Love can come softly, like holiday snow. Or sweep you away like a riptide.World-class surfer Krystal Walters would have appreciated the beauty of her surroundings—a quaint cottage in a fragrant Portuguese olive grove—if a wipeout hadn’t changed all her holiday plans.Now, suffering the dizzying aftereffects of multiple concussions, she’s determined to make it home to Rhode Island for Christmas, … Island for Christmas, even if she has to defy doctor’s orders. Except those orders are being enforced by Adolfo Silva. A man as arrogant as he is ruggedly handsome.
Spending every waking moment working to make the family olive farm a success, Adolfo barely has time to savor a traditional Feliz Natal. But the moment Krystal disappears under a mountain of sea water, his focus shifts to a sun-kissed spitfire with golden hair, sky-blue eyes, and a will as immovable as his own.
Keeping her safe is his first priority, but this bold, courageous woman’s wings won’t be clipped. Before they can plant the seeds of a future together, he’ll have to convince her that spending Christmas—and maybe every holiday to come—with him isn’t the end of the world. Because she’s become the center of his.
Don’t miss Josie Riviera’s other sweet holiday romances!
Candleglow and Mistletoe
A Snowy White Christmas
more
Krystal is in Portugal for a surfing competition when a fellow competitor causes her to crash, sustaining a concussion. Adolfo, a friend of her good friend who lives in Portugal and who owns an Olive farm, offers a cabin on his property to help her rehabilitate, but all she wants to do is surf in the finals (against doctor’s orders) and then get back the US and her dad for Christmas. Adolfo, however, is finding himself attracted to Krystal, and wants her to stay for Christmas, and maybe even longer.
Adolfo is a little bit of a conflicting character. He has some pretty misogynistic tendencies, and he seems fairly oblivious to them. It takes a turn of events out of his control for him to recognize that he is being a bit of a jerk and own up to it. Krystal on the other hand, is very single minded, and seems intent on surfing in this competition even though she was advised not to, not to mention her trepidation that seems to arise when she has the opportunity to get back to the beach to practice. That said, I was going to be pretty annoyed if this turned into a « he doesn’t want me to surf, and I don’t want to lose him so I won’t « situation. Fortunately there’s a better story arc than that, and it’s plays very much along the ways of a Hallmark movie in that regard.
This story had very well developed characters and managed to bring them together in a HEA but really showed the different personalities, different upbringing, and different cultures. I really enjoyed learning about the Portuguese Christmas traditions as well. A really enjoyable story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Portuguese Christmas – This is my first read by this author and it is disappointingly average. The writing style is a bit choppy, not very smooth. The author did not tell the story well. Adding language is always good but there’s better ways to incorporate without stopping the flow of the story.
I could not get into the surfer chick, finding her self centered, rude and a bit stupid. Yes, I understood her goals but the way she thought and handled herself was annoying. I also find it annoying that every female has to assert herself by claiming how independent and capable their silly selves are and then doing the exact opposite. A strong, independent woman’s actions shows she’s in control and usually is a decent person. Grow up and gain self confidence and you won’t have to annoy everyone with your lack of self esteem.
Other than the main character being a typical pain, the other characters aren’t developed enough to care about. Yeah, everyone is beautiful people but not too much on personalities. The main character was charming according to the author, which he did do so nice things. I would have bumped the whiny cow off a cliff. I did not find any sexual tension between the couple but that may be due to the writing style
Being in set Portugal, the lack of descriptions was sad. To me the country is also an important character. I love the cover. I found this book on Booksprout. 3*
It’s never too early to read a sweet Christmas romance and this one grabbed my heartstrings from the very start. Author Josie Riviera tells an engaging story – this one set in beautiful Portugal.
American surfer Krystal Walters has traveled from the United States to participate in her first competition in three years. The $15,000 prize money is a big incentive as it would provide her with the means to build an addition to her home for her father to live in. However, life has other plans and she is injured on the first day of competition. This injury is serious enough that she is advised to withdraw from the event and put her surfing plans on hold.
Krystal reluctantly leaves the beach to stay with family who live in Portugal, but she fully intends to accept her invitation to take part in the event finals, and then return home to Rhode Island for Christmas. This is where she butts heads with the very attractive and equally strong-willed Adolfo, who has stepped up to help take care of her. This is a romance, so it is no surprise to find that the two are drawn to each other despite their differences.
Krystal and Adolfo are well fleshed out so that the reader knows and understands them. The reader gets to know lesser characters well enough to understand their role in the story. Ms. Riviera also has done her homework on Portuguese holiday traditions and language, making this a fun way for the reader to learn a little of the culture.
For those who like to try new recipes, the author has provided us with a traditional Portuguese Christmas dish.
A Portuguese Christmas by Josie Riveira
Wanted to read this book because I am also Portuguese.
Starts out with Krystal and she lives in Newport, RI (on the same island as where I live) and she’s in a surfing competition in Portugal and her cousin and her family are there with her.
The surfer cutting into her space causes her to go under the wave and get banged in the head from the surfboard-her angel. No more surfing til her concussion reside and she will be in Portugal for Christmas.
Love hearing of the traditional food as it was also served at our house in RI. My father and his family were Portuguese and lived within a hands throw from one another-like our own community, living on ancestiral lands.
Story also follows Adolfo who attended the surf competition and found himself tending to Krystal. He was just a farmer growing olive trees and her cousin had told him he needed a break from his work.
She also designs swimsuits and hopes that some day it will earn her money.
Love hearing of the sightseeing around the town, designs of the structures, food and decorations of the holiday season. Bull fight really intrigued me as I’ve yet to see one in person.
While she is stuck there she calls her brother Julio and hopes he will not put their father in a nursing facility til she gets back, she thinks he’d like to live with her, taking care of him. She just needs to win this competition.
She is still grieving the loss of her husband, a surfer himself. Adolfo is very senstiive to others needs and he is passionate.
Just recall an 80 foot wave that a man had surfed, off the coast of Portugal just a few weeks ago-the largest ever anyone had surfed.
Francisco is out of jail now and he will be hired on to help at the olive vineyard. He is very amorous and he takes it upon himself to bring her to practice surfing at the ocean.
She knows it will go against what Adolfo has to say about it as he knows she is not recovered from the injury. Same work ethics we were raised with.
Love hearing of the salted cod fish as I have one wooden container that the cover slides off. Misunderstandings and you wonder how things will turn out.
Concussions recently in the news also is brought up. Love the snowmen out of sand with the twins Descriptions are so very detailed you feel as if you are there.
Note from the author, a recipe! acknowledgements, about the author, and other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.