Review: SEASONAL ROMANTIC FUN
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 21, 2013
Pastels & Jingle Bells gripped me from the first few pages and the story grows very quickly in this short, beautiful, seasonal contemporary romantic novella.Trish encounters her former school bully, Ian, at her bakery years after high school has finished.  He has absolutely no idea who she is and Trish decides to use this at her advantage and begins to plan her revenge. However, Trish becomes drawn into Ian's life in ways she'd never imagine and during this time her plans for revenge diminish. After spending time with him and finding out more about him, i.e. his childhood and the man he is today, she begins to have feelings for him. The trouble she has now is explaining to Ian who she really is. Will she be able to tell him? If so, how will he react?I loved the little comical opening with Trish cowering behind the counter of the bakery where she works, hiding from her High School devil. This scene immediately grabs the readers attention, making you curious and interested in finding out about this guys character and the history he has with Trish.After initially hiding and wanting nothing to do with Ian, Trish then decides to use this opportunity on a game of revenge to teach him a lesson. However, it doesn't quite go to plan. And as Trish's situation snowballs the drama grows as does the feeling Trish and Ian have for each other, making the reader eagerly anticipate the outcome of this magical but tricky ride!To lighten the drama there are some fun moments, especially when Trish is back at her bakery and there is some teasing between her and her friends about Ian. There are moments that made me laugh out loud and this was one of them:-(Trish) “No. I'm just...confused.”(Nadia) “About what? Which end of him to start nibbling on first?”There are some comical moments in there which is a great way to add some light relief from the drama and tension!Without elaborating (for fear of spoiling anything) I would have liked to have read more about how Trish helped Kelsey with her Dana situation, however the main focus on this short novella is the connection between Trish and Ian.Pastels & Jingle Bells is beautifully written. It captures the festive season with the cold temperatures, snow, painting scenery on the window and christmas trees, plus the magical sparkle of romance. Everything you could want from a contemporary romance is packed into this short novella. The length of the novella is also perfect for this time of year – with people busy shopping and visiting. This story can be read easily within an hour or so. I certainly would like to read more of Christine S. Feldman's work.Pastels & Jingle Bells was received from the author, Christine S. Feldman, for the purpose of an honest and fair review.