A Christmas Kiss (Kissed by the Bay #5) by Susan Hatler Book Review

Book synopsis

Harper Avery is a jaded divorce attorney who loves helping her clients move on to better things. After all, they’ve struggled enough being in an unhappy marriage. When one client’s soon-to-be ex-husband suddenly says he wants a second chance with his wife, Harper’s dubious, certain that her client is just going to get hurt again. Despite his career as a divorce attorney, Gabriel Hart still believes that love can work miracles. Sure, there are no guarantees, but he totally supports his client’s efforts to reconcile with his wife—even if it means Gabriel has to go head-to-head with Harper to keep her from ruining the couple’s chances. With the holidays approaching, husband and wife set out to see if they can work through their issues, while Harper decides to spend the long Christmas weekend at her friend’s cabin in Lake Tahoe. Only when she gets there, someone is already occupying her last-minute rental—Gabriel Hart. Both refuse to give up their holiday retreat. Will their adversarial working relationship make for a stressful weekend? Or will the magic of Christmas sprinkle them with a love that can beat the odds?   A Christmas Kiss

 

My opinion

2.5/5 stars rounded to 3.

This is a short love story. It is full of Christmas references. The author creates a perfect Christmas for our protagonists. Everything is perfect. Except the characters... I was not able to connect whit either of them. This is sad because the author had so much material to use. I was not able to feel the sparks from the writing. The protagonists are supposed to be complex... But... By the end, I was asking myself "Why did these characters fall in love in the first place?" The romance seemed forced. 

Also, what bothered me was the characters' inability to separate personal life from work.

All in all, the story was cute and cuddly. I had high expectations and I felt disappointed. The book had potential. It needs a revision. I love descriptions and this book was lacking in them in the emotional department.

It is a good romantic story for winter/Christmas time. If you feel like this is your cup of tea, go for it!

 

This is my sole opinion. ^_^

 

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Holiday
Language: none to mild
Sexual content: mild
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: mild