"Will leave you glued to the pages and rolling in laughter!"

If you've read Kate Hoffman's books before, then you probably know you're in for plenty of laughs each time you sit down with one of her stories. True enough, Ms. Hoffman's December double Duets #41, UNEXPECTED ANGEL and UNDERCOVER ELF, lives up to the promise excellently! You'll get two delightful stories centering around Christmas that will leave you feeling cozy and warm and definitely smiling.

In UNEXPECTED ANGEL we are transported to Schuler Falls, NY where we meet seven-year old Eric Marrin. Now this sweet little boy would give anything to be able to have a ëperfect' Christmas, just like it used to be before his mom walked out on him and his Dad. Eric's friend Raymond claimed that the Dalton's Department store Santa was the ëreal' one and he made wishes come true. Eric decides to visit the Dalton Santa and ask for the perfect Christmas. Well, imagine the thrill he feels when the doorbell rings a few days later and on his doorstep he finds his UNEXPECTED ANGEL, come to fulfill his dream of a perfect Christmas. Of course, once his father meets his Angel, Eric suddenly finds himself wishing she'd stay forever!

UNDERCOVER ELF introduces us to reporter Claudia Moore who wants to discover the secret behind the Santa at Dalton's Department store. Rumor has it that this Santa can make dreams come true. Claudia pitches her story to the New York Times and gains two weeks time in which to learn the identity of the mysterious benefactor. She goes undercover by applying for a position as Santa's elf at the store. However, due to a misunderstanding, she finds herself in a provocative discussion about lingerie with none other than the owner of Dalton's Department store which only leads to more interesting discoveries!

If you're looking for light and easy reads with loads of humor, you can't go wrong with Kate Hoffman's Duets #41, UNEXPECTED ANGEL and UNDERCOVER ELF. The characters will keep you glued to the pages and the laughter just doesn't stop. I found myself laughing out loud throughout both stories and plan to definitely read them again soon. The reason the stories stay in your mind for a long time is that Ms. Hoffman displays a brilliant talent to blend just the right amount of humor with tender-hearted and emotional stories full of characters that climb right into your heart and never let go.

Ms. Hoffman's sense of humor can only be compared to the finest wine -- it gets better with each book she writes. Bravo Ms. Hoffman! I'm eagerly looking forward to your next release.

Reviewed by Leena Hyat
Courtesy Heart Rate Reviews
Posted July 4, 2001