The holidays are served up with some spice in this small-town romance featuring a woman who must maintain a secret identity and the man who begins falling for her. This Christmas, all Mayor Kevin Hadley wants is to give his five-year-old son whatever his heart desires. Only Tad has fallen head over holly for his pretty, sweet-as-sugarplum teacher. When attraction sparks between Kevin and Mary … attraction sparks between Kevin and Mary Margaret, the single dad thinks she may be the answer to his and his son’s dreams. But after Mary Margaret reluctantly turns him down, Kevin decides it’s time to embark on a new campaign — one for Mary Margaret’s heart.
Mary Margaret Sneed usually spends her holiday baking and caroling with her students. Yet this year, she’s swapped shortbread and sleigh bells for a second job to pay off her late husband’s debts. Mary Margaret would love to go tree trimming with Kevin and his son, but she won’t risk his political future with her controversial side gig. Only the town’s meddling matchmakers have determined there’s nothing a little mistletoe can’t fix . . . and if the Widows Club has their way, Mary Margaret and Kevin may just get the best Christmas gift of all this year.
Mary Margaret had lost her Christmas spirit even before two shady characters arrived on her doorstep to advise her that her deceased husband’s gambling debts were now hers to pay and they wanted the money now! A sweet small town romance featuring a mayor with dreams of higher political office, burlesque dancing, sassy widows and a cute five year old.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Always a fun time when the Widows Club gets involved. Tad is also a lot of fun. Love that little ninja. This time, they are going to help Edith’s granddaughter. Mary Margaret has been a widow for almost a year. Her husband left her with a ton of debt and she feels obligated to pay it all off. Two men show up to tell her that her husband lost $100,000 gambling online. How will she ever pay that much? She worked her way through college by dancing in burlesque shows. Could she do that again? Kevin is now a single father and he also is pursuing a career in politics. Mary Margaret would be the perfect wife for him. She is a kindergarten teacher after all. What if Kevin finds out about her secret life as a burlesque dancer? That would ruin his chances of getting any state office. She doesn’t want to be a liability, but she is in love with him. What to do?
I want to start off this review with the fact that I hate Barb! If you haven’t yet read this series you are probably confused about who Barb is when the heroine’s name is Mary Margaret. It’s just something you need to learn by reading the story.
Now that I wet your whistle lets move on to what I thought of A Very Merry Match. Those of you who follow me on the regular know how much I love small-town Christmas stories. I just love them! Heck, I’m a small-town reader girl. Love those types of books. I was so excited to read the next book in Curtis’ Sunshine Valley series. I’ve been really enjoying the series so far and wanted more. It was a plus that it also happened to be a Christmas themed story.
I so loved Mary Margaret. There is just something about her that made you think that she’d be the perfect mommy. She was so cute in her kindergarten class. You got glimpses of what could be. She was shy and fun. You wanted to be friends with her. In fact, I liked her much more than I did Kevin.
Usually, I’m more into the hero than the heroine but not this time. I took Kevin a long time and some straight talk from his parent to get a clue. By then he almost lost everything. At times you’ll find him to have tunnel vision but I think that Roxy really helped him to look and think about something else other than his future in politics.
I really felt for Mary Margaret, she has put up with a ton because of her dead husband. At the end of his life, he became very selfish and only thought about himself not about what he was leaving behind. I was shocked when Mary Margaret believes the men that showed up for money but kinda understood after all the financial shocks she has been under.
I will admit that the romance between these two is a little different than I usually like. It was a very slow burn to a wild firer. I wish the author spent a little more time with only them. But even with that, I liked their story and truly felt by the end of the book that they really did love each other.
The story is full of holiday cheer and small-town stick your nose into everyone else’s lives. You’ll really enjoy it. I would say that you should read this series in order, It just makes for a better series.
We are back in Sunshine Valley, this time during the holiday season and once again with the older ladies of the Widows Club, as well as the young widows of the town.
This story belongs to widowed kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret Sneed’s and divorced Mayor Kevin Hadley’s story.
Mary Margaret’s husband left her with debts she has been paying slowing. Thinking she’s almost clear of all the debts, a $100,000 gambling debt is presented to her by two less than stellar individuals. Desperate times require desperate actions and she secretly begins working in the Hanky Panky as a dancer. If the school board finds out, she could be fired.
Meanwhile Kevin has aspirations for higher office . But his son’s teacher, Mary Margaret , intrigues him as did “Roxy” the masked dancer at the club he recently visited.
Add to the mix a vengeful ex, a project that has divided the town , and a political future, and have an entertaining story.
I have to confess that at times it dragged and I wasn’t too impressed with Kevin’s original comments about kissing Mary Margaret.
Still, it was engaging and a reminder that our childhood does in fact affect the adult individual. Scars, whether physical or emotionally , are real.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Forever. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
I really loved the premise for this book–a kindergarten teacher making ends meet by taking a second job as a burlesque dancer falls for the local mayor with an eye for higher office. I love the slightly more risque take on a small town romance. Unfortunately, I don’t think there was quite enough focus on our protagonist’s side gig in the first half of the book, and the pace didn’t really pick up until the second half.
