Between Christmas and Romance (A Christmas Mountain Clean Romance Series, Book # 7)

Carol Bennet returned to her hometown in Christmas Mountain, Montana, bought Rudolph’s Reads Bookstore and made a new life for herself. Home is a good place to start over after years away and she can safely keep the years she spent gone a secret. Tim Burke is an insightful cowboy with ranching on his mind. He would prefer to avoid town except to visit the feed store when required. However, his grandmother, Nan, has recently had surgery, forcing him to step out of his comfort zone. First step, go the Rudolph’s Reads and pick up some books she ordered. Second step, keep returning to Carol’s store for various reasons.

All too soon, Carol is cornered by Tim’s stubborn persistence… and her own mounting interest in him. It is a tough choice whether to chase her dreams with him or hide away in the bookstore. 

Reading this book feels like watching a Hallmark Movie. This is a standalone book, part of the Christmas Mountain Series. Christmas Mountain seems like a real destination. The beginning when Carol and Tim meet is awkward, almost cheesy. Despite Tim’s self-description as “an old-fashioned cowboy”, he starts out rude and out of character. Just when things are looking like a HEA is finally coming, Carol backs out of the relationship faster than a Montana snowstorm. However, her dealings with young Mia, a teenage girl with her own mystery, are endearing. The story is told entirely in first person, from Carol’s POV.  Aside from those couple of character flaws, this is a feel-good story, so warm the cocoa, grab a blanket, and settle in for a satisfying holiday romance. 

Emerson Matthews