An Unexpected Christmas

Taking the Shot #1

by Shannon Richard

BAH-FREAKING-HUMBUG

Adele James’s favorite time of year has always been Christmas, but this year she’s in no mood for the holiday season. Thanks to her famous A-list actor boyfriend cheating on her! Now that her photo is splashed all over TV, the internet, and tabloids her number one goal is to get away. She heads to her family’s cabin to be alone, but there’s another occupant when she none other than the frustratingly sexy Jace Kilpatrick… the man she’s been avoiding falling in love with for the past six years.

Jace Kilpatrick has never been the biggest holiday guy, and after three months of the NHL being on lockout, celebrating is low on his priority list. Getting the keys to his best friend’s family cabin was supposed to be about being alone. But those plans are foiled by Adele James who brings the mother of all snowstorms with her.

Adele is gorgeous, funny, and fiery, but she’s also his best friend’s sister, aka, completely off limits. But when the cabin loses power in the middle of the storm, Jace forgets the rules and spends the Christmas days and nights with Adele wrapped in his arms. Once the snow thaws, they’ll call things off, no harm, no foul… if they can agree to keep their hearts out of the equation.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Holiday, Christmas, Sports, Adult

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2018

About the author

Shannon Richard lives in Tallahassee, FL with her adorable rescue dog Teddy—not that she’s biased or anything. She enjoys experimenting with a new recipe in the kitchen or perfecting an old one, typically done with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in hand. She has no shame for the amount of reality T.V. she indulges in, listens to entirely too many podcasts, and is now a plant lady.

Reviews

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected Christmas is a great title for this book. It fits perfectly. Adele wants the dream when it comes to romance. She doesn’t date people she works with and likes to take things slow. She’s a costume designer on the set of a period drama, Ponce. She loves her job. Troy has been chasing Adele for a while and when his part on the show comes to an end she decides to give him a chance. 4 months later it’s the biggest mistake of her life. He’s a celebrity and everyone wants to know his business and his indiscretions are all over the news. Adele wants to escape her very public break-up. Her family own a cabin and she decides to hideaway. Unknown to her there is a mystery guest and the weather is taking a turn for the worst. Jace is Adele’s brothers best friend. He’s a hockey player and a ladies man. Adele has had a crush on him for 6 years. Now the pair will have to spend Christmas together snowed in. It’s heated and turns into more than a crush.

I’m on a Christmas reading bender at the moment and I just can’t get enough. Adele is a special lady and deep down she only wants one man. Luckily Jace is ready to settle down and already feels like part of the family.

4 stars out of 5. *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Unexpected Christmas was a delightful romance that's the perfect read to get you in the holiday spirit.

Adele James loves the Christmas season but this year instead of enjoying the festivities she's dealing with the fallout of her famous boyfriend cheating on her. To escape, Adele decides to head to her family's cabin to be alone only to arrive and find her brother's best friend already occupying the cabin. Jace Kilpatrick has never been big on Christmas and being on month three of an NHL lockout, celebrating the holiday is even lower on his priority list. His plans to be alone are put on hold though after Adele arrives and brings a massive snowstorm with her.

Adele is hurting pretty badly after her boyfriend cheated on her and photos ended up in the tabloids. Adele took a chance on Troy as she knew he had a reputation as a player and because of the way it turned out she's adamant she won't date someone like that again. Usually Adele loves the holidays and typically goes all out in celebrating which was something I really related to as I myself am a huge fan of the Christmas season.

Jace had a bit of a difficult home life growing up after his mother died and his father ignored him. It wasn't until after Jace became friends with Adele's brother that he became part of a family that truly cared about him. Jace is used to being a fairly active person and as a result of the NHL lockout, he's going a bit stir crazy due to the lack of games and practices.

Adele and Jace's relationship progresses very quickly but because they have six years of friendship prior to the book it doesn't feel rushed at all. The friendship they have is one of the best parts of their relationship and I enjoyed them just hanging out watching The Great British Bake Off. Once the two acknowledge their attraction to each other, their relationship advances pretty quickly both physically and emotionally. As to the physical side, the two have amazing chemistry and the scenes between them are very well done. The issues that come up in the relationship made sense and I understood where the characters were coming from.

