ANGELS AT THE TABLE
by Debbie Macomber
Four well-intentioned angels step in where they should not tread, and send a destined romance into messy territory, then must figure out how to make it right.
On New Year’s Eve in Times Square, angels Shirley, Goodness and Mercy decide to take their apprentice, Will, on an excursion to mingle with humans. But Goodness is distracted by the bright lights, and the friends get separated in the crowd. Will can’t help himself and pushes two lonely strangers to notice each another. Lucie Farrara and Aren Fairchild connect like magnets, but both are starting new careers—Lucie as a restaurant owner and Aren as an undercover restaurant critic—and neither really has time for a romance. Aren, determined to see Lucie again, sets up another meeting in a week’s time at the top of the Empire State Building. It doesn’t work, and without any other way to get in touch, the relationship fails to get started. In heaven, though, the angels are in trouble. Aren and Lucie were meant to be together and were scheduled to meet at a later date. Having previously interfered, it’s now their responsibility to make sure the two have a chance at love, but the more they try to force a romance, the more trouble they cause—and get themselves into. Nearly a year later, during the Christmas season, when wishes are met and prayers answered, Lucie and Aren might just find their happily-ever-after, with a little heavenly help. Macomber is practically a Christmas staple, and this short, sweet holiday story is like a quick kiss under the mistletoe after a hectic day. Macomber brings back the popular trio of Christmas angels, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy (introduced in A Season of Angels, 1993) and lets them loose again on the streets of New York. Not Macomber at her best—there are a number of details that stretch the reader’s credulity even beyond the normal Christmas miracle storyline, and the characters aren’t quite as well-drawn or textured as usual—but likely good enough for her many devoted fans.
A fluffy confection that rings in Christmas in tried-and-true Macomber style, with romance and a touch of heavenly magic.