Mini-Review: A Very Witchy Yuletide

A Very Witchy Yuletide

by D. Lieber

Blurb:

First love is hard to forget, and even harder to ignore…

Evergreen Pendre wasn’t planning on going home for Yule. But when her Mom tells her the old coven is coming for a visit, she wants to see everyone. Well, almost everyone.

After four and a half years, Sawyer Collins finally has a chance to reconnect with his first love, Eeva Pendre. He might have been too shy to tell her how he felt before, but he’s changed. And he’s determined not to let her slip away this time.

As the coven prepares for Yule, they are reminded that not everyone has the holiday spirit in this contemporary Pagan holiday romance.

Themes:  Holiday, Contemporary

Rating:  3.25 stars

Heat Rating:  
Review:

Ok so this story jumped out at me as an offered read for two reasons, one being that I’m a pagan myself, and the other being that it looked like a sweet holiday story. Never having encountered the author or the publisher before I wasn’t sure what to expect and while I can say that I enjoyed the story I can’t say I was overwhelmed.  I enjoyed the premise of the story, two long time friends coming back together for a family holiday gathering with their friends and family, in this case their Pagan coven, to celebrate Yule, and finally connecting on a romantic level.  But there were way too many heavy messages trying to be conveyed along with the simple love story that was to have been the core of the book.  The heroine, Evergreen,  has a slight handicap in that she is legally blind, she has a societal handicap (as does the hero)in that he is not Christian at a time of year when that is truly the worst thing to be, and she was extremely self-confident in most situations with Sawyer.  All combined her having to overcome all of this made for a story where it seems like the author is just trying to crusade more than share a simple romantic story between two people.  I loved the connection between Sawyer and Evergreen when it was allowed to simply flow, but when the angst and miscommunication because juvenile I almost gave up on this book.  TO me adults just don’t live with that lack of communication between people that have been friends their entire adult lives more of less.  All in all I would say it was an enjoyable read, but I don’t think I will be running out to grab anymore of this author’s work, it just doesn’t seem to fit with my personal tastes for romance.

*eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.