I ended up really enjoying An Unexpected Christmas and I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author in the future. I definitely recommend this book if you're in the mood for a good holiday romance.

**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[Suzi (Obsessive Reading Disorder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adele and Jace have been friends for 6 years through her brother. She has longed for him but felt he didn't return the feelings. Accidentally stuck in a snow storm together, they find out they have more in common than either of them thought.

Fantastic holiday read,. Little bit of sports thrown in for fun. Super steamy and great friends to lovers romance. Loved the back story on Jace and Adele's loving family. I hadn't read the previous books in the series but this one stand fine on it's own. In fact, I may pick up the two about Adele's brothers as well.

Great read!

*Complimentary copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review.

[Jaime Fiction Fangirls · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a super sweet holiday romance!

I loved Adele and Jace and my most favorite type of romance is friends to lovers. The only twist with this one is that Jace is Adele's brothers best friend, and having an older brother myself....that's never a good thing!

I'm also a huge fan of hockey and I love when sports are thrown in the mix. Overall, this was just a really cozy romantic holiday read with a lot of angst and spice thrown into the mix ;)

I'm really excited to read more from this series though, as this was only book one!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy for review.**

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the cover of this book on Netgalley I immediately wanted to read where this story was about. It sounded like a lot of fun so I requested it and was super excited when I got approved to read it. ‘An Unexpected Christmas’ was the first book I read for the HoHoHo Readathon that I participated in, and it was the perfect book to start.

In ‘An Unexpected Christmas’ we meet Adele. Adele is going to her family’s cabin to get away from everyone after she finds out her boyfriend of a view months is cheating on her. Although it’s almost Christmas, her favorite holiday, Adele is determined to be alone and forget about Christmas this year. What she didn’t expect is to find Jace, her brother’s best friend in the cabin. Adele has had a secret crush on Jace for years. But Jace has never had eyes for her. Being stuck with him in the cabin can only end bad. He is definitely not someone her heart would be save with. But when they find themselves forced to spend Christmas together, things start to feel very different fast.

‘An Unexpected Christmas’ is a perfect Christmas read if you ask me. Both main characters Adele and Jace are fun to get to know. This book is written from both their point of views, which I really loved, and which made this book even more fun. There is a lot of chemistry between them, and it was so fun to read about how they slowly grew closer together.

If I think of Romantic Christmas books, I definitely think of cozy cabins in a snow covered land. And this story takes place in that kind of world. It definitely made me feel all those Christmas feels. There is Christmas tree decorating, Christmas movies watching, making a snow man.. I mean this book had it all. Even a dalmatian!!

I loved the romance between Adele and Jace. It was really fun reading about them, and there were a lot of sexy romantic scenes I definitely couldn’t get enough of. Sure, the story was a little ‘too’ perfect at times. For example they had all the food and ingredients they wanted for everything they wanted to make! How? I want that!! And I have access to the grocery story all the time. But it didn’t bother me at all.

Yes, ‘An Unexpected Christmas’ is a perfect Christmas read that I finished in one day. I loved it and I definitely want to read more books by Shannon Richard.

[MJ Symmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adele and Jace really helped get me in a very nice Christmas spirit. This was such a sweet holiday read with some hot & spicy lovin' thrown in.

Adele James is running away from the paparazzi after her actor boyfriend is caught quite literally with his pants down in a very public cheating way. Jace Kilpatrick just wants to unwind and relax while still waiting to get back on the ice from the months long lockout of the NHL. Time away at the Jamses cabin is just what he needs. Time away at the family cabin is just what she needs. When they both end up there snowbound together things start to get steamy. But she's his best friends little sister and very off limits, he's her secret crush of six years but he doesn't need to know that. Sometimes the line needs to be crossed and what happens at the cabin stays at the cabin. Vegas rules after all. But can things return to the way they were before or will both their lives be irrevocably changed with no hope of them staying away from each other and being no more than just friends.

