Just Like Magic

By Sarah Hogle

Bettie Hughes once knew the comfort of luxury, flaunting a ridiculous collection of designer shoes and a stealthy addiction to CBD oils. That is, until her parents snipped her purse strings. Long obsessed with her public image, Bettie boasts an extravagant lifestyle on social media. But the reality is: Bettie is broke and squatting in Colorado, and her family has no idea.

Christmas, with its pressure to meet familial expectations, is looming when a drunk Bettie plays a vinyl record of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” backwards and accidentally conjures Hall, an unexpectedly charming Holiday Spirit in the form of a man. Once the shock wears off, Bettie knows she’s stumbled upon the greatest gift: a chance to make all her holiday wishes come true, plus a ready-made fiancé.

But as the wiles of magic lose their charm, Bettie finds herself set off-kilter by Hall’s sweet gestures. Suddenly, Bettie is finding her heart merry and light. But the happier she gets, the shorter Hall’s time on earth grows. Can Bettie channel the Christmas spirit and learn to live with goodwill toward all men? Or will her selfish ways come back as soon as the holidays are over?

From the author of Twice Shy comes a sprightly Christmas novel, a rollicking romp through the absurdity of family holidays and the hope of new love.

Review

• Bettie Hughes was very upset after she fell from the good graces of society. She was bankrupt and had a very bad reputation. She didn't want her family to know about her problems. Bettie hid in a death woman's house after she lost everything. She was very sad and lonely. Bettie was afraid that her family would be disappointed in her if they knew what was happening to her.( of course her three time divorced, four time married, struggling movie director brother Felix , having kids with weird and entertaining names might share that position with her)

• Hal- The sweetheart holiday spirit who can not not stop making anyone happy and adamant to bring her holiday spirit back by hanging with her throughout entire holiday season. He loves bringing joy , holiday cheer wherever he goes and huge fan of grandma Betty that he almost passes out when he sees her for the first time and his absoloute favourite movie is His girl Friday and don't suggest him to watch grinch movie that's the only thing that will pull distaste in his mouth.

My relatives and I don’t give each other anything with a recognizable label: the more obscure and personalized, the more exclusive. I’m tired of giving the family’s worst gifts. I’m tired of everyone pretending my offerings weigh the same as theirs.

• Hal fulfil betty's wishes as much as he can like Amal Clooney’s engagement ring, A yacht(that currently is trapped between mountains), water buffalo and his own wish that is also to awaken holiday-spirit in a family whose Christmas traditions consist of sniping at each other, exchanging gifts for the sole purpose of one-upmanship, and complaining. Complaining around the dinner table. Complaining around the fireplace. Complaining at the airport about all the complaining everybody did.

“You know what this family could use?”

“Counseling?” guesses eight-year-old Peach Tree as Mom ventures hopefully, “Pie?”

He holds up a pair of ice skates against his chest, grin a mile wide. “Ice skating!”

• My engagement to Hall is the least real of them all, and yet, he’s the best person I’ve ever been with. He pores over his list of hopes and dreams, his features serene, and I have to remind myself I’m not with a man like that

• You Must read this book once in your lifetime it will awaken your holiday spirit if it's awaken then heightened with décor, cookies, hot chocolate lots of hot chocolates. The characters are so new normal not nice not worst so relatable and You can't help but falling in love with HAL literally. You'd wish you had him for yourself and all this is happening because of Mariah Carey. Yes because she made the song "All i want for Christmas is you" and you'd want to knit the sweatshirt saying "HAl I want for Christmas is you" or someone already did?

Final verdict

Got Fun ,hot chocolate, cookies , snow ,Christmas, fun. All in All Amazing holiday Christmas novel should be read once

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