My name is Opal Mae McCool. I love my parents, but that name? Ugh, but I’ve adjusted. This year has been rocking along until October when my entire life lands in the toilet and someone flushes. First, my groom dumps me at the altar. Confession…not as destroyed as I should have been. Then, I share a steamy kiss with old love which leads to…nothing. Radio silence. Fine. Disappointed, but moving on. … on. However, it’s almost Christmas and I make a quick overnight business trip to Montana just in time for the snowmageddon and I’m stuck in Bozeman with only clean panties and a toothbrush. Next year has to be better, right?
I’m Michael Rockland. Born, raised and will die in Texas and I’m fine with that. I’m a mechanic at heart, even if my everyday job doesn’t allow me under the hood. About a month ago, I discovered I’m the Friday Lunch Special at a local diner. I’d be pissed if it wasn’t for a good cause and it hadn’t led me back to the love of my life. One hot, steamy kiss, a promise for the future, and she shuts me out. Harsh, but I’m a big boy. I can deal with reality, except when she ends up on my grandparents’ doorstep in Montana.
My dad doesn’t approve of him. His mother doesn’t approve of me. It’s not quite the Capulets and Montagues, and we are long past the teenage years, so isn’t it time to let us decide if we belong together or not?
more
A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start. A story about Mae and what she has gone through to get where she does in the story with her friends and family. Michael the bad boy of her teen years and the adventure they take to get the HEA ending both want. A story you cannot put down once you start.
After being dumped at the alter by a man who declared his love for her cousin, Mae has been a bit of a recluse. Not wanting the looks of pity she dove into her work and didn’t bother going out.
Her friend KatiLyn decides enough is enough and insists on taking her to lunch. What a lunch it turns out to be.
The feelings seeing Michael rekindled wouldn’t go away so she conspires with Maude for a meet-up with him. The connection appeared to still be there but apparently not enough for him to call.
I love how this story progresses with an airport rescue of sorts. Lots of fun, romance, some family drama and Kindle melting heat.
Opal Mae’s parents are guilty of judging a book by its cover. Both of our main characters are strong and likable. After being left at the alter Opal Mae, mortified and alone, lunches with her BFF and is surprised by some “entertainment”. Completely surprised, Opal Mae later spends some time catching up with Friday’s entertainment. She, a lawyer, has to make a trip for a quick meeting and is snowed in with no change of clothes, no coat and no snowshoes. Along comes Michael at the airport and saves her.
This is a fun short story with a HEA.
This book was gifted to me by the author in return for an honest review.
Fun cozy read!
I have to confess, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like May at the beginning of the book. I was definitely getting a debutante, shallow twit vibe. But luckily, things got cooking, or let’s say the social wedding of the season became a lot juicier piece of gossip to burn up the society pages. That’s when May becomes more interesting. Then you bring her BFF Katilyn into the picture with mischievous intent, and lunch just got droolicious. Like YUM! With a side of smoking hot. Then nothing… )Insecurities, and lack of communication equals – are things just going to fizzle out? Read the book to find out.
I won’t give away any spoilers. But I will tell you that I LOVED the ending. The way the author chose to end the book, left a smile on my face and tug on my heart.
A wonderfully heart-warming story. Mae and Rock are both strong, but equally each has their weaknesses. This makes them rounded characters, and more “real” and relatable. A really entertaining page-turner.
Never disappointed by anything she writes and this one was a grab you until it is done!! Opal is such an old fashioned name and love that she brings all the new stuff in to help them reach their HEA!
There has not been a story by this author that I haven’t loved and laughed at while reading, which can be somewhat embarrassing to explain in public! This one continues that enjoyment for me!
Getting dumped at the altar wasn’t what she ever expected but neither did Mae expect to go to lunch and find women simply waiting for the ‘hunk’ to arrive on scene. And to pay $10 for the privilege! AND that is was her one time lover! That got her out of her wedding funk real fast!
Rock never expected to see Mae at the diner either but he also knew that she was still out of his league. But she still looked good!
A funny story about two adults who finally got over the expectations of their parents to find love again. You’ll enjoy every page from cover to cover and wish there was more!
I was provided an ARC by the author for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was promised or received for the review.
