The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson

The Synopsis:

Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that’s exactly what she’s getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix–in the dead of winter, no less–the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride–and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.
No one captures the heartwarming fun of the Christmas season quite like Melody Carlson. Fasten your seat belt, because it’s going to be an exciting ride!

I received this book from the author/publisher for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Review:

In The Christmas Joy Ride, we follow a cheerful old woman named Joy and her neighbor, Miranda, as they drive along Route 66 distributing Christmas joy for those in difficult circumstances.

It’s a very fast-paced novella, with scenes happening immediately after one another and not a lot of “down time” in between each of their stops. But each stop grapples with a different story that people may endure during Christmas time and Joy does her best to bring the joy of Jesus into their lives.

I loved the characters and the simpleness of the story. It is a wee bit on the predictable side, but it’s a happily-ever-after that will surely put a smile on your face.

The Christmas Joy Ride is completely clean, and though it does touch on some difficult topics such as divorce and the death of a loved one, it won’t overwhelm the reader with details.

So overall, I really enjoyed reading The Christmas Joy Ride and recommend it as a funny, heartwarming Christmas read! I give it 4 out of 5 stars.