She didn't plan on celebrating Christmas…
Can he change her mind?
Nurse Harmony Kinkaid grabs the chance to spend Christmas
working on a remote Scottish island. Without her beloved grandmother, the
season won't be the same. But her organized world is thrown off balance by her
fierce attraction to daredevil Dr. Cameron MacRurie. He's her complete opposite
-- she'd be foolish to fall for him. Yet as Christmas lights begin to shine,
Cam becomes a temptation impossible to ignore…
I loved this book. Harmony escapes the city and her grief
over her grandmother's death by taking a job on a remote Scottish island. With
her mother spending Christmas with her new boyfriend, Harmony has zero
Christmas spirit and plans to lose herself in her work. Having recently ended a
two-year relationship, men are also off her wishlist. But all her plans are
thrown off-kilter by her temporary boss.
I loved both Harmony and Cam. I ached for Harmony because
she was so unhappy. She missed her grandmother fiercely and felt cast adrift by
her mother's plans. But she has a good heart and refuses to make her mother
feel guilty about moving on. I found it interesting that she stepped so far
outside her comfort zone to take this job. She is a woman who likes her life
stable and logical, and she doesn't like change. Much of her attitude stemmed from
the loss of her father when she was a small child. He was into many different
extreme activities and died doing one of them. She doesn't understand how
anyone can put their lives at risk for something so ridiculous.
Cam is a doctor who lives a full and adventurous life.
Diagnosed with diabetes as a child, he suffered from a fearful and
overprotective mother until his doctor grandfather taught him how to manage his
disease. Since then he has thrown himself into anything that caught his
interest, from medical aid work to skydiving. At home on MacRurie island, he
cares for the health needs of the islanders in between his adventure trips.
I loved the first meeting between Cam and Harmony. She
witnessed one of his daredevil stunts as she arrived on the ferry and was
dismayed to discover that he was her new boss. Though she was immediately
attracted to him, she couldn't hide her disapproval. Cam was puzzled by her
reaction to him but bowled over by her beauty. I loved his cheerfulness and how
he tried to make things better by talking about Christmas. This only made things
worse as she shuts down any holiday talk too. She's determined to do her job
and nothing else.
I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Cam is
pretty easygoing, which is a good thing, as Harmony can be very intense. Used
to big city doctor's offices, Harmony doesn't quite know how to deal with the
more laid-back attitudes of Cam's practice. Some sparks flew as Harmony's
intensity and occasional bossiness ran up against Cam's easier way of doing
things, but eventually they developed a good working relationship. That quickly
grew into friendship as Cam learned more about why Harmony was so prickly. The
attraction between them continued to grow, with both trying to resist it. Cam,
because she worked for him, and Harmony because she couldn't see a future with
someone like him. Eventually the sparks grew out of control, and they decided
that enjoying each other for the time they had would be okay.
Of course, the connection between them was more than just
physical. I ached for Harmony as she realized that she had fallen for him, but
couldn't bring herself to accept his lifestyle. Her fear of losing him the same
way she lost her father wouldn't allow her to take a chance. Cam, too, realized
he'd fallen hard for her, but wasn't sure he could give up something that was
such an intrinsic part of him, even for her. A conversation with her mother
gave Harmony a different perspective and something to think about. I loved
Cam's big moment at the end, and the thought and effort he put into it showed
the depth of his love for her. I loved seeing what could happen when two people
accept each other for who they are and find that love can overcome any
obstacle.
The vividness of the descriptions of the island made me
feel as though I was there. From the crashing waves during Cam's rescue of the
boy, where I could almost feel the iciness of the water, to the descriptions of
the Manor in all its Victorian beauty, I easily pictured each setting. I also
loved each of the Crafty Islanders, with their individual quirks. It was fun to
see them embrace Harmony and pull her into island life. I especially enjoyed
the part each of them played in Cam's surprise for Harmony.
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