If you're looking to get in the holiday spirit with a good seasonal read then you should definitely put this one on your list.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

[Ally.Always.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big of Shannon Richard. I randomly found her book, Undone, on the Walmart shelf. Loved the cover. Read the blurb. I had to buy the book. I’ve been addicted since. Real talk.

I was so excited to hear that Shannon was writing a new book... and it’s her first that isn’t in the Country Roads series! Ah!!
This series is set around... wait for iiiiit... HOCKEY PLAYERS! *happy dance*
And guess what the trope is... brother’s best friend! Yes! A fan favorite trope that include a hot as hell hockey player... SOLD! Am I right?!

For real. I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read. Sweet with some sexy. They’re trapped in a cabin together because of a blizzard but they definitely find some fun ways to keep warm. *wink, wink* *nudge,nudge*

It’s another winner from Shannon Richard! Be sure to grab a copy and dive into this sweet and steamy holiday read!

[Bookgyrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Adele is confronted with her boyfriend’s cheating, she decides not to celebrate Christmas with her family but to go to the family cabin on her own. However, her brother’s best friend and hockey teammate, Jace, is also there with the same idea. And a snow storm is coming.

No, this book is not original but is is a warm and christmassy story about two people spending Christmas together and realizing there might be a future for them if they would let go of their trepidations.

Great if you want to cuddle up,with a book near the fire place!

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jace is a handsy man, "cupping her jaw in his hands, he gently pulled back, lightly nipping at her lips. “Yup… so much better.” And then he was kissing her again." There aretimes Jace gets distracted easily, "...grabbed one of her hands from his chest, lightly tugging her to him. “Your breasts are distracting me.” I liked this book, I loved Jace.

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much sex, too little feels!

[Lauren loves llamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best description of this book I can come up with is “steamy Hallmark” – it’s cozy and comfy holiday goodness, with lots of sex. It’s also ridiculously tropetastic – there’s “best-friend’s-little-sister” plus “snowbound” plus a dash of “Christmas-elf-wannabe-must-teach-Scrooge-how-to-enjoy-the-holidays.” In other words, it ticked a whole bunch of my boxes!

“But continuing to keep him oblivious was going to be that much harder now…with just the two of them…alone together…in a two-thousand square foot cabin that now felt like the size of a shoe box.
Perfect, just perfect.”

Adele is not in the Christmas spirit this year – she’s just broken up with her actor boyfriend after he cheated on her. The only way to escape the paparazzi – and her family’s relentless Christmas cheer – seems to be holing up in her family’s cabin in Tennessee. When she arrives there with a storm on her heels, however, it’s to find her brother’s best friend and fellow hockey teammate, Jace, already there. She’s had a crush on him for the past six years, and the last thing she needs is to spend Christmas snowed in with him avoiding her attraction to him while nursing her broken heart. Jace, for his part, isn’t in a great mood, either, as the hockey league is still in the middle of months-long contract negotiations, with no end in sight. But, somehow, it’s hard for either of them to stay un-merry around each other, and as the holiday spirit grows, so does their attraction to each other. But Jace has a reputation as a ladies’ man, and the last thing Adele needs is another broken heart. Will the new year ring in a new relationship or just another heartbreak?

“This feeling of contentment with her was becoming stronger and stronger. He was so unaccustomed to it that it was starting to get almost overwhelming. But overwhelming or not, it didn’t change the fact that he didn’t want it to end.
He wanted more nights like this. More nights with them cooking dinner together, more nights with them eating pie on the sofa, more nights with her in his arms watching cheesy romantic comedies. More nights of anything. More nights of everything.”

