Can a Christmas kiss…
…lead to their happy-ever-after?
Nurse Hollee Cantrell is stunned when ex-army doc Clancy
deOliveira begins working at her hospital. Years ago, they shared a passionate
kiss -- but then Clancy left and Hollee married his best friend. Now widowed,
it's time for Hollee to admit that her marriage was a sham and she's never
stopped thinking about Clancy. And as their desire reignites, it seems Clancy
hasn't forgotten her either…
Good second chance story. Hollee, Clancy, Jacob, and Clancy's
sister Ava were all friends as teenagers. One day, Clancy shared a passionate
kiss with Hollee, called it a mistake, and soon after left town. Hollee ended
up marrying Jacob. She never knew that Jacob had told Clancy that he was in
love with Hollee and that Clancy wasn't good enough for her. The story opens at
Jacob's funeral after he was killed in action. Clancy is there but doesn't
speak to her, as he's keeping a secret that could only hurt her.
The book then picks up five years later. Clancy has left
the military and taken a job as a pediatric plastic surgeon at a civilian
hospital. He is stunned to see Hollee there, working as a nurse. The last he
heard, she had moved away and was studying to become a vet tech. He's not sure
he can handle working so close to the woman he never forgot. Hollee is just as
surprised to see Clancy. Being near him stirs up the old memories and makes her
think about what might have been.
I liked the rekindling of the relationship between Hollee
and Clancy. There is no doubt that the sparks between them are still there,
though both try to resist at first. Hollee is not interested in falling in love
again. Her marriage to Jacob left her doubting her judgment, and low in
confidence in her appeal. Clancy still has doubts about his own worth, even
though he turned his life around long ago. However, there's no doubt that the
attraction between them is still strong. They give in to it once, then panic
and pull away. But fate isn't done with them yet.
Both Hollee and Clancy volunteer as part of a group
headed to the mountains to help a town devastated by a flood and a tornado. I
loved seeing them work together and that their friendship began to grow again. Each
of them gained an appreciation for the other's strengths and abilities. There
were some beautiful scenes of their teamwork and the depth of their empathy for
the people they helped. Just as things looked truly promising for them, Hollee
discovered the secret Clancy was keeping from her. Devastated by what she
thought of as a betrayal, she said some harsh things and refused to listen to him.
I ached for both of them, but especially for Clancy. Hollee had a visitor that
gave her something to think about if she could just get past her insecurities.
But it was Clancy's big moment at the end that won my heart. He exposed his
vulnerabilities as he opened his heart to her, and she didn't let him down. The
epilogue was great and showed how much their love had grown.
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