A fake Christmas date and the dream of a lifetime!The handsome and kind, Mike Hamilton, doesn’t want to go back to his hometown, Snow Valley, to attend his sister’s wedding and spend Christmas, especially after his Boston girlfriend dumps him. So when he discovers a girl standing on a roof praying, running to the top to join her doesn’t feel that desperate. Too bad they both fall and she accuses … accuses him of trying to kill her.
Aspiring singer and songwriter, Zoey Harper, doesn’t know who this guy is — but she doesn’t need his help. So what if he actually helps her get into her storage unit, so what if he ends up giving her a ride back to her apartment, and so what if he’s … nice. When he offers to pay her to be his FAKE girlfriend for a wedding and Christmas, she immediately says no. She can’t get mixed up in other people’s problems, not after losing her husband last year in Afghanistan—she doesn’t need drama. But when she finds herself without a job, without a car, and on the brink of being able to go try out for The Voice and fulfill a life-long dream, she agrees! But ONLY kissing. And only pecks on the cheek!
There couldn’t have been any way of predicting she’d find herself making out with him to keep his ex girlfriend at bay, then be cannon balling into his hot springs and spilling all of her secrets, and who would have guessed that her favorite person would be his grumpy grandpa. She’s not sure when things started to change between she and Mike—was it the first time she kissed him or when the idiot ran up on the roof to supposedly save her life? All she knew is that they had changed.
When their lies fall apart, they are left with a choice—forget the past five days or get the Christmas miracle that could change their lives forever.
more
The Christmas Girlfriend is a well-written romance. The setting is a small, close-knit town in Montana. The well-developed main characters are great together. I liked the warmth and love that Mike’s family shared with Zoey. The plot moves at a good pace. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novella and can’t wait to get back to Snow Valley.
The Christmas Girlfriend is a clean, fun romance. The book has strong, likable, personable characters who grow during the course of the story. They learn that dreams can change. Grandpa was one of the best supporting characters. Snow Valley sounds like a wonderful place. The town is very much a part of the story. Pick this up when you have some time because you will not want to put it down!
Oh, Taylor Hart sure knows how to write fun, romantic, heart-tugging stories! And I love the way that all her books and characters somehow intersect and mingle together even through different series. I haven’t read all of her books but have read enough to recognize some cameo appearances and mentions in the plot that had me smiling….though one particular mention (won’t spoil it here) of a hero I’ve swooned over in a previous book had me pounding my chair in agony and shaking my fist at the injustice of it all. But I’ll have to read the follow up book to see what happens to this particular hero.
In this book, Mike is a sweet, somewhat awkward, tender man, devoted to his family and his photography, and his studies at Harvard Business School. Zoey is a spunky but grieving young widow who is scraping by to make ends meet but really wants to audition for The Voice. They strike up a deal – she pretends to be his girlfriend throughout his sister’s Christmas Eve wedding and celebration week and he compensates her monetarily. Only they didn’t bank on their hearts getting in the way or others being hurt in the process or their dreams shifting and changing.
Such a fun story of chasing dreams and the give and take, even of dreams, required in a solid relationship. Now I need to read all about the Kent brothers from Snow Valley!
I received a copy of the book from the author and was under no obligation to post a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
The Midnight Groom – I’m so sorry I missed The Football Groom, which was the beginning of Kat and Cam’s relationship and marriage. Even without that foundation, this story was wonderful anyway. I enjoyed the storylines very much. There was a lot of pain from both characters and their healing started with their meeting. The characters were likable, lovable and interesting. The sister was the best, but Kat and Cam were perfect in their roles.
There is humor amongst all the tragedies. Everything in this story was handled with respect and maturity, something missing in many of today’s books. This is probably now one of my top four favorite Christmas romance stories. The writing style is relaxed, yet gives a lot of information, emotions and love, while keeping the reader immersed in this lovely story. I appreciate the lack of stupidity in the story and the characters and the storylines. I could read more of this author’s work in a heartbeat.
There are sneak peeks at The Betting Groom; The Risky Groom by Carly Morgan; and The Haunted Groom by Karly Stratford. I contacted the author to review her books and she shared this one with me. A heartfelt thank you, Taylor. 5*
The Christmas Girlfriend – This is my first book by this author and I found the book OK. I like that it is a clean and romantic book. The characters ranging in their intensity, from lovable to feisty; especially Grandpa. Even though this book appears to be part of a series, the few references to the past didn’t confuse or make me wish I had read them first; this is a well written standalone.
Zoey has to handle more than most but she’s not a primadonna but a regular, intelligent person doing the best she can. Both she and her fake boyfriend learn that dreams can change into something just as good and actually was better for both to take another road. I contacted the author to review her book. 4*