Joanne Rock
October 5, 2017
Tule Publishing
Blurb: Growing up in the Christmas-crazed theme town of Yuletide was fun for fashion designer Rachel Chambers until a family scandal made her unwelcome. Eight years later, she’s home for a friend’s wedding and trying to go incognito… until her old flame spots her.
Snowboarder Gavin Blake wants to make things right with Rachel, and smoothing her way back in Yuletide seems like the best way to do just that. Making Rachel his date for a week of pre-wedding parties is sure to bring them closer. Except he underestimated how long a small town can carry a grudge–or how much the memory of a long-ago kiss could tempt him all over again.
As the wedding approaches, Rachel remembers all she loved about her close-knit, Christmas-loving neighbors. But even if she can win over the town again, will she be able to convince her footloose, mogul-shredding wedding date that they can find happiness beyond the holidays?
SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW
Although I’ve had opportunities to read and review Joanne Rock novels before, I haven’t done so because those particular ones were about billionaires and that topic just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Now, after reading A Chance This Christmas I am thinking that she may even make billionaires palatable.
I loved Rachel and Gavin. It’s so obvious that they were destined for each other. I would love to have read their initial story as a YA novel and then have this where they meet up again years later attracted and yet holding back.
The flaw for me in this novel is that Rachel’s best friend and Gavin didn’t stand up for her years ago and tell the real story, that Rachel didn’t cheat when all of the townspeople think that she did, and disrespected their serving hero. I realize that these are the things that make romance novels, but when your guy and best girl friend don’t stand by you, it sucks.
All of the rest of the novel worked for me though. I loved how Rachel took the thing that she knew best, design, and made a difference in her friend’s life and made her ex-boyfriend’s sister respect her again, because that meant something to her. I loved how Gavin tried to intervene and make her life better.
If you’re looking for another book to help bring you into the holiday spirit, you might try this one on.
It’s sweet and filled with spirit and a second chance love.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 
4 butterflies out of 5