Another Quaint Island Christmas 2 Weeks in a Row.

Although I did like Chelsea Hobbs, there just wasn’t anything particularly outstanding about this one besides the cool setting of the lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest.

 A recently divorced mother who has been wrapped up in her work as an investment banker (or counselor?) for too long finds herself estranged from her teenage son who blames her for the divorce. He is rude, sulky, and of course, wrapped up in his phone and gaming. Enough said. When his Dad cancels a much-anticipated ski trip to be with his “sick” girlfriend, it doesn’t get any better to say the least. Desperate to reconnect and make the disappointment up to him,  Chelsea books about the only still available getaway she can, a lighthouse on Christmas-saturated St. Nicholas Island. When she gets there the lighthouse is sparse and bleak,  not the Cheery Christmas Extravaganza she was led to believe by the pictures. To make matters worse, it turns out she is expected to pay for the privilege of staying there by decorating the place inside and out for the town’s Holiday celebrations, the lighthouse being a stand-in for the all-important town Christmas tree.

The kid’s attitude does not improve until the cute Mayor’s daughter and the grumpy grouchy owner (Stephen Huszar, our love interest,) show up to take the city kid under their wing. In fact, It takes about a minute for the hostile brat to blossom in their presence. It just took one twinkly smile from the sweet pretty girl, and one “Good Job, Man,” from the healthy masculine influence guy and he was transformed into the grateful, smiley, and loving son Chelsea deserved. And not a minute too soon, because the kid was really getting on my nerves. I won’t go into it anymore, because it all procedes according to the Hallmark planogram. That’s all well and fine and expected, but there were just too many nonsensical or irritating aspects that I could deal with without ignoring them.

I can almost understand a savvy successful business person not reading the fine print or doing the research before nailing down a last-minute reservation, but what about afterward in time to cancel?  Stephen’s story did not add up. We learn he has to sell the beloved lighthouse because his Dad, who died 7 years ago, did not pay his taxes or any other bills. Stephen had a fight with his father (who seems to have been a real asshole) and left him and the island, the year before his death. Wracked with guilt, he is just now returning to take care of things and sell up. Actually, has he been gone all this time (or just at Christmas)? What the heck has he been doing for 8 years? And what exactly does he do for a living? I was very unclear.  When he broke with his father he was not an immature emotional kid but a full-grown man who should have been well into some kind of career and on top of things at home. If he has been on the island except for Christmas, why does he need a property manager? Many questions.

The big crisis is when the kid finds out his father’s girlfriend is not “sick”, but “pregnant”.  He steals his girlfriend’s boat to run away,  takes it out to sea, and gets lost. That was just insane. I mean have a tantrum if you must, or run away. But at least stay on dry land and try to avoid committing Grand Theft Boat. Again, he was not 10. He is rescued thanks to the lighthouse. Didn’t want to leave you hanging.   Chelsea comes to the rescue with a plan to save the  Lighthouse from the evil developer, played by reliable Hallmark baddie, Lochlyn Monroe. But everything else is left rather up in the air. This one could have used a “One Year Later.”