Debra Salonen

Sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Krista and Jonah are interesting characters and I loved the small-town setting of Marietta. Small-town stories are fun because of the "everybody knows your business" vibe versus the main characters' desires to maintain some semblance of privacy in their relationship.

Krista moved to Marietta from NYC eighteen months earlier to join her friend Amanda's ad agency. She works long and hard to make their business successful, driven by the need to prove show more herself to her family. It's an odd juxtaposition because she also maintains as much distance as possible to avoid their drama. The Martins are big in the entertainment industry and drama around them is inevitable. The book opens as Krista prepares to talk to Amanda about the latter's lack of focus in their work. That goes out the window when the recently married Amanda reveals she's pregnant and having complications. With a need to cut back on outside activities, Amanda convinces Krista to take over her position on the Marietta Secret Santa Society.

Jonah returned to his hometown of Marietta to house-and-dog-sit for his parents while they help his newly widowed sister. He recently sold his high-tech Silicon Valley business for a lot of money and is now at loose ends as he tries to decide what is next for him. With a non-compete clause in the sales contract, Jonah figured it was safer to remove himself from the temptations of his lab. Before they leave, they tell Jonah that he's expected to take their place with the Society while they are gone. Jonah is a self-declared introvert who claims to have no people skills and feels unsuited for the job.

Krista and Jonah meet when one of the dogs he's walking tangles herself up in Krista's legs and knocks her over, and Jonah tries to break her fall with his body. The attraction between them is immediate and Jonah is happy to use the Secret Santa meetings to get to know Krista better. The older committee members think that Krista, with her marketing skills, and Jonah, with his proven business savvy, are the perfect people to fix the Society's financial woes.

I loved seeing the relationship between Krista and Jonah develop. Both have been burned by previous relationships gone bad, with partners more interested in what they could get than what they could give. Krista and Jonah start out intending to ignore the sparks and concentrate on being friends and partners. I loved how well they worked together, each one's strengths making a good balance of creativity and practicality. The more time they spent together, the stronger their attraction grew and so did their connection. But Krista is rooted in Marietta and Jonah will return to California when his parents return, so neither can see a future for them.

There are some sweet scenes between Jonah and Krista, from hot chocolate at the chocolate shop to time spent with the dogs or wandering the holiday-ready streets of Marietta. I also loved Jonah's support of Krista when the stresses of her family's upcoming visit got to her. There's a bump in the road to them finding their happy ever after and I had to laugh when Krista took action to overcome it. The ending was terrific and left me wanting to make more visits to the chocolate shop. show less

This is a very sweet romance - but it reads like the characters were cooperating a little too enthusiastically, and the author started picking up every obstacle she could think of and throwing it at them to extend the story. Assault, near-death, Freaky Friday, amnesia...an attempt at bad family histories, but the families straightened themselves out before it could actually be an obstacle...etc. The sex scene is way more about clothes than anything else. And the magic dog - he was a show more perfectly trained police dog at the beginning of the story, then (even before Freaky Friday) he bonds with and reacts well to this unknown woman. Because of course he knows she's right for Ben. I enjoyed the story, but I had to turn my brain off to do it. I might look at another by this author, but I won't be reading this one again. show less

Excellent addition to the Big Sky Mavericks! This is a wonderfully written story of two people trying to put their pasts behind them and find a brighter future. Kat Robinson came to Marietta to give her and her son Brady a fresh start. And maybe, just maybe, to find out a little more about her mother's past. Flynn Bensen came to Marietta to get past the memories of a recent rescue gone bad. When he meets Kat Robinson on his first day he can't help but wonder exactly what he's gotten himself show more in to. The attraction between them is scorching, but being her boss makes her strictly hands off!! Right??

I loved this story and would recommend to everyone! show less

In Prince Charming Undercover, Nick Lightner aka Nikolai Sarna knows about his Romani roots but has abandoned them just like his father abandoned him as a child. Being lucky to have been adopted by an amazing family, he pretty much goes against his Rom nature and joins law enforcement just like his adoptive father. An unexpected call with essential insider tips somehow linked to a case file on his desk sets things in motion and he finds himself connecting with his extended Romani show more family.

'Princess' Grace Parlier never expected to find her Prince Charming after every prophecy about the love life and life partners for herself and sister lied to broken hearts and disillusionment with love. But Nikolai Sarna somehow sparks hope within her. And being around her makes Nick take a closer look at his inherited gifts and cultural backgrounds in a different light. Falling in love though is the last thing either of them expected. Two bad they live on opposite side of the country.

I loved that the Romani/Gypsy culture has been highlighted so well in this new series by Debra Salonen. Every story she writes is enriched with culture and family values in spite of many of those families being broken and twisted in some cases. I'm excited to see what is next in the Betting On Love series.

I received an Advanced Reviewers Copy for voluntary review consideration. show less