Title: Santa Cruise
Author: Fern Michaels
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Romance
Format: Hardcover, $26.00, 294 pages
Published on: October, 2021
At the Ridgewood High School Reunion, four friends reunite after being apart for 15 years. Frankie is a Vice President of a successful publishing house. Rachael is divorced and finally realizing her dream of buying and running a dance studio. Nina is a popular actress on a TV sitcom and Amy is the intelligent one of the group working in biotechnology.
They achieved their goals, but didn’t have someone to love (or who they could even trust) in their lives. So when Frankie suggests that if they didn’t have a date for New Year’s Eve by Thanksgiving that they go on a single’s cruise for Christmas, they were all for it.
Months leading up to the cruise, they frequently meet up online to discuss their itinerary. They are all excited about the trip and really look forward to it. But first they have to deal with their real life issues. That would be Nina’s career, Amy’s mother’s future, Frankie’s possible man crush and living in such a small and dark apartment. Then there’s Rachael’s concern about how well her ex and his new wife are caring for their son.
Cruise day comes and the woman are packed, ready down to the last detail, and looking forward to both having a memorable adventure and meeting someone. If anything, they attract others as they are fun loving, hysterical, and easily welcome others to their group. They are totally excited to set sail and meet new people. In fact, they meet Peter on the way to their staterooms. Next thing they know, Peter starts hanging out with them and they meet Marilyn. Frankie immediately wants to protect Marilyn from men who take advantage of divorced women and Nina can’t stop thinking that her father is aboard the ship.
Day trips are planned alone or with the group and everyone has the best adventures and food. The trip is more than a tight group of friends enjoying a memorable getaway. It’s a chance for each of them to rethink their lives, relax from a hectic schedule, and possibly do more than daydream about romance.
I bought Santa Cruise before the holidays as one of my Christmas books. You know that time of the year when you want to wrap yourself in a throw blanket in a comfy recliner and enjoy a good book. But, I couldn’t wait to read it and started it on Halloween instead. It did not disappoint. It introduced me to friends at a crossroads in their lives. The multiple points of view allowed me to understand their lives. I laughed with them. I experienced their loneliness. Their hope for better lives. Frustration with an ex-husband. Their curiosity when Marilyn has a mystery man in her life. All in all, I loved the book and look forward to other novels by Fern Michaels.
four out of five bunches of mistletoe
Denise Fleischer
gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com
Jan. 11, 2022