Series:
Shelter Springs (Book 3)
'Tis the season for a little white lie…
Christmas has always been single mom Holly Goodwin
Moore's favorite time of year. The twinkly lights on the tree, the cookies in
the oven, the snow on the ground. But she's just not feeling it this year. The
wedding in her ex's family is almost here, her daughter, Lydia, is bursting at
the seams to be a flower girl…and Holly couldn't be dreading it more. She told
a little white lie about having a new boyfriend as her plus-one, hoping to save
face. She needs a date for the wedding…and she needs it now.
Ryan Caldwell wants to be free this holiday season. So
even he isn't sure how he landed in Shelter Springs, looking after his niece,
Audrey, with his estranged father down the road. But when he meets Holly, she
makes him want to belong for the very first time. So they make a deal: he'll be
her date if she'll help him give Audrey a true Christmas to remember while her
mom is away.
This was a sweet, small-town Christmas romance with
realistic and relatable characters. Holly is a single mother of a five-year-old
daughter, Lydia, with special needs. She usually loves the Christmas season, but
this year presents some challenges. Though her ex-husband was a
less-than-stellar husband and father, Holly is still close to her ex-in-laws, which
led to Lydia being recruited as a flower girl at her ex-sister-in-law's
wedding. Lydia is beyond excited, but that means Holly will need to attend the
wedding, where she will undoubtedly encounter her ex-husband and his new family.
In a moment of self-preservation, she tells the in-laws that she already has
someone to bring as a plus one, even though she doesn't. Now she needs to find
someone to bring.
Ryan is a Navy helicopter pilot stationed in San Diego.
After a leg injury grounds him, he's looking for peace and distraction during
the holidays. What he gets is a plea for help from his sister in Shelter Springs.
She's headed to rehab and needs someone to watch her fourteen-year-old
daughter, Audrey. He can't say no to Kim, but he's not looking forward to
spending time near his estranged father. Holly's sister, Hannah, approaches him
about being Holly's date for the wedding, and after meeting Holly and Lydia,
he's willing. They make a bargain: he'll take her to the wedding if she will
help him decorate his sister's house for the holidays.
I liked watching Holly and Ryan's relationship develop. Neither
one is looking for a relationship, but it's clear that there is something
there. Ryan won my heart quickly with the way he interacted with Lydia. He was
immediately enchanted with her sunny personality. He's also great with Audrey, just
the right mix of adult and friend. Ryan and Holly spend time together in a
variety of ways, both with and without the kids, and discover an unexpected
attraction. They try reminding themselves that it is all pretend, but it
quickly becomes obvious that something real is growing between them. I loved
how Ryan was there for Holly when she needed support, especially during that scary
situation on Christmas Eve.
Complicating Ryan's stay in Shelter Springs is his
strained relationship with his father. He has legitimate reasons for his bitterness
and resentment, and his father is well aware of those feelings. It is also
clear that Ryan's dad wants to repair the relationship but has difficulty
breaking through Ryan's walls. I liked seeing how Holly's influence helped Ryan
let go of some of that pain and start on the road to healing.
I loved the ending and seeing Ryan and Holly take a
chance on a relationship neither knew they wanted. They still have to face the
challenges of a long-distance relationship, but are willing to put in the work
to make it happen. I loved the epilogue and seeing how they do it.
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