A raging winter storm and a holiday spent pet-sitting reveals there’s more than one kind of animal in the house … CEO’s sexy great-nephew—and heir—whose motives are as shady as his desire is crystal clear …
Praise for Donna Kauffman and her novels
“Kauffman’s stories show that the bravery to reach for a connection is all we need to discover joy; she excels at expressing the struggles and joys of giving in to love.”
—Publishers Weekly on Sandpiper Island
“We all know where there’s Donna Kauffman, there’s a rollicking, sexy read chock-full of charm and sparkle. Kauffman’s characters are adorably human and so very magnetic.”
—USAToday.com
“Kauffman pens a touching romance . . . a quirky community and secondary characters with enough personality to make readers want to come back. A light romance with a touch of heat, a pinch of intensity and a dash of mysterious small-town magic.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Pelican Point
“Sassy, witty, and sexy.”
—Library Journal on Snowflake Bay
“Charming characters, emotion galore, a small town—you’re going to love Donna Kauffman!”
—Lori Foster
Previously published in TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
In need of a little pick me up with a holiday theme? This novella may be just what you need to read!
Emma Lafferty meets Trevor Hamilton amidst a blizzard. With no power and zero visibility, they make the best of their situation while watching the lovable pets of Trevor’s billionaire uncle.
Emma has opened a pet care business and she couldn’t down this job even with it being over the holidays. Trevor knows his uncle is away for the holidays and sneaks into his house to try to uncover a family secret not knowing that a pet sitter has been hired.
I really liked these characters. The novella-length suits this situation as readers get to know the characters as they get to know each other. I loved the pets, especially the parrot but the dogs were great too. The best thing for me was that Emma was a strong, independent woman. She asked questions and expected answers. Even with her attraction to Trevor, she was never a damsel in distress.
The setting was ideal. A huge mansion with plenty of rooms to get lost in. While the snowstorm made it hard for the dogs to do their business I bet it was beautiful. Losing power was handled with fireplaces and candles which plays right into the romantic theme.
I was intrigued by the important family mystery Trevor was trying to reveal. Mysteries are just my thing. While Trevor’s sleuthing brought some funny moments to the story I was a little disappointed with the way his investigation wrapped up.
This is my first experience with this author and it definitely won’t be my last.
Unleashed is a fast-paced romantic romp. Heartwarming and entertaining. A great romance to escape into on a wintry afternoon.
In this wonderful romantic short we are introduced to Emma, who was hired to watch the pets of a billionaire business man. Emma changed her life around eight months ago and went from a steady job at Hamilton industries to starting her own pet sitting business. She is looking forward to this new job, hoping it will open doors to working with other wealthy pet owners. While exploring the large house and animals that she will be looking after for the next twelve days she runs into what she thinks is an intruder but ends up being the nephew of the wealthy owner. She isn’t sure what to make of Trevor and wonders what brings him to his Uncles home while he is away. With a storm raging outside the two are thrown together whether they like it or not. Follow along as they circle each other in an age old ritual, will they each find what they are looking for or will they let love pass them by.
Good story, but for me they jumped into “romance” too soon. But overall the story was really good, I think most of us would love to be able to work with animals for our job. When a stranger intrudes on your “job” and then the power goes out, well all sorts of things will happen. Get cozy, get comfortable and enjoy.
I enjoyed reading Trevor and Emma’s story in Unleashed by Donna Kauffman, book one in her Hamilton Christmas series. This holiday love at first sight romance features Emma Lafferty and Trevor Hamilton. Emma is pet-sitting at the Hamilton House, for Trevor’s uncle, and expected the mansion to be empty. The trip getting there was difficult given the winter weather. However, once she arrives, she is surprised to find another person in the house when she was supposed to be alone. Trevor came to the mansion while his uncle was away so he could search for a family secret, knowing he will find the answers somewhere in the house; he just wasn’t expecting the pet-sitter to already be there. Thanks to a full-on blizzard outside, they are forced to stay together in the house while searching for that family secret. One thing leads to another and sparks are flying between Trevor and Emma; leading to them having a very good time.
Ms. Kauffman wrote a wonderful and moving story filled with sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, banter and endearing characters that is not to be missed. I highly recommend this book to other.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Unleashed (A Hamilton Christmas Novella) by Donna Kauffman This is a short and cute love at first sight story. Emma Lafferty (hired to “pet sit” for a wealthy CEO) Trevor Hamilton (CEO’s great nephew and air) They are both snowed in over the holidays and the sparks fly. What is Trevor looking for and can Emma believe he could really care for her. Add in two sweet dogs and a silly parrot and a little mystery and you get to your HEA. Thanks Donna for this cute story.
Another great novella by Donna Kauffman! I enjoyed reading this book. If your looking for a short to get you in the mood for Christmas…this is it!
