Naughty Little Christmas

Hope Falls Universe

by Jessie Evans, Lili Valente

I figured moonlighting as a Santa stripper was the most exciting thing on my docket this holiday season.

But that was before Macy Clayton, my first love and the one I never wanted to get away, careened back into my life. Before the avalanche and the hike through a blizzard. Before getting snowed in at a secluded ranger station with nothing but a fire, a few fleece blankets, and each other to keep warm.

And yes, it turns out what the survivalists say is true—you really do stay warmer, and happier, when you’re naked.

Soon, Macy and I are back on track to being two turtledoves, and I’m happier than any partridge in a pear tree. But crossed signals and old wounds prove that second chances can be tricky, even during the most wonderful time of the year.

I’ll pull out all the stops to prove to Macy she’s the only one I ever want to jingle my bells, but will it be enough to pull off a Christmas miracle?

*This book was previously published as the novella "Snow Place Like Home" by Jessie Evans. It has been revised and expanded for this novel-length edition.

Genres: Christmas, Audiobook, Romance, Holiday, Second Chance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2017

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary romances she loves to read.

She's married to the man of her dreams, and together they're raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.

When she's not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.

Learn more at www.jessieevansauthor.com.

Reviews

[exploraDora · Rating 2 out of 5]

***2 Stars, barely***

I want to start off by saying that I don't enjoy giving books crappy reviews. But this one though...

Based on the cover and the title, I was expecting a steamy and cute Christmas read, instead I found myself feeling annoyed by quite a few things. I won't go into any details, just know that I wish this type of stories would be more realistic and that women wouldn't jump on guys the second they lay eyes on them, basically for the sole reason that they're all so incredibly hot. Especially in a Christmas novel, I wanna see a real, meaningful connection between the characters, not just physical attraction.

Anyway, the only great thing about this book is that it's short and I read it in one sitting. Other than that, it just didn't work for me.

***I'm not giving it a one-star review, because those are strictly reserved for books I absolutely hate.***

[Jessi | whats.jes.reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

How is nobody talking about the hot beef carrot?

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soy consciente de que este mes quizas no sea el mas idoneo para leer una historia con tematica Navideña, pero lo bien que me lo he pasado leyendo esta pequeña novela no hay quien me lo quite, objetivamente A Naughty Little Christmas no es el libro mas imborrable que te encontraras en tu vida pero realmente fue una maravilla pasar las paginas de esta lectura.

Ligero, emotivo, dulce y con una pareja protagonista que se da una segunda oportunidad en el amor de una manera preciosa.

Muy aconsejable, no solo en epoca Navideña, sino en cualquier momento del año.

3 Estrellas!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

jiggle bells jiggle bells WHAT

[valbinds · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️
Cute but the love interest got together SO quick and there was zero plot 😅

[Eva ✧ ࣪ ⋆ ⁺₊ ⋆ evathedreamer ₊˚.⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊ ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story 🫶

[Durch.Welten.Und.Zeilen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naughty Little Christmas ist eine kurze, süße Weihnachtsgeschichte.
Zuvor hatte ich nicht gesehen, dass die Geschichte nur etwa 200 Seiten umfasst. Dadurch hatte ich eine andere Erwartungshaltung. Das war allerdings komplett meine eigene Schuld und fließt nicht in die Bewertung ein.

Die Handlung spielt innerhalb von zwei Tagen, weshalb sich die Lovestory natürlich sehr schnell entwickelt. Da es sich jedoch um eine Second-Chance-Romance handelt, hat mich das nicht weiter gestört. Die Charaktere mochte ich insgesamt sehr gern. Besonders Miller hat es mir angetan, auch wenn er keine allzu großen Auftritte hat.

Zur Handlung selbst lässt sich nicht übermäßig viel sagen, da nicht besonders viel passiert. Trotzdem war die Geschichte zu keiner Zeit langweilig und hat sich auch nicht gezogen.

