One Complicated Christmas

by Mika Jolie

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

One Complicated Christmas by Mika Jolie is a sweet, second chance, Christmas romance. It tells the story of Joe and Sasha, college sweethearts, who were separated for six years because of unforeseen circumstances. Joe’s sudden departure, lack of explanation, and his failure to communicate broke Sasha’s heart. Six years later during the Christmas season, she decides its time for her to let go of the past. So she checks into a Bed and Breakfast in Yeti, Vermont, which appears to the perfect place for healing a broken heart and taking skiing lessons, only to come face to face with the source of her heartbreak.

“You know it’s love when your feelings don’t leave even if the person does.”

This quote by the author aptly describes Joe and Sasha’s journey in finding their way back to each other. Their unexpected reunion revealed that distance and time had no effect on true love. Old feelings bubbled to the surface, but fear and anger on Sasha’s part had the potential to destroy it all. I could not blame for feeling the way she did.

I understood the reasons for Joe’s sudden departure, but I had a hard time accepting his failure to communicate with the woman, whom he considered his heart and soul. Six years of heartache, pain and misunderstanding could have been avoided if trust and communication were present in their relationship.

Personally, I believed he got off too easily. I thought he needed to do more groveling. However, I have to admit it was evident he had matured since then and he made an effort to make up for his mistake.

I enjoyed the Christmas feeling that the story elicited, warm, and fuzzy. The story that unfolded was heartwarming, sweet and predictable.

I was a little disappointed with the lack of reference to Jamaican Christmas practices. Sasha’s mom is Jamaican, so it would be natural for her to teach her about her heritage and culture, but this was not reflected in the story.

Conclusion/Recommendation
One Complicated Christmas is a story about forgiveness and second chances. An enjoyable read and one I would recommend to readers who are fans of second chance and Christmas romance.