Review: Will put you in the holiday mood!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 1, 2013
Find this review and more at Lusty Penguin Reviews!Christine S. Feldman pens a delightful and heartwarming contemporary romance in Pastels & Jingle Bells, the first novella in the Heavenly Bites series.While working at a Heavenly Bites bakery, Trish Ackerly creates a beautiful holiday window painting that draws Ian Rafferty's eye. He wants to hire Trish to paint a couple of windows at his house, hoping they will cheer up his daughter, Kelsey's Christmas. Trish can hardly believe her luck when Ian comes back into her life because he doesn't recognize her. In grade school, Ian was a bully who unmercifully teased and taunted Trish. Now, Trish wants nothing more than to let Ian know exactly how she felt being picked on. I couldn't help but empathize with Trish and her need to give Ian a piece of her mind. As much as she wants to give Ian a verbal thrashing, Trish is truly a compassionate character and, upon seeing Kelsey's distress, abandons her thoughts of revenge, which made me smile. Divorced, Ian wants to help Kelsey, who is having a hard time adjusting to her mom remarrying, and she has bully problems of her own. As a tenderhearted father, he wants to protect and nurture Kelsey, which endeared his character to me. The chemistry between Trish and Ian simmers. When Trish's true identity is exposed, Ian's heartfelt apology and explanation brought tears to my eyes.Realistic situations and compelling characters drive Pastels and Jingle Bells to a wonderfully romantic conclusion that will put you in the holiday mood. I am really looking forward to future stories in this new series.I received an eBook copy of the book from the author for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.