Description
Can Miss Christmas find her spirit again?
After a devastating betrayal, Claire Branham packs up the pieces of her life, along with a twenty-million-dollar secret, and moves to Eternity Springs. She opens a specialty shop—Forever Christmas—and, with the help of a surprise romance with the town’s sexy new handyman, Claire’s heart begins to heal. Until her past comes knocking…
Jax Lancaster never questioned the need to abandon his career as a Navy submariner in order to care for his young son in the wake of his ex-wife’s death. Desperate to help with this loss, Jax straps on a tool belt to give Nicholas the one thing he wants: A life in Eternity Springs. What Jax never expected to find a second chance at love with a fascinating woman for whom Christmas has become a business. But when the truth about Claire threatens their newfound happiness, can Jax prove to her that in Eternity Springs, the spirit of Christmas is real. . .and will last a lifetime?
After a devastating betrayal, Claire Branham packs up the pieces of her life, along with a twenty-million-dollar secret, and moves to Eternity Springs. She opens a specialty shop—Forever Christmas—and, with the help of a surprise romance with the town’s sexy new handyman, Claire’s heart begins to heal. Until her past comes knocking…
Jax Lancaster never questioned the need to abandon his career as a Navy submariner in order to care for his young son in the wake of his ex-wife’s death. Desperate to help with this loss, Jax straps on a tool belt to give Nicholas the one thing he wants: A life in Eternity Springs. What Jax never expected to find a second chance at love with a fascinating woman for whom Christmas has become a business. But when the truth about Claire threatens their newfound happiness, can Jax prove to her that in Eternity Springs, the spirit of Christmas is real. . .and will last a lifetime?
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Review:
Emily March writes some heart warming stories with her Eternity Springs series and this one was no different. I love a good Christmas story and put it with a romance is a total win.
Claire no longer believes in Christmas but she tries to change that around for her fiancé, Logan. When she decides to make a donation to the children's hospital she feels more in the holiday sprit that is until she sees her fiancé there with another woman. Yikes. Come to find out he's married but she is determined to start all over and Eternity Springs is the perfect new start she needs.
Jax has just recently got of the navy and needs to be with his son. After a terrible accident has killed his ex wife and trapped his son he's really trying to find out what the right thing for him would be. Jax never expected to meet a woman like Claire but even after months of not seeing her he still can't get her off his mind. When him and his son move to Eternity Springs he starts to believes that maybe this place is special after all.
I'm not one for reading novellas but this one really appealed to me after reading the blurb. This story was emotional and had me believing in not only HEA but the joy and love that comes along Christmas. March did an outstanding job on bringing Jax and Claire together and really giving them time to sort through things in their life before the romance got going.
While this story is kind of about Christmas I enjoyed how it starts earlier and gave me a inside look to what happened to the character during a three month period. I really teared up at certain parts but they were the good kind. The kind that you just can't help when a story is so touching and this one was. The way Claire took to Jax's son was sweet and I loved how being with them helped her move on a little from her past and trust issues. Even though both characters had no desire to have a relationship I could see that was changing but it was done at a slow pace I felt it was so realistic.
I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. If you are looking for heartfelt stories with lots of warm characters that will fill the pages you won't want to miss this read.
Claire no longer believes in Christmas but she tries to change that around for her fiancé, Logan. When she decides to make a donation to the children's hospital she feels more in the holiday sprit that is until she sees her fiancé there with another woman. Yikes. Come to find out he's married but she is determined to start all over and Eternity Springs is the perfect new start she needs.
Jax has just recently got of the navy and needs to be with his son. After a terrible accident has killed his ex wife and trapped his son he's really trying to find out what the right thing for him would be. Jax never expected to meet a woman like Claire but even after months of not seeing her he still can't get her off his mind. When him and his son move to Eternity Springs he starts to believes that maybe this place is special after all.
I'm not one for reading novellas but this one really appealed to me after reading the blurb. This story was emotional and had me believing in not only HEA but the joy and love that comes along Christmas. March did an outstanding job on bringing Jax and Claire together and really giving them time to sort through things in their life before the romance got going.
While this story is kind of about Christmas I enjoyed how it starts earlier and gave me a inside look to what happened to the character during a three month period. I really teared up at certain parts but they were the good kind. The kind that you just can't help when a story is so touching and this one was. The way Claire took to Jax's son was sweet and I loved how being with them helped her move on a little from her past and trust issues. Even though both characters had no desire to have a relationship I could see that was changing but it was done at a slow pace I felt it was so realistic.
