Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock

Sinopse: This Year, Christmas Comes Just In Time

As a first-year law associate, Sydney Batson knows she will be updating her resume by New Year's if she loses her current court case. So when her grandmother gets inexplicably ill while she's in court, Sydney arranges for a cab to get her to the clinic.

The last thing cab driver Finn Parrish wants is to be saddled with a wheelchair-bound old lady with dementia. But because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother, whom he failed miserably in her last days, he can't say no when she keeps calling him for rides. Once a successful gourmet chef, Finn's biggest concern now is making his rent, but half the time Callie doesn't remember to pay him. And as she starts to feel better, she leads him on wild goose chases to find a Christmas date for her granddaughter.

When Finn meets Sydney, he's quite sure that she's never needed help finding a date. Does Miss Callie have an ulterior motive, or is this just a mission driven by delusions? He's willing to do whatever he can to help fulfill Callie's Christmas wish. He just never expected to be a vital part of it.

"Terri Blackstock's latest offering touches tender places with its quirky characters and stirring plot. Catching Christmas explores what happens when the paths of a disenchanted Taxi driver collide with that of an overworked attorney. Blackstock weaves a compelling, romantic tale that is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit!" —Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Honeysuckle Dreams

"Blackstock's Catching Christmas is not your average romance. Darling and laugh-out-loud cute, it makes the reader think about the important things in life. I read it in one gulp and wished there was more. Highly recommended!" —Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author of the Hope Beach series and the Lavender Tides series

Nesta história de derreter o coração, os leitores vão conseguir sentir o verdadeiro espírito de natal impregnado nas páginas deste livro.

Gostei imediatamente da premissa do livro. A história começa com um taxista de bom coração a ajudar uma senhora de idade que precisa de ir a uma consulta. Finn Parrish, o taxista, tem assuntos não resolvidos relativamente à sua mãe que morreu sem que ele tivesse coragem de ir vê-la ao hospital.

Portanto, todo o livro é o processo de redenção de Finn, que agora tem uma segunda oportunidade de fazer o que é certo.

Apesar de ter um ótimo coração, Finn não quer propriamente ter que passar o dia a ajudar a senhora Callie, até porque tem até ao natal para ganhar o dinheiro que precisa para pagar a renda, se não é despejado! Porém, Callie parece sempre precisar de ajuda e Finn questiona-se que tipo de familiares terá ela para a deixarem ir de táxi a onde quer que seja no estado em que ela se encontra. Até para a levarem a uma consulta chamaram o táxi!

Sydney Batson é uma advogada que está em risco de perder o emprego. Assim, Sydney contacta uma companhia de táxis para deixarem a sua avó no hospital, na hora da consulta. Apesar de querer acompanhar a avó ao consultório, ela não pode pois está perante um iminente despedimento e um ataque de nervos, pois tem que defender em tribunal o filho do investidor mais importante da sua firma.

O caso é estúpido, ninguém o quer aceitar e, portanto, impingem a caso à moça. Sydney quer cuidar o melhor possível da avó, que está claramente a piorar, mas tem que se apresentar no serviço extra-horas e esgotar toda a sua energia num caso que só lhe fará mal à reputação.

Ou seja, Sydney é a personificação de todos aqueles que estão num trabalho pelo qual estudaram muito, mas que como são novatos é-lhes exigido que façam o que mais ninguém quer fazer, precisamente porque são novatos. Mas Sydney não vê a verdade, ou melhor, não quer perceber a realidade da situação em que se está a meter ou nas escolhas que está a fazer para a sua vida ao deixar-se controlar pelos chefes daquela maneira.

Quando Finn conhece Sydney percebe que afinal ela não é uma familiar que não dá a mínima para a avó, percebe que é precisamente o contrário.

Emocionei-me tanto mas tanto ao longo deste livro. Velhinhos ou crianças doentes ou até mesmo animais a morrer etc, são coisas que me afetam profundamente! Chorei tanto a certa altura que dava para abrir uma fábrica de lágrimas humanas. Porém, nem todas as lágrimas foram de tristeza, muitas foram de alegria mesmo.

Callie é um anjo enviado por Deus que uniu dois seres humanos com diferentes histórias de vida, mas com algo forte em comum: o carinho que possuíam por Callie.

Recomendo a leitura a todos os que gostam de um bom livro de natal e de dar umas boas gargalhadas com as palavras sem filtro de uma senhora idosa. (A Callie é super divertida!)

Este livro, repleto de humor, é contado numa narrativa alternada em que podemos assistir em primeira mão à redenção de Finn e ao crescimento pessoal de Sydney.

