Callie Yates grew up the day her mother left. It was never easy caring for her agoraphobic father and trying to give her three teenage siblings the childhood she never had. But when she learns the store where she works is closing after the holidays, Callie is forced to make a decision. Will she be honest with her family, or give them one final Merry Christmas?
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard
Four Stars
The Yates weren’t too crazy. But Callie had a few loose. She ran herself thin just to care for the people around her. Just like being a mom you take on so much and don’t let anyone in to help. Callie has taken care of everyone for years. When do you start remembering that your not alone in life. It takes a lot of courage and love to do what Callie did. The author wrote this story to compel us to think outside the normal and to learn that happiness just needs a little faith.
The Crazy Yates
Kimberly Packard
5 out of 5 stars
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard is the perfect novella to curl up and read surrounding the holidays! Despite being short, the story packs a punch with great characters with depth. I really enjoyed Callie, the strong writing and emotion throughout the novella made me feel like she was one of my close friends. I would give this book 5 stars and encourage anyone to give it a go. It’s really a heartwarming read!
The Cray Yates by Kimberly Packard is a fast short read that you will want to finish in one reading. This is not my first book by Kimberly Packard and will not be my last. This story was a major emotional story for me. There were high points and low points. The story is so realistic that I could see Callie being a close friend. This story gave me hope that there is some Christmas Magic left in the world. This is a special story with a young lady, Callie who lost her mother. Callie being the oldest sibling took upon the role of “Mother” to her younger siblings and she grew up fast. There are many things stacking up against the Yates family. Will Callie be able to get some Christmas Magic or will the circumstances be so great that things will fall apart? You will have to read this short story to find the answers.
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard
5 out of 5 stars
The Crazy Yates is written by Kimberly Packard and it’s the first book that I have read by this author. The characters are amazing the storyline is great and the description is awesome.
This is a short Christmas story about a family down on their luck but they have each other.
Callie Yates loved her family unconditionally, how she simply stepped up to the plate and did what had to be done for her family. She soon realizes how she also had lost herself and how she needed to be reminded of what a true family is and let them in.
I’m not going to say anything else because I don’t want to give anything away.
I really enjoyed this book and author and will be reading more by her.
By
Tracy
@tracym
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard. This is an amazing book. I wasn’t prepared for it to end as quickly as it did. I wanted it to continue which is the sign of a very good book. Its the story of Callie Yates, the oldest daughter of 4 siblings. When her dad becomes very sick with anxiety and agoraphobic (won’t leave the house) she is stuck with taking care of the household including being the breadwinner. She works so hard and tries to give her siblings the childhood she never had. When she finds out her store is closing that she works at will the family be lost forever or will Callie find a Christmas Miracle. This book is so sweet, full of love and Christmas hope.
This book was a short and sweet one. The characters were nice. I loved that this book was so Christmassy and magical especially when the main character needed it. Callie is young and she needs a break and during the course of the book we find out if she actually gets one.
There is so much love in this book that you cannot help but fall in love with all the characters. Highly recommend this book.
Note to self: Pay attention to book length. I was not prepared for this book to end so quickly! Like other Kimberly Packard books I have read, I didn’t want to put down The Crazy Yates, and read it in one setting. I highly recommend it, and all her books. She writes in a way that you feel like you know the character. She is very descriptive and the characters are genuine and realistic. This is a short story about the Yates family, specifically Callie, the oldest daughter. She is left to look after her family when her father develops such bad anxiety and agoraphobia he cannot leave the house, and her mother cannot handle it and bails. Leaving Callie to raise and take care of her father, and younger brother and sisters. It seems like bad luck piled on bad. Will Callie get a Christmas miracle this year?
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard is a Christmas novella that broke my heart a little bit while reading. I felt so bad got Callie at first, when it rains it pours especially with the bad and that is the case for Callie and her family.
Helping raise her younger siblings and being the sole financial support has caused her to grow up way too soon. As the oldest she felt like it was duty, which I understand since I had to do the same thing.
One fateful trip to Amarillo changed so much for Callie and her family for the better.
This is definitely a feel good Christmas story. But I would love to see more of the Yates family.
The Crazy Yates
By Kimberly Packard
This book was a very short read but full of emotion. I enjoyed reading this story, I wish it would have been longer. Callie is a young but strong woman trying to take care of her family, but feeling like she’s failing. Although there are some struggles having teenagers and an agoraphobic father in the house, there is also a very strong family bond. Will the Yates be able to overcome their struggles? Will Callie make the right decision and tell her family? To find these things out you must read this emotional story. I recommend this book.
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard is a heartwarming short story. This book will draw you into the characters and have you invested in them in no time at all.
Callie is a girl who just needs a break. But will she be able to find one?
Not only Callie but her whole family is one that you cannot help but fall in love with. The authors managed to pack so much into this little book but it doesn’t at any point seem rushed. This is a great short story to lose yourself in easily.
The Crazy Yates
By Kimberly Packard
4 stars
This was a short read about some really lovely characters. It didn’t take me long at all to get in this story and I really loved Callie. I could honestly feel that she had the weight of the world on her shoulders with everything that she had to do around the house and everything that she had been doing for her family for so many years. At times I easily forgot how young she actually was. It was pretty clear how much Callie’s family meant to her and so she did everything she could to try and support them in their time of need. I loved that the magic of Christmas shone through in this story and at a time where Callie really needed it! The ending to the story was really sweet and I would absolutely love to read more about this family again in the future.
