Review: Pastels & Jinglebells by Christine S. Feldman

Pastels and Jingle Bells is the first novella in the Heavenly Bites series and my first experience with Christine S. Feldman’s writing.

Trish Ackerly is propelled back to her awkward childhood years when she runs into Ian Rafferty who used to pick on her mercilessly. He left such a mark that Trish went to great lengths to leave her previous self behind: fixing her teeth; becoming a sexy, self assured woman; and leaving behind her given name, Patricia, in favor of Trish.

The story starts right in with drama and humor. Here’s an excerpt from chapter one:

It was probably inviting the worst kind of karma to be contemplating murder during the holiday season of all times, but that didn’t phase Trish Ackerly in the slightest as she stared through her bakery’s storefront window in shock.

It was him. Ian Rafferty, bane of her junior high school existence. She’d know that face anywhere, despite the changes in it. Sure, he was a couple of feet taller now and certainly broader shouldered, but as he glanced away from the winter scene she had painted on the window only yesterday and at a passing car that whizzed by much too fast on the busy city street, the profile he presented to her confirmed it.

Yes, it was him. That same nose, the odd little scar above his eye, the familiar way he quirked his lips…

Her eyes narrowed. Ian Rafferty. That miserable, mean-‐spirited little—

Then he turned his face back to the window, and Trish gasped and dropped to the floor before he could spot her staring at him.

“What on earth are you doing?” came Nadia’s voice from behind the counter.

Trish huddled behind a tall metal trash can and glanced up through her dark bangs at her startled friend and business partner only to remember belatedly that they had company in the shop, namely wizened little Mrs. Beasley, whose startled eyes blinked at her from behind enormous tortoise-‐shell spectacles.

Well, there was little help for it now. “That guy,” Trish hissed, jerking one

thumb in the direction of the window. “I know him!”

Both Nadia and Mrs. Beasley peered intently through the glass. “Mmm,” said Nadia appreciatively a moment later. “Lucky you, girlfriend.”

“No, not lucky me! That guy made my life a living hell in junior high. He’s a jerk, he’s a bully—“

“He’s coming in here, dear,” Mrs. Beasley interrupted her, with obvious interest in her voice.

 

I adored Trish’s best friend, Nadia, and the humorous yet supportive rapport between the two.

When Ian comes in asking if the artist that painted the front window of the bakery could contact him for a personal project, Trish isn’t interested at first. Memories of the way Ian bullied her back in school resurface, and she decides to tell him off. Don’t we all have that one person from our past that we’d like to give a piece of our mind to? Things don’t go exactly as Trish planned, though . . .

The writing was descriptive and hooked me from the first page. There were dramatic moments, humorous moments, and some tingle inducing moments. Although I would consider this a sweet romance, the heat between Ian and Trish definitely shined through. For the most part, the novella was well-edited; I only noticed a few minor errors.

My main critique is the brevity of the story. There was a situation with Ian’s daughter that I wish the author had delved deeper into (I won’t say what because I don’t want to spoil the story for you), and I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. I still very much enjoyed reading this heartwarming Christmas novella and look forward to other offerings by Christine S. Feldman.

4 stars