Christmas at Two Love Lane

The premise of this story is that if a young matchmaker that prides herself on doing a great job & the idea that there is a Match out there for everyone. Macy Frost loves her job & won't allow anything to interfere with it. Then she meets her new client. Deacon Banks doesn't want to find his match. He just wants Macy to set him up with suitable women so his aunt thinks he's looking to settle down. He didn't anticipate the chemistry he'd feel with Macy.

This book really relies on its ability to get the reader to connect with the characters. The buildup seems to take a while to get going & is set at a slow pace. The only "fight" is that of Macy trying to deal with her own morals & objections to falling for her client. There were some show more other interactions that could be a source of drama but they never really seem to get going. The character development & descriptive narrative are very good. Overall, I'd say this is a good enjoyable story worth 3.5 stars. show less

Full review appeared on Reader's Edyn on 10/20/17

Macy Frost entertains the idea that she is a distant descendant of Cupid. The story has passed through the family and she is quite a matchmaker – so much so that she owns a matchmaking business with a few of her friends. They even developed an algorithm for compatibility. So when a client who wants dates, but not an HEA walks in, she brushes him off. But something about him makes her want to take the job – the matchmaker within is intrigued and maybe she can find Mrs. Right for the resistant client. Sparks fly and the attraction between the two continues to ignite at every interaction. Macy believes she isn’t cut out for a match, but the algorithm says otherwise. Problem is, a bad show more situation in childhood has given her a sour taste towards love and even though she matches people for a living, she might not be able to break down her own walls enough to see that her chance is right in front of her. Even if she could, Deacon has a much better reinforced wall than she does.

Deacon Banks – super rich, super hot, super unavailable for a long-term relationship. His Aunt is on his case to settle down, so he agrees – as a Christmas gift to her – to go on several blind dates. Enter Macy’s matching service. Deacon makes it perfectly clear that he likes his lifestyle as is. Except Macy stirs something in him and before too long, all of the “blind-dates” have conspired with him to get Macy to stand in for them each time. Deacon knows he’s feeling something unexplained, more than he’s ever felt for anyone before when it comes to Macy – but admitting just what that is, beyond s couple of phenomenal hookups, is going to be quite a feat. The ramifications of deep feelings are not something either of them are prepared to face.

What a seriously cute book! Set around Christmas time, you could definitely make use of it to help get you in the holiday mood – but I think it would be enjoyable any time of year. I enjoyed all of the excuses and ploys used to force Macy to stand in as Deacon’s date. And Macy and her friends add such an extraordinary amount of Southern charm to this story, you can’t help but wish they were your friends too. I was sucked in to their world quickly and found myself liking all the characters – even the bratty Celia. Aunt Fran was a hoot and George was the kind of friend I’d like to have hanging around. What was funny to me was that Miss Thing emulated the Queen of England, while Aunt Fran had all of the Corgis. My only complaint is that the characters were all introduced so fast with their own little snippets of information, that I almost stopped reading because I was having trouble keeping up in the first couple of chapters. But I stuck it out a couple of more chapters and by then, had switched from confusion in assimilation to necessity in seeing where these characters were headed next. This book contains some sexual content, but nothing graphic or explicit. I would still call it a sweet romance. I’ll tell you what – if any of the restaurants were based on actual places, Charleston just got added to my bucket list. I was hungry the whole time I was reading! If you are looking for a sweet. Romantic HEA, full of Southern charm, quirky characters, and a bunch of holiday cheer sprinkled throughout, you have absolutely found the right book! There might even be a small mystery solved. Ms. Kramer is a mastermind world-builder and this community is one I would love to be able to be a part of!

