A Firefighter's Christmas Gift (Holidays in Heart Falls #1)
by Vivian Arend
Blurb:
All
Bradley Ford wants this holiday season is a date or three with sweet Hanna
Lane. He’s the new fire chief, recently returned to Heart Falls to help his
father after an accident. And while he wasn’t expecting to find someone like
Hanna so soon, Brad’s certain that Hanna—and her adorable daughter, Crissy—are
perfect for him and his plans to settle down.
Hanna’s
been taking care of herself since she became a single mom at sixteen. The only
pure, honest love she trusts is her little girl’s, but for the first time in
eight years, her libido flares to life. Something about Brad draws her like a
moth to a flame—which is always a bad idea for the moth.
When
a fire leaves Hanna and Crissy homeless, Brad offers them shelter at his
family’s homestead. Crissy insists they’ve moved in with Santa. Hanna’s not
sure how she keeps ending up under the mistletoe with Brad. And Brad? He’s
hoping for the best Christmas gift of all…
Themes: Holiday
Novella
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Vivian
Arend has once again embraced the magic of the holiday season and given us a
love story to share the magic, finally giving bringing together two people in
love to make a family complete at last. While the Heart’s Falls series began
with the Stone family, this new holiday series instead focuses on some of the
side characters that we have met in those novels, beginning with the sexy fire Chief
Brad Ford. If you haven’t followed along as the Heart Falls series developed
you might miss some of the undertones and backstories off characters, but it
won’t stop you from enjoying every second of this story. Even though it begins with a tragic turn of
events Brad and Hanna find a way to allow the magic of the season to lead their
hearts to one another and bring their love to fruition. I enjoyed every second
of this story and am looking forward to whoever falls in love next, in both
this series and the original Heart Falls series, but in the meantime I think I might
just reread this one when the tree is up, my fire’s burning and my hot
chocolate is spiked with a bit of baileys (*wink wink*).
Bradley
Ford returned to Heart falls because he is at heart a small-town boy, but being
the fire chief gives him that bit of excitement he needs in life, but nothing
excites him as much as Hanna Lane. He
has been trying to get her to give him a chance to steal her heart for a long
time now, but for every two steps forward she takes a half step back. Hanna has raised her daughter herself, on her
own from the very beginning, and even though she is very attracted to Brad, she
is also terrified of what he makes her feel.
When disaster strikes, burning her out of house and home, Brad offers
her a haven with him and her father and she isn’t too proud to take him up on
his generous offer, keeping the magic of the holidays alive for her
daughter. But as they spend more time
together, Hanna begins to understand more and more than she is not going to be
able to resist Brad for much longer, and soon she begins to wonder why she ever
tried. Can the magic of the holidays
bring these two together to show one little girl that love can build a family
for her in time for Christmas?
Brad
was the perfect man for Hanna and, to be honest would be the perfect man for
just about any woman in her right mind, and his sweetness and strong shoulder
gave Hanna the support she needed in her true moment of need. He was a friend of Walker we met and got to
know a bit in the last novel and we learned of his bid for Hanna’s heart even
then, so his dedicated to winning her heart was obvious and certainly
heart-warming. I loved getting to know
him and getting to see not only his commanding nature when he was working, but
his obvious love for his family and gentleness with Hanna’s little girl made
him a perfectly rounded hero in my eyes.
While I certainly don’t want children, his willingness, even eagerness
to be a good step-father show just how good of a man he is and how perfect a
match he will always be for Hanna. Hanna
herself was a mix of shyness and strength, her fears about embracing a
relationship with Brad made her slow their time down, but once she was forced
to speed their time up, just due to constant contact, her willingness to look
past her fears and give him her heart was wonderful. Her strength, her work ethic, and dedication
to doing whatever she needed to give her daughter not only everything she
needed, but all she wanted to make her Christmas magic showed her to be the
perfect heroine for Brad as well as a good mother. I can see these two making a long and happy
life together, despite any drama that might come up, because they will work
together through it all, never forgetting their love and that their love is the
most important thing.
This
story of a firefighter and the woman who lights the fire of love in his heart
is one that will give readers a beat of a fire in their hearts as well. I
enjoyed every minute of this story, even though there were times I wanted to
ask Hanna why she was holding back from this fabulous man, and was thrilled
that everyone got what they wanted in the end. Brad was the kind of guy that
every woman really wants for themselves and I was so jealous that Hanna got
him. He was sweet, sexy, strong, and
sensitive, and when he decided he wanted something, namely Hanna (and her
daughter) he let nothing stand in his way, not even her fears or
reticence. Hanna has her moments, but in
the end showed she was Brad’s match in every way, including the bedroom, and
made me like her even more. She has an
inner strength and calm that she used to counter Brad’s intensity and she
understood perfectly how to blend her small family in with Brad’s so that
together they truly could become a family.
The passion and emotional connection between them was palpable from
every moment they were together, even when they were moments of intense fear,
and that heat was enough that I know when I reread it during the cold months it
will keep me plenty warm all on its own. I am dying to see what comes next for
the folks in this town and getting to see more of these amazing characters that
have already found love too. Another
masterpiece of love and passion Ms. Arend and all I have to say is THANK YOU!
*eARC provided by author for the
purpose of an honest and unbiased review.
No compensation was provided.
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