Christmas in his Arms
Cynthia D’Alba
Being left at the alter is an emotional event that can change your life. Mae has to figure out a way to overcome it. Running into her first love, Michael, might be the answer. Though will she be able to trust men again?
A sweet romance with misunderstandings that keeps you reading because you want to make sure their is a happy ending.
Can you imagine standing at the altar, looking in the eyes of your groom and then just like that its all gone? Opal found herself dumped at the altar by her groom, and as awful as that may be, she’s not sure if she’s really disappointed. So, what can be a good cure for heartbreak? A best friend taking you to a diner for the lunch special….but little did Opal know, the lunch special was her ex from the past she never really forgot. Michael is going into the diner to get lunch just to help a friend out, but the one day he goes in he’s pretty sure he saw her sitting in the corner. After a few run in’s they find themselves in Montana for two completely different reason’s but she needs a place to stay and he has a place. This book is full of loss, and hope and a romance that will keep and home warm in the middle of a Montana winter.
Great story that moves at a good pace.
Loved the backstory of the two main characters. It shows us how we let others sometimes decide for us. I loved how they were able to get back what they had lost and show how much they had grown up.
Another great one by Cynthia D’Alba. Holds your interest from start to finish. A very easy read that is short and steamy. Who wouldn’t like a second chance at love, but after getting stood up at the altar most people would crumble. Not Opal Mae McCool. when she get stranded in a snowstorm and ends up with her love from 10 years ago things get steamy. You won’t want to put this one down and will leave you wanting more. A fun Christmas book in July, will get you wishing the holidays would get here soon.
What a terrific second chance at love story. Stranded in Montana Opal and Michael find each other. But can they forget old hurts and rediscover their love? Definitely recommend this book.
Christmas In His Arms by Cynthia D’Alba is a wonderful fun, steamy, sexy, feel good, second chance romance. It fun to read Christmas romances in July and then again at Christmas times. Opal Mae McCool, “Mae” to all her friends thinks she has it all, she is a rich, beautiful lawyer. Until she is dumped at the altar. Your not going to believe who he dumps her for! Michael “Rock” Rockland is a poor middle class mechanics or so it seem. Ten years ago he broke up with Mae because he didnt think Mae’s Father approved of him and he didnt want to hold her back. What happens when they get snowed in is going to chance everything. Get ready to burn the midnight oil because you are going to want to devour this 145 page book. Cynthia has done it again! Make sure you pick this up in the next two weeks for only .99 cents. After that it going away until Christmas time.
This book was so good from the time I opened the cover til I closed the book. Opal had to go through the humiliation of being stood up at her wedding because her fiance thought he was in love with her cousin.
Opal’s friend took her to a restaurant after she left her grieve for a while. When they went to the diner she was told that they were going for the $10 lunch special. The lunch special turned out to be the chance to see Micheal “Rock” Rockland in a pair of jeans picking up his lunch.
Not that any woman would turn down the opportunity to see that. It really was a fun book and I think you should read it and see for yourself
I really enjoyed this story by Cynthia D’Alba. It was a fast and easy read that has a great feel-good vibe to it. How would you handle love at 17 when neither set of parents likes your girl/boyfriend and you come from totally different socio-economic back-grounds. Meeting up 10 years later, would the sparks still be there? Are the insecurities still there? I really liked the way this story came together. I loved that Mae’s friends were so fierce in trying to protect her and that Michael’s mother was also. That should have given Mae an idea that there was more going on than meets the eye. But she was showing her insecurities. I absolutely loved the epilogue and how it was written! I can easily see this becoming a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie and I JUST LOVE THOSE!
An entertaining second chances romance, this story kept my interest from the opening pages when Mae is jilted at the altar, right through to the end where the truth is finally revealed. Having ditched Mae ten years previously, Michael Rockland has never found another woman to equal Mae, but he only has himself to blame for the fact that she isn’t in his life. Seeing their relationship through the lenses of youthful insecurity, Michael thinks he is doing both Mae and himself a favour by keeping his distance, only to realise that their separation has caused them both a great deal of pain. Finding each other again opens the door to a second chance, one that is just as passionate and fraught with tension as in their youth, but with maturity on their side, perhaps they can determine what they need for themselves, rather than listening to the voices of family and friends. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written romance that comes to happy holiday ending. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.