Christmas on Nutcracker Court

In Duarte’s fourth novel set in the fictional town of Fairbrook (after The House on Sugar Plum Lane), struggling single mother Carly Westbrook wants to provide a merry Christmas for her preteen sons, Josh and Mikey. The boys, who are often left to fend for themselves, meet aspiring writer Max Tolliver, their neighbor and the owner of Hemingway, a free-spirited dog that constantly escapes from Max’s yard to play with the boys. When Max accuses the boys of setting his dog free, he comes face-to-face with Carly, and, predictably, they instantly connect. Meanwhile, the Diamond Lils, a ladies’ social group, decide to do some good deeds for the holidays, and a mysterious stranger hanging around the Court inspires everyone to believe in Christmas miracles. The sympathetic Carly, an engaging, hardworking, devoted mother, has an unshakeable faith in God, a cornerstone of Duarte’s novels. While certain predictable elements distract (e.g., the stranger isn’t as mysterious as she could be), this is a solid Christmas read, firmly in the spirit of the holiday without being overly saccharine. (Oct.)