ARC Review: A Season Of You by Emma Douglas (Cloud Bay)

 

Title: A Season Of You

Author: Emma Douglas

Release Date: October 3, 2017 (ARC)

Publisher: St Martin’s Press

Category: Contemporary Romance

Type: Digital/Paperback

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Emma Douglas Website

Blurb:

It’s Christmastime in the quaint island town of Cloud Bay, where love is always in season...

Will Fraser has believed in love at first sight since the day he first laid eyes on Mina Harper five years ago. There was only one problem: She was happily married. Then, when Mina’s husband was killed by a drunk driver, Will figured she’d want nothing to do with a guy who owns a whiskey distillery. So he’s kept his feelings locked away, knowing that not even a Christmas miracle would be enough to melt Mina’s heart. . .

Mina believes her days of true love are behind her. Since losing her husband she’s kept to herself, content to do her own painting and stay out of the limelight that comes with her famous family. But when, after a freak accident, Will comes to her rescue, Mina can’t quite get him out of her mind. As curiosity turns into a fling during Cloud Bay’s first Christmas Festival, she finds it harder to convince herself that her feelings for Will are just mistletoe-inspired. Could Mina be ready to lay the past to rest and finally admit that what she really wants for Christmas—and forever—is Will?

Favorite Line:

She’d really rather stick a fork in her eye. A dull and rusty fork.  ~  Mina

Dialogue Highlight:

“Definitely a mermaid,” he managed to say as the sound of his heart banged in his ears louder than the roar of the sea below them. He tried to think of something other than her. Something boring. Like the rock of the island and the tectonic plates below that had thrown it up out of the ocean. But that only made him think of lava. And heat. And how badly he wanted to kiss her again. Do more than kiss her. Have her naked beneath him with all that pale skin his to explore and delight. His hands were still twined in her coat, gripping the fabric hard so he wouldn’t pick her up and throw her over his shoulder.

“Mermaid?” she said, sounding dazed. That much was good. Dazed, he liked. Though this was hardly the place for her to be dazed. This rocky headland wasn’t exactly full of anywhere that two people could sneak off and . . . okay, perhaps not so much thinking about that.

“Temptation. That’s what mermaids do.” He closed his eyes a minute. Tried to remember they were standing out in the open. In broad daylight. On Thanksgiving. With her family all expecting them back at some point.

“Isn’t that sirens?”

“Same thing.”

She shook her head.

“Pretty sure it’s not. And if you’d ever heard me sing, you’d know I’m not a siren.” She smiled up at him. “Pretty sure you’re wrong about that.” He took a breath. “So? This kissing thing . . . is it a one-time deal?”

Her mouth curved. “Given it’s not the first time it’s happened, I don’t think it can be.”

It was an effort to loosen his grip. He didn’t want to let go of her but he didn’t want her to feel like she had to stay there. Not if she was regretting what just happened. “Seems to me like the question then becomes whether it might happen again?”

She looked down.

“Sorry,” he said. “I said I wouldn’t push. I won’t. Tell me it’s just a Christmas miracle and I’ll back off.”

Excerpt:

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age.

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Her hand was still trailing over the hood.

“I’m a one - car - at - a - time kind of guy,” he said. “I like to focus my attention.”

Mina’s hand stilled. “Is that so?”

Her voice had gone low and it made his gut tighten. Made him want to reach for her. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets so he wouldn’t. He’d promised her time. “Yes. Always been that way.”

He took a step closer, despite himself. “You know, I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh?”

“You said this wasn’t a Christmas miracle. But maybe it could be.”

She lifted an eyebrow. But she didn’t move away.

“I mean, I get it. You lost someone. You have no idea what you want. And you don’t approve of what I do for a living. But maybe, just maybe, this time of year you can forget all about that and just go for what makes you happy.”

“And you make me happy?”

He tilted his head. “I’m not entirely sure. You’re hard to read, Mina Harper. But then again, you’ve kissed me twice now. And I don’t think you’re the type for angry kissing, so I’m leaning toward you at least liking me.”

