Because It's Christmas

by Kathryn Shay

Because It's Christmas by Kathryn Shay released on Oct 25, 1998 is available now for purchase.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B000FMIR0I
• ISBN13: 9780373708154
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 298 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Balm for burned-out teachers, principals, and other "helpers

Burn-out hits everyone in a "helping" profession at one time or another. It can be mild or severe. For Seth Taylor (the principal and mentor to Cassie Smith in Shay's book "Cop of the Year"), it's a combination of things. Being a principal is not easy, and Bayview High School students suffer from the same garden-variety social ills that most suburban schools do. He's haunted by the mistakes he made with two students. One of them he didn't crack down on hard enough, and the other he maybe have been too hard on. It doesn't help that the latter student was the son of the local newspaper editor/publisher, who has looked under every stone and twig for reasons to discredit Seth's standing in the community and get him fired. Up until now, though, Seth has hung in there and implemented some innovative programs that are just now yielding good results for students. But the newspaper won't give him a break. When Lacey Cartwright--the publisher's granddaughter--puts her own dynamic career on hold to come help her grandfather run the paper--she is challenged by Seth and her old friend Cassie to look at the "rest of the story," to quote Paul Harvey. What she discovers about the school and the man who keeps it running could change her life forever.Like "Cop of the Year," this is more than just another romance. It's a reminder that teachers and newspaper reporters touch lives in ways that they may never know about, and they do make a difference. This one also has inspired me to look for more ways to connect with the university students I teach, and to pass on good things I hear about my colleagues to them, so they can keep fighting the good fight another day, week, or year. Seth is the best kind of sexy man there is--responsible, a good father, and one who cares about the people around him. The testimonial dinner--like the farewell party in "Cop of the Year"--had me in tears. I had to keep reminding myself, "this is fiction." Kathryn Shay is one heck of a writer!This is a good one to read in December, when the semester is winding down at school and you're burned out with classes and just want to get to the celebrating and relaxing. Enjoy it. . .

Wonderful modern romance...don't miss it!

First, let me say this is a sequel to COP OF THE YEAR. Anyway, I loved this story. I never thought a 46-year-old high school principal could make a sexy hero. I was very wrong! That is what makes this story irresistible. It is modern and about everyday people. At the same time, it is so wonderfully different from what I'm used to reading in romance. This is the fifth book I've read by Kathryn Shay. I've loved them all. I highly recommend COP OF THE YEAR and her 'America's Bravest' trilogy: FEEL THE HEAT, THE MAN WHO LOVED CHRISTMAS, and CODE OF HONOR. Along with Judith McNaught, Patricia Gaffney, Laura Kinsale, and Susan E. Phillips, Kathryn Shay is my favorite author.

A fabulous romantic retelling of "It's a Wonderful Life"

Bayview Heights is a small town just outside New York City. Like many small towns today, the townsfolk struggle with teen problems. However, led by the efforts of the high school principal, Seth Taylor, the educators have taken an active role to divert youthful energy into productive endeavors. This has not stopped the local newspaper from a non-stop critical barrage on Seth and his school due to increases teen violence. The current editor of the Bayview Herald is Lacey Cartwright, who took over from her beloved grandfather when the senior citizen suffered a devastating heart attack. Both Cartwrights have a personal vendetta towards Seth, who they blame for the incarceration of Lacey's younger brother Kevin. After the latest assault on his school, Seth challenges Lacey to come to the high school to observe the full picture. She agrees and is amazed with what she sees. She agrees to partnering with Seth to oversee a student task force. As the duo falls in love with one another and Lacey realizes how biased her editorials have been, her grandfather increases the pressure on her to destroy Seth, which, if accomplished, will kill her in the process BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS is a super, modern day retelling of the classic "It's a Wonderful Life". The lead protagonists are a charming duo and the support characters add the depth to the two opposing camps. Kathryn Shay's tale is a beautiful Christmas story due to the burned-out Seth, who believes he has had no positive impact on his community until his former students stand up and are counted. Readers who peruse this novel will understand that it is in deed a wonderful life when one reads novels like this one.Harriet Klausner