Title: First Kiss at Christmas
Series: The Off Season #5
Author: Lee Tobin McClain
Publisher: HQN
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance
At 25 years old, preschool teacher Kayla Harris is embarrassed to admit she's never been kissed.
When Tony DiNunzio and his grieving nephew show up in her classroom, she can't help being drawn to both of them. If only her insecurities-and his guilt over his sister's death-would stop standing in their way.
As Christmas approaches, can these three come together to form a family... not just for the holidays, but forever?
First Kiss at Christmas was a mixed bag for me. There were elements I enjoyed, while other issues overshadowed those joys, and almost made me give up on reading it.
I felt incredibly disjointed while I was attempting to read this book. Though tragic and obviously heartfelt, I didn’t feel that connection that I am used to feeling with characters and this left me feeling disappointed. There was something missing for me, and I can’t quite put my finger on one exact thing, but several issues do come to mind.
There are two storylines going on at once which normally isn’t an issue for me, but I feel like this was a contributing factor in the disjointed feeling, especially considering the heavy subject matter. I also didn’t feel like there was enough romance, which is something I do not normally say, but in this instance it’s true. I wanted more and felt like it was a struggle every time I picked up this book, and I actually ended up skimming about halfway through to the end because reading became unenjoyable for me by that point.
In saying that, I did like the characters and sweet little Jax was adorable! He actually ended up being the redemption in this novel for me, and was the reason I did not put it into my DNF pile, but soldiered on. I always enjoy stories that are set in small towns, so the setting was a plus for me, and I did enjoy the heartfelt moments, but I was expecting a more lighthearted read, and was left with something that read more like a women's fiction with all the drama.
Am I glad I didn’t give up? Yes. I think what it all boils down to was my mood when I picked up First Kiss at Christmas. I was really more in the mood for heartfelt and inspirational and while there were those moments it just wasn’t enough for me.
My Rating: ★★★
About the Author
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
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