Book Review (and a Giveaway!): The Christmas Kiss by Virginia McCullough

The Christmas Kiss by Virginia McCullough, On Tour With Prism Book Tours

THE CHRISTMAS KISS
SERIES: Back to Bluestone River #2
GENRE: Contemporary Romance (clean)
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Heartwarming
RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2019
PAGES: 384

Will working together

…lead to together forever?

Recently divorced, Parker Davis needs to focus on his new job so he can provide a stable home for his daughter in time for the Christmas holidays. The problem is, he’s frequently at odds with his boss. He and Emma O’Connell approach everything differently. Yet he finds her intriguing, and Bluestone River festivities keep pushing them together—often enough that two people at odds could find themselves evenly matched in love!

Other Books In This Series

I was overjoyed to see that Emma, one of my favorite characters in A Family for Jason, is the heroine in The Christmas Kiss! (And don’t you love that cover?) Emma is just delightful in every way – from her wit to her big heart and even her realistic flaws. There’s something about her that instantly has you on her side, rooting for her to finally find her happily-ever-after!

Parker and his college-aged daughter Nic are wonderful additions to the Bluestone River community, particularly the even closer-knit circle that includes Mike, Ruby, Jason, Peach the dog, and Emma. (While The Christmas Kiss can be read as a standalone, you’ll better appreciate the other 4 characters I just mentioned if you’ve read A Family for Jason first.) Nic being along for the ride allowed the author to tell us about Parker’s previous marriage in a more organic way for the story & for Parker’s own personality, and I find myself quite curious about his ex Jackie & wondering if she’ll pop up in her own story at some point. I also loved the work they do with injured birds – it was fascinating to read those scenes!

Bottom Line: Virginia McCullough has a knack for bringing small towns to life on the pages of her novels – with characters you easily care about and plots that reflect both the realities of life and the wonder of romance. The writing style is smooth and engaging, and the romance moves along at a realistic pace, especially as the book’s timeline covers Halloween to Christmas. I liked the protagonists being a little older than 20s and early 30s – it added an extra dose of wisdom to their personalities which in turn resulted in less of (and shorter-lasting, less earth-shattering) the typical misunderstandings that we so often see in romance novels. Another great read for the season – or anytime of year, for that matter!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received via Prism Book Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Love it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion

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Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia McCullough has been lucky enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

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Other Books by Virginia McCullough

– 1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card and a $25 Etsy eGift Card
– Open internationally for those who are eligible
– Ends December 18, 2019

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What about you? What interests you most about The Christmas Kiss?