Series:
Wishing Tree (Book 2)
Until Camryn Neff can return to her "real" life
in Chicago, she's in Wishing Tree to care for her twin sisters. She's not
looking for forever love, not here. But handsome hotelier Jake Crane is a
temptation she can't resist, so she suggests they pair up for the season. No
golden rings, no broken hearts. At his side, she sees her hometown through
Christmas-colored eyes. The cheer is cheerier, the joy more joyful. She thought
she had put her future on hold…but maybe her real life was here all along,
waiting for her to come home.
New in town, River Best is charmed by Wishing Tree's
homespun traditions and warmhearted people. When she's crowned Snow Queen,
she's honored but wary. Dylan Tucker, her king, seems like the stuff of
sugarplum dreams, but she can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something
big. As they perform their "royal" duties -- tasting cookies,
lighting trees -- Dylan's good humor and melty kisses draw her to the brink of
love. But she can't let herself fall until she uncovers his secret, even if her
lack of faith means losing him forever.
I enjoyed this two-for-one Christmas romance. Camryn
returned to her hometown to care for her terminally ill mother, take care of
her younger sisters, and run the family business. After her mother's death, she
stayed so the girls could finish school. Once they've graduated, she intends to
return to Chicago. For now, she's doing her best to give her sisters the best
holiday possible.
Jake is back in Wishing Tree, running the family resort. He's
busy and not dating, but his recently widowed mother wants grandchildren. Helen
is a force of nature and launches Project Jake's Bride. She interviews
candidates and initiates background checks. Camryn is horrified to find herself
on that list. I loved how she went to Jake and told him what was going on.
I enjoyed watching Jake and Camryn's relationship develop.
They joined forces to stop Helen's plans and instead discovered an intense
attraction and unexpected friendship. Rescuing a tiny chihuahua draws them
closer together, with Camryn's sisters lobbying to keep the dog. They give in
to the sparks, but Jake realizes he no longer wants a casual relationship even
though Camryn still intends to return to Chicago. I hurt for Jake as Camryn
allowed her fears to keep her heart closed. It takes advice from an unexpected
source to help her see she is already where she belongs. Jake also had some
baggage to deal with before he saw the depth of his feelings. I liked the
ending, the scene at the ball, and the sweet scene in the kitchen.
The secondary story of Dylan and River was also lovely. Dylan
is a local cabinet maker with a big secret. As Jake's best friend, he also gets
caught up in Helen's matchmaking plans. She brings back the town's Snow King
and Queen for this year's Christmas festival and rigs it so Dylan is selected
as Snow King. He's not enthusiastic about it until he meets River, his Snow
Queen.
River recently moved to town to be closer to her sister.
She has a computer security business that is perfect for her. She is shy and
socially awkward, but since moving to Wishing Tree, she has tried to get out
more. I liked her growing friendship with Camryn and some of the other women.
They encourage her to enter her name to be this year's Snow Queen - a prospect
that terrifies and intrigues her.
I loved watching their relationship develop. Dylan is
smitten from the beginning and makes his interest clear. River is wary, having
been burned in the past. She has some serious trust issues. Dylan helps River
through their various public appearances, and she quickly grows very
comfortable with him. But even though he knows River's trust issues, Dylan makes
some boneheaded mistakes that come back to bite him. He redeemed himself very well at the end.
No comments:
Post a Comment