I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series. If you are looking for heartfelt stories with lots of warm characters that will fill the pages you won't want to miss this read.
Excerpt
In
her apartment, he discovered she’d been busy since making the decision to move
to Three Bears Valley.
“That’s
a lot of boxes.”
“I
know. I’m not quite sure how I’ve accumulated so much stuff. My closets aren’t
that big. Of course, most of the boxes are filled with books.”
“That
sound is my back groaning.”
She
glanced at him in alarm. “You don’t have to help, Jax. I planned to hire some—”
He
cut off her protest by placing his index finger against her lips. Her full,
soft, cherry- red lips. His voice rough, he said, “I was teasing.”
She’d
gone still. The pulse at her neck visibly fluttered.
Jax
recognized that he’d made a mistake by touching her.
However,
now that he’d done it, he couldn’t seem to stop.
He
allowed his fi n ger to slide, stroking her bottom lip back and forth. Her
mouth fell open. Back and forth. “Do you like to be teased, Miss Christmas?”
“No.
Yes. It depends,” she replied, her voice low and breathy.
Jax
chuckled softly. “ You’re quite a tease yourself.”
“Why
do you say that?”
Had
she swayed toward him as she spoke? Maybe so.
“You
have mistletoe hung from every doorway in the building.”
“That’s
not t- t- teasing. It’s marketing.” Her gaze was locked on his mouth.
“Customers who shop with their significant others tend to love it. They linger.”
He
lifted his free hand to her waist. “I like to linger.”
“You
do?”
“Oh,
yeah.” He pulled her closer. “I’ve been thinking about lingering since last
July.”
“You
have?”
“You
ask a lot of questions, Miss Christmas.”
“I’m
curious.”
“
You’re delicious.”
“How
do you know?” she challenged. “You haven’t kissed me.”
“Now,
you have a point right there. But like I said, I like to linger.”
He
tilted her face up to him and finally . . . finally . . . lowered his mouth to
hers.
Jax
hadn’t kissed a woman in a very long time, and he wanted to savor the
experience, so he lingered as promised. He nipped and nibbled and leisurely
explored, banking the rising heat her response triggered and keeping the moment
within the bounds of a totally appropriate first kiss.
So
when it suddenly caught fi re, it caught him by surprise. He wasn’t aware of
backing her against the wall. He didn’t consciously tug the tie of her apron
and free the knot, then slip his hand beneath her blouse to skim across the
downy softness of her skin. She tasted of peppermint—
of course she does, she’s Miss Christmas—
and smelled of cinnamon and made him ache. For sex, oh, yeah, definitely for
sex, but also for something more.
For
home.
For
hearth.
For
love.
Whoa. That last was just what
he needed to shock himself out of the sensual haze into which he’d fallen. He
shifted his hands back to safer territory and broke the kiss, lifting his head
and gazing down into her upturned face.
The
vision of her lips pink and wet and swollen from his kiss proved irresistible.
He needed one more taste, so he dove in again.
The
one more taste became a second taste and then a third. Only when it threatened
to flare out of control completely was he able to release her and take a step
back. For a long minute, they gazed at one another in a bit of a daze. When Jax
finally found his voice, he said, “Wow. You pack
a
punch, Miss Christmas.”
The
slow smile that spread across her face was as sweet as a candy cane. “That’s
the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a very long time.”
“That
kiss is the nicest thing I’ve shared with anyone in a very long time,” he
responded honestly.
She
opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. A shadow crossed her face and her
teeth nibbled at that sweet lower lip. “What’s wrong?” Jax asked.
“I
just . . . well . . . this is probably the absolutely wrong thing to say. Way
too presumptive. But . . . after my last romantic disaster, I promised myself .
. . you see . . . expectations are a dangerous thing. I don’t ever want anyone
to think . . . I don’t want you to think . . .”
“Spit
it out, Claire.”
“I
like you, Jax. I really, really like you. And Nicholas, too. Like I said, I
know this is presumptive, but I’d like to spend time with you. I’d like to
share more . . .” She waved her hand about, obviously searching for a word.
“More. But I’m not in the market for a relationship, and I want to be up- front
about that.”
About the Author
Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.
A graduate of Texas A&M University, Emily is an avid fan of Aggie sports and her recipe for jalapeño relish has made her a tailgating legend.
Social Links:
Twitter: @EmilyMarchBooks
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