Emma Lafferty is pet sitting/house sitting for billionaire, Lionel Hamilton while he is away during the Christmas holiday season. After a nerve wracking drive through an ice storm, she finally arrives at the Hamilton mansion. She takes care of her pet charges and starts to explore the mansion when she encounters Hamilton’s great nephew, Trevor, who has “visited” his uncle’s home in search of information.
The storm increases in intensity and Trevor, who had planned to find the information he was seeking and leave, is stranded with Emma. Suffice it to say they are attracted to each other.
I enjoyed this lighthearted Christmas story and I recommend it to anyone who likes a sweet romance with a little bit of mystery.
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A fun short read that is the perfect read this holiday season. Emma has been hired to pet sit for a billionaire businessman during the holiday season. Looking for a quite time until she meets Trevor, the nephew of her client. Trevor has arrived to do some exploring on his own, not expecting Emma to be there. Soon a blizzard develops, so both are stranded there and a connection develops between the two.
This is a reprint, first published as part of the To All a Good night anthology. This is the first book in the Hamilton collection. A fun holiday read that I recommend during this busy holiday season.
Unleashed By Donna Kauffman is my favorite type of story. Not because it’s put out as a Christmas story or a contemporary romance, but because the characters just have such a strong connection almost from the start.
That said, Emma and Trevor weren’t obnoxious or sappy about their attraction to each other. Trevor knew there was something special about Emma from the start and he wasted no time acting on his attraction to her. Kauffman was smart enough to give Emma a backbone. She didn’t fall at Trevor’s feet–far from it. She questioned him and demanded his honesty. Their growing respect for each other added to the sexual encounters and made this a totally swoon worthy read for me.
If you enjoy this novella, you should try Kauffman’s Halfmoon Harbor. It hit me the same way–directly in the heart. I loved them both!
I received an ARC for an honest review.
A great holiday story about Emma and Trevor. Emma is a hired pet sitter for Trevor’s wealthy uncle. She needs to go to his mountain getaway in the midst of some bad weather. Trevor shows up with a mission in mind to settle a family mystery he feels so strongly about. Well, love gets in the way and becomes way more important for him. In seeking his past, he found his future!
A very quick wintery romance. Basically a love at first sight love story so the relationship between Trevor and Emma was super intense super fast. Which I didn’t mind at all. Sexy, sweet and romantic banter between the two with an HEA so I am very satisfied. The only thing I want to know is the family secret that Trevor was searching for. In the end it was no longer important to him but I still wanted to know. So as to a cliffhanger, that is the only one for those who would like all their romances wrapped up in one book. However there are two more books in this Hamilton series which I think will reveal the secret with two new couples which I want to read, Lock, Stock, & Jingle Bells and Naughty But Nice. All Christmasy/winter themed romances perfect for reading in front of a warm fire.
This was a cute Christmas story. The story was fast moving and an easy read, but there wasn’t a lot of depth. I was disappointed that Trevor, after spending years searching for answers about his ancestry, just dropped the whole idea so quickly. The story between Trevor and Emma, though, was a fun romance. I read this book knowing its part of a trilogy with a bit of mystery, so I was intrigued by the set-up in the epilogue. I look forward to the next book.
Emma Lafferty is a pet sitter and she is hired to watch the pets of the billionaire Lionel Hamilton while he is out of the country over the Christmas holidays. Emma finally makes it to Lionel’s mansion after driving through an ice storm in the dark! Emma gets into the house, feeds and walks the dogs and then feeds the parrot. Just as she is about to go wandering around the dark house, a very deep male voice catches her off guard. Turns out the voice belongs to Trevor Hamilton, Lionel’s great-nephew—and heir. She wasn’t told anyone would be there and she suddenly gets very suspicious.
Trevor does have a reason to be there sneaking around. He needs to find out answers from his past. When it is obvious that Trevor can’t leave because of the storm, him and Emma call a some what truce. It doesn’t help that they are both wildly attracted to the other.
It takes a great leap of faith, and a little holiday magic for these two to come together. This was a fun, flirty Christmas novella that was fun to read!
This novella is an excellent example of why I like to read Donna Kauffman. I rarely give novellas 5 stars because they rarely feel like full stories to me, but this one did deliver the character development that I love while telling the story of two strangers who get snowed in together.
I loved Emma so much. She knows exactly who she is. She is full of integrity and self-effacing humor. She is not afraid to work hard or to trust her gut. I want to be her best friend and be an imperfect human with her.
Trevor hasn’t quite locked down who he is yet. He has some questions that need to be answered before he gets everything settled in his mind. He is completely blindsided by Emma. However, he allows her insights to help him find his way forward. That helps the reader feel that, even though this happens really quickly, these two are going to be an excellent couple.