Classificação: ★★★★★

Este livro está incluído na categoria "Livro que se passe no natal ou nas festividades de ano novo" do New Year with Books e na categoria "4 - Sinos | Um livro que se passe no natal ou inverno" do Christmas in the Books 2. Para saberes mais sobre estas maratonas acede ao separador "Maratonas Literárias" que se encontra no topo desta página.

Recebi esta cópia avançada pela editora, através do programa BookLookBloggers, em troca de uma resenha honesta, fosse ela positiva ou não. Todas as opiniões expressas nesta resenha são completamente minhas. Divulgo isto de acordo com o CFR 16 da "Comissão Federal de Trocas", parte 255: 

<http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html>: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Synopsis: This Year, Christmas Comes Just in Time 

As a first-year law associate, Sydney Batson knows she will be updating her resume by New Year's if she loses her current court case. So when her grandmother gets inexplicably ill while she's in court, Sydney arranges for a cab to get her to the clinic.

The last thing cab driver Finn Parrish wants is to be saddled with a wheelchair-bound old lady with dementia. But because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother, whom he failed miserably in her last days, he can't say no when she keeps calling him for rides. Once a successful gourmet chef, Finn's biggest concern now is making his rent, but half the time Callie doesn't remember to pay him. And as she starts to feel better, she leads him on wild goose chases to find a Christmas date for her granddaughter.

When Finn meets Sydney, he's quite sure that she's never needed help finding a date. Does Miss Callie have an ulterior motive, or is this just a mission driven by delusions? He's willing to do whatever he can to help fulfill Callie's Christmas wish. He just never expected to be a vital part of it.

"Terri Blackstock's latest offering touches tender places with its quirky characters and stirring plot. Catching Christmas explores what happens when the paths of a disenchanted Taxi driver collide with that of an overworked attorney. Blackstock weaves a compelling, romantic tale that is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit!" —Denise Hunter, bestselling author of Honeysuckle Dreams

"Blackstock's Catching Christmas is not your average romance. Darling and laugh-out-loud cute, it makes the reader think about the important things in life. I read it in one gulp and wished there was more. Highly recommended!" —Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author of the Hope Beach series and the Lavender Tides series

This story will melt your heart and you will be able to feel the true Christmas spirit impregnated in the pages of this wonderful book.

I immediately liked the premise of the book. The story begins with a good-hearted taxi driver helping an elderly lady who needs to go to an appointment at the doctor. Finn Parrish, the taxi driver, has unresolved issues about his mother who died without him having the courage to see her at that state.

So the whole book is Finn's redemption process. Now he has a second chance to do what's right.

Despite having a good heart, Finn does not really want to spend the day helping Mrs. Callie, even because he has until Christmas to earn the money he needs to pay the rent, or else he will be dumped! However, Callie always seems to need help, and Finn is wondering what kind of family she must have to let her call a cab instead of taking her to the places. Even to go to a medical appointment they called a cab to take her!

Sydney Batson is a lawyer who is at risk of losing her job. So Sydney contacts a taxi company to drop off her grandmother at the hospital at the time of the appointment. Although she wants to accompany her grandmother to the doctor, she can't. She is facing an imminent dismissal and a nervous breakdown, since she has to defend in court the son of the most important investor of her firm.

The case is stupid, no one wants to accept it and, therefore, impinge the case to the new girl. Sydney wants to take care of her grandmother, which is clearly getting worse, but she has to perform in the after hours service and spend all her energy in a case that will only hurt her reputation.

That is, I believe that Sydney is the personification of all those who are in a job for which they have studied hard, but since they are new, they are required to do what nobody else wants to do, precisely because they are new. But Sydney does not see the truth, or rather she does not want to realize the reality of the situation she is in or the choices she is making for her life by letting herself be controlled in that way by her bosses.

When Finn meets Sydney, he realizes that after all she is not a relative who doesn't care about her grandmother, he realizes that it is just the opposite.

I got so much emotional throughout this book. Sick people or even sick animals, are things that affect me deeply! I cried so much at one point that I could open a factory of human tears. However, not all tears were of sorrow, many were of joy.

Callie is an angel sent by God that united two human beings with different histories of life, but with something strong in common: the affection that they had for Callie.

I recommend this book to everyone who likes a good Christmas book and a good laugh with the unfiltered words of an old lady. (Callie is super funny!)

This book, full of humor, is told in an alternate narrative in which we can see firsthand Finn's redemption and Sydney's personal growth.

Rating: ★★★★★

This book is included in the category "A book which story unfolds in Christmas or in the New Year's Festivities" of the literary challenge New Year with Books and in the category "4 - Bells |  A book that passes at Christmas or Winter" of  the challenge Christmas in the Books 2. To know more about this literary marathons go to the tab on the top of the page ("Maratonas Literárias"). 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."