Review: A Season to Love by Nicole Deese

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

At this point in her life, bravery is not a trait Willa Hart would readily claim. She believes her seven-year-old daughter, Savannah, who never knew her father and successfully tackled chemotherapy, is truly the courageous one. Yet after Willa has a fateful encounter with handsome young doctor Patrick McCade, her outlook—and her view of herself—begins to change.

Patrick, a thrill-seeking world traveler and temporary resident of Lenox, Oregon, sets out to show Willa the value of adventure, even within her tiny town. But just when their friendship shows signs of turning into something more, Patrick’s life as a traveling doctor calls him back. Will his last days in town signal the end of their journey, or will Patrick and Willa find the courage to transform a single season into a lifetime?

My Review

This book. All the feels. I love the strength in Willa even though she doesn't always see it. The hardships she has endured were rough and it's not surprising she suffers from anxiety. She's trying so hard to be the best mom for her daughter who is ready to live life as a normal kid again, but her fears are debilitating. Willa's loving sibling relationship with her brother Weston becomes a bit volatile as he pushes Willa too often and too far out of her comfort zone. The way that Patrick helps her overcome her fears is so thoughtful, because he knows he can't do it for her, but he can encourage and support her to do it for herself. They have great banter as well as thought-provoking conversations, and the romantic tension builds as they grow more attracted to each other but have the looming deadline of Patrick's departure preventing them from taking the next step. The author skillfully employs the "showing" technique rather than telling, and I easily connected with the characters and felt their emotions as I read. I loved Willa's compassion and motherly instincts for Alex, the teenage half-sister of her boss with a dysfunctional childhood, who adds another dimension to the story and a couple of her scenes brought tears to my eyes. This was the first book I read by Nicole Deese and I quickly found her other available books and loved them as well! She's now a must-read author for me :)

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; this is my honest review)

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I read this series out of order- after reading A Season to Love, the second book in the Love in Lennox series, I loved it so much I immediately bought and read the first book, A Cliché Christmas. Fortunately they read well as stand-alones so I didn't have any issues. I highly recommend them both! And for only $3.99 each at Amazon, they are a great deal! (And free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers!)

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Writing happy endings is easy. Living one is the hard part.

Georgia Cole—known in Hollywood as the “Holiday Goddess”—has made a name for herself writing heartwarming screenplays chock-full of Christmas clichés, but she has yet to experience the true magic of the season. So, when her eccentric grandmother volunteers her to direct a pageant at Georgia’s hometown community theater, she is less than thrilled. To make matters worse, she’ll be working alongside Weston James, her childhood crush and the one man she has tried desperately to forget.

Now, facing memories of a lonely childhood and the humiliation of her last onstage performance, seven years earlier, Georgia is on the verge of a complete mistletoe meltdown. As Weston attempts to thaw the frozen walls around her heart, Georgia endeavors to let go of her fears and give love a second chance. If she does, will she finally believe that Christmas can be more than a cliché?