Review: Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason

I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason
Series: Highland Falls #2
Published by Forever on 2020-09-29
Length: 368 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2020, 2020 New Release Challenge

Fans of RaeAnne Thayne and Debbie Macomber will love this USA Today bestselling author's latest holiday romance about two single parents whose holiday wishes come true in the small town of Highland Falls.

Can the magic of mistletoe bring together two busy single parents?

Mallory Maitland knows all too well what it's like to feel abandoned, which is why she's sworn never to give up on her two stepsons - her late husband's children. But when the teens land in hot water, she's got a whole new problem: how to resist the caring and incredibly hot Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan. All Mallory wants is to give the boys a magical holiday. She doesn't need the distraction of wondering what it would be like to kiss Gabriel under the mistletoe.

After his wife died, Gabriel left his job as an adrenaline-chasing New York City homicide detective to focus on raising his three sons. But back in Highland Falls, he doesn't have to go looking for trouble. It finds him - in the form of a beautiful neighbor and her troublemaking stepchildren. With Gabriel's mother-in-law looking for any excuse to gain custody of his sons, Gabriel can't risk getting involved with Mallory, even though she's the only woman capable of making this Christmas - and all the rest to come - his best ever.

It is no secret that Debbie Mason is my go-to author this time of year. Her holiday romances have set the bar high for me. I love her small town settings and typical contemporary romance tropes. Christmas on Reindeer Road is Mason’s newest release and one of my favorites. Following two single parents as they navigate the busybodies of their small town, this book is sure to leave even the grinchiest heart smiling. 

Mallory Maitland was first introduced in Summer on Honeysuckle Ridge as the recently widowed aunt of the bridezilla featured in the book. Now after months in legal battles, Mallory’s late-husband’s affairs have been left with his first wife and his sons are hers. Barely ten years older than her new stepsons, Mallory is in over her head yet determined to give the boys a home and the love she knows they desperately need. I love Mallory! My heart broke for her over and over again. Her compassion and need to show the boys that she wanted them and they were loved is truly all I needed to know that she was a fantastic human being. While she is fighting for the boys, Mallory herself doesn’t believe that she is worthy of the love she doles out. She’s built a wall around herself that is hard to breach. 

Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan was taken by Mallory when he met her last Summer, but he isn’t quite ready to give his heart away again. Losing his wife in a car accident several years prior, Gabriel is a single dad just doing the best that he can. With three boys of his own, he easily recognizes the struggle Mallory is having with her stepsons, but he also recognizes her heart for the boys. When her custody of them is challenged, Gabriel is quick to step in and help her where he can. His new neighbor is worming her way into his heart whether he wants her too or not. 

The plot of this one is quite simple. Mallory wants to use the magic of Christmas to bring some cheer and love to her stepsons in any way she can. What she doesn’t count on is that they are teens and not really into Santa and his elves anymore. Gabriel’s youngest also has a plan. He plans to save Christmas and his little family by finding a mom, and he has his eyes set on Mallory. 

Overall I adored Christmas on Reindeer Road. It has the right amount of over-the-top sweetness mixed with those steamier swoon-worthy moments. Gabe and Mallory are a sweet, opposites attract couple. And I ADORE all their boys. Each and every one of them, even the surly teen, wormed their way into my heart. If you enjoy holiday romances, be sure to add this one to your shelf this season.

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