carolesrandomlife

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

This was a nice read. I picked this novella up because I was looking for a story that I could read in one sitting. Novellas are sometimes the perfect choice when life gets crazy and I know I am not going to get a lot of reading time. This is one of the better romance novellas that I have read in a long while. I did find out that the story is actually not a new one since it was actually written in 1997 and appeared in the anthology Upon a Midnight Clear.

This was a rather sweet story. Quinn is coming home to her parents ranch for Christmas. She writes and illustrates children's books so she is able to do her work from anywhere. She is really looking forward to spending the holiday with her family. Caleb is coming back to Billings for Christmas to stay with his sister in her cabin along with his 5 year old twin sons. Caleb and Quinn were teenage sweethearts who had been deeply in love. Caleb pursued a career in major league baseball and was married for a time. Quinn has basically remained single in the years since the pair split up. When Quinn finds herself stranded in a cabin with Caleb and his sons during a storm, it starts out very uncomfortable. The pair quickly adjust and wait out the storm.

There were no real surprises in this one. That's okay....I didn't need to be surprised. The main issue between the pair was basically a misunderstanding but I can see how each character would have made the assumptions that they did. I liked both Caleb and Quinn and I really liked them as a couple. There is just something about a second chance romance that I adore.

If you are looking for a story with a lot of steamy sex, this probably won't be the right one for you. The romance is sweet and heartfelt. The characters are old enough that this romance has a level of maturity that isn't always portrayed in romances. They have both made mistakes in their life and have learned from them. There was just a hint of magical realism thrown in to keep the story quite interesting.

I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a nice holiday romance. Christmas doesn't take over the whole story but it does create a nice backdrop. I would definitely pick up another book written by Mariah Stewart.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books - Pocket Star via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Initial Thoughts
This was a nice novella. The romance was sweet, the kids were cute, and I found myself wanting to consume large amounts of Christmas cookies.