Wednesday, January 9, 2019

The Firefighter's Christmas Reunion - Christy Jeffries (HSE #2662 - Dec 2018)

Series: Sugar Falls Idaho (Book 8)
            American Heroes (Book 12)

Can a chance reunion spark a Yuletide proposal?

Anything can happen in Sugar Falls!

Home for the holidays with her adopted son from Ghana, Hannah Gregson runs straight into her former flame -- fire chief Isaac Jones. Though the pair are determined to keep their distance, the local matchmakers throw them together at every holiday event, and Hannah’s son worships the brave ex-soldier. If Isaac isn’t careful, he just may go from hero to family man by Christmas!

Good second chance romance. Hannah and Isaac had been high school sweethearts until gossip-fueled misunderstandings drove them apart. Ten years later, both of them are back in Sugar Falls. Isaac has been the Sugar Falls fire chief for about six months. Hannah has come home with her adopted son to be closer to her sick mother and take up a new teaching job. Neither was aware of the other's presence until they encountered each other at a local fundraiser.

The tension and sparks flew between Hannah and Isaac from the moment they saw each other. Each of them believes themselves to be the wronged person in their breakup and they are determined to avoid each other. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, it seems that most of the town is determined to throw them together, aided by Hannah's son Sammy and his fascination with the fire chief. I loved seeing Isaac and Sammy together. There was an immediate connection between Isaac and Sammy. I loved their first scene together at the pancake fundraiser, as Isaac showed an innate understanding of Sammy's feelings.

I liked the development of the relationship between Hannah and Isaac. It was clear from the start that the feelings between them had never died, but both were wary of risking their hearts again. There were times when it looked promising for them to overcome the past, but then something would happen to bring the old memories flooding back. Both Isaac and Hannah had insecurities that were aggravated by their inability to talk about the past. Isaac always felt that he had to live down his teen reputation of a spoiled rich kid, and spends a lot of time doing charity work. He also has a pretty strong competitive streak. Hannah was something of a do-gooder/activist as a teen, which has carried over into her adult life. She also struggles to adjust to her new role as a mother, while dealing with her mother's illness. I rather enjoyed the various attempts to throw Isaac and Hannah together. The bachelor auction was pretty funny, especially with the who and why of the person who bid on Isaac. The heat between Isaac and Hannah continued to grow, as did the feelings neither were willing to address. I enjoyed Isaac's conversation with Hannah's mom, who was pretty blunt in her advice to him. Hannah's "aha" moment came from an unexpected source. Their big moment at the end was especially emotional thanks to Sammy.

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