The merry matchmaker

Putting a contemporary Christmasy spin on Jane Austen's Emma, the latest from Roberts (Mermaid Beach) sparkles with joy and humor. Fifty-year-old widow Frankie Lane, a small-town gift shop owner, has a wonderful life--but can't bring herself to stop meddling in the lives of others. Her desire to share her love and good fortune with everyone around her leads her to frequently play matchmaker. One of her favorite targets is Mitch, the slightly older hardware store owner whose attraction to Frankie is perfectly clear to everyone but her. As the local shops prepare for the Christmas rush and the popular Santa Walk event organized by Frankie, she navigates relationships with her mother and her adult daughter and her nascent feelings for Mitch, and must decide if she's ready to move on from the death of her husband four years earlier. Complications abound, particularly in the form of an amorous younger man, a female hardware store employee with a crush, and Barbara, another middle-aged woman, who's attempting to usurp Frankie's status in the town. A richly drawn secondary cast on their own romantic quests adds depth and heart, making this quaint town feel cozy and lived in. It's an instant holiday classic. (Oct.)Correction: A previous version of this review identified the protagonist's love interest by the wrong name.