Susan May Warren's Baby, It's Cold Outside ~ Reviewed

Baby, It's Cold Outside

By Susan May Warren

Published by Summerside Press

ISBN-13: 978-60936-215-7

Dottie Morgan has no desire to share her home—or her heart—this Christmas. After all, her holiday spirit froze over when she lost her son in World War II. But when the blizzard of the decade descends on Frost, Minnesota, trapping Dottie in her home with four near strangers, she discovers that opening her door might also open her heart to a miracle ... and a new reason to celebrate Christmas.

Baby, It's Cold Outside has an eclectic cast of characters from Dottie the curmudgeon, Jake the pretender, Gordy the neighbor, to Violet the WAAC. Warren's characters take you into their hearts and don't let go. I laughed and cried and turned pages all night long. Baby, It's Cold Outside is a must read this Christmas! Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation: a 5-star read.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor

Novel Rocket

Bonus Review:


I truly enjoy the writing of Susan May Warren. As a matter of fact, I started my Christmas reading off last year with her contemporary shorter novel The Great Christmas Bowl and enjoyed it immensely, so I was looking forward to her writing being the fall introduction to the Christmas season again for me this year with a war time historical. When I Fall In Love is an awesome series from Summerside Press and just like their Love Finds You series, I have enjoyed every single book I've read so far on various levels.


Baby, It's Cold Outside is a war time, or immediately after war time novel and thus it does have sad undertones. I have to admit that it was hard for me to get into until about halfway through because of the various lives coming together with all of their sadness, depression and regrets. But once things started to work in the way that they were meant to I was very eager to continue to turn the page and find out what would happen next.


This is an absolutely gorgeous cover for a very meaningful read full of hope and second chances.

*Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for providing a copy for review.*

Reviewed by: Margaret Chind

Bonus Review:

Baby, It’s Cold Outside takes place in Frost, Minnesota, near Christmas-time in 1949.  Dottie Morgan, who works at the town library, has almost completely shut herself off from the world after her son was killed in the war.  In fact, she’s planning on spending Christmas by herself with no celebration.  As fate would have it, a terrible blizzard hits the town, and Dottie ends up having house guests that are stranded with her: Violet Hart, a fellow co-worker at the library who served in the war with the WAAC; Gordy Lindholm, Dottie’s long time neighbor who proposed to her many years ago before she ran off and married another man; Jake Ramsey, a military chaplain, who has come to tell Violet that the soldier she has been writing letters to is dead; and Arnie Shiller, a young boy who nearly dies trying to make it to the safety of Dottie’s house during the blizzard.  During this time, they each come to face their own insecurities and begin to let down the walls to their hearts. 
              
 I really enjoyed this book.  I love the World War II era stories and this one came together so nicely.  I like how it told the story from each characters’ perspective at different times.  I loved how Dottie and Gordon were able to overcome years of misunderstood feelings.  I also loved seeing the Violet and Jake’s love story blossom.  It was just an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it!
 
Reviewed by:Sarah Meyers