Das Setting mit der Rangerhütte hat mir sehr gut gefallen – auf jeden Fall mal etwas anderes. Auch die Kleinstadt wirkte wunderbar cozy, und die Einheimischen konnten mich definitiv begeistern.
Für einen gemütlichen Winterabend kann ich das Buch auf jeden Fall empfehlen. Vielleicht dürfen wir ja sogar noch ein weiteres Mal nach Lover’s Leap zurückkehren.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible listen narrated by Sebastian York and Andi Arndt.

I needed a Christmas listen, a friend suggested this story. Low angst. Slightly hot. Good listen while decorating the house for the holidays. Macy is a jumper of conclusion. Dean is just hanging on however he can.

Great narrators!

[Brianna at Renee Entress's Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars!

Lili Valente is a must read for me, any way I can get her but this book was special since it centers around my very favorite holiday and it heated me right up on these cool nights. Christmas and all the good stuff is right around the corner and Lili has just the book to put you in the mood...spirit.

Sexy. Sweet. A great, fast paced, second chance romance that packed a serious punch straight to the heart and my panties. Naughty Little Christmas was the perfect romance and I didn't even put it down for a moment. Macy and Dean were unforgettable in the most important, undeniable ways and I couldn't get enough.

Lili writes steamy romances that make you swoon the entire time and leaves you with a guaranteed smile on your face.

I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed for Renee Entress's Blog

[April ♥"LOS" ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romantic Christmas story with a saucy side.
Dean and Macy thought they had the perfect romance but they were only children and had so much growing up to do. Years later when fate steps in, Dean and Macy are thrust back together with explosive results. Trapped for the night in a snowstorm brings back all of the memories and feelings between these two and they realize that neither one of them ever really moved on.
Like all of Lili Valente's contemporary romances, A Naughty Little Christmas has lovable characters that find themselves in humorous situations. The connection between the characters and the reader is undeniable and makes the book so much fun to read. I would highly recommend this book for those looking for a lighter and upbeat love story.

[J. Grayland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I figured moonlighting as a Santa stripper was the most exciting thing on my docket this holiday season. But that was before Macy Clayton, my first love and the one I never wanted to get away, careened back into my life. This was a short, sweet, second chance romance that had a lovely, comical story line and two wonderfully sweet characters.

[Cerelia Francis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an ok romance. I felt like the characters could have been more dramatic about their love especially reconnecting after 10 years. The author could have expressed their internal feelings they had for each other that would pull on your own heart strings. I was very happy is was a short novella!

[Romane | Bookylicious]

Dnf à 15 %. C'est pour ça que je devrais lire les résumés parfois

[Briana Arnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very cute

[Ana Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The way he calls her woman did not make me mad….
Also can we talk about the epilogue 😳

[Lady M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This was a cute 2nd chance story, read by a couple of my favorite narrators.

[Bridget Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, fast paced Christmas Rom-Com

[Trista Cremeans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little too rushed in my opinion but the characters are fun and I'm a sucker for second chance romance.

[Lisa Stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this 4 stars because the narration with Andi Arndt and Sebastian York was perfect. I love it when these two are paired up together. I enjoy a good second chance romance.

Dean and Macy are torn apart because her father left her and her sister home alone and she was doing the best she could taking care of her younger sister but it was still against the law for them to be home alone at 15 and 13 years old. Macy was devastated because she thought her and Dean would be together forever until he was the one to report the issue. Her and her sister are forced to leave Lovers Leap to go and live with her aunt. Macy was heartbroken because she never heard from Dean again.

Dean thought he was doing what was right when they were kids but it broke his heart to watch Macy be taken away. He wrote to her and called her but was never able to get through to her. So he thought she hated him, and she did. When 10 years later, Dean sees a car go over the edge of the road, he is shocked to see that it is Macy. She still has a hold on his heart even after all these years.

They end up getting snowed in for a night and their feelings have definitely rekindled. But Dean hasn't told Macy something very important and it could possibly change everything. Dean doesn't want to let Macy go again.

