Review - - Take Me Home for Christmas

Take Me Home for Christmas

by Tracy Solheim

Chances Inlet - Book 5

Publisher: Sun Home Productions

Release Date: December 12, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

In the quaint coastal town of Chances Inlet, Christmas is a time for rekindling lost connections . . .

Elinor “Elle” McAlister is on the brink of a big-time promotion that will finally put her on equal footing with her overachieving siblings. The catch? She has to babysit a notoriously prickly war reporter who’s late delivering his memoir. As if that weren’t enough, her editor banishes them both to Elle’s hometown on the Carolina coast to get the job done. Spending the holidays in Chances Inlet might have been fine—if only she hadn’t wrecked the most important relationship in her life during her visit last Christmas.

Deputy Sheriff Hayden Lovell has known Elle was his person ever since she swiped his purple crayon back in kindergarten. Through every twist and setback, her steady friendship has been his anchor, especially after he returned from combat with wounds that run deep. But everything changed last New Year’s Eve when Elle surprised him with a kiss, stirring feelings he didn’t realize he had. Now that she’s back in town and keeping her distance, Hayden wonders if that moment meant as much to her as it did to him.

Chances Inlet has a knack for bringing people together. With Christmas around the corner, can Elle and Hayden rewrite their story before the holiday spirit fades? Join them in a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and the magic of second chances in a town that knows how to celebrate Christmas like no other.

PJ's Thoughts:

I can always count on the books in Tracy Solheim's Chances Inlet series to be brimming with a strong sense of community, quirky characters, relatable family dynamics, emotional depth, lovable animals, and heart-tugging happy endings. Take Me Home for Christmas is no exception.

I enjoy the friends-to-lovers romance trope. Throw in messy emotional baggage, a currently strained relationship, family complications, a potential new love interest (championed by his mother), and careers in different locations and you have a book that kept me flipping pages right up until the end. 

Solheim really brings these characters - as well as the town of Chances Inlet - to life. I could easily envision the noisy family gatherings and festive holiday events around town. Secondary characters add richness, humor, and texture to the story, enhancing without detracting from the main couple. I love how seamlessly family and friends weave in and out just as people do in real life. 

Elle's and Hayden's individual journeys as well as their romantic one feel authentic and relatable. I enjoyed the growth of both characters as they navigated the changing landscape both of their personal goals and dreams and their deepening feelings for one another. 

The children in this book are a particular delight, especially their relationship with the curmudgeonly author Elle's publisher has tasked her with babysitting (for lack of a better term). West (the author) has an interesting evolution of his own, one that intersects with Elle's and leads to unexpected opportunities for both of them.

Take Me Home for Christmas is the fifth book in Solheim's Chances Inlet series. Fans of the series (like me) will no doubt enjoy all the catch-up cameos by couples from earlier books while readers new to the series should be able to enjoy Elle's and Hayden's story on its own. Whichever camp you fall into, Take Me Home for Christmas delivers a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, heartwarming tale of family, community, and finding that one person who completes you in all the right ways. 

Review - - It Had to Be You

It Had to Be You

by Tracy Solheim

Chances Inlet - Book 4

Publisher: Sun Home Productions

Release Date: June 2, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

 

When Paige Hollister discovers her “Mr. Right” already has a “Mrs. Right,” she swears off men forever. Even more humiliating, she suddenly finds herself labeled the other woman and out of the teaching job she loves. So Paige does what every unemployed single woman staring thirty in the face does: She hightails it to the beach. Bad luck like hers is hard to outrun, however. Her getaway is stalled when her car breaks down in a small-town chock full of meddling, nosy residents. The worst of them being the local sheriff—none other than her estranged father.

Finally on top of the golf world, Tanner Gillette is poised to show everyone he’s not just an entitled playboy coasting through tournaments on his pedigree. That is until his life is turned upside down by a little girl who shows up on his doorstep with a birth certificate inexplicably bearing his name. Complicating matters more, the kid isn’t talking. When the stress of caring for a child whose mother is AWOL gives Tanner a bad case of the yips, he’s forced to enlist help from the one person in town who can’t wait to leave.

Sticking around Chances Inlet and her father’s shiny new, über-successful family isn’t on Paige’s to-do list. Especially when she’d prefer to keep her embarrassing incident under wraps. Yet she can’t walk away from the troubled little girl. Or the sexy Australian golfer who just might make her want to take a chance on trusting her heart again.

PJ's Thoughts:

Tracy Solheim's Chances Inlet, North Carolina is one of my favorite places to visit. You have the beach, friendly citizens, a bookstore, ice cream shop, town green, and festivals aplenty. You have second chances for people who grew up there and others who fate brought to town. You have smiles, laughter (the kids are a hoot), heart-tugging emotion, and plenty of romantic chemistry. I mean, what's not to love, right? But, if that wasn't enough, you also have the large, supportive, fiercely-competitive, and loving McAlister clan, of which Paige's estranged father is a new member. Most of the McAlisters have already navigated their second chances to a happily ever after and now stand, ready and waiting, to welcome a clearly reluctant Paige into their lives, along with one very sexy pro golfer, complete with Australian accent, and an adorable little girl who may - or may not - be his daughter (no spoilers). 

