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.
A Funny, Sweet Christmas Read
This one had me snickering a lot.
Mary Margaret has had her bright light snuffed out years ago, and add to it, a ton of problems she is trying to fix now. She has her Grandma Edith in her corner and makes life fun, or tries to, with the help of the widow’s club, every town should have one. They get involved whether needed or not, they are there for you.
Kevin, the mayor of this small town, has his own set of problems, or just say he has an X.
There are serious notes thoughout, but the true spirit of Christmas shows up when you least expect it.
Kevin has an amazing little boy, Tad, who also helps bring Christmas to life, with his big personality.
A great read I recommend to give you the feel goods, no matter what, and with a very HEA!
Mary Margaret Sneed is a kindergarten teacher in Sunshine Valley. She lost her husband last Christmas. She’s still struggling with the enormous debt he incurred. It gets worse when two thugs show up and demand $100,000.00 for his gambling debts. Afraid and overwhelmed she decides to dance in a burlesque club, but to keep her day job she has to keep it secret. I knew this would end badly especially when Kevin Hadley, the mayor, needs a quite, respectable woman to advance his political career. He decides Mary Margaret is perfect. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Mix in the Sunshine Widows Club with the matchmaking and Grandma Edith with her husband hunting and the shenanigans will knock the world off its axis. I cheered Mary Margaret on. She’s a sweet loving woman who deserves a break. Kevin is a good guy behind his stuffed shirt personality. Doesn’t he realize how important love is? I know he’s had a rough time with his cheating ex, but when he gets self righteous I had a hard time forgiving him. Melinda Curtis has combined romance, heartbreak and humor into a wonderful story that left me smiling. A visit to Sunshine Valley will do that. There is always something special going on here.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
Mary Margaret Sneed, kindergarten teacher by day, burlesque dancer by night. Mary Margaret’s late husband ran up a great deal of debt before he died. After a visit from some dodgy characters, she must find a way to pay them back. Teaching doesn’t quite do it. Kevin Hadley is the town’s mayor whose son is in Mary Margaret’s class. The attraction is strong between them, but can she risk damaging his political aspirations with a scandal if they ever found out about her night job. Kevin also has many issues to work through as well. He has to make a decision about bringing an unpopular development project into town and also dealing with his ex wife.. As all of this is going on, Mary Margaret and Kevin must also dealing with the schemes of the Widow’s Club to bring them together.
What a great way to begin Christmas in July. I cheered for Kevin and Mary Margaret as they found resolutions to their problems and finally realized they would be a great pair. I enjoyed the story.
Mary Margaret Sneed is a kindergarten teacher. She has the patience of a saint in order to deal with the kids. It’s the adults who need to be dealt with in the same way. Her deceased husband is someone you just wouldn’t like. All the crap he put her through. You will love her Grandma Edith and the women in The Widows Club. Mayor Kevin Hadley is in a slump personally. He is divorced and has the cutest son. Politics doesn’t allow you to date just anyone if you are thinking of moving up. There is one thing that has the town split. No matter what he chooses to do, odds are against his re-election. So for once he sees Mary Margaret as a person to date/marry. Only she is leading a double life. When both sides collide, there is a big no. Sometimes your parents and grandma know best.
Curtis captures the magic of the holiday season within the pages and you can almost smell the cookies baking as you read. Kevin and Mary Margaret are slow burn, friends to lovers, perfection, though Tad steals the show. Perfect for Hallmark fans.
Mary Margaret still misses her husband even though he’s been gone a year. She didn’t know he had a huge gambling debt until the debt collectors demanded payment. She could never pay it back on her teacher’s salary, so she starts dancing again as she did in college. She had to be careful to hide her identity or else she could be fired from her teaching job.
Kevin is the mayor and looking to run for office at the state level. He has his hands full trying to get votes for a new distribution center while having issues with the way his ex is treating their 5 year old son. Kevin is also trying to figure out his feelings for a burlesque dancer, Foxy-Roxy, and also his son’s kindergarten teacher, Mary Margaret.
The Window’s Club members are hilarious. They do a lot of good in the community but are always matchmaking, too. Kevin doesn’t have to worry about his love-life. They’ll look after it.
I loved the ending of A Very Merry Match. It left me smiling.
Thank you Melinda Curtis, Forever Pub, and Netgalley for a #gifted copy of this book.
4/5 Stars
A Very Merry Match is a cute holiday story about Mary Margaret, a kindergarten teacher who starts moonlighting as a burlesque dancer after being extorted for her dead husband’s gambling debts. Small town mayor Kevin needs to find a stable girlfriend after his divorce, if he wants to advance his political career and he thinks Mary Margaret is the perfect match. Enter the Widows Club who intends to find a love interest for Mary Margaret.
This story is told from the third person POV of Mary Margaret, Kevin, and Grandma Edith and set in the very small town of Sunshine, Colorado. This is your typical conservative small town, where everyone knows everyone’s business and gossip takes flight like wildfire. This book contained many characters, but I thought that they were each unique in personality and backstory. There were some very lovable characters (Tad) and some that were down right mean girl status (Barbara), which kept things interesting and the story moving.
If you’re looking for a sweet Christmas story, this might just be the book for you!! While it was easily read as a standalone, the many of the secondary characters caught my attention and I’d love to follow up with them in upcoming books.
