Short, tropey and sexy Christmas romance
4 stars

I didn’t have the most auspicious start to the novels of Kelly Jamieson but how could I pass up this novel what with the cute premise, adorable cover and the fact that it’s a Christmas romance? And I’m glad I didn’t as this was a fun, quick and dirty snow storm of a romance.

Amy’s not feeling Christmas this year while Ryder is all about the holiday. Add in the fact that these two knew each other as children and, well, they didn’t part on the best of terms. So who better to get accidentally double booked together in a remote cabin? And that’s before the snow starts to fall. *Giddily claps hands at the trapped by a snow storm trope!*

Amy is first at the cabin and she’s looking to have a mope-fest of a Christmas after a series of personal blows. I understood her plans and her reasons behind them and she was a nice enough character. But as soon as Ryder got there, she turned into a bit of a brat. She eventually acknowledged this but to me, her reasons to hate Ryder - a man she hadn’t seen in about 10 years - was a bit flimsy. She got more likeable when she let her barriers down but she was never going to be my favourite.

Ryder on the other hand, was such a sweetheart. He (understandably) was surprised by Amy’s reaction to him but he maintained his upbeat attitude and his love for all things Christmas. All he wanted to do was get to his family for Christmas and I was smitten with him. He was definitely a keeper, even before we realise he’s a hugely successful environmental consultant off saving the planet!

I have to admit to being hugely disappointed when I found out there were two bedrooms in the cabin, but luckily there were many other ways our couple could stumble into a cheeky kiss. The mistletoe, the naked dancing, the bubble bath in the only bathroom, the naked massage… none of which get us there. So by the time we do get there, we’re treated to some sex that’s almost as hot as the cabin’s roaring fire.

I did enjoy Ryder and Amy as a couple - especially towards the end where they really showed that they were perfect for each other. We were told rather than shown that the pair had electric chemistry but I did enjoy the lighter moments between the pair such as the cat videos and their competitive gaming.

This is the 1st book in a multi-author Christmas series all focussed around the small town of Garland Grove and with an ice-hockey theme. As far as I can tell, the characters don’t overlap the different stories and each stands alone with its own HEA. Our heroine from this story is also part of the Heller family from Jamieson’s previous Heller Brothers series. You don’t need to have read any of those novels to understand this one, either.

All in all, I really liked this short and tropey Christmas romance. It had a good feel and it was never a chore to read just a little bit more. It feels more cosy than Christmassy but I enjoyed it all the same. Like another reviewer said, I would have loved to see an epilogue since we didn’t quite reach the ‘I love you’ stage within the story as it was. But still it was 4 stars from me. ( )