Her mouth curved up. “Angry kissing? You sound like Faith.”

“Faith talks about angry kissing?” He was confused.

“No, seduction cookies,” she said and then looked kind of horrified. “No, scratch that.”

Oh no. He wasn’t letting that one slide. “Seduction cookies? You mean those cookies you brought me at Salt Devil?”

“Those were thank-you cookies,” she said firmly.

“Then who are you making seduction cookies for?”

“Nobody. Go back to angry kissing.”

“I’m more a fan of I’m-really-hot-for-you-and-I-really-like-you kissing.” Even in the moonlight he could tell she was blushing.

“I think this conversation has wandered off track a little.”

He was trying to remember what he’d been talking about. Kissing. Christmas miracles. Right. Her liking him. Or not. If that blush was anything to go by, he figured he was safe with the premise that she did.

“Right. Back to the Christmas miracle part. What do you say . . . want to give into the holiday spirit and just have fun?”

“Define ‘fun.’”

“Whatever you want,” he said.

Her head tipped forward, bangs falling so he couldn’t see her expression. Then it lifted again and her eyes looked huge, the moonlight turning them dark and mysterious. “And what happens after Christmas Day? When the time for Christmas miracles is done?”

“Then I guess we see where we are. If you want to walk away then so be it.”

“You think that’s a good idea?”

“You don’t?”

“I think most people don’t actually work like that. That once you throw sex into the mix, things get messy.”

“If you’re doing it right, sure.” He was determined to keep this conversation light hearted. Not to scare her off. That was becoming more difficult because she’d casually tossed the word ‘sex’ into the conversation. Kind of made it hard to focus on anything else.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” he said.

Review:

Mina Harper has lived through her share of loss – first her husband, then her father. While she has a pretty cushy life as the daughter of a famous rock star, it hasn’t shielded her from grief. When a freak accident lands her in Will Fraser’s arms and care, she feels an attraction that she thought long gone. She had her one true love and lost him. People didn’t get second chances at that. Disregarding the attraction as basic, human need, she starts to entertain Will’s idea involving a little Christmas play time together. Time limit, clean break, no strings, hot sex. When people say they can walk away without a backward glance, they are usually full of shit. But Will says he can and so Mina will also. Pair the fact that she doesn’t approve of his career/business and walking away won’t be so hard. She can’t risk huge loss in her life again anyway, so it is just as well she has no intention of falling in love with him.

Will Fraser has been in love with Mina since the day he first laid eyes on her. She was the most beautiful, breathtaking thing he had ever seen, but she was taken and then her husband died and Will knew she needed space. Their paths hardly crossed anyway, so he never really had an opportunity – until she got a flat tire outside his bar. Now he’s got the opportunity he’s always wanted. He knows she isn’t ready for anything serious, so an offer of calm and casual is his plan of attack. If she agrees to his terms, he has a month to convince her of his love and that second chances at love are possible.

This was a fun and entertaining book to read. I truly enjoyed getting to know these characters and their crazy, quirky world. I imagine life with a rock start father would have quite a lot of interesting aspects and Ms. Douglas did a wonderful job of building this world. I haven’t read this author before, but I have a feeling that the other characters either have or will have their own stories in Cloud Bay. If not, I truly hope that they will. Set just before and up until Christmas, this book is a great way to ring in the holiday season and bring on the “Christmasy warm fuzzies”. I’d enjoy reading it at any time of year though. This book is full of hot, steamy sex scenes and a cast you are sure to adore getting to know. If you find stories of second chances at love, a reluctant female lead, a smitten male lead, and a whole slew of likeable friends and family members, you will not be disappointed. There was also some hint of a touch of mystery surrounding “Daddy Rock Star” and many mysterious pieces of his life that no one knew about. I’m interested in his odd behaviors and what the kids will uncover as time goes on as well. This may have been my first book by Ms. Douglas, but it for sure will not be my last.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/St Martins Press in exchange for an honest review.