A delightful Christmas story. ( )

Story of 3 angels sent to answer the prayers relatives have for different people. Although set during the Christmas season, it is not really a holiday story. Have read later books in the series which were more humorous. More about the 3 people than about the Angels doing much to help. Enjoyed the story of Brynn the most since there seemed to be more build-up about her difficulties as a teacher. Surprised at how quickly Hannah fell in love with a guy not intended for her by her family. Her grandmother helped her almost more than the Angels. Jenny's story of an actress missing home was predictable. ( )

Brynn, Hannah, and Jenny all have dreams. Brynn is a teacher who dreams of making a difference in her students' lives, even if Roberto Alcantara thinks she is in over her head. Hannah is so used to following her parents' wishes that she is engaged to one man, Carl, while in love with another, Joshua. Small-town girl Jenny's dreams of becoming a star on Broadway are growing dimmer by the day and she misses her family - and Trey LaRue. All three must learn to follow their hearts and they'll have some help along the way from three angels - Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy.

First released in 1995, "Touched by Angels" is a cute, at times poignant, novel set in New York at Christmas time (this is one novel, not three separate stories). Of the three women, I found Brynn's story to be the deepest, saddest, and most realistic, (outside of the discussion she has with her students regarding sex which felt out of place and merely a plot device). Author Debbie Macomber touches on several issues in this story that she normally stays away from and handles them all deftly (have a tissue nearby when reading this - there are some genuinely sad moments in this book). Macomber does a pretty good job of showing what life is like in a school in a poor neighborhood and doesn't sugarcoat the story - not everyone has a happy ending. The Brynn/Roberto romance is a pleasant surprise as Macomber's romances are almost always lily-white. The Hannah/Joshua story was my next favorite. While I sometimes wished Hannah would get a backbone, the chemistry between her and Joshua is well done (and very romantic) as are the family dynamics (I also like the fact that Macomber included a Jewish family in what could be considered a Christmas book). Hannah's struggles to please everyone instead of listening to her heart was very believable. Jenny's story was my least favorite of the three, mainly because there didn't seem to be much chemistry between her and Trey (I think this is because they already knew and cared for each other - readers had no chance to see the romance developing). As for the three angels, the story could easily have worked without them (and in fact they disappear for long periods of time) but they add a nice touch of humor to the story.

"Touched by Angels" is a nice novel set during the holiday season. ( )