Who needs mistletoe?Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy … that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .
Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.
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Jill Shalvis always gives you a page turning book filled with humor, angst, wonderful characters including a hot hero, and Hot Winer Nights is no exception. Pick up your copy today!
I love Jill Shalvis and this book was so wonderful. I read with a smile on my face the entire time.
Anything by Jill is always a winner, and this one was steamy, romantic, and so fun to read!
Another amazing read from one of my favorite authors!
This book was everything!! Sexy, emotional, heartwarming and entertaining!
Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis is finally here, and it is, in true Jill Shalvis form, an amazing read! If you’re looking for a book to cuddle up next to the fire to, and get ready for the fall and winter weather, HOT WINTER NIGHTS is calling your name!
I knew there would be sparks…
I live with three males and at times I think my life is TOUGH!! Poor Molly, her whole office is male and what I thought was tough is nothing compared to what she puts up with. My guys are hubby, teen and pre-teen, while Molly’s are MEN of the Alpha, Badass, Scary, Fit and Bossy variety. Now, I’m thinking, I love my boys, but geez, I wouldn’t mind swapping for a couple of hours. Only a couple of hours mind you. That much testosterone, sweat, and gross boy stuff could get OLD…and disgusting, but boy would they LOOK good.
I loved Hot Winter Nights, and Jill Shalvis has again left me with a big goofy grin at the end. I knew a little about Molly and Lucas before I started but I enjoyed getting to know them better. These two have dealt with heartbreak and loss, injuries and challenges that left them a little wary of looking for love. Molly keeps everyone at arm’s length to avoid being disappointed and Lucas has shut down his heart to protect what’s left. Neither wants what is happening between them, but they can’t deny there are sizzle and sparks.
Molly walks with a limp after a serious accident when she was 14. She suffers from extreme pain that is exacerbated in the cold. But, Molly is a determined lady and refuses to be seen as weak or looked on with pity. Her brother and close friends try to protect her, but that protection makes her feel useless and undervalued. Even in her job, she knows that Archer, her boss, is hesitant to let her take risks. Molly just wants to show everyone she’s capable of more than what they think and prove that she’s smart and fit enough to work in their world and be an investigator.
Lucas is recovering from a gunshot wound and not allowed to head back to active duty until he’s fully recovered. He’s bored and will do anything to get back to work. After making the mistake of mixing alcohol and pain meds, Lucas wakes up next to a brunette. That particular brunette is on a mission to help a few Christmas Elves catch Bad Santa. Thanks to Archer and Joe (Molly’s over-protective brother), Lucas is tasked with keeping an eye on Molly as she delves deeper. This should be fairly easy…he just has to keep his hands to himself if he wants to stay alive.
The pacing was excellent in this one. I wasn’t getting impatient waiting for things to happen. There were intense scenes that were nicely balanced with some extremely funny ones. The connection between Lucas and Molly was easy to see and I was convinced that they were perfect for each other. I loved that Lucas understood Molly’s insecurities, and though he got frustrated at times, he never gave up. Completely oblivious as to why, Molly always managed to know when Lucas was suffering or needed a helping hand. They were together before they were even together. The sexy times were HOT but didn’t overtake the storyline.
Hot Winter Nights was an excellent instalment to the Heartbreaker Bay series. I LOVE all the people we meet in this one, especially Lucas’s loving big family. I know I say this with every new instalment, but I think this was THE ONE!! The best one, funniest one, sexiest one…since the last one.
Oh my lordy, that snippet at the end, I have never fallen so hard for a hero in such a short time. If you read that snippet and don’t think Caleb Parker is THE BEST, I’ll be very surprised.
So. Much. Fun!
4.5 Stars!
Molly Malone lives in San Francisco, and is the office manager at Hunt Investigations where she works with her older brother Joe. She’s the lone woman at the elite security firm. She’s spent the last two years behind the front desk, and craved more. She wanted her own case load, and to be challenged and out in the field.
Lucas Knight works as a security specialist for Hunt Investigations. He loved his job, but since he’s been recovering from a gunshot wound, he’s been bored to tears waiting for the doctor to clear him to return to work. He goes to the pub with his friends one evening and makes the mistake of mixing alcohol with his pain meds. He wakes up the next morning hung over, and not alone. The previous night is a blur, and he automatically assumes the worst. He couldn’t deny he’d fantasized about the beautiful woman in his bed a time or two, but it was his little secret since he liked breathing, and was best friends with Molly’s brother. He’d long ago learned to ignore the undercurrent of electricity between them. He didn’t mix business with pleasure, and knew the sexy brunette who kept them all on their toes was off limits.
Molly is enjoying teasing and messing with Lucas. She figures what will it hurt to poke the bear a little longer. She’s having fun seeing this alpha male guy who nothing ever gets to freak out. She keeps up the ruse until they become partners on a bad Santa case. As they work together they become closer, and their attraction is harder to ignore. Soon their physical chemistry can’t be denied, and they are both feeling too much. It’s been a long time since Molly has allowed herself to trust a guy, and have a man respect her abilities, and have her back. Lucas never got attached, but Molly was different. He suddenly wants to take a chance and put himself out there.
I loved this story, and this entire series is fantastic! This one is about two co-workers who fall in love while working a case together. It’s also a brother’s best friend romance which is one of my favorites! Lucas is a Brazilian hottie bad ass, and Molly is a strong, confident, feisty woman who knows her worth. I loved both these characters. It’s another amazing book in the Heartbreaker Bay series!
I adored this book – one of my faves by Jill Shalvis!
Fun, holiday festive, and sexy with a Shalvis trademark yum hero. What’s not to love?
