I'll find my way back home and light up every tree: IT'S A FABULOUS LIFE.

It's a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Kelly Farmer brings us a very progressive and cute It's a Wonderful Life, the lite version. Bailey George cannot wait to escape her hometown and vacation in New York City. It means she finally will not be responsible for Lanford Falls' annual Winter Wonderfest. But, of course, the new person in charge has a medical emergency, and Bailey winds up on the hook, yet again. The only bright spot is that her old high school crush, Maria Hatcher, is back in town, and she agrees to help Bailey out.

LIFE glosses over a lot of the more depressing aspects of the original while keeping somewhat to its framework. If you're a huge fan of the Jimmy Stewart classic, you'll love seeing what stays in this story and how the parallels are made. There's the romance between Bailey (who runs her family's real estate business and battles town nemesis Felicity Potter) and Maria, who works at the local library. Bailey's desire to leave Lanford Falls and her disgruntlement with the Wonderfest leads to the arrival of the Angels, a trio of drag queens, and her own personal queen, Clara, who are determined to help her find her Christmas spirit again.

Nothing has quite the same gravitas as the film, but, hey, we're reading a holiday romance. Bailey's reason for a lack of spirit--and her eventual "tada" moment--feel a bit forced. As with the original, you do wonder why she has to give up all her dreams in the name of friends and family.

But, this is a really cute read overall. I loved seeing what quotes and pieces came across from the movie. The small town charm of Lanford Falls really shone through, and while Bailey irked me sometimes, Maria was such a sweet character. She and Bailey each had adorable dogs who were literary stars in their own right. The book is packed with queer characters--always a winning combo for me. There are some really funny inside jokes and great messages sprinkled throughout. As Christmas romances go, I liked this one. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Alcove Press in return for an unbiased review.

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