Adele and Jace – plus Adele’s dalmation Katie – are so good for each other. After his mother died, Jace didn’t really celebrate the holidays – that is, until he got sucked into Adele’s family’s orbit when he joined the same hockey team as her brother. Adele has felt a bit left out of her family lately. Everyone else is happily married, while she hasn’t had a serious relationship, besides that mess with the cheating actor, in a long time. Initially, Jace helps Adele deal with the mass of feelings she has around her breakup, and then as she gets back into the Christmas spirit, she introduces him to new holiday traditions, like building snowmen and making a homemade gingerbread house. There’s lots of fun Christmas content like decorating the tree, kissing under the mistletoe, making snowmen, baking pies, cooking delicious holiday dinners, baking a gingerbread house, and watching Die Hard, of course. Once their relationship becomes physical, they agree to go follow “Vegas rules” – that is, what happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin. They already trust each other – they have known each other for six years after all – so they’re pretty much already friends and familiar with a lot about each other. I think that’s one of my main criticisms about the book. While it’s certainly fun to vicariously participate in all of their holiday fun, there’s really not much in terms of conflict until the big “black moment” so it was quite slow. Plus, since Jace is in the middle of a lockout, there’s actually very little in the way of hockey content, which isn’t necessarily a negative but wasn’t what I was expecting.

“Her bah humbug demeanor was now replaced with genuine holiday cheer. Or was that the post-orgasmic glow? She didn’t know, nor did she really care.”

Overall, if you’re OK with the fact that it’s pretty much going to be holiday fun and sex, I think you’ll enjoy this book!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-Stars for the swoon-worthy full length read An Unexpected Christmas by Shannon Richard, Book 1 in Taking the Shot series. It's cliche & probably not real helpful to include 'must read' when describing a book, but I have no other words to really convey the need to one-click & read this book, especially for those who enjoy the romance genre, it is a truly amazing, heartfelt romance. Once in a while I enjoy a romance with alot of steam, and if that's what you are looking for, this book is Not It. Why, because a romance with a lot of steam typically means little else and that definitely does not describe this book. but only once in a while since they usually contain little else, other than the steam, but that does not describe this book. Shannon Richard creates the perfect balance in this book, it contains just enough steam & heat, so many sweet, tender moments & tons of snarky banter, to be considered a magnificent, awe-inspiring read & a must have in every romance reader's Kindle library. The author does an amazing job writing this tremendous story detailing Jace & Adele's quest for love in An Unexpected Christmas. Both Jace & Adele want to get away from it all, from everyone, to spend Christmas alone. But, 'unexpectedly' they both retreated to the James family cabin, without knowing of the others plan. It seems fate intervenes, by way of mother nature at least it seems that way when for days they are snowed in, or, maybe it's just finally perfect timing ..... after 6 years. Jace's thoughts & words can only be described surprisingly as romantic at heart as he contemplates their original "what happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin" agreement & realizes he wants more, realizes he loves Adele, how long he has loved her he doesn't know, but he knows he wants to love her forever, realizes she is it for him, forever! But, does Adele break his heart when she says she wants to stick to the original agreement? Jace wants to make Adele happy, wants to do what she said she wanted by sticking to the agreement with 'this' (between them) being over when they leave the cabin? When the NHL lockout is over, when Jace closes the cabin door with a thud & never looks back, will they ever be able to find their HEA? Your eyes will definitely be glued to the pages, won't be able to put the book down, willing the two heartbroken souls to figure it......Definitely Recommend An Unexpected Christmas & Can't Wait for Book 2 in the Taking the Shot series with Sean & Felicity's story.
I did receive an advanced copy, ARC, of this book from the author and publisher INscribe NYLA via NetGalley but am voluntarily leaving my voluntary opinion & review.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

An Unexpected Christmas begins the Take The Shot series by Shannon Richard. If you’ve read the Country Roads series it’s possible that you’ve run into the James family before… if not that’s fine, but it is an excellent series you may want to check out for yourself. I just happen to enjoy catching little snippets of connections between series or characters, and the fact that Adele has been crushing on her brother’s friend, Jace, for years is a sweet touch to the beginning of this new series.

