THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE/EVER AFTER

THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE/EVER AFTER     SAMANTHA CHASE

Legend has it that any couple who spends the night in the Christmas Cottage shall have love everlasting...

THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE
Lacey Quinn does not believe in happily-ever-after or the legend of the Christmas Cottage. But her best friend does, and she’s the one getting married. It’s Lacey’s job to make sure everything at the cottage is perfect for the newlyweds. Instead, she finds herself snowed in with the best man, and she begins to wonder if fairy tales really can come true.

EVER AFTER
Ava Callahan wants desperately to believe in love everlasting. But when Brian McCabe walks back into her life and upsets her carefully organized world, her commitment to perfection makes it hard to accept the love that’s right in front of her. Will it take a night in the Christmas Cottage for Ava and Brian to find their happy ending?

What readers are saying:
“Delightful Christmas romance with a twist ending.”
“Loved the layered plot.”
“Sweet holiday romance…love, love love!”
“An enchanting tale.”
“A five star story!”
“Instant connection with the characters.”

MY REVIEW:

The Christmas Cottage

     At fourteen Lacey Quinn was madly in love with family friend, Mo let me rephrase that, her best friend’s brother Ean Callahan who was, 18.  As if that wasn’t enough but at the end of summer he would be leaving for college and then his life.  She had to make her move and tell him.  She left Ava saving goodbye to her grandparents and follow Ean to the den in the basement.  She sat on the couch next to him startling him.  He looks around for his sister and sees she is alone and asks, “What’s up?”  She just tells him how great he is and that she hopes he has a great time at school and congrats on graduation.  He tells her he was ready to move on and move out then he says what throws her for loop.  That he’ll be finished packing and leaving tomorrow for Massachusetts for the summer semester on Monday.  She figures now was the time or her chance would be gone.

     She quickly leans over and kisses him.  He quickly pushes her away jumping off the couch and telling her, “What are you doing?  Are you crazy?  Why would you do that?”  To his surprise she said, “Why, I wanted to and because I love you!”  Ean’s eyes go wide, “Love Me? Are you crazy?  You’re 14?  I’m going to college!  You’re like family, a sister!  My sister’s best friend!”  That moment her happily-ever-after shattered forever.  She ran from the basement not to see him for 12 years.  She learned never to trust her instincts where boys were concerned.  Her heart had broken she never wanted to feel that again.

     So when Ava said she need her to work with the best man on the honeymoon cottage she thought OH NO!  Not the magical cottage but yes not only that Ava had a binder.  She asks indifferently who the best man is again.  Brian?  She says no he and Brian had a falling out and that Ean was coming home for the holidays so he is the best man.  She froze.  Tunnel vision and effect of being pulled into a tunnel happens.  She thought she would faint or at least that Ava would be able to hear her heart thunder out her chest.  But when she looks at Ava nothing.

     Once she got it together she thought over a month away she would start early working on it that way by the time Ean arrived it would be done and she could give him credit no time together no problem.  She avoided him 12 and 12 more would be too soon.  She start that very Friday no knowing a storm was coming or that Ean was going to the ranch to get away from everyone work, family, and life.  When he comes face to face with his past and Lacey come face to face with her demon.

     Time, a storm and unspoken words make this cute story that is a family saga with heart, emotion, and Christmas spirit.  I give it 5 stars.

Ever After

     Ava Callahan was a dreamer on a grand scale.  Not of her own making, yet still to a degree that defied all logic.  You see there was the legend of the Christmas Cottage…

     Ava’s grandmother had passed down the family lore of the loving history of the family ranch and attached to the property, “cottage of everlasting love.”  But it was oh so embellished to the point it would keep a young girl’s imagination fed at bedtime or story time.

     Fact:  More than few or more family members were married at the ranch.  Spending their honeymoon at the cottage.  Fiction: Insuring them everlasting love… 

     Most knew as grandma would tell them that it was mostly lore but not Ava she took it all to heart.  Especially, when she got engaged to Mason before it got so far out of hand that they mutually ended it.

     Part to her deciding to end it the night before the wedding was getting an earth shattering kiss from Mason’s ex friend and ex best man from their wedding, Brian McCabe.  Brian had professed his undying love for her and telling her things about herself that Mason never even knew or acknowledged.  Like what type of flower she like and what she liked to travel.  But his kisses were enough to make her question the relationship between her and Mason because Brian’s kisses had more passion than all of Mason’s together.

     See if this friend of Mason’s, Brian is worthy of being a good enough groom for Ava.  Can their love be for real or doomed as a rebound?  One step at a time.  I give this 4 stars.

Over all this book I give it 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.

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