The Christmas Honeymoon (A Holiday Luv Novella)

Someone needs a comeuppance… too bad we don’t get to see it

How can someone get off scott free when caught red handed in a blackmail scheme? Yes, I know wealthy people get by with a lot of questionable things….but Emily’s and Claudette’s hands were caught directly in the cookie jar and basically came out unscathed. Not good!

I really, really looked forward reading this book. I actually put off things needed to be done to read it. I was so excited to ‘take a break’ and relax with a good storyline. I was disappointed.

Why?

…. I’ve already alluded above about my thoughts on the blackmailers. We at least needed to see how they now can’t walk down the street without hanging their heads in shame. We got nothing like that…. nothing.

… Character development needs to be deeper. We heard a lot about how the town ‘whispered’ about Serena…. why not let us hear how the town reacts to Emily and Claudette. Also how did this involve and/or affect Jay? He’s an attorney, surely he would know the seriousness of his wife’s schemes.

… Speaking of Jay, we never get to ‘meet’ him, we only get to hear ‘about’ him. Who exactly is this man? Yes we know his cowardly, backhanded deed to Serena, but does he have any feelings at all? How did her being back affect him? Is he proud of his wife? Does he EVER think about Serena and what he did? Does he have ANY regrets at all? Does he see how he was the real loser and Damien the winner? We at least need to ‘hear’ some of his inner thoughts and self-talk.

…. Damien was wonderful. Loved him. He had his own ghosts and I would have liked to known more detail about them. More depth into the storyline here is needed, especially concerning his dad. How could a dad send his son away so his new wife and new children didn’t have to be around him? And what his dad did to eight year old Damien that Christmas was inexcusable. He was no dad and no father…. he was a sperm donor, plain and simple.

It takes Damien being injured on the battlefield while deployed for dad and stepmom to accept him???? Pitiful. Sooooo, daddy thinks leaving him the family business makes up for everything? I needed to see dad’s true remorse, true acceptance of his wrongs and true redemption. We get no hint of that

And what about the stepmom? What’s her story? Did she die too or is she still living? We don’t know. We got to meet Reece and saw he realized the depths of Damien’s pain. What did Reece and Claire think about mom and dad getting rid of ‘big brother’ all the time?

… Serena is simple and complex at the same time. She comes across as weak and pays the victim. No wonder people try to take advantage of her. It was finally good to see her get some backbone. It also was good to see her open her heart up again.

Again, why no real consequences for Emily and Claudette? At least we needed to see some public comeuppance.

And, What was Emily’s REAL fear? Was she afraid of losing Jay? Was she jealous of Serena? She is not a bit likable and full of herself. (I kept wondering if Jay was the real father to Emily’s baby? No, the story gives no hint that he isn’t the father, but i just wouldn’t put it past Emily to claim Jay was the father to get him back as well as save her public image. Then, where would that put Jay when he finds out? )