Teresa Southwick

Workaholic Cal Hart heads to the Caribbean for a four-week vacation due to a bet with his brother that Cal won’t last away from his work. Cal ends up breaking his leg while skydiving on his first day there. Now that he can’t do the activities that he had planned for the month, he decides he’ll just get some work done instead. Justine Walker who works at Cal’s company, Hart Energy, agrees to come to the Caribbean and work as Cal’s personal assistant. Justine is a widow. Her husband and young daughter were killed in a car accident, and Justine now walks with a limp and has scarring on her leg from the accident. She knows better than anyone that life should be lived to the fullest since you never know what will happen, and she tries to convince Cal that life shouldn’t be filled with only work, but to be enjoyed, as well. Justine just might convince workaholic Cal, since he’s finding himself falling for her.

This was an enjoyable and really cute romantic read. Justine and Cal were very likable. I liked how Justine wore down Cal’s defenses and had him taking some downtime and giving some activities a try. The banter between the two was fun. The setting on a Caribbean island was beautiful—the sun, the sand, the sea. This was a very entertaining read, although the title was misleading since this was not at all a Christmas story.… (more)

I liked the characters, there were just a couple things that didn’t quite work for me.

First off, while this book is part of a series, I had no problem reading it as a standalone.

I thought Hunter and Merry had solid chemistry, however, I wasn’t really a fan of the pacing of their romance. It was kind of an all or nothing approach whereas I prefer a gradual build up, advancing little by little, but here they go from completely resisting even brushing hands to, well, brushing up against everything and to me the transition was incredibly abrupt.

While I did like that the ending features a grand Christmas gesture, the pacing issue prevented me from enjoying that gesture as much as I wanted to when again their relationship escalated from seemingly zero to sixty in a flash. I think I would have been more accepting of that moment had it occurred in say the epilogue with some time having passed.

The one bit of pacing I was really able to get on board with was the bond formed between Hunter’s daughter and Merry. I know there are romance readers out there who would prefer child characters very much in the background, but for me to buy into the happy ever after for this newly formed little family I want interactions between the kid and step-parent and this book captured those moments convincingly, plus I just enjoyed this little girl and her obsession with all things princess.… (more)

Very good book. Erica came home to Bronco to regroup after ending a relationship, deciding to have a baby on her own, and losing her job. She left home twelve years ago for college and has only returned a few times for visits. Her return was a little rough as her parents were not as supportive as she had hoped. To escape the tension at home, Erica visited a local restaurant where she met Morgan Dalton.

Morgan and his family are relatively new arrivals in Bronco. He and his brothers agreed to work the ranch with their father to support their mother. There are hard feelings between father and sons because he cheated on their mother. They also feel like outsiders in Bronco because the local "old-timer" ranching families have not been particularly welcoming.

I liked the first meeting between Erica and Morgan. Morgan was drawn to Erica as soon as he saw her. I loved how easily they could talk to each other, even after he realized she was pregnant. After being away for so long, Erica also feels somewhat like an outsider, so it is easy for them to band together. I loved seeing how their relationship progressed from friendship to love. I especially enjoyed Morgan's support of Erica, from taking her to doctor's appointments to offering to be her labor coach. I loved so many of the scenes of them together. There are also sparks of attraction that both try to ignore, but they grow along with their deepening feelings for each other. I ached for them both when a moment of intimacy ended in a misunderstanding. I wanted to shake Erica for allowing her insecurities to send her running without letting Morgan explain. I hurt for Morgan, who realized the depth of his love for Erica and didn't know what to do. Thanks to advice from an unexpected source, his big moment at the end was fantastic. I loved the epilogue with their next steps into a future together.

A big theme of this book was family and expectations. Erica arrived home feeling that she was a disappointment to her parents. This was apparent to her in their reactions to her pregnancy. I ached for her and her reluctance to share the truth with them. I liked the eventual repair of those relationships, especially the one with her mother. Her brother, Gabe, irritated me at times with his attitude toward Morgan. I expected better of him, having read his story in In Search of the Long-Lost Maverick. Morgan had his own family issues. His problems with his father were a result of his love for his mother and anger at his father's actions. It was easy to see how Morgan held on to his anger and was hesitant to trust Neal again. I liked how Erica's influence helped Morgan work past his anger and alter his relationship with his father.

Also part of this book is the ongoing search for Josiah's daughter, Beatrix. At the end of the previous book, the investigation had stalled as they ran into dead-ends. However, hope returns thanks to an unusual clue. I look forward to seeing how it works out.… (more)