I really enjoyed this Christmas story about finding love and a single dad wanting to make his son happy as well. Putting yourself out there is never easy but this time it helped when the son really likes the lady his dad is wanting. Grab your copy today and get into the holiday spirit. I really enjoyed this story and the characters.
this is a funny sad story about a women who’s husband has died and left her in debt. she is working to pay off the debt but now some bad men what money and want it now. Kevin is the mayor and wants to be a senator but also like the teacher of his daughter. i was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review. well written story, there a match makers , a school teacher who also works at a club dancing and a father who like the teacher
Kevin and Mary Margaret are Christmas Grinch’s this year due to his divorce and her husband going off the rails before he died and leaving a mess for her to clean up. They are opposites in many way but also a great match even though they don’t think so, the Widows Club or should I say Grandma Edith does. This is full of laughs, heartbreak, desperate measures, hilarious elderly ladies as well as learning to free yourself to be you along with learning not everything in life is straightforward but if you want love you find away. A great addition to the series and the perfect book to get lost in for an afternoon.
Melinda Curtis always delivers a fun, fantastic read. A Very Merry Match is the perfect way to kick off your holiday reading and get in the festive spirit!
Cosy, amusing, and delightfully festive!
A Very Merry Match is a winsome, uplifting, wintery story that takes you into the lives of two main characters, Mary Margaret Sneed, a young, kindergarten teacher with a boatload of debt and some very intriguing side gigs, and the divorced, local golden boy, Kevin Hadley who is focused on raising his five-year-old son and has his sights set on political advancement.
The prose is witty and light. The characters are multilayered, endearing, and quirky. And the plot is an engaging tale of tender moments, humorous hijinks, self-discovery, friendship, family, community, happiness, love, a dab of mystery, and a little Christmas cheer!
Overall, A Very Merry Match is a quaint, charming, enjoyable, holiday read that will have you dreaming of snowflakes, hot chocolate, and some very scrumptious treats!
I have always enjoyed books by this author, this one is probably not a favorite of mine. I loved Edith she was hands down my favorite it was really hard to not laugh at her antics, you never really knew what was going to come out of her mouth or what she was going to do next. Mary Margaret was also a sweet soul who faced a ton and seemed to just need to catch a break from it all. I was not a fan of Kevin I felt like Kevin wanted a meek schoolmarm or an accessory for his arm as he started his political career instead of the love of his life, I felt like Mary Margaret deserved better. Over all it was nice to catch up with the characters in book one it was a nice read anytime you add children to a book you will never know were it can go and if you are following this series then read this book too. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A fun and heartwarming story. It’s full of characters you will love. I loved the connection. A great storyline that will keep you entertained. A warm wonderful Christmas feel.
I love every book Ms. Curtis writes. This is the second book in a series’s that makes me laugh and you will too when you read it. It totally can be read alone.
When Mary Margaret a teacher and young widow come to realize her husband left her with some outstanding debts she needs to get the money fast.
Mayor Kevin Hadley is recently divorced and loves his son; but his ex wife is a thorn in his side. But Mary Margaret is sweet and kind. She’s also his sons teacher.
Buy the book to see what happens. So much More to come. You will love it.
This is a fun, light-hearted holiday read. Mary Margaret is down on her luck. Her husband died around a year ago and left her with a mountain of debt. Kevin is the mayor of Sunshine Valley and a recently divorced father to Tad, who is a kindergartener in Mary Margaret’s class. The two have a slow burn as they muddle through all the things going on in their lives and gradually find their way together.
If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, this book is for you. It has that small-town feel with fun and quirky characters and that cozy holiday feel. This book is second in a series by Curtis but can be read as a standalone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.
Do you have a Christmas Spirit? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all have it all year long? Of course, life happens and sometimes we just can’t get that feeling as much as we would like to. Come along with Mary Margaret, Kevin, Tad, Grandma Edith and of course the ladies of The Widow Club as they keep life rather interesting in Sunshine Valley. I think you’ll enjoy this story of coming together and learning what is really special in life. The characters are great, you’ll find some you love and some probably not so much. I hope to be able to catch up with these good folks again soon. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
“A Very Merry Match” (Sunshine Valley Book 2) by Melinda Curtis is an entertaining read. I enjoyed Mary Margaret and Kevin’s story. This was a great addition to this series. This story has romance, humor, entertaining characters, small-town life, friends, twists, and more. There’s never a dull moment when the widow’s club is around. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next in Sunshine Valley. Highly recommend to all fans of romance, small-town life, friends, and series.
I can’t say that this was one of my favorite Melinda Curtis books but I still enjoyed visiting Sunshine Valley again! I enjoy the quirky characters and the way that the matchmaking widows are in everybody’s business! They are super funny and this time Edith is part of the plot at it’s her granddaughter, Mary Margaret, that’s the main character. I just didn’t feel that MM and the other main character, Kevin, were the best match. He’s a little wishy washy in my book and wasn’t the best “hero” material. I felt Mary Margaret could have done better! After all, her first husband was a total jerk. When he died, he left her with a mountain of debt (which he totally chose to do!) so even though she’s a teacher, she has to find different ways to make money to try to pay it off and it’s killing her! Kevin is a local politician looking for state politics and he thinks MM can help him get there. That’s not very romantic! However, they just don’t have chemistry in my book. But, I loved Kevin’s son, Tad. He was adorable! Kevin’s ex, Barb, however, was another story – a total witch!!!! An fairly good book to add to the series but I wasn’t really invested in it. The characters needed more chemistry.
I’m kind of torn over this book. While I think it had plenty of potential, it just wasn’t a winner for me. I did really like Mary Margaret. She came across as relatable and genuine and I could really feel for her. Kevin on the other hand, was a much different story and I simply can’t say that I was a fan and that was a huge problem for this book because I thought Mary Margaret deserved more and better than him. In general, there is actually quite a lot going on in this book. So I was honestly surprised when things got that bogged down feeling. Not all the time but definitely in a few spots. The small town charm and holiday cheer were nice elements though but not nice enough to salvage this pair’s romance for me. This is my objective, freely posted review.