Review: Short and sweet.....and sexy!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 23, 2013
REVIEWED BY KATIERaise your hand if you ever watch Lifetime or Hallmark Channel original holiday movies? (If my mother is reading this she better have both hands in the air right now!) That’s the vibe I got while reading CHRISTMAS IN TAHOE. I felt like it could be a made-for-TV movie. It was short, sweet, and an easy read, which is perfect for the holiday season!Ann Smith really doesn’t love the Christmas season, and understandably so – her fiancé died two weeks before what would’ve been their Christmas wedding! It’s been two years since then, and she still gets pretty emotional about the time of year. I really commend Elisabeth Barrett for the way this aspect of the book was written. I can only imagine how hard it is to write a character like Ann, stuck between her old life with her fiancé who she loved so much and being ready to move on. Barrett really convinced me that Ann is ready, so it was enjoyable to read her steamy scenes with Chase!  ;)Chase is also trying to move on from getting burned by his former business partner. He up and left the business world abruptly to live in Tahoe, where he is teaching snowboarding lessons. He’s got his own internal struggle going on between his love of science and research, and hating the work package that it comes in. I love when both the hero and heroine are struggling with things independently, and by spending time together they are both able to work things out for themselves.It was not love at first sight for Ann and Chase, however. Ann’s life comes off as a little structured and, well, a little boring. She’s an actuary, so she’s constantly calculating risk percentages, usually erring on the side of safety. When Chase picks her up for the drive to Tahoe, she almost bails but luckily decides to take the risk. The conversation is awkward and they don’t really have much to talk about. Ann is also extremely allergic to Chase’s dog, who is riding up with them.After a rocky start, things really heat up fast! Ann loosens up a lot and that’s when I really started to love her. Lake Tahoe was a great backdrop for this story. A secluded cabin, wine, hot tub, skiing, snowboarding, Christmas, and fresh snow! Elisabeth Barrett really turned up the heat for this one! The chemistry between Chase and Ann was hot, and there were some rather risqué topics brought up.CHRISTMAS IN TAHOE is a very linear book. It’s also short, so there aren’t many subplots. Personally, I like a little more substance in my reads. This was more of a holiday novella. That being said, the writing was another excellent example of why Elisabeth Barrett is one of my favorite authors! The descriptions of the characters and scenery made it so easy to visualize everything and become completely engrossed in the story. Romance novels without suspense subplots aren’t typically something I read, but I did enjoy this one!BOTTOM LINEChristmas in Tahoe is a charming, sweet, and sexy story about two people recovering from some sort of loss, who find each other in an unorthodox way. It’s perfect to curl up with and read during the holidays as it provides a lot of Christmas spirit! The story doesn’t have a lot of layers and is pretty straightforward, but if you’re looking for a fun, quick read, check it out!RATING: BNote: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.