Title: Candy Cane Christmas by Laura Trentham
Publisher: Swerve
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 67 pages/Novella
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
A very Cottonbloom Christmas!
Jeremy Whitehurst has tried to leave his bad-boy behavior and tarnished image behind in Alabama for a fresh start in Cottonbloom, Louisiana. Unfortunately, trouble has dogged him across state lines. Stepping up and protecting a young woman from her abusive boyfriend earned him a beat-down and got him fired. Although the thanks in the girl’s dark eyes made it all worth it, he recognizes she’s just a different kind of trouble. A trouble he’s not sure he can stay away from.
One rebellious summer dented Kayla Redmond’s carefree innocence. Now her focus is on completing her associate’s degree for bookkeeping, and no one is going to derail her plans. Unfortunately, her job at Fournette Brothers Designs puts her in the path of the one man who has seen her at her worst, yet his blue eyes don’t judge her. He sees beyond the brokenness inside of her and rouses her wild side once more. But, that’s what got her in trouble in the first place.
Christmas is coming and Kayla’s ready to forgive herself and take a chance. But the holiday has only ever brought heartache to Jeremy. No Christmas miracle kept his mother clean or out of jail. Will one reckless night and some time spent in the back of a cop car be the best present Jeremy’s ever been given?
Review:
Candy Cane Christmas by Laura Trentham is a sweet and steamy holiday romance which features two secondary characters from the Cottonbloom and Falcon Football series.
First introduced in the Falcon Football series, Jeremy Whitehurst is also featured in the Cottonbloom series as well. Trying to leave his somewhat troubled past behind, he relocated to Cottonbloom to start over and he was instrumental in saving Kayla Redmond from her abusive boyfriend. Now working for the Fournette brothers, Jeremy has come a long way from his dysfunctional childhood but he is still struggling to let go of the remainder of his insecurities.
Although she has turned her life around since first meeting Jeremy, Kayla too is having difficulty forgiving herself for past mistakes. With just a few weeks remaining before completing her degree, she is thrilled when the Fournettes hire her as their bookkeeper. She has not dated anyone since finally breaking things off with her abusive ex so she is a little surprised by her attraction to Jeremy. Will the upcoming holiday season work a little magic on these two troubled souls?
Kayla and Jeremy are wonderful characters who have both had their share of problems in the past and neither have really forgiven themselves for their mistakes. Both are a little reluctant to embark on a relationship but friendship soon gives way to romance. Jeremy is much more cautious than Kayla but it is surprisingly easy to convince him that he deserves to give their relationship a chance. Their romance is quite endearing with plenty of steam but will Jeremy’s unhappy holiday memories ruin their first Christmas together?
With less than 100 pages, Candy Cane Christmas does not have quite the character or plot development as Laura Trentham’s full length novels. However, this does not lessen the enjoyment of the overall story and it is a delightful holiday romance that fans of the Cottonbloom and Falcon Football series are sure to love.
