Holiday fun
What a sweet and sexy Christmas treat! Longer than a novella but not quite a novel, this low angst holiday romance had me smiling by the end. It has a little bit of a slow start, but once our Scrooge of a hero shows his sweeter side, it was a whole lot of fun. It's light and sexy with plenty of Christmas spirit, and I loved the small town feel, complete with a rich history between our couple. Adam is the guy Holly crushed on in her youth, and now he's back home - older, successful, and still just as swoony. It didn't give me second chance romance vibes (which I appreciate), because their 4-year age gap means that Adam never considered her an option back in the day. But now that they're both adults, there's no one else he sees.
The story follows Adam, a guy who has let work overtake his life for the last decade. He's built a successful company from the ground up, and that's taken a toll on his personal life. When a spur of the moment decision has him purchasing a home in the small town he grew up in, he doesn't know what he's getting into. Adam no longer loves Christmas - why would he, when it hasn't been good to him in years? But there's one upbeat, Christmas-loving woman in town who won't leave him be, and Holly is no longer the girl next door that he once knew. Holly has Adam rethinking everything, and she might just bring the joy of Christmas back into his life.
This was a quick, lighthearted read that flew by. I'm not sure if the beginning is weaker than the rest or if it just took me a little bit to get my bearings, but I was loving this before long. Adam and Holly are super sweet together, and there's just enough steam to heat things up. He's a refreshingly likable guy, honestly, not a major Scrooge. I love a good brother's (former) best friend romance, and this is one that's executed without much angst or emotional baggage. These two have great chemistry in the present, and there's plenty of Christmas cheer to liven things up. The small town feel and family moments make it such a fun, festive read, and the short length makes it easy to binge in one sitting. Just what I like in a holiday romance!