Starr Lewis is travelling home to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family, hoping not to disclose that her New York City marketing firm cut corners and her job was one to go. YOU MAKE IT FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS by Toni Shiloh could be one of many small-town Christmas books. But wait! Starr’s family lives in Washington DC. She swaps one big city for another and shows me a location I don’t usually see in the romances I read.

Waylon Emmerson, a good friend of Starr’s brother Noel, is among the guests at this well-off family’s table. The talk is all about Starr’s sister Angel's marriage to Ashton in a few weeks’ time. The fact that Ashton is Starr's ex-boyfriend makes the situation uncomfortable. Starr got over any feelings for Ashton long ago, but she’s still furious with her sister. Of course, she keeps this under wraps, even when Angel insists all her sisters must be bridesmaids.

Waylon can’t believe how gorgeous Starr has become, and he starts inviting her to the sights and festivals around the city. This gives a wonderful view of the entertainments – ice sculptures, the White House garden, a lit zoo in the snow, and a choir singing. Waylon could also use some help, as he inherited his late mother's Christmas decoration shop, which is stuck in the twentieth century. But Starr’s aiming for more work in NYC, which to her, means success and independence.

The family dynamics are fun to observe, although I did lose track of who was which Lewis brother or sister a few times because they all have Christmas-sounding names. Angel turns into a total bridezilla and behaves in a way that shows money is no object in this household, although some might feel it’s excessive. The parents set an example of praying for guidance, and this would sit better with me if they had volunteered with a charity during the holidays. Christmas is supposed to be a time for thinking of others, and that doesn’t just mean other family members. 

Toni Shiloh writes a scenic, post-Obama Washington DC, in which her multicultural characters demonstrate respect and caring. She emphasises family loyalties, and the main characters learn some lessons about themselves and others. The first book in the Lewis Family series, YOU MAKE IT FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS was originally published as I'LL BE HOME and is followed by two more Christmas romance stories.