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St.Martin’s in exchange for an honest review. show less

Christmas at Two Love Lane is the first book in a new series by Kieran Kramer. A sweet holiday romance set in Charleston, I was really excited to read this and it did not disappoint!
Macy Frost heads a matchmaking business, something she takes very seriously, and not to be confused with a ‘dating service’. Her family has had a gift of successfully finding Cupid’s match for generations. Macy simply hasn’t found her match. When Deacon Banks arrives in her doorway requesting dates to appease his aunt who wishes him happily paired, but clearly with no intention of finding a match, Macy is at once offended and intrigued. Sparks (and arrows) fly as matchmaker and client spend time together and it becomes clear their match is show more inevitable. This is most certainly a slow burn, and the path to bringing Macy and Deacon together may be frustrating for those that prefer a quicker payoff. I loved how Charleston was a character in its own right, something I really seek out and enjoy in books. I recommend for those that enjoy contemporary women’s fiction, romance, and specifically holiday romance.
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions. show less

Christmas at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer

Cute contemporary holiday romance. First in a series. A matchmaker finds more in common with the client than she’s comfortable with. Or rather, that’s the problem. She is too comfortable with him to match him up with anyone else.
This story is also about the friendships that the women have with each other and their unlimited support. I though it was great they talked openly to each other and shared their lives.

I loved Macy’s cheer. The holidays help, but in general she is a happy person. That is so refreshing. People like her. That’s sweet. What I didn’t get was her lack of understanding that her friends wanted the best for HER. That she thought of it as betrayal was sad.
It is a show more romance, so without spoilers, all ends well.

Excerpt:
“Deacon woke up starving. His first coherent thought was Breakfast at Macy’s. But he wasn’t thinking about toast or eggs, or bagels and coffee. Even as his stomach growled, his imagination lingered on the curve of Macy’s cheek, the spark in her eye, the way she laughed.
He couldn’t wait for breakfast because he liked her. She was a cake baker, a matchmaker, and a society girl who didn’t seem to notice she was cut from a different spectacular cloth. She was a wild thing. He saw it in her eyes—a barefoot girl who marched to her own drummer. And he wanted to get to know her better.
Way better.”
Excerpt from Christmas at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kelley.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. show less

Christmas at Two Love Lane is the perfect sizzling stocking stuffer gift! I absolutely fell head over heels in love with Macy and Deacon. Speaking of heels, if anyone knows about heels it is Macy. She did go chasing after Deacon upon their first meeting.

Macy is a true Southern Belle. Yet, when she was around Deacon it seemed that her charm would slip a bit and she would lose herself enjoying the moment. I loved this. I felt like I got to know Macy better. For example, she is a basketball fan. Not a casual fan but a hard core fan. One that yells at the refs. However, Deacon shares her love for the sport.

Seeing Macy through Deacon's eyes were fun times. Deacon was charming, smart, funny, and good looking. While, Macy and Deacon may have show more been the main characters of this book; Macy's friends were great additions and helped keep the story entertaining. Even Cupid's descendant needs a little love. show less

Title: Christmas at Two Love Lane
Author: Kieran Kramer
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Rating: Five
Review:

"Christmas At Two Love Lane" by Kieran Kramer

My Thoughts...

This was a good lovely seasonal/holiday romantic read that even had little bit of comedy in it. I loved the Charleston setting for this read that this author brought out so very well. The two main characters well just let me say were 'phenomenal.' Definitely matchmaker Macy really meets her match when introduced to that bachelor Deacon. With Macy being in the business of matchmaking will Deacon find the date that will make his Aunt happy? Will it take the whole town to help Macy see that she too was capable to being loved?

The author really works the story is presented with so show more much 'drama, humor, spice, touching, flirting and let's not leave out all of this seasonal holiday happening' along with a wonderful dialogue that will keep one turning the pages to see what will happen next. So, if you are looking for a good holiday read I would definitely recommend this one to you. show less

Christmas at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer

A man trying to please his aunt sets out to date a variety of women, with the help of a matchmaker, but has no desire to settle down any time soon. The hitch is that he finds the matchmaker intriguing and ends up spending more time with her than dating. Of course Deacon and Macy end up falling for one another but it seems to take forever.

This is my first book by this author and of the Christmas stories I have read this is not one of my favorites. I think it may be because I could not really relate to either Deacon or Macy and thought the story slow paced without much really happening. That said, I am sure there are some readers who will adore it and that is just as it should be.

Thank you to show more NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars show less