Review: Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

Title: Starry Night by Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Imprint: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 256 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

’Tis the season for romance, second chances, and Christmas cheer with this new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. So her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores the paper an interview with Finn Dalton, the notoriously reclusive author.

Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a megabestselling memoir about surviving in the wild. But he stubbornly declines to speak to anyone in the press, and no one even knows exactly where he lives.

Digging deep into Finn’s past, Carrie develops a theory on his whereabouts. It is the holidays, but her career is at stake, so she forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska. When she finally finds Finn, she discovers a man both more charismatic and more stubborn than she even expected. And soon she is torn between pursuing the story of a lifetime and following her heart.

Filled with all the comforts and joys of Christmastime, Starry Night is a delightful novel of finding happiness in the most surprising places.

The Review:

If you are a fan of sweet holiday romances then you are going to LOVE Debbie Macomber’s latest release. Fast-paced with engaging and likable characters, Starry Night is a charming love story that will melt your heart.

Carrie Slayton has a plum job as a society page columnist, but she would much rather be writing edgier more serious stories. Her editor agrees to let her pick any story she wants if she can obtain an interview with best-selling author Finn Dalton. Carrie accepts his challenge then discovers that Finn NEVER grants interviews and in fact, no one knows exactly where the publicity shy author lives. Carrie puts on her investigative journalist skills to good use and manages to track Finn down at his remote cabin in the Alaskan wilderness. Carrie soon discovers tracking down Finn is the easiest part of her assignment when she comes face to face with irascible writer.

Carrie has plenty of spirit and she is willing to work to get what she wants. Even if that means she has to give up spending Thanksgiving with her close-knit family. Carrie is dismayed by Finn’s attitude towards her, but she does not let it deter her from trying to convince him to agree to an interview. Carrie cleverly gets her point across to him in a pretty amusing and ingenious manner.

Finn is gruff, grumpy and determined to maintain his privacy. His parents’ contentious divorce and a betrayal by a woman he thought he knew leaves him wary and distrusting of women. But somehow Carrie slips past his defenses and surprisingly, he is the one who initiates contact between them after she returns home.

The romance between Finn and Carrie occurs pretty quickly and it is mainly a long distance relationship. Although both have doubts about a future together, they get to know one another through daily texts, e-mails and phone calls. Their road to happily ever after takes a short detour, but Carrie never gives up on Finn and her faith in him pays off beautifully in the end.

As someone who used to live near Fairbanks, I am always thrilled to find a story set there. While Carrie and Finn are only there for a brief time, Debbie Macomber easily conveys the beauty and wonder of Alaska and she brings it vibrantly to life. Her description of Finn is dead on and she perfectly nails his reactions when he is out of his element.

Starry Night is delightful love at first sight romance that is quite heartwarming and believable. It is a truly magical holiday story that fans of contemporary romances do not want to miss.