Adele made the mistake of getting romantically involved with a lying, cheating former co-worker. It might not have been quite so bad if Troy wasn’t a famous bad boy actor with a reputation of a playboy or that his cheating hadn’t made tabloid headline news. Now all that Adele wants is to get away from cameras, family and spend her time off before her next project totally alone, except for her dog. She headed to a remote cabin of a friend’s family and was ready to shut out the world. But circumstances had different plans as it seems that cabin already had an occupant – her brother’s friend, Jace. And wasn’t this an unwelcome fine mess to land in. Alone was one thing, alone with the man she was more than half in love with for years was just another case of fate not liking her too much lately. But maybe fate had other plans for them both, and being snowed in was just the beginning of a future neither had planned on but was turning out to be perfect for them.

I enjoyed my time in An Unexpected Christmas. The chemistry between Adele and Jace sizzled, they are a very believable couple with temptation right in front of them. You’ll discover some priceless laugh out loud moments, and some tender ones as well. It’s a quick read but one full of Christmas magic, two people who work well together and a chance at an everlasting love… if they are willing to take that risk. I’d recommend this one to any Romance reader who enjoys holiday touches, believable characters and the excitement of starting a new series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Misty (Reds Romance Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adele James is nursing a broken heart and has decided that instead of spending the holidays with her family she is going to go to the family cabin for a little alone time. But once she pulls in the drive she soon realizes that she isn't the only one in need of some solitude, her brothers teammate is already there enjoying some alone time. Spending the holidays, in close quarters with a handsome hockey hunk is not what she had in mind, but a storm is brewing and leaves her with no choice. A few days with him can't be all that bad, right?

With his hockey world up in the air, and his personal life unusually quiet, Jace Kilpatrick decides to spend a few days in the mountains, all by himself. But an unexpected surprise shows up on the doorstep, and quickly brightens up his dull little solitary vacation. When Adele wanders through the door, he's hit with a case of desire that he has no idea what to do with, acting on it would be so wrong, but it could be a lot of fun too! For a long time he has thought of her as just a friend, but for some reason he is seeing her in a whole new light, and he likes what he sees. But he's pretty sure she doesn't feel the same way... or does she?

An Unexpected Christmas was the perfect remedy for my holiday blues, it inspired smiles and tons of holiday spirit! I loved watching these two circle around one another and fight the sparks brewing between them, they had some serious heat going on. Ms. Richardson really outdid herself with this one, the words were absorbing, and the characters were perfectly crafted, I loved it!! I am anxious to see what she has in store for us next, if this first story is any indication of what is to come, the next one is sure to be just as amazing!! Highly recommend you get your hands on this one, it'll leave your heart happy!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Unexpected Christmas was an unexpected delight.... just kidding. :) The description and the synopsis nailed this one: it is a fun romantic Christmas story will all of the perfect ingredients to make a situation unforgettable and a couple irresistible. The best thing about this story is that while it seemed a bit like a Hallmark movie at times, it wasn't too cheesy and was just the right amount of cozy. Adele and Jace were great to fall in love with as characters and it warmed my heart to see them fall for each other in this book. My one slight non-spoilery thing is that in my mind I did not picture Adele at all like the front cover of the book. Jace is fine, but I'm 99% positive that the first time Adele is fully described she's wearing all black.

PLOT:

I really appreciated how this story is introduced pretty much right away; there wasn't an awkward amount of trying to set up the characters' hopes and dreams for ages without giving the characters any depth and understanding for who they are. Long story short-- it was a cute Christmas book, and it was laid out and developed really well. The ending seemed a little bit forced when Adele felt like she needed to leave Jace, but it balanced out by the end. What was most interesting to me in the plot was the introduction to the other characters. Because we get to see Jace interact with the team a bit more at the end (especially with Adele's brother), I think that the series will continue to branch out into the stories of the other players. Overall, the plot was fairly expected in almost an overly cliche way, but at the end of the day the cuteness won me over.

CHARACTERS:

Adele- I really liked Adele! It took me a quick second to get used to her character and get to know her. But I really did after only a few chapters. The only thing that was slightly annoying (and I've kind of said this already) is when she leaves Jace because she thinks that he won't have that kind of relationship with her. I get that it's important to the plot of the story, so I say that it's annoying, but I also get it. Adele was such a cool character though. I don't think I've ever read a character with her career before, which was really interesting; her attitude was so independent, which was GREAT; and her habits were so casual they came off perfectly, which sealed the deal on me liking her character.