I had a couple of issues with this book. The first is how fast Macy forgave Dean for what he did. I believe this is because this is a novella and with the time constraint of how long the book needed to be, this was sped up. My second issue is the fact that Dean is a father to a kid who knows Dean is his father but Dean doesn't really spend much time with him. I just didn't like this situation AT ALL. He should either be in the kids life as the father or not at all. The whole situation was just weird. Why couldn't Tilly just go to a sperm bank and get pregnant...why did she have to use Dean. I think this was thrown in just for some extra drama that really wasn't needed.

This book would have been 3 stars had I read it.

[Danie Y. | BohoBookMama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute quick second chance romance, yeah it all happened quick… but it’s a novella so that’s to be expected.

I absolutely could have lived without the Easter bunny suit foreplay at the end and him referring to his penis as a “hot beef carrot” 😂 I read some odd stuff I know, but going into those I know it’s going to be off the wall…. This was a jumpscare 🫣😂

Audio narration of course was top notch, Andi Arndt and Sebastian York can do no wrong 🥰

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the title, I thought this book would be a lot spicier, but it was just a cute second chance romance with a little bit of spice mixed in. I listened on audio and I loved the narration - plus, it was a quick read!

3 ⭐️s
1.5 🌶️

Macy and Dean were high school sweethearts and were each other’s first everything. They thought they’d be together forever, until Dean essentially betrays Macy’s trust and calls CPS to report her father having left her and her sister. CPS takes them away and she doesn’t see Dean for 10 years. During this time, she harbors a hate for him since CPS almost split up her and her sister.

Ten years later, she’s forced to return to her home town, Lover’s Leap, to collect her father’s belongings from his attorney. On her first day, she hits ice on the road and goes spinning off the highway to hit a tree. Dean happens to see this (doesn’t know it’s her) and rushes out of his car to save the driver.

After Dean gets Macy out of the car, they realize they can’t get back up to the highway & will have to take shelter in the nearby ranger station to call for help. Only they get there and the power is out, so they have to spend the night until it comes back on. Cue the forced proximity 😉

During this forced time together, certain things come to light & they are able to hash out some misconceptions.. and have some spicy time together 🥵

I liked them as a couple, but Macy did drive me crazy with her ability to jump to the most asinine conclusions instead of just talking out her worries.

I have already jumped into the next book, Sleigh My Name, and I’m really hoping Macy and Dean make a reappearance in it!

[Jaime Fiction Fangirls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessie Evans has written a sweet second chance romance that is sexy without being over the top. The story wasn't bogged down with secondary characters or overloaded by backstory, but instead gave just the perfect glimpse of Hunter and Macy's past so that I was invested in their future.
This novella was funny enough to make me laugh out loud but not so cheesy that I wanted to roll my eyes. Exactly the type of stranded in the snow story that I love to cuddle up with in the cold weather.
This was my first time stepping into the Kindle world of Hope Falls but now I'm intrigued and will absolutely be reading more from this small, mountain town series.

*I received an ARC from the author for voluntary review

[Randi Seitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for a spicy, easy read. Instead I got something that was slightly uncomfortable and a little underwhelming. This second chance romance has absolutely no tension. It leaves nothing to be desired because they couple immediately works through their issues and get together. If you have an open communication trope this is for you but I wish there would have been some back and forth before the give in. They couple also dated in high school (FMC was 15) and there are some flashbacks of them “being together” that aren’t detailed but they also aren’t fade to black. A little uncomfy to say the least. I wish it would have been eluded to as opposed to on page.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das Cover:
Kitschig, weihnachtlich und irgendwie niedlich. Ich mag es.

Meine Meinung:
Ich habe Naughty Little Christmas beendet und irgendwie hätte es mehr sein können. Schade, dass es nur eine Novella war.

