Same Time, Next Christmas - Christine Rimmer (HSE #2660 - Dec 2018)

Series: Bravos of Valentine Bay (Book 3)
            Bravo Family Ties (Book 54)

They’re each other’s Christmas present.

But what about the other 364 days?

Ex-soldier Matthias Bravo likes spending the holidays hunkered down in his remote Oregon cabin. Until Sabra Bond seeks refuge from a winter storm. Now they meet every year for a no-strings Yuletide romance. But Matthias is changing the rules. This Bravo bachelor finally knows what he wants -- Sabra forever. Is she ready to commit to love not just at Christmas but every day of the year?

Terrific book with a very unusual timeline. Most romances take place over a few days to a few months, while this one spans four years. It was a lot of fun to see how both Sabra and Matthias changed over those years. It began when Matthias arrived at his cabin for his yearly holiday retreat. He loves his big, noisy family, but at that time of year, he'd prefer to be alone. Those plans are upended when he arrives at his cabin and discovers a beautiful trespasser. Sabra had been out on an impulse hike when she got caught in a storm. Miles from her car, she broke into an empty cabin to get out of the weather and dry her clothes.

I loved the first meeting between Matthias and Sabra. Matthias wasn't in the best of moods when he arrived, thanks to a small accident with a hatchet and not feeling well, so he may have over-reacted just a little bit. Sabra certainly wasn't expecting a rifle-wielding man to come bursting in the door. I was pretty impressed that she didn't freak out, especially with Matthias's surly attitude. She earned even more points from me when, noticing both his injury and his fever, she refused to leave. Instead, she stood up to him and insisted on helping him. The battle of wills was pretty funny, and I loved seeing Matthias finally give in. Once he started to feel better, Matthias's better nature came out and I enjoyed seeing him and Sabra get to know each other, well enough to be comfortable sharing their pasts. There are also some hints of sparks, but both of them have been burned in the past and have no immediate plans to enter any relationships. Yet those sparks prompt an unconventional idea - indulge themselves in a holiday fling, knowing that when they part, they won't see each other again. So fling they did, and what they had together was fantastic. And when the snow melted, that was it. Except neither really wanted to say goodbye. I loved the plan that they came up with: that if she wanted to, Sabra could return next Christmas, and they would do it again. But there would be no contact for the rest of the time.

I loved the glimpses into their lives over the next year, as neither could forget the other. But both stuck to the agreement until December 23rd came around again. I loved their joy at seeing each other again, and how they couldn't get enough of each other. One of the best things was that it wasn't all physical. I loved the way that they could be content just talking, playing with Matthias's dog, Zoya, even just being near each other while reading. Each of them realized that their feelings were changing, but neither was quite ready to do anything about it. I ached for both of them because their fears were still holding them back.

I loved the roller coaster of emotions over the years as Matthias and Sabra worked their way through their fears, hopes, and dreams. The strength of their feelings was never in question, only what they would do about them. I loved their times in the cabin as they grew closer physically and emotionally. There were some really sweet scenes of the two of them together as they shared the good and the bad of the previous years. There was also a lot of pain as first Sabra and then Matthias allow their fears to push them apart. Those scenes had me in tears as their pain leaped off the page. The glimpses of them during the non-Christmas times of the year showed how deep their feelings for each other were, and how their separations affected them. I was especially rooting for Sabra during that last year as she confronted her fears and allowed herself to build up hope for the future.

The reunion of Matthias and Sabra was everything I could have hoped for. Their joy at being together again was clear. I loved how they were able to face their pasts and see that everything that happened had been necessary for the growth of their relationship. I liked seeing them catch up on each other's lives, especially the changes in his. I adored the epilogue and seeing them with their friends and family. I had to laugh at Sabra's friend Iris and her "talk" with Matthias. I loved how easily Sabra fit in with Matthias's family and the lovely surprise at the end.

 

Almost a Bravo - Christine Rimmer (HSE #2648 - Oct 2018)

Series: Bravos of Valentine Bay (Book 2)
            Bravo Family Ties (Book 53)

She isn’t a true Bravo --

And now she’s inheriting a temporary husband!

It’s shocking enough discovering she was switched at birth. Now, to fulfill the terms of his adoptive father’s will, Aislinn Bravo must marry Jaxon Winter or he loses his beloved ranch. Living together as husband and wife for three months only deepens Aislinn’s desire for her longtime crush. But how can she dream of a future with Jax when her whole life is a lie?

Captivating and emotional story. What do you do when you discover that everything you believed about yourself is a lie? Five years earlier, Aislinn had briefly worked as a ranch hand for Martin Durand, where she developed a huge crush on the man's adoptive son, Jaxon. Now she's been called to attend the reading of Durand's will. She is shocked and horrified to be told that she was switched at birth with his daughter, meaning that she doesn't have a drop of Bravo blood in her. To top it all off, Durand made it a condition of his will that Aislinn and Jax must marry or Jax will lose his inheritance.

The opening scene in the lawyer's office sucked me into the story and grabbed me by the heart. Aislinn's disbelief and pain at hearing the story of her birth was heart-wrenching. Her meltdown was understandable and believable. Getting the news that she also had to marry Jax was one more blow. Though she claimed that her crush was long over, it was obvious that something was still there. And as much as she hated the circumstances, she still likes and respects Jax and doesn't want to be the cause of him losing the ranch. She struggled over what to do, but the outcome was really never in question. Jax is just as stunned over the will's conditions. To lose the home that has been in his family for generations is unthinkable, and he'll do whatever he must to keep it. After all, it's only for three months.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jax and Aislinn. The sparks between them were undeniable right from the start. Jax was a bit wary at the beginning, slightly suspicious that Aislinn had found a way to get to Martin and manipulate him. Those feelings didn't last long, as he got to know and like her. I loved the way that he did everything he could to make her feel welcome on the ranch. He's also a pretty straightforward man, and as his attraction to Aislinn grew he made it clear that he wanted her. Aislinn has a harder time of it. Spending time with Jax deepens her feelings for him. Giving in to the desire isn't hard, but believing in a future together is another matter. I ached for Aislinn and the panic attacks she would have each night, and for Jax, who tried to understand but was hurt by the way she pulled away. It was pretty clear that she was fighting against the feeling that she had no control over her life, but she didn't know how to fix it. When the three months are up, both Jax and Aislinn know that they are in love, but Aislinn is still fighting for identity. I loved Jax's patience with her fears and that he never gave up hope. I admit to being somewhat frustrated with her at the end, but I also could feel her pain. Her conversation with Percy and Daffy at the end finally helped her put her fears to rest. I loved seeing Aislinn and Jax come together at the end. There was a sweet little twist involving Martin, also.

I loved the importance of family. The love and care that Jax had received from Claudia and Martin made a great foundation for the love he had for Aislinn. For all the love he had for Martin, Jax was also well aware of Martin's faults, and tried hard to help Aislinn see the good side of the man. The closeness of the Bravo family is a huge part of Aislinn's identity, and the news about her birth threw her into a tailspin. She wasn't sure what the news would do to her relationship with her siblings, and that added to her stress. I loved the unquestioning support she received from all of them, especially as she tried to come to terms with her marriage. I really enjoyed seeing her sisters Haley and Harper playing devil's advocate, to get Aislinn to see the truth. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when the family finally gets in contact with Madison.