Jace- My largest concern coming into this book is that I wouldn't like Jace because I typically do not like plots or storylines about jocks or famous people. I get that it's a thing, but I still came into this book with that. DESPITE THAT, I ended up really liking Jace's character. He was so caring for Adele that it was hearbreaking when Adele wouldn't hear him out.

WRITING: I want to visit that cabin. It seems like the perfect place for any winter vacation. There was snow, there were great rooms, cozy atmosphere, and you can be there completely alone like a mini vacation. Granted, a lot of places could fit that bill, but the way this one is described seems amazing. The entire story was filled with a lot of great descriptions that I really think added to the holiday wintery atmosphere.

This book is perfect for the holiday season or maybe even just any cold season. It certainly will make you want to just snuggle up with someone and appreciate the things around you. What is even more exciting to me though is that it looks like this will become a series? I'm not sure if there is enough there to really follow Adele and Jace some more, but maybe it will follow other hockey players or maybe a sibling or something like that? I'm definitely curious though and I am really hoping that whatever it is will be another holiday/Christmas book.

Thanks for reading!

[Dawn Cunningham Roether · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adele is a consume designer and is dating a well known actor, when through the tabloids she finds out that he had a moment of indiscretion. Not wanting to be around family and people in love, while being freshly raw over the incident, she decides to visit the family cabin. Unbeknownst to her, He long-time crush and her brother's best friend/hockey teammate, is skipping the Christmas for similar reasons and is already at the cabin. There has been an attraction between the two for six years. He has been told by her brother that she is off limits, therefore Jace has never acted on his attraction. Adele has always viewed Jace as a player, therefore she has forbidden herself to act on her attraction.

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. It is set at Christmas time. Adele loses her Christmas spirit and Jace helps her find it. All while getting to really know each other on a personal level. What worked for me was the fact that these are two people that have been in each other's life in transient ways. There is an attraction that is almost forbidden from each of the character's perceptions. The undertone of the book kind of eludes to "Christmas magic" in the fact that they are each stuck together at the family cabin. This cabin is where Adele's two brothers had fell in love with their spouses during similar visits to this cabin. Adele's mom reminds her of this fact and you get the vibe that mom "knows" this is what will ultimately happen with Adele and Jace.

What didn't work for me, is when Adele gives her trust to Jace and they have their moment of passion, I feel like it happened repeatedly over the course of a couple of chapters. I found myself skimming through those scenes after a while.

Good Christmas-time story. HEA and lots of sexy-time if you like that kind of thing. I feel like it could be tones down a tad. However, overall a good read.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! 🎄

I'm a HUGE fan of Shannon Richard, so pretty much anything she writes, I love.

An Unexpected Christmas is her first foray into self-publishing and I'm so happy to gush over how much I loved this book. Sometimes when an author has been "traditionally" published the voice can change... due to editing and other factors. The voices can be so different that I simply cannot read their self-pub books.

This is so not the case with Miss Richard. I have always loved how she combines small-town settings and families with super sexy time relationships.

Adele and Jace have been a long time coming for those of us that have been reading the Country Roads series. I loved the Christmas setting and the fact that they were basically trapped with each other and forced to confront their feelings for each other.

If you're looking for a Christmastime book to read with some smokin' hot sexy times, please, please, please pick up this book. If for some reason you haven't read the Country Roads series (one of my favorites) please do your self a favor and binge read that series before the end of the year!
You won't be sorry.

*Copy provided by author via Netgalley

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just such a great Christmas read, it gave me all the warm and cuddly feelings required for a Christmas read.

I thought that these two were just amazing together, and the author did a great job of slowly building up the story so that it never felt rush or dragging. I have to say that for me that is essential to balance in a good book. Firstly there was Adele who is a great heroine as she is both vulnerable, but unbelievably strong, and she is a dog lover which always gets extra points in my books. Then there is Jace who as a male lead is just so caring and sweet, and even as he knows that there is a huge risk in developing this relationship, he is always so sweet when dealing with Adele. Like I said the book has just perfect pacing and overall is a great xmas read.

