Series: Standalone
Audience: +18
Genre: Chic Lit, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Canelo
Release Date: 07 Nov 2016
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Lucie Quigley hates Christmas. It’s the time of year when everything goes wrong in her life. So this year, when she’s asked to be a bridesmaid at her friend Petra’s Manhattan wedding, she jumps at the invitation to escape the festivities.
Dale Treharne has been best friends with Lucie for as long as he can remember. He’s used to looking out for his oldest friend and when she asks him to be her plus one, he can’t seem to find a reason to refuse. Instead, he sees it as a way to help Lucie get through what is, for her, the most miserable time of the year.
In New York, as the snow starts to fall, Lucie and Dale start to realise that their feelings run deeper than just friendship. But can they overcome their pasts, and make it a very merry Manhattan Christmas?
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of this review in any way.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I picked it up on a whim, because I was in the mood for some winter/Christmas themed books, and I am so glad I did!
Lucie is such a great heroine. She's not necessarily the female version of Grinch, like I first thought, her reasons for not enjoying the festive aspects of December are pretty understandable once you get to learn more about her backstory. It's pretty sad, actually, so I was very glad to see her accept that part of her life, come to terms with everything that happened and move on, in a way. I also liked that she accepted the fact that she shouldn't stick her nose where it didn't belong. I liked that about her, because even though her intentions might have been good, it still wasn't something she should have done.
Dale isn't the type of male character that makes me fall head over heels for. I liked him, because he seemed like a solid friend, a good partner, but in some way, I wanted him to be more assertive. I feel like he played the role that he thought Lucie needed him to play, completely disregarding what he wanted and what he needed. That said, I like how at times he found it in himself to tell Lucie some brutal truths, some things she needed to hear. So he had his moments, I just wish he had more moments like that.
I was a bit confused about something that happened with Lucie and Dale a few years prior, because I felt like it wasn't explored or explained as much as I would have wanted, but other than that, this was a really cute story about best friends and healing from past hurts. I thought it was the perfect read for this winter season.