Die Geschichte dreht sich um Macy Clayton und Dean Roberts, zwei Menschen, die nicht nur eine gemeinsame Vergangenheit haben, sondern auch sehr unterschiedliche Erwartungen an die Zukunft. Macy musste schon früh Verantwortung übernehmen, weil sie ihre kleine Schwester versorgen musste, und ein Verrat in ihrer Vergangenheit hat ihr Vertrauen in andere schwer beschädigt. Zehn Jahre nach ihrem Weggang kehrt sie in ihre Heimatstadt Lover’s Leap zurück und trifft dort ausgerechnet wieder auf Dean, ihren einstigen großen ersten Schwarm und ersten großen Verlust.

Der Plot selbst bleibt eher klassisch, aber kurz: Abschlüsse, Wiedersehen, gemeinsame Zeit in einer eingeschneiten Stadt, alte Erinnerungen und das erneute Aushandeln von Vertrauen. Es gibt keine großen Wendungen, aber genau darin liegt der Charme: Die Geschichte lebt von Momenten statt von Dramen.

Was mich allerdings gestört hat, war das Tempo. Die Geschichte fühlt sich an, als wäre eine komplette Romanhandlung in eine Novella gepresst worden. Gerade bei den ernsteren Themen hätte ich mir deutlich mehr Raum gewünscht. Vieles wird angerissen, aber nicht wirklich ausgearbeitet.
Besonders Clay bleibt dadurch hinter seinem Potenzial zurück. Das, was er in seinem Leben erlebt und getan hat, ist eigentlich schwerwiegend und emotional aufgeladen, im Buch wird es jedoch relativ schnell abgehandelt, fast schon nebenbei. Hier hätte mehr Tiefe, mehr innere Auseinandersetzung und mehr Konsequenz der Geschichte extrem gutgetan.
Dadurch verlieren manche emotionale Momente an Wirkung. Nicht, weil sie schlecht geschrieben wären, sondern weil sie einfach zu schnell kommen und genauso schnell wieder vorbei sind. Das ist schade, denn die Grundlage für eine richtig starke, intensive Geschichte ist definitiv da.

Zusätzlich spielt die gesamte Handlung nur an einem einzigen Wochenende. Dadurch geht alles Schlag auf Schlag, ohne wirkliche Pausen zum Durchatmen. Konflikte entstehen, eskalieren und lösen sich gefühlt im Zeitraffer. Das verstärkt noch einmal das Gefühl, dass der Geschichte schlicht der Raum fehlt, den sie eigentlich bräuchte.
Auch die weihnachtliche Stimmung bleibt dabei eher auf der Strecke. Klar, das Setting ist theoretisch Weihnachten, aber außer ein paar Randdetails kommt dieses typische Gefühl von Wärme, Ruhe oder Magie kaum auf. Die Geschichte hätte genauso gut zu einer anderen Jahreszeit spielen können, ohne viel zu verlieren.
Gerade in Kombination mit den ernsten Themen wirkt das alles etwas unausgewogen: wenig Atmosphäre, hohes Tempo, schwere Inhalte, das passt nicht immer ideal zusammen. Hier hätte eine längere Erzählform oder ein entschleunigteres Tempo deutlich besser funktioniert.

Mein Fazit:
Bei all den Themen die hier auftauchten hätte das Buch gerne 200 Seiten mehr haben dürfen. So lag der Fokus auf schnell schnell, was sehr Schade war.
Insgesamt eine lesenswerte Novella, die ich mir einfach länger gewünscht hätte.

[MrsTinchen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eine romantische Idee, aber leider ohne Tiefgang

Mir tut es immer leid schlechte Bewertungen zu hinterlassen, aber das war nichts...
„Naughty Little Christmas“ von Lili Valente klang vielversprechend: eine zweite Chance für die Liebe, Weihnachtszauber und eine Kleinstadt, die den Charme vergangener Zeiten versprüht. Leider konnte mich das Buch am Ende nicht wirklich überzeugen, obwohl die Grundidee Potenzial hatte.