[Jenn (YeahOrNeighReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After her boyfriend is caught cheating and it's plastered all over social media, the idea of going home for the holidays is the last thing Adele James wants. She sneaks away to the family cabin without telling anyone, which is why she ends up being snowed in with long-time friend of the family, Jace Kilpatrick (not to mention the guy she's had a crush on for years).
I enjoyed this holiday romance immensely! It definitely got me in the Christmas spirit and I especially loved all the antics with Adele's dog, Katie! I highly recommend this one!

[Alex (HEABookNerd)]

DNF @ 25%

I liked the set up for the story with Jace and Adele being trapped in the cabin during a snowstorm but I was just really bored with what I read up to. I couldn't connect with this story or these characters. The author spent too much time describing small actions that weren't necessary, like Adele getting food out of the fridge and all the steps were written from her opening the door all the way to removing the plastic on the food. It made the book tedious to read.

**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Amk256 King · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from net gallery in return for an honest review. Thank you.

Pretty much what I expected this to be. A charming, well written tale of girl meets boy. Nice characters and easy to read with a Christmas theme throughout. Perfect for a chilled evening in a hectic month! I would read more from this author.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley.

I have read the other series by this author and really enjoyed those books. I thought this was a good start to the new series. It was a quick, holiday read.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adele’s favorite time of the year was Christmas or it had been. Adele’s lack of Christmas spirit was due to Troy Slater. Hollywood’s heartthrob and butt hole. They had met on the set of Ponce. Adele was the head costume designer. Troy was playing the guest role for the season. Troy had flirted heavily with Adele the first five months they were shooting. Usually Adele didn’t get involved with men she worked with. She couldn’t break the rule for Troy. Mainly because if the relationship went sour she didn’t want an uncomfortable working environment. He might be there just for the season but the set of the show had become like home to Adele. She wasn’t messing with one of her safe places. Plus Troy was a playboy according to the tabloids. Except for three months he’d been chasing her. Than the day they had wrapped for the season he laid a kiss on Adele that made her knees weak. Than he said they didn’t work together now would she date him now? Troy dazzled Adele . Made her think there was a chance for something lasting and true. But she’d been wrong, it had been a mirage for four months. Or maybe the flashing cameras constantly flashing wherever they went had blinded her. As troy was one of Hollywood’s bad boys. She had been in Scotland on the set of the current movie she was working on when she she found out Troy was cheating on her and she had found by tabloid pictures. When she got off a twelve hour plane ride she found several notifications on her phone and several were from troy but she listened to the first one from Troy and it said “ Adele, I can explain” than she ended the voicemail . she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say and shut off her phone. She decided to regroup at her best friend's place in Atlanta- felicity. Felicity es one of the stars from Ponce and also the lead actress of the movie in Scotland. She was going to spend Christmas with Troy and her family but her current mood showed she shouldn’t be with her happy family. Adele never wanted to see troy again. She just wanted to be alone. Adele decided to go to the family cabin in Nashville. Adele had her dog Katie with her. Katie went wherever Adele went. When she got to the cabin her brother’s best friend Jace was already there. He was the last person she wanted to be stuck with. He was the man she had crushed for the last six years. Jace and his father weren’t close and his career ended any chance of reconcile. He was was a famous heart surgeon. Jace’s mom had passed away when he was eight. He wasn’t big on the holidays. Jace was four years old when his mother had him signed up to play on his first hockey team. Over the years jade had heard over and over again that playing hockey was just a waste of time and money. The only reason he got to continue playing hockey was it kept him occupied and out of the way. Jace was successful but in his father’s eyes he was a failure. Jace had been signed to the Jacksonville Stampede than he and Logan became best friends. Logan was Adele's older brother. Than Jace isn't playing hockey no one is. It had already been a three month lockout and negotiations looked to be going nowhere fast for the NHL. So with his frustration Jace decided to spend this holiday season alone. Besides when he was Adele’s family at Thanksgiving he was the odd man out her brothers were both married now she had been with troy so he knew he would be spending holidays more alone now. So Jace had asked Logan if he could borrow the cabin. But he was starting to go a little stir crazy. Adele told Jace she would be leaving the next morning but Jace said she wouldn’t be going anywhere for awhile as there was a bad snow storm brewing and they were supposed to get up up three feet of snow in the next couple of days. Adele knew Jace only looked at her as Logan’s younger sister. He was a playboy anyway she had seen women parade in and out of his life and bedroom. Jace didn’t do commitment. Every since Adele had known Jace none of his flings had ever been longer than a month. A couple days in after coming inside Katey stole Jace’s boot and ran to Adele’s room, Jace ran after her to get it to find Adele naked in her room with just a scrap of red lace on her. Jace couldn’t get her naked out of his mind. But Jace couldn’t afford to lose her and her family they were to important to him. Adele was horribly embarrassed and didn’t think that was ever going away. But as time goes on Adele and Jace become lovers.
I really enjoyed this book. I like that Jace and Adele were close friends before they became lovers. But it was supposed to be like Vegas what happened at the cabin stayed at the cabin and when they left they were to go back to the friends they had been before the cabin. I also liked the plot and the pace. It took me one day to read this. I really liked how the knew each other so well and how they could do things for the other because of this knowledge. I felt bad that not only did Adele hurt but so did Jace when he left the cabin. But I did love the ending. I also loved the part where Jace talked of his mom with his obvious love for her. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it. I wish I could rate this 4.5.

