Nutcracker Sweet

by Lynn Crandall

A year after her sister’s death, Noël Hartley is haunted by memories of Christmas past. All around, life is going on, including all the happy celebrations of Christmas. Noël is having nothing of it, or the firefighter who failed to save her sister Regina from the deadly fire.

Firefighter Jonah Grant is going through the motions of working and living his life. The night he fought a fire in Regina Hartley’s house replays over and over, but always ends the same. He went into a fire to save her, but came out without her.

A wall of pain keeps Noël and Jonah apart and alone in their suffering, though in mid-size Cranberry Cove they're finding it challenging to avoid one another. But when a stalker puts Noël’s life in danger, Jonah has to find a way to prevent another tragedy and prove to her that their futures rely on facing the past.

86 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2017

About the author

I’ve been a reader and a writer all my life. My background is in journalism, but whether writing a magazine or newspaper story or creating a romance, I love the power stories hold to transport, inspire, and uplift.

In my romances, I focus on vulnerable, embraceable characters who don’t back down. I hope that readers discover, over and over, stories of ordinary people who face ordinary life challenges and are transformed by extraordinary love

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that tugged at my heartstrings, a woman who can not forgive and a man who can not forget. Noel Hartley lost her sister Regina in a house fire and Firefighter Jonah Grant was the one that tried to save her and could not. They get to know each other but can they get past Regina's death to get their happy ending, and what about Reggie’s other brother and sister Oliver and Brie has Noel not been including them in things. Jonah takes the three of the siblings to the Nutcracker Suite to spend time together, and Noel realize something. I enjoyed reading.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noel doesn’t feel like celebrating Christmas this year. Not quite a year ago, her dear sister Reggie died in a horrific fire and Reggie was the one who made Christmas special. Now, her parents are living in France and she barely sees her younger brother and sister. But as a social worker, she swallows her sadness and puts on a happy—and helpful—face. Unfortunately, one of her clients has issues of his own and doesn’t like that she hasn’t made his life easy.

Jonah Grant is a firefighter who is haunted by the death of the woman he couldn’t save. He’s not even sure he wants to remain a firefighter, but it’s family tradition and his father won’t hear anything different. He meets Noel and the two bond over their sadness. By working together, they discover they have a connection that goes beyond tragedy and help bring together Noel’s brother and sister with her so the healing can begin.

What I liked: Noel’s empathy and the connection between her and her siblings is nice. I loved the dog, Carpe Diem (Carp). I liked Jonah’s brother and his attempt to help his brother.

What I didn’t like: there were a lot of minor editing glitches (like consistency in how Noel/Noël’s name was spelled), and other editorial issues that broke the story for me. I didn’t like Jonah’s father—his lack of compassion was off-putting. The same with Noel’s parents. Yes, they’re grieving, but pushing away their three remaining children seems odd. I also didn’t care for the sub-plot with Simon and how it was handled in the end. He was a drunkard who kidnapped her and he gets away with it. Finally, there were enough subplots here that this could have easily be a full-length novel. That way, the threads could have been more fully developed and more depth given to the story. 

Recommendation: This is a sweet Christmas-themed romance with a satisfying ending. I just wish the editing would have been better. If you can ignore the editorial glitches, I’d say read it. It’s a cute story.

Thanks to the author for providing this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pain, heartache, and sorrow are something that accompanies Nöel since her sister's death. Jonah relieves the night he couldn't save Nöel's sister from the deathly fire.
She can forgive and he can't forget, but life's not easy and they find themselves spending time together.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She lost her sister in a fire and she steers clear of the fireman who could not safe her.all he can think of it not being able to save her sister. a stalker is after her and he wants to keep her safe. Will he? Will they finally get some relief from their grief? See if they will

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this quick read of the sorrow of Christmas past. Can two people, both haunted by that day, go beyond to be together when it matters most?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.