Die Geschichte folgt Macy Clayton, die nach Jahren in ihre Heimatstadt Lovers Leap zurückkehrt, um sich ihrer Vergangenheit zu stellen. Ihr Ex-Freund Dean Roberts, der mittlerweile erwachsen ist, versucht, ihr Herz zurückzugewinnen. Die ganze Story dreht sich um ihre zweite Chance, aber irgendwie ging alles viel zu schnell. Macy und Dean haben natürlich ihre alte Liebe und die damit verbundenen Konflikte, aber die Geschichte wirkt leider sehr oberflächlich und schnell abgehandelt. Gerade das, was man sich von einer solchen Erzählung erwartet, eine tiefere emotionale Entwicklung der Charaktere, bleibt hier auf der Strecke.

Die Idee eines „Weihnachtswunders“, das Dean braucht, um Macy zu beweisen, dass er ihr Herz nicht wieder brechen wird, hat viel Potenzial. Doch leider wird dieser Aspekt nie wirklich ausgebaut. Es gibt keine echten Wendepunkte, die die Figuren oder die Handlung voranbringen. Alles fühlt sich ein bisschen zu glatt und vorhersehbar an. Man hat ständig das Gefühl, dass die Geschichte nur vor sich hin plätschert, ohne wirklich tief in die Emotionen der Protagonisten einzutauchen.

Was mich persönlich am meisten gestört hat, war der „Spice“ in der Geschichte. Klar, es gibt heiße Szenen, aber sie wirkten auf mich eher unangemessen und klischeehaft. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden war zwar irgendwie da, aber ich konnte mich nicht wirklich in ihre Momente hineinversetzen. Vielleicht bin ich einfach nicht so der „Sexy Santa“-Typ, aber diese Elemente haben für mich die Stimmung eher gestört als bereichert. Es fühlte sich mehr nach erzwungener Spannung an, die einfach nicht zu der süßen, herzerwärmenden Atmosphäre passen wollte, die ich erwartet hatte.

Die weihnachtliche Stimmung und die Kleinstadt-Idylle waren zwar nett, aber auch diese wurden nur oberflächlich angerissen. Man merkt, dass das Setting und der Charme der Umgebung eine wichtige Rolle spielen sollen, aber irgendwie kam es nie so richtig bei mir an. Ein paar mehr Details und ein tieferes Eintauchen in das „Wunder von Weihnachten“ hätten sicherlich geholfen, die Geschichte zu bereichern.

Fazit:
„Naughty Little Christmas“ hat eine charmante Grundidee, die aber leider zu flach umgesetzt wird. Die Charaktere bleiben oberflächlich, die Handlung zieht sich ohne nennenswerte Entwicklungen, und der spicy Teil fühlt sich für mich eher unpassend und gezwungen an. Wenn du leichte, schnelle Lektüre suchst und dich nicht an den klischeehaften Momenten stört, könnte es für dich passen. Für mich war es jedoch einfach zu platt und ohne die emotionale Tiefe, die ich mir erhofft hatte.

Ein weihnachtliches Setting, das leider nicht das versprochene „Wunder“ liefern konnte.

[Kim Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to see this book in one of Lili’s subscription emails and while normally I tend to avoid second chance tropes unless the plot draws me, I decided to read it because it was Christmas themed and I thought it was going to be a different story. Let’s be real, if anything says naughty, scoring or desire in the title, most of the time there’s more smut than story. I guess I was in the mood for something smutty but instead I got sweet, tender and a little bit emotional. There’s nothing wrong with that, in fact those are some of the reasons I actually liked it. The setting was so simple too, being snowed in at a ranger station and then again in a bar/restaurant. The premise of the story was basically Dean and Macy catching up and clearing any miscommunication over the past 10 years. Both of them thought something different which strained their relationship but more so on Macy’s side because she was the one that got hurt out of all this. This book is basically a catch up conversation with some text threads in between with some recounting of the past. The plot is very simplistic, really. I feel like this was probably an easy story to write and then the fact that Macy forgives him so quickly in the timeframe and pretty much picks back up where they left off 10 years ago. I’ll admit, I would have expected more hesitation from Macy, especially when you find out how angry and hurt she was about their situation in the beginning. Instead, you get her jumping back in and not holding her heart back anymore. I thought their reconnection would be more bitter but instead it felt like coming home to them I guess. The reason I gave this a 4 is because I wanted more resistance from Macy. I wanted there to be more stubbornness and grudges. It was crazy to me how Macy did a complete 180 from how she felt in the beginning to not even 50% into the book. It’s funny, she says she doesn’t like to encourage holding grudges but yet, that’s exactly how she felt in the beginning and I find it hard to believe that she would change her mind so quickly like a light switch. I understand that with only 19 chapters you have to do a quick buildup and then conclusion but I was hoping it would drag out just a little bit more. I did find one part in the book a little random and wasn’t sure why that was there, to have that shock factor I guess? Regardless, even though I felt there were some questionable things and wish some of this went in a different direction, the book was pretty good. I enjoyed it and I think for what it was, the cozy, homey vibes were nice. I felt the love between Macy and Dean, as well as people from the town and their friends. In fact, I think I’ll read the next segment, but maybe after Christmas even though it’s a continued theme and has the same circle of people in it. I have others I want to read first.

