Friday, November 27, 2015

#CountdownToChristmas--My Kind of Christmas (Virgin River #20) by Robyn Carr


Squeezing in one more review today. I didn't wanna skip a Christmas Countdown for this week but might have maybe over booked with review requests this month. So a second for Friday. This was one of my book club reads this year and oh it was fun. Don't let the #20 in the series scare ya. It works fine as a stand alone.

So. My Kind of Christmas. I love Christmas in Virgin River! As the book says.. the town is only little on the outside. Inside though, they're brimming with spirit, love, and heart. And Carr does an amazing job at showing just that. The families. The friends. The community that comes together. They don't have a lot financially but they make up for it by being there for one another no matter what. Add Christmas into the mix and it's truly magical.


The quick of it is that Angie and Patrick have both been through incredibly traumatic experiences and they need time away from their regular lives to figure out what they're going to do with their futures. With family in the area and access to remote cabins where they can unwind and think things through it sounds like the perfect Christmas escape.

Alright. So the issues at hand.
Angie: She nearly died in a terrible car accident. One that shook her up and left her with months of intense therapy. She's wanting to DO something with this second chance at life. Wanting to give back now instead of returning to medical school. And her mother just can't let it go.
Patrick: Is a Navy pilot and recently lost his best friend in a crash. One he witnessed and is struggling with. He's got a major case of survivors guilt, PTSD, and is faced with a major decision to either stay in the Navy and have even more responsibility and people under his watch or to get out now. 

So. Some pretty heavy things, yeah? But it's not a terribly heavy book, really! There's humor and heat and fun too as they work through their issues over a few weeks vacation. And kinda have a Winter Fling after meeting at a bar their first night in town, hitting it off and deciding to spend the time they have in Virgin River getting to know each other...intimately.

Much to the dismay of family...This just cracked me up. Angie is in her early 20s and her poor uncle Jack (hero from book one) is having a hard go with her being an adult...
"Ange, I went out to the cabin last night. I got off a little early and since I hadn't seen you all day I wanted to surprise you with some takeout and a nice bottle of wine."

"Aww. How sweet."

"Well, obviously I didn't make it inside. I thought it might be awkward, what with the lights out and Patrick's Jeep there." He looked at her pointedly.

"He surprised me. When I got home from the clinic he was there. Did you see the lights? He put up Christmas lights and a wreath. I'm thinking about a small Christmas tree, but I don't have ornaments. I could string popcorn or something. We used to do that--"

"Ange, Patrick was there. It was nine-thirty."

She looked at her watch. "He was there at eight-thirty this morning, too."

Jack groaned, leaned on the bar and put his head in his hand. 
Okay so these two. I really loved them. I liked that they were dealing with similar decisions about their futures. That they were able to help each other heal and find a little peace. The chemistry and heat between them. They had different career paths and responsibilities and a pretty big age gap (around 10 years) but they worked. I was so rooting for them to figure out a way to have more than just a Winter Fling. But I even liked the set up. There were never any real issues between them other than knowing they had a limited time together to enjoy what they had together. So you got to see them just being them together. Enjoying and getting to know each other and having a good time. It was a different vibe but I loved it.

My Kind of Christmas was a lovely time. It had me laughing out loud in parts and getting a little teary eyed in others. And it definitely left me in the Christmas spirit as two very special people found more than what they were ever expecting to find during their winter escapes.

The Riordan brothers may have a reputation for being rough-and tumble, but Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. These days, his easygoing manner is being tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot. But for the Riordan brothers, when the going gets tough…the tough find the love of a good woman. Except the woman who has caught Patrick’s attention is Jack Sheridan’s very attractive niece.

Angie LeCroix comes to Virgin River to spend Christmas relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets Jack Sheridan. If her uncle had his way, she’d never go out again. And certainly not with rugged, handsome Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants—and the kind of man!

Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas—until they meet each other. Then they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie—and for Christmas, Virgin River–style!

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | Goodreads
*image links to Amazon

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