This is an absolutely adorable, perfect little confection of fluff, and a heart-warming holiday read.

Beth Cavell is alone in the world, except for her nephew, Jamie. She's always lived in the shadow of her vivacious sister, Penny, and was not prepared for the universe to take Penny away, leaving her as the only adult in her five-year-old nephew's life. She does the best that she can for him, but he has taken his mother's death hard. He clings to his Buddy Bear, and asks Santa for only two things that Christmas: snow, and a father.

Beth does her best to deliver on that first promise. She rents a cabin in Canada for the Christmas holiday, hoping the promise of snow will be enough to rid Jamie of the longing for a male influence in his life. Then they arrive at the airport - and find a tall, dark, handsome cowboy waiting for them.

Riley Keenan is not at all happy that his mother has rented his hunting lodge to a pair of Arizona sunbirds at the last minute. He is not a fan of Christmas and has no patience for people who are unused to the wilds of the mountains in Calgary. He's even less impressed when he ferries Beth and Jamie to said cabin, only to discover that his mother has decked it out to look like something out of a winter fairy tale. He tells himself that he's fine with leaving them there for the week, but he's not the kind of man who can just walk away, even from strangers. A good thing, too, because Beth almost manages to set the cabin on fire the next morning, unused to working with the propane fixtures.

A huge snowstorm blows up, and Riley rather reluctantly goes back to the cabin, reluctantly allows himself to get sucked into the magic of their Christmas, and falls for both Beth and Jamie's innocent charms. He decides to give himself a break and let himself be a kid again, helping them enjoy the fun that comes with a big snowstorm in the mountains. Relaxing his guard lets Beth relax hers, and raises Jamie's hopes that Riley is the father that Santa has sent him.

It all goes a little pear-shaped when Jamie confides this deepest wish to Riley, and suddenly he and Beth discover they have a choice to make: they can keep running from their fears, or they can take a chance together to work past those fears.

This is a very sweet story (kisses only), the perfect combination of id-delighting tropes and cheesy goodness. Jamie is absolutely adorable, a perfect little plot moppet. I love the snowed-in trope, and the idea of an icicle slowly melting, rather against its will. The ending is a bit much, but what else can you expect from an HQN Christmas novella? This is a light, fluffy, amusing read, perfect for stirring up your holiday spirit. ( )