[Vfc · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 15, Macy Clayton is with her friend Olivia, it’s December in Lover’s Leap, Colorado. Her friend has no idea how serious things have declined at home. She’s a great friend, but she’s not certain of her actions if she knew her father had abandoned them. She might realise that Macy has been caring for herself and her younger sister, Lynn—she’s been doing so for years, since her father made a habit of drinking his paycheque away and dropping the proverbial parenting ball—OR she might decide Macy needed help. She might admit to her parents or one of the teachers at school, and they would end up as wards of the state.

She’d lived next door to Dean Roberts her entire life, he’s become more than her best friend, he’s her boyfriend, her confidant, her ally, and the only person who knows the truth about her family. He’s her anchor.
Until the day the social worker comes to take Lynn and her away from the only home they’ve ever known, and she sees Dean watching from his front porch with an expression of guilt and knows she’s been betrayed.

The year their father abandoned them, she almost lost her sister. They were placed in separate foster homes for three months while a caseworker tracked down their great aunt and arranged for their transfer to L.A. If their Aunt Maggie had decided she was too tired to raise two teenage girls, Lynn and herself would have been torn apart. And Lynn, only thirteen at the time, would have lost the only person she’d ever been able to rely on, her mama bear of a big sister who had been her defender and provider from the day their mother died when Lynn was still in nappies.

Ten years later, she’s living in L.A., running her own business. She performs massage therapy for people with chronic pain, helping them manage their symptoms through meditation. She temporarily returns to collect mementos her father bestowed to them.

Dean finds someone on an embankment and saves her from an avalanche, then realising it’s Macy. They find shelter, spending the night together reconnecting.
The next day she accidentally discovers he has a child with his friend (Tillie), due to early onset fertility issues at a very young age (20), she needed a donor, so he agreed.

Things happen for a reason. Perhaps they weren’t ready years ago. They both needed the time apart so when they got there, they’d be ready, allowing room for mistakes and then recovering from them.

*This book was previously published as the novella “Snow Place Like Home” by Jessie Evans. It has been revised and expanded for this novel-length edition.

[Sofia Almiroudis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when the one to save you from being crushed by tree happens to be the boy who crushed your heart 10 years ago? Macy left Lover's Leap and the boy she once loved. The boy she gave her firsts to and who also betrayed her and never looked back twice. Lover's Leap just wasn't Macy's home anymore. It only held bad memories even when they once held such beautiful ones. Dean... the boy next door that started as a friend and became so much more. When Macy's father left her and sister to mend for themselves, Macy did anything and everything to keep her and her sister afloat, even keeping up the facade that they weren't abandoned. Dean couldn't sit back and watch a then 15 year old Macy struggling and withering away. With no other choice he had to tell, he had to help.

Ten years later and Macy's back. She wants to get in and out. Retrieve what her deceased father left her and her sister and do away with Lover's Leap once and for all. However, Lover's Leap and its unpredictable weather had something else in store for her. A bad snow storm with horrible driving conditions led to Macy skidding off the road and crashing into a tree. Lucky for her... someone happen to be on the road and witnessed it all.

