity and there are many humorous incidents that leave you chuckling.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books and Waterbrook Press through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I received the book Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul to review for Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. I was actually looking forward to reading the book because I thought the premise was kind of cute: "Mischievous matchmakers. Two special tickets. One unlikely couple." I'm a sucker for a good, clean romance novel and thought this would fit the bill. It even had a cute cover (yes, I judge books by their cover!). Yes, it was a romance, but it also involved wizards and "oddities" that I just wasn't fond of.

If you like magic or things of that sort, then you may enjoy the book, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone. Even removing the wizards, the story itself dragged a little for me. I did finish the book but if it weren't for the review, I would probably have put it down and not picked it back up again. SO, you probably want to rush right out and buy this one then, don't you? ;)

Wish I had a better review of the book, but I do not. The story line was too unbelievable for me, and I'm really not into the whole fantasy genre.

This book was provided to me by the Waterbrook Multnomah Blogging for Books program but all opinions are my own. (really, do you think THEY would want me to say this!?!?)

This book is a light, easy read that I could have easily finished in one day, but I chose not to rush my reading. The focus in the book is on Cora and Simon's budding romance.

I can honestly say I never expected to read a Christian book that involved wizards and magic! It was very unique in that regards. It didn't bother me at all, just surprised me. The wizardry and magic was not the main focus of the story, but served as a way to get the couple together (fyi, for those who think they might not enjoy the magical aspect of the story).

All of that being said, I found the characters likable and I felt that I got to know them a bit. I really enjoyed Simon's character for being close to his family, especially his sister Sandy.

This book does switch back and forth between Cora and Simon, something I usually dislike, but the author makes it work well in this case. She doesn't switch back too soon. Very well written, kudos to the author!

If you're looking for a sweet, cute and romantic book for the holidays, this book is for you.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I found this to be a delightful little story. It was sweet: a sweet premise, a sweet shop, sweet characters and a sweet, charming bookstore. Love it! I will admit to not loving the sentence fragment style of writing, but the story itself was a bit enchanting. I liked Cora and Simon and I loved Sandy. What a sweetheart. Cora grew up in a very dysfunctional, non-Christian home and she struggles with integrating the worldly Christmas traditions with her Christian beliefs. I think this is something that many people struggle with: how to blend the materialistic Christmas trappings with the celebration of Christ's birth.

I've seen reviews where people thought the magical and Christian elements didn't mix. I had no problems with it. Christmas itself is a magical time for me. It's a time of miracles, and celebrating our Savior's miraculous birth is the reason for the holiday itself. The Christmas season is a time when many people are focused on others and give of themselves and their time, talents, energy and money. You don't get much more Christian than that. Christmas is a time when children's eyes sparkle, people are a bit kinder, and yes, everything is magical.

I loved the magical, wizard characters. Nothing about them took away the spirit of Christmas, or the Spirit of God itself from the story or the characters. They were funny and everything they did was to help other people find each other.

I have other, more favorite Christmas stories. But, this is a sweet story, just like Christmas stories should be. It's a short, easy read and perfect for a cozy afternoon by the fire.

"Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball" had such a delightful cover and interesting product description that without even knowing the author, I bought it immediately. I waited until the tree was up, the snow on the ground, and the fire in the fireplace before picking it up to read.

Our two main characters, Cora Crowder and Simon Derrick have worked in the same office for years but it isn't until a visit to an odd bookshop that they begin to take notice of each other. They are trying to get Christmas shopping completed and both end up on a quaint street full of charming shops, including this one where the proprietors appear to know what they are looking for before being asked. They both find tickets to the Wizard's Christmas Ball in the books they purchase, but are able to find very little information about it. As the weeks leading up to the Christmas Ball unfold (family commitments, family angst, and the business of finishing out the year at work), the reader is witness to how these two interact with each other and what is important in their lives. Will they go to the Christmas Ball or will events and family intervene?

A bit of magic, a bit of romance, and quite a bit of religion make up the bulk of this novella. There were parts that were absolutely delightful (think Harry Potter) and there were parts that were upsetting (manipulative sister) and there were parts that were a bit uneven (budding romance between Cora and Simon).

Overall, a nice Christmas read but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The romance was a bit all-over-the-place and felt forced at times. I am very glad I read it, but it probably won't become one I re-read every year.

Really fast service, and the book was beautiful! Thank you!

Simon and Cora both mysteriously receive tickets to a Christmas Ball that seems quirky at best. It is an attempt to start a romance between the two of them. Will it work?

Donita K. Paul is obviously a talented author. Her character development is superb. Her plot is well-defined. However, this is a whimsical fantasy novella. I really disliked the book for that reason. I was going to give this book a negative review, but my personal preference for specific genres should not get in the way of objectivity.

Anyone who would enjoy a whimsical, romantic Christms tale, will love this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this grown-up fantasy Christian fiction novella that evokes memories of Cinderella. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the delightful. yet surprising end.

The protagonists are well-written characters, Cora and Simon, who experience unexpected romance at Christmastime. Sandy, a secondary character is written so well that I learned a good bit about how to interact with a person of special needs.

(sigh) I would prefer the writing style of sentence fragments be eliminated, though. However, even that did not detract me too much from my joy while consuming this sugary treat.

What a super Christmas gift this would be!