This short and sweet Christmas novella is the perfect addition to your holiday reading list. It is engaging, sweet, and a quick read. It pulled me in immediately and had me smiling from beginning to end. Enjoyed this work from Packard and definitely recommend it to others.
WOW
After writing this review, I am going to find out if this is part of a longer story or series. I’m invested in the Yates Family and want to know how it all turns out.
A quick and easy read that centers around the Christmas holiday and it reminds us why we still believe in ” Santa Claus”. Bleak from the very beginning, this story is not a all puppy dogs and butterflies yet it allowed me heart to swell and believe in happy endings.
It is clean and YA friendly and I things any age group could enjoy it.
The Crazy Yates is a delightful Christmas novella by Kimberly Packard. It is only about 60 pages long but it is filled with magic of what a real family and magic of Christmas is. The writer has packed a full story into those few pages and at no point did I feel that it was a rushed job, we had the beginning, middle and end and it also made us more curious about whatever happened to the mother and whatever will happen to Callie, what her dreams will be and where the life takes her.
I loved the unconditional love that Callie had for her family, how she simply did what had to be done and how she also had lost herself and how she needed to be reminded of what a true family is … Thank you dear writer for giving us a reminder and I did go and call my mother and talked to her for a long time after I had finished the book.
The Crazy Yates
by Kimberly Packard
Rated 4 stars
This is a peek into the Yates living room window a few days before Christmas. Im not so sure the family is crazy just trying to live through difficult times. That makes them different from others. This is a short story but that doesn’t mean the author skimped out the developing the characters. I understood where Callie was coming from. Always down on their luck the monster always lurking around the next corner. Her family who hasn’t been there for her before. Will they come through on Christmas or will they just keep thinking about themselves?
This is not a first time author for me. I enjoy how she creates a small glimpse of someone’s world and invites us in the be spectators.
I was completely consumed with The Crazy Yates from Kimberly Packard. I have really grown to love Packard this year with her Phoenix series and so when I found out that she had a Christmas novella it seemed like a perfect way to round out my years TBR list. I have to say I am so glad that I did. This was so sweet and as much as I loved the heartwarming and quirky moments there were a few where I felt the hint of a tear slide down my cheeks as well. Like I said this is a novella, so pretty short, but don’t let that fool you. A lot is going on but you don’t feel rushed or too overwhelmed either. I was actually really surprised to find out that Packard wrote this in just a matter of days! This book really must have just flowed from her heart! I won’t divulge too much, other than you really must for yourself join Callie Yates and her family for a short while this holiday season.
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard
Five Stars
The Crazy Yates is a wonderful short Christmas story by Kimberly Packard. If this story doesn’t get you into the Christmas spirit and show the real meaning for the season, nothing will. I read this incredible story in less than an hour, and it was so worth my time. It made me laugh a little and cry a little, but truly left me happy in the end.
4 Stars
The Crazy Yates is a delightful Christmas story by Kimberly Packard. This is a novella length book, which makes it a very quick and easy read. I really enjoyed meeting Laila and her quirky and somewhat dysfunctional family. This story was really well written and captures some of the wonder and magic of Christmas, while also giving us a glimpse at what being a ‘family’ really means. There was quite a lot going on in a very small space, but the story never felt rushed or like it may have been lacking in anyway. Ms. Packard choreographed all the elements beautifully and had me smiling quite a lot through the story, and there were places where the story was quite emotive too, which made my heart ache for them.
Laila is a really great character, who took on an enormous amount of responsibility at a very young age. Now at 22, her burden has become even harder to carry when she discovers the business she works for will be closing down, and come the new year, she will no longer have a job. Living in a small town, there are not many jobs available- so all the stress and fear of wondering what to do, is taking a toll on her. What will she do? What will her family do when they discover that she’s lost her job? Will luck be on her side, finally??
This is a lovely, sweet, small town Christmas story! It’s well worth the read!
Thank you, Ms. Packard!
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard
5 Stars
This was a quick, easy to read, amazingly awesome story. I have grown to love this author so so much and this short but jam packed full of awesomeness just strengthened that so much more.
I felt every emotion in this story that was meant to be felt. I’ve read a lot of Christmas Stories but this one hit the mark. It was probably as real as it gets and on one hand so so sad, yet on the other so emotionally inspiring. I loved Callie and I felt for her as she was so strong and forced to take on the world’s problems for her family at such a young age.
I hated for this story to end, I loved reading about this family and wish there was more about Callie and her future. I loved loved loved and adored the end of this amazing story!
Many many thanks to this author for writing a brilliant Christmas story and I can not find the words to stress how much I recommend reading this!
The Crazy Yates by Kimberly Packard is a very short, sweet and refreshing Christmas story about love and family and the things we do for them. I loved the characters and their situation will have your emotions all over the place .
Callie had to grow up fast, but she is one amazing selfless and hardworking woman and when it comes to family she will do anything to see them happy.
This is a Christmas story that everyone should read and be reminded of the magic of Christmas.