I loved the evolution of Paige and Tanner. Both dealing with personal issues of their own, neither is ready for any kind of relationship when they first meet, even though the mutual chemistry between them is undeniable. But both have something the other needs. Solheim guides them through a slow-burn relationship build, that includes one traumatized little girl, that changes all of them in profound ways. Their journey includes deeply emotional issues, giving them their due without adding too much heavy weight to the overall story. There's also plenty of humor, sweetness, sizzle, and meddling, well-meaning family to balance the angst. 

While Paige and Tanner remain the primary focus of the romance in this book, it is very definitely an ensemble of characters who play significant roles. Family and friends are at the heart of this series and delightfully front and center in all of the books. I enjoyed Paige and Tanner's romance but also Paige's journey to reconciliation with her father as well as Tanner's path to peace after the tragic death of his brother. And, of course, I always enjoy the sports angle of Solheim's stories. It's fun to read a book featuring sports I enjoy when it's written by an author who clearly knows the topic. 

I do think a reader new to Chances Inlet would be able to enjoy this book as a standalone. However, as someone who has read all the books (including Double Dog Dare, book two of Solheim's Milwaukee Growlers series in which Paige, best friend of heroine Summer Pearson, is introduced), it's a special treat to catch up with couples from earlier books as well as characters still waiting to find their HEA. I enthusiastically recommend all of the Chances Inlet stories, as well as Double Dog Dare (which can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone). The earlier Chances Inlet books are: Back to Before, All They Ever Wanted, and Second Chance Christmas. 

If you're looking for a summer read that touches your heart, tickles your funny bone, and leaves you sighing with satisfaction, pick up a copy of Tracy Solheim's It Had to Be You. Oh, what the heck, pick up the whole series and get to know the whole McAlister clan. 

 

Review - - Second Chance Christmas

Second Chance Christmas

by Tracy Solheim

Chances Inlet - Book 3

Publisher: Sun Home Productions

Release Date: October 25, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

Chances Inlet, North Carolina is the last place major leaguer Ryan McAlister wants to hide from the media to rest up his broken hand. He left his gossipy, Christmas-obsessed hometown in the dust over a decade ago. When he gets caught up in the town’s holiday antics, he finds himself responsible for making a little boy’s Christmas wish come true. The kid’s widowed mother, however—a blast from Ryan’s past—just might make his stay a bit more exciting.

Physical therapist Jane Sheffield loves her hometown. Especially at Christmastime. Since this may be her last in Chances Inlet, she’s determined to make the most of it with her young son. But after her childcare falls apart, she gets more than she bargained for when her best friend’s younger brother volunteers to help out. The rebellious teen she tutored in high school has grown up into a sexy charmer and so much more than the pretty face he pretends to be.

Can a stray dog, the Ghost of Christmas past, and a host of meddling townsfolk muster up enough Christmas spirit to convince Ryan and Jane to give their hometown—and each other--a second chance?

This book is the third book in a family saga but can be read as a standalone.

PJ's Thoughts:

Tracy Solheim returns to this small coastal town for the highly anticipated third book in her Chances Inlet series. I fell in love with the citizens of Chances Inlet, and especially the McAlister family, while reading the first two books in the series and have been eagerly waiting for Ryan's book for the past three years. I'm very happy to report that Solheim gave me everything I could have wanted. And more.

This is a story of forgiveness, acceptance, and starting over that captured my heart. Ryan is such an endearing character. His family loves him but they rarely look beyond the pretty face, sports prowess, and carefree attitude for which baseball fans, the media, and most women value him. There's so much more to him but nobody ever looks for the depth. It's reached the point where even Ryan has stopped believing in himself. And then along comes Jane, a widowed single mom with more than a few challenges on her own plate. On paper, they shouldn't make sense. But they do. 

I adored these two together. They have wonderful chemistry, great banter, and a soul-deep connection (even if it takes one of them awhile to realize it). I loved how they each brought out the best in each other; how supportive and protective of one another they were. I loved watching Ryan and Jane's young son together. Huck wasn't the only one who blossomed in that relationship. It was so satisfying to watch all three of them evolve throughout the story. 

If you're looking for a feel-good, contemporary romance with great family dynamics, endearing characters you'll cheer for, humor, sizzle, food you'll drool over, tear-inducing declarations, and the heartwarming love and magic of Christmas, pick up a copy of Tracy Solheim's Second Chance Christmas. The e-book edition is a steal at the pre-publication price of $2.99.

Second Chance Christmas is written in such a way that it can be enjoyed as a standalone but I also recommend the first two books in the series: Back to Before (Gavin McAlister and Ginger Walsh) and All They Ever Wanted (Miles McAlister and Lori Buchman). Having already "met" the members of the McAlister family in the earlier books enhanced the depth of my enjoyment of book three even more. 

