2018 RITA® Award FinalistWhen Jemma Banks’ father breaks his pelvis, she only comes to Marietta to take care of him because it’s close to Christmas and he has nobody else. He abandoned her as a teenager and even though he’s desperate to make amends, she’s determined to leave with the frosty walls around her heart firmly intact.Local physical therapist EJ Corpa is good at three things: sex, … three things: sex, snowboarding, and healing. When he lays eyes on his patient’s daughter for the first time, he knows he wants to show her all three. Jemma is beautiful, stoic and guarded. But deep down, he sees a woman who’s longing for a little fun. When she agrees to help with his clinic’s tree for the Mistletoe and Marietta auction, the armor she’s so carefully constructed begins to fall away, and the magic of the holiday season takes hold.
As EJ and Jemma fall for each other, she will finally consider peace and forgiveness. And EJ will begin to see that life’s adventures are more thrilling when there’s someone to share them with.
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A holiday romance not to be missed.
Jemma Banks was in Marietta, Montana, to help her father recover from an injury. She never forgave her father for leaving her family when she was younger, but she felt a sense of duty to take care of him now.
EJ Corpa grew up in foster care and never really had a place to call home until he settled in Marietta. He befriended Joe Banks and over the years came to consider him family. When Joe’s daughter arrived to help care for Joe, EJ had no idea how he would feel towards Jemma since she never visited her father. But as soon as he met her, he felt the pull towards her. EJ knew he shouldn’t think of Jemma in any way other than just Joe’s daughter, as she would soon be leaving Marietta. But the more time EJ spent with Jemma, the harder it was for him to get her off his mind.
When Jemma heard Joe always helped EJ decorate a tree for a hospital fundraiser, but now couldn’t because of his injury, Jemma offers to take his place. Together, Jemma and EJ come up with the perfect theme for their tree and along the way they discover something they never thought would happen. They fell in love.
This magical romance will open your eyes to what is right in front of you and help you realize your past doesn’t predict who you will be in the future. And forgiveness is always important.
Christmas at the Graff is the second book in the Holiday at the Graff series. Growing up hearing her mother’s side after the divorce has tarnished the way Jemma feels about her father. When Jemma gets word her father needs help after he injures himself, she is the only one willing to go, but she refuses to change how she feels about the past. When she arrives, she has a hard time believing what others tell her about him. But she learns a lot from his physical therapist, EJ. Will she learn that every story has two sides of the truth? Will the spirit of the Christmas season soften her heart? I really enjoyed this story.
What could be better?? Marietta (my favorite fictional town), Christmas and oh yes snow!! I have been waiting it seemed like forever for the Holiday season to hit the newly remodeled Graff hotel. After reading Halloween at the Graff it seemed like Christmas would never arrive… Just like when I was a kid. If you are a Marietta reader than you might know the Joe from some of the previous books. I love that we get to meet characters in books before we get to really KNOW them later in life in their own stories. If not don’t worry our author fills in all the holes and gaps right nicely for us.
We have Joe a twice divorced man who has a bit of a medical problem. He can’t go home from the hospital unless he has someone to check in on him. His daughters have not seen him since they left with their mom in the divorce when they were younger. Angry words and even nastier things said over the years by a mom after a divorce never leads to good will later ya know. One daughter says no, one has a softer heart.
EJ and Joe have a different kind of relationship. EJ himself has a story that reads like a Charles Dickens novel. Put these two together and they are a matched set…well maybe. There are some very good parts and a few if I were the author I might have changed. BUT that is the joy of reading a book. Being able to imagine it and thinking how would I change this story in my dreams. All in all this book met my expectations and more. Now I wonder if there is New Year’s and Valentines at the Graff?
Christmas at the Graff (Holiday at the Graff Book 2) by Kaylie Newell
This is Jemma Banks and EJ Corpa’s story.
This is Jemma and EJ’s emotional story where they are dealing with anger and hurt from their childhood. The two are attracted to each other but will they be able to get through all their issues to take a chance on love? Marietta is the perfect place for Jemma and EJ to find healing and true happiness
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell
Holiday at the Graff Series #2
Jemma Banks has gone to Marietta, Montana to help her father recuperate with the assistance of physical therapist EJ Corpa. Jemma’s father Joe is hopeful that her time with him will open a door for dialogue to put the abandonment she and her sister feel behind them while providing an opportunity for a relationship between father and daughters in the future. When EJ asks Jemma to help out with a Christmas tree decorating contest the town is holding to raise money for a needy cause she agrees and comes up with an intriguing idea for the two of them to work on together. The time they spend together is fun and filled with winter and holiday events but whether or not they will have a future or win the contest is up in the air as is the question of whether or not Joe and his daughters will make up.
This was a fun small town holiday romance and I would like to thank NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
WOW, OH WOW!! Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell, book two in the Holiday at the Graff series, is amazing story that I just loved. I even stayed up late so I could finish it, which is not something I often do.
Jemma Banks arrives in Marietta, Montana to assist her estranged father during his recovery from a broken hip. Neither she nor her older sister had seen or talked to him since he walked out on her mother eleven years ago and was unsure if she was ready to forgive him. When physical therapist extraordinaire, EJ Corpa, meets Jemma he fears she will hurt his friend and father-figure, Joe Banks. These two end up spending a great deal of time together, getting to know one another as Jemma steps in for her dad helping EJ choose a theme and decorate a tree for the Mischief and Mistletoe charity auction. What these two learn is that they share a lot similar hurts and insecurities as their attraction grows toward love for one another.
I really loved enjoyed this book and had trouble putting this book down, reading this book in one day. Kaylie Newell is a great story teller able to draw her readers into her stories. I definitely recommend this book to other readers and look forward to the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.