I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
The Christmas Promise by Sean D. Young Series: A McClendon Holiday #2
Published by Entangled Publishing on 2015-11-03
Length: 323 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2017
![](https://momwithareadingproblem.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/JDDiBooks-CBS-W-e1531416902596.png")
Jennifer McClendon is in need of a vacation. What better place to get away from everything than a sun-drenched tropical island? And there’s no better way to get over her ex and have some fun than to spend a little time with a handsome software engineer who’s also on holiday. What could it hurt? They won’t see each other again anyway.
Simeon Baker wants more than a holiday romance with the gorgeous woman he meets on vacation, but a tragic accident that almost ends his life leaves him in hospital for months, and he isn’t able to follow up on his promise to keep in touch. But Fate steps in four years after their magical island holiday, and Simeon realizes Jennifer didn’t only leave the island with good memories. If he can convince Jennifer to give them a chance at something permanent, this might just be their first family Christmas.
The Christmas Promise by Sean D. Young is the second in her series A McClendon Holiday which revolves around the McClendon sisters. Each book can be read as a standalone with characters crossing over to the other books. This particular book is about Jennifer McClendon and a vacation that gives her more than she bargained for.
I like Jennifer. She’s a strong heroine who despite circumstances (like finding her boyfriend cheating on her) keeps going. She doesn’t allow the lemons that life throws at her to get in the way of her hopes and dreams. Simeon is just as likable. In fact I found myself falling for him. He’s a little more vulnerable than Jennifer and once he commits to something he commits himself wholly which I admit caused me to swoon a little 😉
The romance and plot of this book was a little all over the place which is where it lost me. The pacing was odd. The beginning when they first meet moved at a fast pace. Then when it fast-forwards a few years the pace and plot dragged. There wasn’t enough to keep me interested, yet I finished the book because I was invested in the characters by this point. Also the writing style…this was more a case of “it’s me, not you.” It just didn’t work for me. At times it felt clunky and overly detailed and I would rather have just enough detail to get the picture and allow my imagination to do the rest of the work.
Overall, The Christmas Promise was just an okay read for me. It’s a sweet, (surprisingly) clean romance set around the holidays. There is plenty of drama and a little tugging of your heartstrings as well. If you enjoy contemporary, second chance romances, I highly recommend it.
About Sean D. Young
Sean began writing romance at the encouragement of her dear friend Christian Fiction Author Jacquelin Thomas. After the release of her first two novels TOTAL BLISS and WITH THIS RING in 2005 & 2006, Sean continued to work diligently at her craft and her next novel. FROM THIS MOMENT, the second installment in the Hearts and Flowers Series, was released in January 2011. At an early age, Sean found that she loved words and tried to read everything she could get her hands on. She joined her first book club “Sweet Pickles” at the age of 7. Writing would come later, when she wrote short stories for her own enjoyment, then she wrote the Easter play for the youth at her church at the age of 12. Sean, a graphic/web designer loves building websites and graphics almost as much as she loves writing her stories. She loves working in her church and lives in Northwest Indiana with her family.
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Disclaimer: This book contains enough sexual tension to melt snow, the hottest near-kiss in the history of near-kisses, and a sexy snowboarder determined to win the heart of the girl he loves.
Zoey Miller lives for her holidays in Aspen. Her time up on the mountain with the Madison brothers, Parker and Luke, is everything. But for the first time, it’s not enough. This time, she’s determined to win one of the brothers’ hearts. But the brother she has in mind is a renowned player, with hordes of snow-bunnies following him around Snowmass resort. And the other…well, he’s her best friend and knows she deserves better. Namely him. And he’s going to win her heart.
Sounds like a good read for this time of year. Glad you enjoyed it.
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