Can the joy of Christmas heal the pain of the past?Laura Hemmingway cut herself off from men and her family when the man she loved married her sister. She moved across the country and was doing just fine until she received a devastating call to return to New York. She had to face the death of her sister, her sister’s little girl, Maria, and Maria’s father, Stefan—the man she had once loved. She … had once loved. She figured she would pay her respects and leave as soon as possible. She never anticipated on the beautiful little girl stealing her heart. And she never expected that seeing Stefan again after twelve years would stir up old feelings.
Stefan’s life was complete. He had a successful career as an attorney, a beautiful wife, and an adorable six-year-old daughter. Although him and his wife had been married in name only for the past several years, he cared for her deeply. Then her unexpected death brought him face-to-face with his former lover, and the guilt he’d carried for years.
Stefan is still in love with Laura and wants to give her everything she deserves. He and Maria are racing against time to convince Laura to stay with them in New York.
Can a little girl’s love, and the true magic of Christmas, help Stefan convince Laura to stay and give their relationship another chance?
Content Warning: contains some sexual content
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I love Christmas romance books!
A wonderfully heart-warming story of reclaimed love and the power of family.
When Laura returns to her family after over a decade away, it’s under less than ideal circumstances with the death of her sister. She wants to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, for her, fate and her niece have other plans.
A very well written story of reclaiming a lost love.
Tragedy brings Laura back into the dysfunctional family she fled years ago. She doesn’t intend to stay, but finds herself falling in love with a young niece who needs her. Ms. Bretes conducts a cast of characters who test Laura’s resolve to be independent. They say happiness is all about attitude, but this main character is going to have to forgive people who hurt her in the past and learn to love herself as well if she’s going to find contentment. Nicely paced. A nice read for the holidays.
When Laura Hemmingway travels back to New York for her sister’s funeral, she is forced to relive old, hurtful memories. Twelve years ago, her deceased sister, Valerie, stole and married her boyfriend, and together they had a darling, little six-year-old who still needs and craves a mother’s touch. Unfortunately, Laura must also deal with an abusive aunt who raised her and Valerie as children.
Despite the sparks that still fly between the Laura and Attorney Stefan Alexander, which Laura tries to deny, she decides to help him and his daughter tackle the holidays. The little girl is supposed to give her first ballet performance without her mother’s presence. She is having coping problems, not understanding all aspects of her mother’s death.
Will Laura be able to bring back the magic of Christmas to the Alexander household and make amends with all the people who wounded her in the past? Will she decide to stay in New York or return to Washington?
This story is a lovely read, especially for the Christmas season. Laura, the heroine, is struggling with a great deal of pain and a sense of worthlessness. Her sister, who also happens to be someone who contributed to Laura’s unhappiness, passes away suddenly, and this forces Laura to face people who hurt her. She must learn to deal with her abusive aunt who raised her, and she must also come face-to-face with the man who broke her heart, Stefan — a very sexy and bold attorney.
While Stefan did hurt Laura, he doesn’t shy away from asking her to do better for her family and to do better for herself. Even though he caused her great pain, he manages to help Laura see what she needs to do in order to deal with her pain. He does all this while trying to handle a merger, and helping his adorable daughter come to grips with the death of her mother. Stefan cares a great deal about his family and about Laura. He is determined to win Laura’s heart back. His efforts are a joy to read.
This is a heart-warming story filled with love, beautiful family moments, and hot kisses. I enjoyed all the characters, especially little Maria. Sweet read.