"A heartwarming romance"

Everyone figured former Feld, Nevada high school prom queen Jaclyn had it made when she married Terry Wentworth just after graduation, because his father Burt owned the town. Over the next twelve years they have three children, but Terry never grows up as daddy continues to take care of every misdeed his son does.

Terry's numerous infidelities, including his latest trip to Maxine's whorehouse, leads Jaclyn to file for divorce. Burt hires the top lawyers around and gains joint custody of his grandchildren, no spousal payments, and a small stipend for child care. Jaclyn can barely make it, and is in real trouble when she loses her waitressing job in a Reno restaurant. She turns to former Feld resident Cole Perrini for a job. Though he does not need an unskilled employee, successful developer Cole hires Jaclyn as an office assistant. As Cole and Jaclyn begin to fall in love, Terry and Burt use the children to cause mischief. However the biggest barrier to a permanent relationship remains the demons left from Jaclyn and Cole's first marriages.

WE SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS is a powerful and exciting relationship drama that stars an incredible female whose guts make the tale hum. Though the behavior of Terry and Burt towards the well being of their respective children/grandchildren seems fictitious, a social worker neighbor informs me that is the unbelievable reality. The three children and Cole's brothers add depth to Brenda Novak's Yuletide gift to fans of contemporary relationship dramas. These same readers will also demand that the story of Cole's brother and the "too young" college coed comes soon.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted October 14, 2001

Summary

When Jaclyn Wentworth catches her husband cheating on her yet again, she's determined to get out of her unhappy marriage and build a better life for her and her three small children. But she married right out of high school, has no job skills or money to speak of and no family to rely on. She's completely on her own--until she meets up with Cole Perrini again, "bad boy" of the small Nevada town in which she grew up. Then she remembers what it's like to love a man. Only she can't have Cole without asking for more of the same kind of misery she suffered with her first husband, because everyone knows he has a cheating heart.....