Book Review: There's Something About Merry (Mistletoe Romance) by Codi Hall

There's Something About Merry is the second book in the Mistletoe Romance series by Codi Hall. While returning readers will have a better understanding of the town and its cast of characters, new comers to the series can fully enjoy the story as well. This is a contemporary second chance love story featuring a guarded single dad and a woman scared to love. Clark Griffin and Merry Winters are determined to be friends and nothing more. But they've been anonymously flirting with each other online, and with a little Christmas magic and the help of a precocious kid, these two might just get their one wish this year.

There's Something About Merry is a fun and entertaining read. Clark is a bit wary of romance, since his only serious relationship crashed and burned hard, and he has his son's welfare to consider. Merry does not trust herself, since she seems to always pick the wrong guy. A rekindled acquaintance and a twist of internet dating fate start these two on a path to something.  I liked the premise, but I have to be honest that there was way too much going on here. I loved the secondary characters and some of the really great moments, but I felt like there were just too many of them. It felt like the author had a list of great ideas, and worked hard to fit them in one book instead of saving some for later. There were great family moments, great budding friendship moments, great kid moments, awkward moments, and so on. It was all well written, but not all necessary in a single book- some could have been save for the next book in the series. I did feel like Clark and Merry were meant to be, and that the family tree farm and being a single dad along with their individual issues could have been more than enough to make this book complete without some of the additional complications that arise, no matter how well they were handled.

There's Something About Merry is an engaging and entertaining read.

Book Review: Feel the Fire (Hotshots) by Annabeth Albert

 Feel the Fire is the third book in the Hotshots series by Annabeth Albert. While characters do carry over from the previous installments of the series, this can be fully enjoyed as a stand alone. 

Fire behavior specialist Luis Riviera goes where his job takes him. But when he’s assigned to an arson investigation in Central Oregon—the place he left his broken heart twenty years ago—he’s afraid of being burned all over again. Tucker Ryland had planned to join his first love, Luis, in LA after high school graduation, but life got in the way. Now a fire management expert and a divorced father of teen twins, Tucker’s thrown for a loop when he finds himself working side by side with his Luis, now all grown up and more intriguing than ever. Though consumed by a grueling fire season and family responsibilities, the two men discover their bond has never truly broken. Tentative kisses turn to passionate nights. But smoking sheets aside, old hurts and new truths stand in the way of this time being the start of forever.

Feel the Fire is a solid addition to this series, even as it can stand up on its own. I am not usually a fan of second chance romance, but here it really worked for me, and to be honest I think I will read everything in this series regardless of trope. I liked both Luis and Tucker, they are both smart and try to think about others before themselves. Both have grown up since their high school days and lived different lives. I liked that the connection was still there, but that they had real conversations and cared enough to get to know each other again rather than trying to ignore their feelings and attraction. I really liked the community and how important family and real communication was to the story, particularly in some hard conversations about choices and the future. I also liked that Albert did not wrap everything up in a neat little bow, because life rarely works like that. While the relationships were solid at the end, there are still tough spots, decisions, and more that will come about in the future- and that is not ignored here. I really want to see Tucker's boys find their way, and so many of the secondary characters from this series to be honest. I look forward to reading whatever comes next.

Feel the Fire is what I did not know I wanted for this series. Another must read for fans, and a great read even for newcomers to the author.