Review: Christmas Under the Northern Lights

Christmas Under the Northern Lights by Annie O'Neil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a new-to-me author and I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book.  It was a sweet second chance Christmas romance for two people who had gone to the remote island of Bourtree Island.  It was well written and had a developed storyline.  The characters were charming and the island residents were heartwarming.  Both Audrey and Cooper were both there to figure out their future and help the island residents by providing medical care. 

Audrey Walsh was running to escape Christmas and her fiancé’s betrayal.  She was committed to spending five weeks being the district nurse to the community.  She was touched by the resident’s open hearts and their love for family. 

Dr. Cooper “Coop” MacAskill grew up on Bourtree Island but had left it behind when he was old enough.  Now he has returned but feels guilty for not coming back before his grandmother passed.  Coop has been offered the job as the physician for the island but is not sure he wants to return after the hard time he had as a child living on the island.  Can Audrey and Cooper find their future on the isolated island providing medical care to the community?

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

The Christmas Promise: A Clean Romance 

by 

Janice Carter

 

Rate: 4/5

Release date:  

January 12th, 2021 

Goodread Link:The Christmas Promise: A Clean Romance by Janice Carter | Goodreads

Blurb:  

The Christmas season…

Is perfect for new beginningsAfter a tragedy seventeen years ago, author Ella Jacobs never wanted to come back to Lighthouse Cove. Not to the whispered rumors, the judgment or even to Ben Winters, the boy she loved. Now she’s returned in time for Christmas—and some much-needed closure. But old flames burn bright. Can Ella find her way back to Ben…or will the secrets of their past extinguish their love for good?

My Review:

Second Chance Christmas is the third book in the Turtleback Beach series. It can be read as a stand-alone but the series is so wonderful that you will wish you had started in order. Turtleback Beach is a small town with heart-warming residents. I loved seeing the characters from the previous books and what their future had become. All the characters in this series have been memorable and make the small town a wonderful place.

Zuri Habib had a crush on senior Damon Woods in high school which ended the day he laughed at her for asking him out and then went and asked her older sister Vera to the prom. She was hurt by his disregard for her but didn’t tell her sister until later since Zuri didn’t want to ruin her sister’s date. After graduation when Damon left town she was hurt even more when Vera announced she was pregnant with Damon’s child. With the animosity between the two families, Zuri and Vera never told their parents who Caden’s father was. When Vera dies from cancer, Zuri goes against her sister’s wishes and takes Caden to Turtleback Beach, the small-town Damon now lives in. Zuri wants to help Caden deal with his grief and hopes him meeting his dad will help.
Damon liked Zuri in high school but thought a relationship between them would be too hard since they both had different friends. She was introverted and smart while he was part of the popular sports crowd. In his senior year his parents informed him they were getting divorced and Damon was scared and upset. He didn’t mean to embarrass Zuri when she asked him out, but all his friends were around and making fun of them. After high school, he joins the Navy and becomes a SEAL and now works as part of the rescue team in Turtleback Beach. Discovering he is a dad and didn’t know if for twelve years was devastating for him. He learned a lot while in the SEALS and knows his bad decisions had really hurt Zuri. He had never given a thought to having a family of his own, but now he knows he wants one with Zuri. Can he tell her his secrets and convince her of his true feelings?
The book was easy to read and kept my attention until the end. I didn’t really care for Damon’s character and his behavior. I am glad he regrets his decisions but asking out her sister and then getting her pregnant was very childish of him and I don’t know if I could be as forgiving as Zuri was. I also feel like they didn’t really have a chance to get to know each other again. Their reconnection was too fast for me. I would have liked to see them spend more time together and learn how each of their lives had changed. Overall it was a good book but I like the first two books in the series better.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.