Review - - Christmas on Reindeer Road

 

Christmas on Reindeer Road

by Debbie Mason

Highland Falls - Book 2

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: September 29, 2020

Reviewed by PJ

Can the magic of mistletoe bring together two busy single parents?

Mallory Maitland knows all too well what it's like to feel abandoned, which is why she's sworn never to give up on her two stepsons -- her late husband's children. But when the teens land in hot water, she's got a whole new problem: how to resist the caring and incredibly hot Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan. All Mallory wants is to give the boys a magical holiday. She doesn't need the distraction of wondering what it would be like to kiss Gabriel under the mistletoe.

After his wife died, Gabriel left his job as an adrenaline-chasing New York City homicide detective to focus on raising his three sons. But back in Highland Falls, he doesn't have to go looking for trouble. It finds him -- in the form of a beautiful neighbor and her troublemaking stepchildren. With Gabriel's mother-in-law looking for any excuse to gain custody of his sons, Gabriel can't risk getting involved with Mallory, even though she's the only woman capable of making this Christmas -- and all the rest to come -- his best ever.

PJ's Thoughts:

If this book doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will. It's like a cozy blanket, twinkling Christmas tree, and mug of hot chocolate - with marshmallows - all wrapped up in one delicious bundle. I adored every single word. 

Mason has populated her fictional community with a plethora of characters ranging from quirky to mischievous to downright meddlesome. I loved some and wanted to kick others off the nearest cliff but isn't that the way in most small towns? I really enjoyed getting to know Gabe and Mallory better, learning their back stories and watching them navigate the numerous - and often hilarious - pitfalls awaiting them. It was also fun to catch up with Hunter and Abby from book one, Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge. And then there were the boys. They made me laugh, made me cry, broke my heart, then filled it with happiness. I fell for all five of them but Gabe's youngest, six-year-old Teddy? He's something special, one of my favorite kids in a romance, ever. He stole my heart...and every single scene he was in.

There's so much emotional depth in this story. It has *all* the feels. Honestly, I just wanted to wrap my arms around these characters and hug them tight. I loved them so much. But, along with the emotion that accompanies some serious issues, Mason has also laced the story with a heartwarming, lighthearted touch. She's an author who transitions seamlessly from heart-wrenching to hilarious while immersing readers in the lives of her vividly and realistically depicted characters. She had me sobbing on one page, snort-laughing on the next, and eagerly looking ahead to whatever awaited me around the next turn. 

I've been reading Debbie Mason since her debut and more than a few of her books have been 5-star reads for me but this one, this one is special. I had already pre-ordered Christmas on Reindeer Road in e-book (because I have limited space) but after reading it - twice - I ordered another copy in print. It's joining my holiday shelf, the one containing those books I can see, touch, and curl up with in front of my Christmas tree every year as I once again revisit beloved characters and lose myself in their journeys to a happily ever after.  

I highly recommend Christmas on Reindeer Road for your holiday romance reading. As Teddy Buchanan says, "This is what love looks like on Reindeer Road." 

 

Do you have a shelf of holiday romances you reread every year?

What are some of your favorite Christmas romances?

Have you read Debbie Mason yet?

 

Review - - The Secret She Keeps

The Secret She Keeps
by HelenKay Dimon
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: December 30, 2019
Reviewed by PJ
  

No matter where you run to…

Connor Rye seeks solace on remote Whitaker Island. When his first quiet evening ends with a blow to the head, it’s clear that nothing—and no one—is as it seems. Still haunted by his sister’s murder, he’s buried himself in work while trying to hold his family together. Now, when he has a minute to breathe, he knows better than to get involved with a stranger, but it might be too late to keep his distance.

Desire will find you...

For years she’s pretended to be someone else, but Maddie Rhine is done living in the shadows. Old habits are hard to kick however, and when her past follows her to Whitaker she’s forced to hide once more. Except with Connor. Effortlessly sexy Connor makes it difficult to ignore him. He sees right through her…and senses her fear.

Someone is watching her. And waiting for the right moment to strike. This time Connor vows to be ready.

PJ's Thoughts:

Connor Rye is a protector. Following his sister's death, he stepped in to take care of his family, and the family business, but he's never faced his own grief or (misplaced) guilt over his sister's murder at the hands of her husband. Now, at his family's insistence, he's on a small island in the Pacific Northwest and, instead of the peace they were hoping he'd find, he's smack-dab in the middle of something far more dangerous.

Maddie Rhine is hiding from the dangers of her past and a remote cabin on a remote island seems the perfect place to do it. Maddie has been careful to maintain both anonymity and distance from the island's residents but when Connor arrives, a miscalculation on her part changes her carefully laid plans. Now she finds herself more and more exposed to the other people on Whitaker, and the danger that is far closer than she realizes.

I adored these two. Following their unexpected - and unconventional - introduction, sparks fly. So do bullets, firewood, and various articles of clothing. Their chemistry sizzles, the emotional connection that develops, unexpected to both, and the eventual coming together between a man who's a natural protector and a woman who is determined to save herself, so much fun to watch. There's plenty of danger, suspense, and some heart-wrenching emotion in Maddie and Connor's journey but Dimon tempers it with rapid-fire banter, well-placed humor, and a cadre of quirky island residents who keep everyone on their toes. As for the mystery, I figured out the villain's identity pretty early on but knowing that didn't lessen my involvement in the story as I still had no idea of the person's motivation or how events would eventually play out.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, romantic suspense story with quirky characters, plenty of danger, and an emotional journey that will have you laughing, crying, gasping, and gripping the edge of your seat, give HelenKay Dimon's The Secret She Keeps a try. I also recommend book one of this series: Her Other Secret (read my review here). You don't have to read them in order but it is fun to watch the evolution of other residents on Whitaker Island. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series and hoping it might star the island's law enforcement officer and a newly arrived mystery woman. 


Where would you go if you wanted to get away from it all? Mountains? Beach? A remote island in the Pacific Northwest?

One randomly chosen person who comments before 11:00 PM (Eastern), January 10, 2020, will receive a print copy of The Secret She Keeps. 

*U.S. only
*Must be 18 or older.