Dean couldn't believe what he just saw. Without time to waste, he knew he had to get whomever was in the car out and quick. What a surprise it was when he ripped open the door to find a dazed and confused Macy behind the wheel. Quickly getting her out and to safety, Dean and Macy knew they had to find shelter to save themselves from the cold. Once safe, old memories and feeling quickly resurfaced and quickly Dean and Macy rekindled what they once had after truths were shared. However some misunderstandings lurked and soon Macy finds herself questioning what she and Dean have. Will Dean and Macy have their second chance in love?

Lili Valente has once again brought humor, sexiness and raw emotions through A Naughty Little Christmas. Dean and Macy are so cute together and I loved experiencing their journey together.

[Vivi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich habe mich schon lange nicht mehr so durch ein Buch quälen müssen…

Bei dem deutschen Klappentext erwartet man eine süße Cozy second chance smalltown romance, wird allerdings direkt am Anfang negativ überrascht.
Das Buch startet 10 Jahre zuvor als die beiden Protagonisten noch Kinder waren. Es steht zu beginn allerdings nirgendwo dass dies die Vergangenheit ist und ich hatte direkt Angst dass die Protagonisten im gesamten Buch so jung bleiben.
Zudem kommen in den ersten 50% auch Szenen vor, die ich so nicht über 14 und 15 jährige lesen möchte, egal ob es nur eine Erinnerung eines jetzt erwachsenen Menschen ist oder die Szene „jetzt gerade passiert“, sodass ich mich beim lesen extrem seltsam gefühlt habe und einfach nur gehofft habe dass es schnell vorbei ist…
Ich habe schon bei ca. 20% darüber nachgedacht das Buch abzubrechen, weil es sich liest als hätte eine 14 Jährige oder KI das Buch geschrieben und ich damit nicht klar gekommen bin. Ich habe mich dann bis zu ca 50% des Buches durch gequält und den rest des Buches nur noch überflogen.
Hinterher habe ich das Buch nochmal recherchiert und dabei herausgefunden, dass im englischen Klappentext tatsächlich steht was einen erwartet, was beim deutschen Klappentext meiner Meinung nach leider nicht der Fall ist.
Ich hatte wirklich Hoffnung auf ein Cozy Snack Buch, welches ich innerhalb von 1-2 Tagen durchgelesen habe und wurde leider Maßlos enttäuscht. Durch den Schreibstil und weitere Faktoren habe ich jetzt länger als eine Woche für diese unter 200 Seiten gebraucht, was in meinem Fall leider nicht für das Buch spricht.
Ich werde von der Autorin definitiv nichts mehr lesen, da sie wohl nur Porn in Buchform schreibt, was so nicht das ist was ich gerne lese.

Danke trotzdem an #NetGalley für das Rezensionsexemplar.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only with this book get you in the mood for Christmas, it will also get you in the mood for rekindling an old romance.

This is a great book by Lili Valente. Full of humor, the laugh out loud kind, as well as the heat between these two great characters. Macy and Dean's story began when they were just teenagers. True love that was not only sweet and innocent but the kind you knew would last a lifetime, that is until life snuck up and bit Macy right on the behind. She vows to never forgive Dean for the way he betrayed her trust and to never return to the sleepy little Colorado town she grew up in.

Things happen that aren't quite like we plan them but such is life. Dean goes on with life and has a successful business in Lover's Leap Colorado as well as for the most part he is happy. He is performing right before the holidays to help get his mother out of debt so she can retire so as he is driving in his attire for his second job he has no idea what is about to unfold. Surprise, the love of his life is back in Lover's Leap and not only is she back but she is in danger.

This is the best book. I loved everything about it. There is sweetness, a few tears, laugh out loud funny throughout and burn you up hotness as these two find each other again. The question is can they keep what they had once upon a time or has life created too many obstacles.

I received an early copy to read and review and give my honest opinion. I loved this book and highly recommend it. It is well written and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.