[Katie Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Unexpected Christmas was the perfect remedy for anyone that has the holiday blues, it inspired smiles and tons of holiday spirit! This is one of the best Christmas romances I’ve read in a long time. This book is the perfect feel good holiday read.

[Rayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars)

This romance was a great mix of cute and steamy! The level of drama was just right, and the snowed in shenanigans were pretty funny. Adele and Jace were so lovely together and I enjoyed their love story.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I didn't want it to end. Looking forward to the next book in the series

[Pattie Babbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great final Christmas book for the holiday season.

[Kim Spradlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few too many typos, but overall good story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: An Unexxpected Christmas
Series: Taking the Shot Book #1
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Shannon Richard
Genre: Romance, Christmas
Blurb: BAH-FREAKING-HUMBUG

Adele James’s favorite time of year has always been Christmas, but this year she’s in no mood for the holiday season. Thanks to her famous A-list actor boyfriend cheating on her! Now that her photo is splashed all over TV, the internet, and tabloids her number one goal is to get away. She heads to her family’s cabin to be alone, but there’s another occupant when she arrives: none other than the frustratingly sexy Jace Kilpatrick… the man she’s been avoiding falling in love with for the past six years.

Jace Kilpatrick has never been the biggest holiday guy, and after three months of the NHL being on lockout, celebrating is low on his priority list. Getting the keys to his best friend’s family cabin was supposed to be about being alone. But those plans are foiled by Adele James who brings the mother of all snowstorms with her.

Adele is gorgeous, funny, and fiery, but she’s also his best friend’s sister, aka, completely off limits. But when the cabin loses power in the middle of the storm, Jace forgets the rules and spends the Christmas days and nights with Adele wrapped in his arms. Once the snow thaws, they’ll call things off, no harm, no foul… if they can agree to keep their hearts out of the equation.
Favorite quote/excerpt: He wanted the real thing, the whole thing, with her. In his bed. Skin to skin. Breaths mingling. Bodies moving. For hours and hours.
Thoughts: This is one of the best Christmas romances I’ve read in a long time. It didn’t overly focus on the holiday itself, but it was perfect for a cold winter’s day. Honestly, the romance itself is enough for me to grab it about anytime of the year! The story was sweet – with both of our characters being perfect for each other, they just needed the time to realize it. And when better than when you are snowed in together? The banter and the small, subtle heated moments between them just added a little something to the romance. I just really enjoyed this book! And once our hero Jace decided to go after our heroine, no-holds-barred? That’s always my favorite part!
Rating: A