Ever heard someone wondering how to meet people in a modern world? Well, for Brandi it involves being soaked in a rainwater puddle when a car went by…combined with the driver being a decent guy who stopped to apologize and replace her spilled drink. This encounter began the first of many discussions between them as they get to know not just the surface, but what makes each other tick.

The novel is a sweet, inspirational love story with nice themes about waiting until the time is right and living up to your promises. It focuses on volunteering for the right reasons and on finding joy even in the littlest things, an important Christmas message when thought and caring should matter more than the price tag on a gift.

Another element is Brandi’s treatment at work and her desire for more responsibility. Though this became less of a focus as the story progressed, it was a good look at how to, and how not to, handle crises at work.

I would have liked to understand Ian’s background more because the hints were intriguing, but I suspect he and Brandi have many more conversations in front of them. There’s a large time gap toward the end, most likely because of word count limits, that might have answered some of these questions and made something that happens in the end feel more grounded. Still, I enjoyed getting to know the two of them before they were dating, along with both her roommate and his best friend, and that end thing isn’t enough to interfere with my enjoyment.

Good people, a cute meeting and pre-dating story, and fun conversations. The inspy angle is quite heavy at times, but it is story relevant when both are strong in faith and she has vowed to focus on her relationship with God instead of losing herself in another boyfriend. I had a few quibbles with story continuity, but nothing that threatened my enjoyment of the story.

This is the second short novel I’ve read in A Christmas to Remember: Eight Christian Romances Celebrating the Gift of Christmas box set, and both have been worth the time spent.