Author: Samantha Chase
Narrator: Elizabeth Cottle
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Publication Date: December 2021
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: What better way to unwind from the stress of a family Thanksgiving, than escaping with an armload of Christmas cookies?
Hannah Christy was eager to head home and devour her treats in solitude, while doing some prep work for the promotion she was vying for. Those plans came to a screeching halt... along with the elevator.... trapping her inside with her sexy neighbor.
After being trapped with his match-making family over Thanksgiving, getting stuck in an elevator was a welcome reprieve for Gage Lawson.
If it were up to him, he would gladly stay stranded well into the new year. Especially since his neighbor has a whole treasure trove of ideas on how to pass the time. The best Christmas cookies he’s ever tasted. Delicious spiced wine. Fun getting-to-know-you games. It’s the most holiday merriment he’s had in a long while.
Somewhere in the midst of it all, Gage comes up with the perfect plan. A fake romance to help make both their family get-togethers more jolly! To his surprise, Hannah agrees to be his for the holidays. Yet with the mistletoe in full bloom, and her on his arm, Gage soon realizes their little Christmas show isn't enough. He wants her for real... and forever.
Roast the chestnuts and hang the stockings, Gage has a plan! With the help of the 55 and over residents, magical flurries, and a never-ending supply of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows, he’s determined to show Hannah that Christmas is the most wonderful time of year to fall in love.
My Thoughts: You’re probably thinking that if you have read one fake dating relationship trope, you’ve read them all. Let’s face it, this is a common plot device in many romance novels and some are definitely better than others. This is one of the better ones. Can you imagine anything worse than finally making it home after a Thanksgiving holiday with your family, you’re tired, the trip was long and the last thing you want is to make chit chat with anyone. You want to get yourself and your suitcases up to your apartment where you can shower, unpack and relax. Instead, the elevator doesn’t cooperate and you find yourself stuck inside with your very attractive and sexy neighbor. With nothing but several hours of waiting to be rescued ahead of them, Hannah opens up the cookie tin and bottle of wine and begins to get to know her neighbor, Gage.
This story was very charming. Being trapped in an elevator doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, but it gives Hannah and Gage the opportunity to get to know one another better and they learn a lot about each other’s lives and families. Hannah is skipping spending Christmas with her family because she is working hard on a presentation that will hopefully win her the promotion she has been vying for. She feels inadequate around her family because her sisters are both doctors and she works in interior design. Gage is dreading spending Christmas with his family because of their relentless matchmaking. Over a bottle of wine and several delicious Christmas cookies, he suggests that they pretend date to get his family off his back.
It becomes obvious very quickly that neither one of them can keep up the charade and the line between keeping up appearances and falling in love gets more difficult to see. I really liked Hannah and Gage and thought they had the perfect chemistry and enjoyed seeing it all unfold.
In all honesty, I didn’t have a lot of anticipation about reading this book because of the fake dating relationship trope. This is my second least favorite plot device after adultery because I feel relationships are hard work already and starting a relationship with a lie for any reason just doesn’t sit well with me. This story, however, flipped me on my head because the fake relationship was never fake and nobody was lied to as Gage falls hard for Hannah and has to figure out how to convince her that she feels the same way and Christmas is the most magical time of the year and miracles are all around them.
The author does an amazing job of giving us characters that are likable and easy to relate to. The story is well paced and despite my initial reservations, I quickly became immersed in the story, the characters and the location where Gage grew up.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this charming story would be an excellent choice for readers who crave Christmas themes during the holiday season as I do. This story will make you smile and feel all the feels. Grab those Christmas cookies and a glass of spiced wine, eggnog or cider and snuggle down in front of the fireplace with this book for several hours of Christmas cheer happiness.
Thank you to the publisher, Dreamscape Media, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.
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