Note: Solheim received so many comments from early readers about the delicious food in this book that she put together a collection of recipes for the dishes featured. Readers can obtain a copy of the recipes by subscribing to her newsletter at the following link:  

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/n6r4a9

Today's Special - - Tracy Solheim - - Guest Post & Giveaway

It's my pleasure to welcome Tracy Solheim to The Romance Dish today. After a few years away, creating thrilling romantic suspense tales set in Washington, D.C. and introducing readers to a new football team in Wisconsin, Solheim is returning to one of my favorites of her fictional locations. Her new book, Second Chance Christmas takes readers back to Chances Inlet, North Carolina and her McAlister family. This time, it's youngest son Ryan's turn in the spotlight and I cannot wait to follow along as the professional baseball playing McAlister everyone underestimates finally finds someone who sees beyond the traffic-stopping face and body, who challenges the way he views life, and the way he views himself. This is going to be fun.

Holiday Traditions

by Tracy Solheim

There are only eighty-one more days until Christmas! Are you stressing or getting excited? In my case, it’s felt like Christmas all year. I’ve spent much of my time writing, editing, and promoting my upcoming book, Second Chance Christmas. I’m worried that the actual holiday may feel a little anti-climactic.

I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to holidays. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I don’t like to rush it away to prepare for the Christmas season. I’ve always believed it helps the excitement and anticipation build by not celebrating too early. Of course, that was before you could watch Christmas movies in July!

Second Chance Christmas is set in the coastal North Carolina town of Chances Inlet—a very different setting from all those movies with snowball fights, warm fires, and hot cocoa. But that doesn’t mean the Christmas spirit isn’t alive and well in my little fictional town. There’s a tree-lighting, breakfast with Santa, a holiday flotilla, and even a parade on Christmas Eve.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for all those holiday festivities. I’ve celebrated Christmas in three different countries and ten different states from North to South and East to West, and it’s those unique holiday traditions that make the season special. And not all of them involve snow.

For the McAlister family, I wanted to give them a fun tradition that was unfamiliar to me until I spent Christmas day with friends one year: the Legend of the Christmas Pickle. Are you familiar with it? This one involves an ornament shaped like a pickle. Legend has it, the first person to find the ornament on Christmas morning gets an extra gift. In the case of my friends, the winner got out of helping clean the brunch dishes. There were twenty-seven people over for brunch, so it was quite the prize! Needless to say, the tree did teeter a bit, but much like in my book, it didn’t fall.

When I decided to include this in the McAlister’s celebration, I was curious about how the Legend of the Christmas Pickle began. And that’s where everything got a little confusing. Most sites claimed it was an old Bavarian tradition. But when I dug a little further, many Germans had never heard of it.

Eventually I landed on the site WhyChristmas.com where I found several possible explanations:

“In the 1880s Woolworth stores started selling glass ornaments imported from Germany and some were in the shape of various fruit and vegetables. It seems that pickles must have been among the selection!”

Or perhaps one of these even crazier tales:

“One features a fighter in the American Civil War who was born in Bavaria (an area of what is now Germany). He was a prisoner, and starving, he begged a guard for one last pickle before he died. The guard took pity on him and gave a pickle to him. The pickle gave him the mental and physical strength to live on!

The other story is linked to St. Nicholas. It's a medieval tale of two Spanish boys traveling home from a boarding school for the holidays. When they stopped at an inn for the night, the evil innkeeper, killed the boys and put them in a pickle barrel. That evening, St. Nicholas stopped at the same inn, and found the boys in the barrel and miraculously bought them back to life!”

 

I don’t know about you, but I’m going with the story that the Legend of the Christmas Pickle is the result of a very inventive ornament salesman!

Do you hang a Christmas pickle on your tree? Do you have any other fun traditions that you practice with your family during Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa?

Share with us in the comments and one random person (who posts before 11:00 PM, October 8) will win a signed print copy of Second Chance Christmas and a pickle ornament! (International winner will receive a digital copy only.)

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited

Second Chance Christmas

by Tracy Solheim

Release Date: October 25, 2021

Chances Inlet, North Carolina is the last place major leaguer Ryan McAlister wants to hide from the media to rest up his broken hand. He left his gossipy, Christmas-obsessed hometown in the dust over a decade ago. When he gets caught up in the town’s holiday antics, he finds himself responsible for making a little boy’s Christmas wish come true. The kid’s widowed mother, however—a blast from Ryan’s past—just might make his stay a bit more exciting.

Physical therapist Jane Sheffield loves her hometown. Especially at Christmastime. Since this may be her last in Chances Inlet, she’s determined to make the most of it with her young son. But after her childcare falls apart, she gets more than she bargained for when her best friend’s younger brother volunteers to help out. The rebellious teen she tutored in high school has grown up into a sexy charmer and so much more than the pretty face he pretends to be.

Can a stray dog, the Ghost of Christmas past, and a host of meddling townsfolk muster up enough Christmas spirit to convince Ryan and Jane to give their hometown—and each other--a second chance?

This book is the third book in a family saga but can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55757734-second-chance-christmas

BookBub:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/second-chance-christmas-a-chances-inlet-novel-by-tracy-solheim?bookstory=6536555

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