My Review

I really like the premise of this book. Mallory wants to take over the ranch. Her brother’s best friend, Sam (Maverick), yearns for a life of freedom in the military. How can they overcome their desire and compromise enough to make it work with each other? Not to mention the brother… Will he let his best friend and sister have a future together?

It’s kind of like a Hallmark movie, except one of the good ones. I do feel like it ended way too abruptly, though the author continued it in a second rendition, which I did not like quite as much. And the mistletoe seems like it should have played a big part in the story, but there was no mistletoe. Rather, Mallory kept playfully insinuating that they should kiss under one. But as far as short stories go, I enjoyed reading it. Although I feel like Mallory was more one-dimensional, Sam was written very well, a fleshed-out character with believable motives spurred by a horrific past.

I love that this is a clean, wholesome romance, with a cute love story and great romance scenes. The author definitely left a mystery in regards to the brother, Cash, and his mystery woman. I am interested in reading more of this author’s work.

My rating: 3 Stars

FAvorite Quote

She took her scarf from around her neck and tossed it in a loop over his. Used it to reel him in. “We can take things one day at a time.”

“I’ve only got today,” he reminded her.

“Then I guess we’d better make it count.”

Blurb

One night. Make it count.

Mallory Trudeau can manage a five hundred acre ranch. She just can’t seem to break out of the Friend Zone with Sam “Maverick” Dunlop. She knows he thinks of her as Cash’s little sister, but that’s going to change tonight.

It’s just one night. Evade and retreat.

The Cattlemen’s Christmas Ball is one in a long string of reminders that Maverick doesn’t belong in Mallory’s world. He’s got thirty-six hours to report back to his military base. He can make it that long without giving in to the forbidden attraction he feels for Mallory.

He just wasn’t counting on the mistletoe…

Amazon ~ Goodreads