Welcome Home for Christmas by Annie Rains Series: Hero's Welcome #4
Published by Loveswept
Publication Date: November 8th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 185
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC
Goodreads
Buy Online: Amazon ♥ B&N ♥ Kobo
Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
The bestselling Hero’s Welcome series continues with a juicy Christmas romance, a short novel set in Seaside, North Carolina, where the bustling military base keeps this small town stocked with dedicated, lovable heroes.
Three-hundred-and-sixty-four days a year, Allison Carmichael doesn’t mind being single. It sure beats dating another loser, and it keeps her heart safe. Then there’s that three-hundred-and-sixty-fifth day: Christmas Eve, the traditional time her entire family gathers together—and gangs up on her, demanding to know when she’s going to get married. This year, she swears, is going be different. And that’s why, at a charity auction she’s throwing on-base, she buys herself a man.
Sergeant Troy Matthews insists that he’s not for sale. His time is, though, and he’s happy to donate it. Happier still when he learns the identity of the winning bidder: the redhead with the killer good looks and smart mouth who runs the veteran’s center. Allison needs Troy’s help to fool her family into believing they’re an item, and he’s all too happy to indulge her. But by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, their little charade is working a little too well . . . because Troy’s falling head over heels.
Review
This is a fitting read for the season – a sweet, cute and mildly angsty holiday romance with enjoyable characters, and my first read in this series and by this author.
Allison Carmichael likes her life the way it is and is fed up with the constant pressure from her family about settling down and for Christmas has decided to hire a date to attend her family dinner with her as her pretend boyfriend. And she has the perfect idea to achieve this: by bidding on a bachelor at a charity auction.
Sergeant Troy Matthews is not a fan of the holiday season for multiple reasons but he’s always willing to help out for a good cause and if it means strutting his stuff on stage for a bachelor auction, well, not his deal but he’ll do it. Even better, the winning bidder is someone he’s excited to spend time with so it’s a win-win for him.
To prepare for their eventual event, it only makes sense for Allison and Troy to get in some pretend dates and in the process they get to know each other better. What started out as a pretend relationship becomes one that could go the distance, if they both want it to.
There is a perfectly good reason why it’s always best to start a series from the beginning, advice I did not take here and I found myself struggling to make sense of the characters and how they all connected. Also, Allison initially came across as difficult and closed off, but opened up as the story progressed and every new detail about her made her more likable.
Troy was a really fun character in spite of his much talked about commitment-free past and he provided much of the humor in this story. WELCOME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS was a fun holiday read but I will recommend reading the series in order.
About Annie Rains
Annie Rains is a contemporary romance author who writes small town love stories set in fictional towns on the coast of North Carolina. Raised in one of America's largest military communities, Annie often features heroes who fight for their countries, while also fighting for a place to call home and a good woman to love. When Annie isn't writing, she's spending time with her husband and 3 children, or reading a book by one of her favorite authors. Represented by Sarah Younger at Nancy Yost Literary Agency (NYLA).
Leave a Reply