Caro Carson

This was such a sweet novella. The story was well-rounded even though it was so short. There was a complete story here, and I loved everything about it. The way they met when they were younger and still feel that love for each other is so adorable. I really enjoyed seeing them getting their second chance.

The story is a sweet, clean romance that is full of Christmas elements. I think the story really helps people get into the Christmas spirit. I know I greatly enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who likes Christmas romance.

I received an ARC for free, and I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.… (more)

I loved this book. I started reading it during the afternoon and, except for stopping for dinner, didn't quit reading until I finished it late last night. As a former English major, I loved the English professor heroine and the Shakespeare themes that ran throughout. It was easy to see myself in "Dr. Dee's" students. My college was also a small one located in a small town, so I could relate to the setting also.

I loved the two main characters, Dr. Delphinia Ray and Connor McClaine. Delphinia is a bit shy when outside her comfort zone. She lives with her parents, high-level faculty members, who love her but don't listen to her. She dates a rather bland law professor that her parents approve of but yearns for the connection and passion she sees in the romances she reads. Delphinia loves her work but sometimes feels constrained by outside expectations. She's not satisfied with her life, but not quite sure how to fix it.

Connor made my heart ache. When he was seventeen, he made the mistake of getting in a car with some friends, not knowing the vehicle was stolen. As a result, he spent six months in prison and gained the title of ex-con for the rest of his life. His experiences in jail profoundly affected him, as did the days immediately after his release. His encounter with Seamus Murphy behind The Tipsy Musketeer pub changed his life. But try as he might, Murphy could not get Connor to see past his ex-con label to the good man he'd become. Connor believes that his past means nobody would want a relationship with him. I loved seeing Connor in his element at the bar, taking care of people. There were some fantastic scenes where his overall protectiveness and love of people shine.

I loved watching the relationship develop between Delphinia and Connor. She intrigued him from the moment she walked into the bar, and he got her attention when she saw him carry a keg in from the storeroom. It made me smile when their eyes met during the Shakespeare presentations. I laughed out loud when Connor got jealous over his employee's attempts to flirt with Delphinia, then chew him out for putting his professor in an awkward position. I also ached for him because he let his insecurity over his past stop him from following through on his interest and the interest he saw in her eyes. I felt terrible for Delphinia because she was interested, but her self-confidence was so low she didn't believe he'd be interested in her. Fortunately, it didn't stop her from returning to the bar as often as possible.

It doesn't take long before Delphinia compares the way Connor makes her feel to how her lawyer boyfriend, Vincent, makes her feel. Early in the book, a very prophetic scene takes place when she's late for a function they were to attend together. But the more she tries to get closer to Connor, the more he pulls away, trying to protect himself from her reaction if she knew his past. I loved how he saved her after that horrible dinner with Vincent and his friends, followed by the bridge meeting at the bar. The rooftop scene where he told Delphinia about his past broke my heart as he waited for her to reject him. I loved her reaction and the effect it had on him, but he still pushed her away. But when he witnesses Vincent's abusive behavior, Connor forgets everything in his determination to protect her. That scene, and the overwhelming support that Connor received, made an incredibly emotional ending.

The secondary characters, good and bad, made the story even richer. Kristopher's youthful attempts to flirt with Delphinia were both painful and funny, and his respect for Connor made him sit up and take notice when reprimanded. I laughed at Bridget's little sister-like attitude toward Connor, which went along with his brotherly treatment of her. I adored Murphy from the moment he took Connor in to his attempts to get through his stubborn head. I loved how he knew Connor well enough to figure out that he had "woman troubles."

On the other side, Delphinia's parents made me so mad at the way they treated her. They ignored her when she tried to tell them how she felt and behaved like she was too naïve to be on her own. Two things made me especially angry: how they pushed her at Vincent and when her father took her off the campus apartment list. They sure had their eyes opened at the end. Then there was Vincent. He gave me the creeps the first time I saw him with Delphinia, and it only got worse. His attitude about Connor and his attempts to discredit him over the pedestrian bridge made me mad. Finally, the new sheriff epitomized everything that gives law enforcement a bad name.

This is one book that I could easily reread many times.… (more)

I will admit that it has been a long time since I've read a Harlequin - not that I've actively avoided reading them - the books haven't crossed my path in a long time. I was instantly intrigued by the title because my boyfriend is a bartender and I though this would be a fun read. I loved the opening because it featured a beautiful young professor reading in the bar who catches the eye of the the bartender and pub owner. He assumes she is a student because they are in a college town and she looks so young. When she finally notices him she is smitten because he is built like a Grecian warrior and all the romance novels she's been reading has her heart pulsing. They start talking and soon she's a regular patron at his establishment. Connor is smitten but she's far too good for him, a man with a criminal background (he was young and dumb). The closer they get - the more he pulls away. Lots of college and parental drama from the professor and Connor is so stuck in the past that he's scared to let anyone down. A good story but I was VERY shocked (scandalized even) when I realized - SPOILER ALERT - that there isn't even one sex scene in this book!! Not one! Just some making out! This is the first in a series so it is possible they consummate their love later on. I just assumed with Harlequin that everyone was bumping uglies. No sex isn't a put off by any means - I was just surprised. Talk about a definite slow burn!… (more)

When Montana girl Kristen meets Ryan at a wedding, she thinks he is the cowboy of her dreams, and a rodeo star, to boot. He’s really a high-powered entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles. Kristen doesn’t want a man from a big city since she’s been burned by one in the past, so what will she do when she learns that her “cowboy” is not who she thinks he is.

This was such an enjoyable story with very likable lead characters. Kristen took pride in her small town of Rust Creek Falls and she wanted to show Ryan all around it and hoped he loved it, too, enough to want to stay there. She’s also a part-time actress and I liked how her role in The Christmas Carol play mirrored what was happening in her real life. Ryan carries scars from his past after being abandoned by his mother when he was a child. He was afraid to tell Kristen the truth about himself for fear she would abandon him, too. I enjoyed the small-town setting and the people that lived there. This story was very sweet and had a really cute ending.… (more)