Another fantastic Bravo book. Linc Stryker arrives in Valentine Bay determined to give his orphaned niece and nephew a Christmas to remember. He's feeling just a bit overwhelmed as he tries to balance work and caring for Jayden and Maya. Lucky for him, he meets Harper as soon as he arrives.

Harper Bravo is the last of her siblings (except for the missing Finn) left uncoupled. That's okay with her as she has plans that don't include staying in Valentine Bay. Though she enjoys working with the production company she and her sister Hailey own, she is looking for more. Harper has plans to move to Seattle and pursue her architecture dreams. All she needs is enough money to make the move.

I loved the first meeting between Linc and Harper. While Linc gets Maya out of the car, Jayden takes off for Harper's cottage, which is next door. He remembers her from the previous year. Surprised at finding Jayden alone at her door, she takes him back to the Stryker house. Linc's relief at seeing her with Jayden is evident, and Harper quickly jumps in to help him get settled with the kids. Knowing a good thing when he sees it, Linc offers to pay Harper to watch the kids when he has to work.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Linc and Harper. The sparks between them are obvious from the beginning, but both try to ignore them. Linc is only in Valentine Bay for the holidays, and Harper has her plans in Seattle. I liked watching them become friends, sharing some alone time as they get to know each other. The attraction between them continues to simmer until they decide to give in to it. The more time they spend together, the more Linc wants to see where it goes while Harper fears that they won't last past the holidays. Just as she agrees to continue the relationship past the new year, a combination of events makes her rethink that plan. I ached for her on Christmas, as she realized her feelings for Linc only to have him make a bone-headed mistake (though with good intentions). To make matters worse, Linc's ex-fiancée arrives in a desperate attempt to get him back. I was very impressed with Linc's ability to maintain his cool around that spoiled brat of a woman and her two enablers. I loved seeing Hailey show up with some advice for Harper about not giving up. Even better was Hailey's straight talk with Linc and what he did with it.

Family is always a big part of the Bravo books. For Linc, nothing is as important to him as making sure that Jayden and Maya have a happy holiday. He's a bit worried about pulling it off because he didn't have the best example growing up. His mother is still bitter over her divorce from Linc's father, and her conversations with Linc show it. She is also selfish and interfering. Linc's father has always been distant and is on his third wife. There were some terrific scenes with him as he showed some unexpected changes in attitude. Jayden and Maya are simply adorable.

The Bravo family is large and loving. Sunday family dinners have played a part in all of the books as love interests are included. I liked the way that Linc and the kids fit so easily into the group. Their brother Finn, who disappeared during a family trip when he was ten, is always on their minds. Each book has talked about their ongoing search for him. There's an unexpected development in that search during the epilogue, and I can't wait for the next book to see where it goes. ( )