Must Love Mistletoe - Christie Ridgway
***Little side note...I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have an even better New Years! I just got back from Florida (where Im from) to spend Christmas with the fam...lets just say it was eventful! LMAO! Well Ive been lax (man Ive been saying that a lot) but Im back on track and my New Years resolution is, not only to start church back EVERY SUNDAY lol, but to start reviewing more! lol Ive been lazy lately so I need to get my booty in gear! Ok so here we go with a Christmas book review!***
Description~
Bailey Sullivan can't stand Christmas, even though her family's business is a store specializing in the perfect holiday. But now her hometown's chief supplier of rooftop Rudolphs and treetop angels is in danger of going under—it's up to Bailey to save the shop.
She has it all planned: She'll arrive on December 1 and be gone by Christmas. Plus there's always spiked eggnog to ease the pain. But "Humbug" Bailey's not the only one home for the holidays. Finn Jacobson—legendary local bad boy-turned-Secret Service agent and Bailey's long-lost high-school sweetheart—is once again the boy next door. Only this time he's all grown up, and the sparks are flying faster and hotter than ever!
Bailey believes in true love about as much as she believes in Santa Claus. But as the holiday draws closer, she's starting to think about one thing she'd like to find under her tree . . .
In the spirit of Christmas I wanted to try and find a hot and steamy, yet utterly corny, Christmas read...AND I FOUND IT! :o) Well...I guess it wasnt that corny but you almost expect it when it comes to seasonal reads! lol
This story is about a girl named Bailey who experienced EVERYTHING growing up with neighborhood bad boy Finn Jacobson. She fell so utterly in love from the very start, but things got rough when it was time for college and she decided to leave it all behind without even saying goodbye. 10 years later she finds herself back in town helping her mother through a divorce and saving their Christmas store. Baileys emotions go haywire when she sees her old flame Finn again and decides that maybe being bad isnt so BAD afterall! ;o) But when Baileys time runs up (Christmas day) will she run like 10 years ago or will she stick around to find out if Finn is the one for her?
This was the absolute perfect little Christmas story to light my fire. I have to say my favorite aspect was when each person would look back and relive the past. You got to see a young Finn and Bailey fall in love and experience all the firsts of young love...the flirting, the awkward first kiss, sex...and passionate love! :o) I loved that even as they were growing up you were pulled into the story by the developing of their character, and even later on they seem to mature even more!
One thing that I was unure about was kinda a large part! lol BUT it wasnt enough to unconnect me from the story. Finn was distraught when Bailey left him all those years ago so he tried really hard to prove her that he was the man she wanted. He ended up as a secret service agent protecting the president...ok thats fine BUT heres where it gets hairy! lol There was an attempted assassination on the pres and as he jumps in the way of a bullet it takes out his eye (wait thats too funny b/c this is a Christmas book and that makes me think of A Christmas Story where the boy wants a bee bee gun and they tell him he will shoot out his eye..lmao) so the first time she sees him again hes wearing an eye patch! EPP! NO OFFENSE but I thought maybe it would bother me and I would have a hard time looking around it (no pun intended) but actually I eneded up loving him so much more for it! He hated the damn thing and didnt want anyone to think it made him any less of a man! But like I said the story behind the eye thing is kinda hokey but whatever it worked out ok! :o)
One other cool thing was that you got to jump into Baileys moms romance! Baileys mom is going through a divorce b/c her and her husband are in a rut. Shes been hurt b4 (by Baileys father) and one sign of her new hubby leaving send her off the deep end. You find your heart breaking for an unsteady marriage and fo sho youll be rooting them on just as much as Bailey and Finn!
Snib Bit~
Bailey looked over at her old friend Tanner. “I’m here for Finn. His grandmother sent me to bring him home.”
“Sent you?” Tanner echoed.
“I live right next door, if you remember. I promised I’d rescue him, since he’s apparently pretty, um, intoxicated. Is he here? Have you seen him?”
He rubbed his hand over his stubbled chin. “Listen, Bailey. Finn…Finn hits the bottle kinda hard, now and then. When he does, I watch out for him. He’s not going to get into any real trouble.”
Her stomach clenched. Not any “real” trouble. What did Tanner mean by that? “Take me to him. I’ll get him home right now.”
Jutting off from the main area was a smaller room, filled with more tables and chairs, another couple of pool tables, and in one corner…Santa.
Santa Finn, with a bevy of giggling beauties lined up before him, all ready to sit on his lap and tell the pirate what they wanted for Christmas.
A red-and-white fleece hat perched sloppily on his dark head. Candy canes poked from the pocket of his shirt. And after each woman whispered her secrets in his oh-so-eager ear, he gave them a piece of candy…and a lingering kiss.
Something told her Finn Jacobson wouldn’t relish her rescue.
Which was exactly why she took her place at the back of the line.
So like I said this book was adorable and Ive actually already picked up another one her CR's book...The Thrill of it All...so be looking out soon for that review! :o)
I give this book a total of...
