Emma Richmond

ISBN 0373114214 - If not for the tiny little Christmas tree in the front cover illustration, there'd be little indication that this is, more or less, a holiday-based romance. I found that odd, because in the long run, it's the Christmas season that makes Law of Possession a little less ridiculous.

Selina, aka Sam, took on the care of her friend's son, Robbie, when Julie died. They are living in the cottage that Julie also left to her and Robbie's first Christmas without his mother is approaching when Paul, the man Sam had once thought she'd marry, calls to announce that he'll be stopping by. The knock at the door, however, heralds the arrival of one Devlin Howe and his arrival is anything but good news. He informs Sam that Julie was his tenant and that she and Robbie will have to get out. Clues left behind by Julie lead Sam and Devlin to the conclusion that he is Robbie's father, even though the evidence they see with their own eyes tells them otherwise. A marriage of convenience proves to be anything but convenient when the reality of Robbie's parentage comes to light.

Based on my calculation, Sam and Devlin meet two days before Christmas. They are married shortly after Christmas and at one point, Richmond says "the next few days (after their marriage)" - but New Year's Eve never rates a mention. That's an oddity I couldn't help but notice, even in a silly story that has people who don't like each other much marrying less than a week after they meet for the first time. While romance novels do tend to be unrealistic, and people have whirlwind relationships in them all the time, this particular tale is too far-fetched for me. Romance novels also often tend to shuffle children off to the side and Law does the same, sending Robbie to the hospital, where he can't interrupt the budding love story. This wouldn't be a huge issue, if it weren't for the fact that he is the only reason Sam and Devlin marry in the first place. A bit below average.

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