Pacing aside, there was a larger problem–I didn’t really want the main characters to end up together. Kevin, our leading man, seemed into mysterious dancer Roxy but then wasn’t sexually attracted enough to kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret to kiss her in the same way (and yes, he kissed both, and that’s a problem, too). But then when inevitably finds out Mary Margaret and Roxy are one and the same, he’s upset, because it would damage his career. Buddy, you can’t have it both ways! You can’t have your cake and eat it, too! Kevin was such a hypocritical character with more faults than those listed here (because I don’t want to spoil), that he really didn’t deserve Mary Margaret. And, at times, I couldn’t even tell if Mary Margaret even liked him. She seemed to have no real interest in dating him or kissing him or anything, and it was supposed to be because she wasn’t in a position to date, but really it just didn’t seem like she was that into him. It’s hard to love a romance novel where you’re not rooting for the two main characters.
This book was fine. I think it was written well, and has some interesting plot points, and a good hook, indicating this author’s other works are likely an improvement, and I may give her first in series a try, but I can’t say I’ll return to this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A Very Merry Match is fun, cute story set around the Christmas holiday that will have you laughing out loud and cringing in worry for some of the shenanigans going on. The Sunshine Valley Widows Club has set their matchmaking sights on Mary Margaret. She is a young widow, kindergarten teacher and also secretly dancing burlesque to raise money to pay off her deceased husband’s gambling debts. Mayor Kevin Hadley, a divorcee with a young son who is one of Mary Margaret’s students, has decided to run for higher office and is trying to maintain a clean reputation. Kevin thinks a relationship with “Maggie” will help his image but she is constantly putting him off and he is determined to win her over until he learns her secret. Now he must decide if love is more important than career. This is a wonderfully written story filled with laughs, angst, love and a whole cast of unique characters that will entertain until the very end of the story.
I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.
“A Very Merry Match” takes us back to Sunshine Valley and gives us more shenanigans from the Widows Club.
This time, member Edith is looking to be vice-president of the Club and wants her granddaughter, Mary Margaret to find her Christmas joy again. Edith also has her sights on a fella in the retirement home!
But Mary Margaret doesn’t have time for anything, let alone finding love, when she needs to pay her deceased husband’s debt. She takes a second job, that if the people of Sunshine Valley find out about, could cost Mary Margaret everything. She doesn’t count on her attraction to the mayor of Sunshine Valley.
Kevin Hadley has political aspirations beyond Sunshine Valley and he thinks Mary Margaret is the perfect person to help him attain them. His son already adores her, so all is left is for him to convince Mary Margaret himself.
But things get messy and Kevin has to decide if what he wants in his life is more important than who he wants.
“A Very Merry Match” has its moments of humor and fun, but it also has some heart-tugging moments, too.
The Widow’s Club in Sunshine Valley, Colorado is up to their usual shenanigans in A Very Merry Match (Sunshine Valley #2). They play a hand of poker and the winner gets to choose which widow or widower in town gets matched with a prospective spouse. Things go a bit awry this time. They weren’t trying to match Mary Margret Sneed, widowed local kindergarten teacher with recently divorced Mayor Kevin Hadley. But sometimes the Widow’s Club gets things wrong. Poor Mary Margaret lost her husband Derek to cancer. Unfortunately his last months after learning his cancer was terminal Derek racked up massive debts. Mary Margaret believed it was her obligation to pay and was doing okay until two shady guys show up and tell her Derek owned one hundred thousand dollars from online gambling. That presented a major problem for Mary Margaret. Her solution meant protecting her new love, Kevin by pushing him away. If her second job became known Kevin’s political career would be over.
This story has a fun but very bumpy road to a Happily Ever After for Mary Margaret and Kevin. I love Ms. Curtis’ writing style and really enjoyed reading this story.
The Widows Club (also known as the Sunshine Valley Matchmakers Club) is at it again. They want to make a match of two people they think would be a great pair. They are full of good intentions, but offer that leads to very humorous situations.
I adore the characters of Sunshine. They are quirky and lovable. This story includes characters of many ages, from 5 year old Tad to the mature ladies of the widows club. The two main characters are a kindergarten teacher (with a very interesting side job) and the mayor of Sunshine.
This is book two in the Sunshine Valley series (but there is a book 0.5, The Christmas Wish and a book 1.5, Sealed with a Kiss). The third book in this series, Dream a Little Dream, will be issued in February 2021. I have read the previous books and while I recommend reading the entire series, the books can be read and enjoyed independently.
There are many themes running throughout this story, accepting faults in others and loving them anyhow, friendships that hold tight in face of problems, being judged falsely but carrying on and forgiving, and family that is made up of strong friendships.
I enjoyed so much reading this clean romance book. It is really refreshing to me to read a heartwarming book at this time that the world is suffering with the Covid pandemic. It is a joy to leave the real world and visit Sunshine for a while.
I want to thank NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read the advanced reader copy. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC. #AVeryMerryMatch #Forever(Grand Central Publishing) @melcurtisauthor @melcurtisauthor
Doesn’t the cover of this book just grab your attention? So cute and fun and sooo Christmasy! This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the characters and how Mary Margaret has a rather unusual 2nd job to take care of “issues” she found herself stuck with. Her 2nd job is not considered one that a school teacher would expect to have and so she must be careful in relationships, etc. But! The local matchmakers have different ideas.
You will become engaged in the story! A great Christmas read!
I received a complimentary ebook copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.