It's a Fabulous Life
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
After years of putting aside her dreams of travel and adventure, Bailey George is ready to leave Lanford Falls and her responsibilities behind on a long-awaited vacation to New York City. But when the volunteer who took over her leadership position for the town's Winter Wonderfest has a medical emergency, Bailey finds herself stuck in Lanford Falls. She gets roped into reassuming her old role, not wanting to let the town or her friends and family down. Staying home seems slightly less terrible when Bailey runs into her high-school crush, Maria Hatcher. A kiss they shared years ago in the town's mistletoe grove was a life-defining moment for them both. Maria quickly offers to pitch in and help with Winter Wonderfest. Her sunny disposition and holiday cheer perk up Bailey's grinchy feelings about everything. However, one disaster after another snowball on the day of the festival. Bailey’s frustration boils over, and she ends up on the town's old wooden bridge. There, she meets fabulous drag queen Clara Angel. Bailey declares that she wishes she hadn’t been born in this Christmas-obsessed, suffocating small town. With a little of the magic Clara possesses, she shows Bailey how wrong she is about Lanford Falls and her place in it—and that with a little hope and some true holiday spirit, there is a way to attain all her dreams.
Customer Reviews
Lots of fun
Stars: 4.5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw & Pete Cross
Series: Stand Alone
Steam Level: Not Steamy
I came across this book when I was looking at an audiobook sale and the description intrigued me. I’m not a fan of the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” but I decided to give this a shot and I’m so glad I did.
Quick Thoughts:
- So many delightful parallels to “It’s A Wonderful Life” without it being annoying or having to know the movie well
- I absolutely, positively, LOVED the Angels. At first I was skeptical about this addition and POV but they quickly became one of the BEST characters in the book
- Yay doggies that become instant best buddies. They were so cute I just wanted to cuddle them
- I liked Maria and Bailey together, they were incredibly cute. I just wish they had a real conversation about what happened in the past and why things fell apart when they were teenager. Not just the frantic whispered explanation
- There were a couple plot points weren’t resolved, like Maria’s mom being obvious that she didn’t want Bailey and Maria to start anything romantic
- It was a bit difficult to believe that Bailey would change her mind about wanting out of Landford Falls so quickly. We get so much of Bailey being fed up with everything and not enough unfiltered joy. That’s what makes the movie work, you see how much George loves his home town and his wish is a moment of despair not days and weeks and months of wanting to get out
- That last scene with the House of Angel was awesome. I really did love these ladies
- There needed to be a one (or more) year later epilogue to see how Bailey is balancing her personal life and her work for the town
- Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Pete Cross were wonderful and did the book justice. Will definitely keep an eye out for them in the future
Overall I really liked this book. The Angels stole the show and needed more page time. There were definitely some plot points that needed to be resolved and others that needed to be smoothed out. But still an enjoyable book and worth your time