I am such a huge Jill Shalvis fan! This book is amazing! You can always count on Jill to deliver a sexy story with an extra sexy hero. 😉
Jill Shalvis is always a one-click for me. Fans of her humor won’t be disappointed by this one! 🙂
Has there ever been a Heartbreaker Bay novel that I haven’t loved??? NOPE!!! I love this small Bay Area town, with its eclectic inhabitants and their interesting lives. And of course Eddie who lives in the Alley.
If you want a small town, romantic comedy series, grab Jill Shalvis’ HBB novels! Each character has their own story but each one blends with the others so you get enough individualism but at the same time, they’re all tied together with characters appearing in other stories.
Another HBB fave!!!
Molly and Lucas were two broken people that had given up on love. Lucas is a P.I. and Molly wants to be one instead of sitting at the front desk. The two go on a caper that only Jill Shalvis can write. I love a good caper so I really enjoyed sharing this one. This book is a keeper!
Another fun addition to the Heartbreaker Bay series. Lucas was recovering from a gunshot wound that happened during a previous case. Forbidden from working, Lucas was going stir-crazy from boredom, which led him to make a stupid decision. He had just taken a pain pill when he was invited to join his friends and coworkers at the local pub. Even though he knew better, Lucas added alcohol on top of that pain pill. The next morning he woke up in bed with a woman and no idea how he got there, or what may have happened. To make matters worse, the woman in question is Molly, the company’s office manager and his best friend’s little sister.
I loved that morning after scene. I laughed out loud at Lucas’s panic when he couldn’t remember what happened, and his sheer terror when he realized it was Molly in his bed. He’s been attracted to her from the beginning but a) she’s a coworker, and b) she’s Joe’s little sister, and he likes all his body parts where they belong. While he was desperately trying to remember the events of the night before, Molly enjoyed having him at a disadvantage. She knew very well that nothing happened, other than she got him safely to his apartment, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. I loved seeing her jerk his chain about his “performance” and inability to remember. Molly had a huge crush on Lucas, and she figured that was as close as she would get to fulfilling her fantasies.
Life for Molly and Lucas was about to get more complicated. Molly liked working for Hunt Investigations, but she wanted more. Her dream was to become a full investigator, but her overprotective big brother and her boss kept putting her off. When Molly’s elderly neighbor, who worked as an elf at a local Christmas village, came to her with a complaint about how “bad Santa” was cheating his “elves,” and Archer refused to take the case, Molly decided to investigate on her own. Archer and Joe, who know Molly well enough to suspect that’s what she’d do, then tag Lucas with keeping an eye on her. But, of course, she can’t know that’s what he’s doing or she’d find a way to ditch him.
I loved the development of Lucas and Molly’s relationship. Though there is no question about the attraction between them, both have carefully built up walls around their hearts. Though Lucas has a large family that he loves dearly, he has suffered some losses that cause him to keep some emotional distance between him and everyone else. Molly’s past has left her with physical and emotional scars that make it hard for her to trust. It also made her strong, independent, and determined. I loved seeing the two of them together. They have known each other long enough that they were good at teasing, and their growing attraction bumped that teasing up to flirting. They were also surprisingly well tuned to each other, and I loved how they could see when the other was hurting. Both were private people and didn’t share their pasts with others, but found it very easy to talk to one another. One of the things I loved about Lucas was that he was protective, but it also didn’t take him long to see that Molly was much more capable than anyone gave her credit for. The effect that his confidence and support had on her was fantastic. Though both realized the depth of their feelings for each other, when the truth about Lucas’s assistance came out, it gave Molly a reason to run. The scene in the hospital was heart-wrenching with Molly’s feelings of betrayal, but also heartwarming with the way the others were there to support them both. I both laughed and ached for Lucas because he got such a hard time from the others, but he felt so terrible about what happened. I loved the ending and seeing them both admit their vulnerabilities, and that being together lays those fears to rest. The epilogue was fantastic. I loved that knock on the door!
The suspense portion of the story was good. The elderly “elves” were a riot. I loved their persistence and their belief that Molly would make everything right. Lucas’s skepticism at the beginning was obvious, but once he realized that there really was something fishy going on, he was all in. I adored how Molly blew Lucas away with her abilities, including her kickass martial arts. Lucas completely won me over when he supported Molly rather than taking over the case. The resolution was more intense than I expected and Molly was amazing.
As always in a Jill Shalvis book, I loved the close relationships among the various characters. Lucas’s family was great. There was clearly a lot of love flying around. I really enjoyed Lucas’s mom’s effective use of guilt on him and the way they all embraced Molly. Molly’s family was so different, with just her, Joe, and their dad. The scenes with their dad were great, funny and emotional at the same time. The friendships and support among the friends were great. It’s clear that the Hunt’s team bonds go deeper than just their work, there are great friendships there too. The guys are very good at ragging on each other, but they come running when needed also. I liked the closeness of the ladies, too. That was especially apparent during the hospital scene at the end. I loved how they came down hard on Lucas, even getting the nurse involved. I laughed out loud at Lucas’s big moment at the office, as he had all the guys to witness it, with one of them using video chat to include the women.
Love this world and these characters Jill Shalvis created!
Over the top fun characters keep you engaged!
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Give it a 4+. Enjoyable read. A plus minus situation with the Bad Santa case. Loved the ladies and especially their reactions to Lucas but the believability is a bit far fetched and what happens to Santa (not saying) is a bad note. Glad Lucas and Molly got their HEA!
Grab a cup of coffee and curl up in a chair, before you read this book. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down.