We Live and Breathe Books: In a Nutshell Reviews

TITLE by Sarah Morgenthaler
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on September 24, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
four-half-stars

Goodreads

Sarah Morgenthaler is back with a heart-mending contemporary romance featuring a single dad you'll fall for; a satisfying slow burn love affair; found family you'll root for; small town holiday magic; and all the quirky animals and snowy rustic scenes your heart desires.

Sienna Naples's family has taken care of their wild Idaho land for generations and Sienna can't imagine any other life. But at Christmastime, with her parents gone and her painful marriage finally over, it's full of memories...and incredibly lonely. Until a tall, handsome stranger and a little girl walk into her life and suddenly the holidays are alive again.

When single father Guy Maple shows up as the result of an ad meant to be a joke, the handsome Montana construction worker isn't joking. Money is tight this Christmas, and Guy's four-year-old daughter Emma has stage-five chronic kidney disease. She needs a kidney transplant, but if Guy can't prove that he can afford Emma's anti-rejection medications, his daughter isn't going to stay on the transplant list. Guy's willing to do anything, including marrying a stranger, to keep her safe. It's an impulsive marriage of convenience, and Sienna knows this isn't real, no matter how much she adores Emma, how well Guy fits in to the ranching life—or how much light and laughter is coming into their lives as a result. But the more time she spends with her new family, the more she fears losing the fragile, feisty little girl and the kind, devoted, hard-working, incredibly attractive man who is her husband—but is it only in name?

It was meant to be a joke to celebrate Sienna's divorce, but when single dad, Guy, answered the husband-for-hire want ad, Sienna agreed to a marriage of "purpose" given his need for health insurance for his daughter, Emma. What started as a business arrangement quickly turned into something real as Sienna fell in love with Emma and found the man who was the missing piece of her life.

First of all, make sure you have some tissues handy. Guy's daughter, Emma, was a very ill child, and there were some difficult and heart-wrenching scenes. Sienna's father was also fading from Alzheimer's, so again, be prepared. I did shed some tears, but gosh darn it! This was a very uplifting and beautiful story of love, (found) family, and hope.

Sienna was still recovering from her divorce when Guy and Emma entered her life. She had lost her business and many of her animals in the split, but she had resigned herself to moving forward alone. Guy and Emma were a welcome distraction. Emma was such a sweet little girl, and there were all these precious moments made sweeter by her. And Guy was a gem. He had been struggling as a single dad for several years. Emma's health issues were his main concern. It was sort of wonderful that Guy and Sienna found each other when they both needed some support and a shoulder to lean on.

It was beautiful watching this family take shape and seeing them all get their happy ever after was of the utmost importance to me. I spent so much time hoping, praying, and cheering them on. I will admit, it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but it was worth enduring as my heart was filled with so much warmth and joy in the end. I am ecstatic that Morgenthaler is writing again, and I cannot wait to read the next Heart of the Wilderness books.

Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on September 24, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
four-stars

Goodreads

White Christmas meets Nora Ephron in Jenny Bayliss’s latest wholehearted, ensemble-cast holiday extravaganza.

Christmas can officially get stuffed because Harriet Smith is not feeling bright and merry this year. She hasn’t for a while. So when her college-aged daughter opts for Manhattan’s winter wonderland instead of Christmas at home, Harriet finds herself seeking solace in a wine-soaked one-night stand.

But how Harriet will spend the holidays is swiftly decided for her after she takes the fall for some students who break into the town’s old Winter Theater. To get the students off the hook, the theater’s elderly owner requests that Harriet direct the washed-out stage’s final Christmas performance. And Harriet will do anything to help the kids . . . even work with the owner’s lawyer who, as it turns out, is her less than impressed one-night stand.

Directing the play with him won't exactly change her life. But it might just reignite the Christmas spirit and remind her what makes life merry and bright again.

Every year I can count of Jenny Bayliss for charming holiday tale, and this year we have Kiss Me at Christmas.

This tale began with Harriet feeling a bit down about her daughter spending the holidays with her host family. A little wine therapy and an out of character one-night stand later, Harriet found herself saving her students by confessing to trespassing in the Winter Theatre. Her penance? She must work with her one-night stand to put on a holiday show as the last production hosted in the theatre.

There was so much packed into this tale, but the heart of soul of this story, for me, was the community aspect. Harriet worked in pastoral care at a local school. She was always trying to improve life for her students, and really stuck her neck out for the Famous Five. They were the first group recruited for the theatre project, but many other groups trickled in when they were displaced from the community center. It was a lovely group of diverse individuals with varied interests and of all ages. This resulted in some beautiful cross-generational friendships were born as they worked towards their common goal of putting on the holiday show, as well as a big wonderful found family. This was all very fun and feel good, and I had a wonderful time cheering them on as they tried to make their deadline.

I really appreciated Harriet's personal journey, as well. It had just been her and her daughter for many years, and now, her child was getting ready for university. This holiday apart was a primer for when she really left the nest, and Harriet was feeling a bit untethered. I recall when my only child left home and could relate to all Harriet's inner turmoil. But it was being thrust into this situation with the theatre that had her thinking hard about her life and career, as well as her wants and needs. It was great to see someone in their 40s embarking on that second stage of their life.

With a touch of romance and a ton of heart, this story left me feeling the way I expect a holiday book to - warm and fuzzy and happy.

*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER