Okay, I loved this. I bought it on a whim and read it in 24 hours, some of the best hours of my reading life this year.
I just loved these characters, loved the Cornish town, loved that the Christmas theme wasn't sappy or overdone. I sunk into this story so hard and didn't want to let go.
Let's start with the heroine, Alex. She was awesome. I loved that she stood up for herself but was also confused at times. She wasn't afraid to go after her future and treat herself with respect. Also, I loved watching her character transform from someone who was shy and awkward to someone who was accepted by the town for her work and personality. This is not your typical chick lit heroine. Alex is a bit of a tomboy but not afraid to stand up to men...most men.
Second, Scarlett Bailey added a lot of twists to this story. I will say that very rarely and with the exception of some minor plot elements I didn't know where it was going to go. She threw a lot of curveballs at you in a way that kept you engaged. Plenty of it I did not see coming.
Third, I really like Ruan, the male lead. About the only thing I didn't like about him was his hair...down to his stomach. Not my thing really, not at all. Overall, though, I think he was a really good guy and given enough complexity and heartache and conflicting feelings that I felt like he was well-developed. I was cheering for him and Alex from the beginning.
Last (though I'm sure I'll think of more), there is a surprise (well I thought it was) queer twist to this story that was handled so beautifully. I loved that the character in question was treated with respect and like any other person. Bravo to Bailey for that.
About the only thing I didn't like about this novel was that sometimes I felt like the build between Ruan and Alex was a bit too fast. I mean really, she had only been there less than two weeks before Ruan started to put the moves on her. I mean, really? I would have expected more time, especially since Alex was not really used to being in relationships.
However, that is not enough to knock it down from a solid five star rating. I am putting this book on my shelf and intend to read it next year along with the other Scarlett Bailey books.
Merry Christmas (or "Happy Christmas" as they say in this book) to all. ( )