I also loved the humor in this novella. Humor is one of the biggest reasons I read DK’s books, and Emma and Trevor both cracked me up. I highlighted so many lines that made me laugh.
I definitely recommend this one if you are looking for a short holiday read with humor and depth.
This was a sweet and funny story with a bit of heat to warm up the winter chill. Emma has been hired to watch over the pets and house of billionaire Lionel Hamilton. It’s just the boost her fledgling pet sitter business needs. She walked away from her perfectly good, but extremely boring accounting job, but it’s a slow process to build up her clientele. I enjoyed Emma’s running commentary to herself as she drove through the ice storm, then once she arrived at the house. I loved her happiness at being with the animals. The dogs were adorable and the parrot was a hoot! But Emma got quite a shock when she discovered that she wasn’t alone in the house.
Trevor got quite a shock too. He knew his uncle and the staff were gone but didn’t know that there was going to be someone staying at the house. He had hoped to have the place to himself to find what he was looking for and get out, with no one the wiser.
The development of the relationship between Emma and Trevor is very fast. There were sparks between them from the moment they met, but there was also a real connection. It was fun to see Trevor try to talk his way around why he was there, and Emma not fall for it. There were some pretty funny scenes as he tried, and I loved the moment in the library as he finally realized he’d have to come clean. I felt for him as he explained it all to her, and loved the way that she understood how important it was to him. The attraction between them also grows quickly, and it doesn’t take long for them to stoke their own flames. Trevor is fascinated and enthralled by Emma, who isn’t the least bit impressed by or interested in his bottom line, something he isn’t used to. Emma has a little trouble believing that rich and sexy Trevor is interested in more than just a quick fling, but is eventually convinced.
My only disappointment is that the answers Trevor was looking for were left hanging. I did get the feeling that they will come up again in the next book, so I will definitely be on the lookout for it.
Unleashed is a funny and loving holiday story with a bit of mystery thrown in! This is a re-release of a novella by Donna Kauffman but as I re-read my holiday stories many times throughout the year(s), I had much fun revisiting Emma and Trevor.
Emma has a newly formed pet-sitting company and she is hired by a rich CEO to watch his dogs over the holidays, while he (the CEO) is out of town. Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Hamilton’s great-nephew has also shown up at the mansion…not knowing that Emma will be house and pet sitting while his uncle is out of town. That’s a bare bones set up of the story; I don’t want to give away any details. Know that Emma takes her job seriously – she and the pets are hilarious! Trevor has a “mission” but oh boy, is he ever falling for Emma, even while trying to keep her in the dark about why he is really at his uncle’s home.
These two are adorable together. Emma’s bible/list, from Mr. Hamilton, will make you roll your eyes one minute and laugh the next. I can just picture someone handing me one of these lists… This is the first story of three, is a standalone, and although this story “ends”, an overall theme carries on to the next book. It was fun and a wee bit different for a holiday read. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
A cute and very entertaining romantic novella about a zany pet sitting woman and a surprise guest who spend a winter ice storm snuggled up in a wealthy man’s mansion taking care of two dogs and learning about each other. It’s a tale sure to wag your tail! I read a complimentary copy of this book provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
Unleashed was a good short read. A strangers to lovers, insta love story between Emma and Trevor that actually had some depth at times. Good for an afternoon read that is good but isn’t just fluff.
Donna Kauffman is a new author and what better place to start than with her new Hamilton Christmas Novella Trilogy after finishing this quick read I have to ask why she hasn’t crossed my radar before now and make no mistake I will be reading the other two books in this series plus I will be looking at other books by her.
Pet sitter Emma Laffererty is expecting a quiet Christmas looking after a billionaire CEO’s pets which consist of two dogs and a very talkative parrot what she didn’t expected was to get snowed in at the mansion with not only the pets but with Trevor Hamilton the sexy great nephew……..
The temperature may be dropping outside but inside the temperature is soaring with an instant attraction for each other and nothing but roaring fires to keep themselves occupied the setting is set for a perfect romantic holiday interlude……
Christmas is my favourite time of year and I love Christmas romances and this one did not disappoint and I’m looking forward to reading the other books in the trilogy.
In Unleashed by Donna Kauffman, Emma is hired as Lionel’s live in pet/house sitter 2 weeks while he’s out of the country and his staff is given a holiday. She arrives in the middle of an ice storm and after taking care of the immediate needs of the animals decides to go exploring in the massive mansion. She gets totally turned around and while trying to figure her way around she bumps into Trevor, Lionel’s nephew. The ice storm is too much for the power and everything goes dark. By the next morning Emma knows why Trevor is there and they both realize that they want to be together forever.
A lovely story about falling in love and accepting ones family no matter what.