ARC Review: The Christmas Key by Lori Wilde

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
 
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“I was 100% behind the idea behind this story, but not so much on the execution.”
~ Under the Covers

This saddens me.  The Twilight Texas has been one I look forward to reading every year around the holidays because they are sweet small town romances.  Think cute Hallmark movies.  When I cracked open THE CHRISTMAS KEY I was fully expecting to be swept up by that feeling and instead it kept making me feel either annoyed or wondering who could act like the characters were.

The hero of the story is dealing with PTSD and a lot of guilt from losing one of his men during combat.  He’s been getting help and is finally ready to re-acclimate to civilian life, dealing with his own injury from the attack they faced.  The man he lost left him a note to return a key to his family and that they would know what it was for so he heads to their small town, carrying all his guilt and not knowing how he will face the family.  And instead of coming clean about who he is and why he’s there, he assumes the identity of a handyman they were waiting for and thinks he could maybe work off that guilt by doing free labor for them.

I was 100% behind the idea behind this story, but not so much on the execution.  It seemed like it would be an emotional and tender holiday story.  But instead it annoyed me because of the lack of communication.  The romance also has a heavy dose of insta love and that comes from the cookie story.  Both the hero and heroine slept with one of these special cookies under their pillows the year before that would’ve made them dream of their one true love.  And now they both get the meet that person in real life, so things in the love department went a bit fast for my taste because of that.

Maybe this would’ve been a book that I could’ve DNF because it never really spoke to me, but I kept waiting for it to turn around so I stuck with it.  In the end it’s definitely my least favorite story in this series.

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Francesca

Blogger/Reviewer at Under the Covers Book Blog

I’m a 30 something sun lover currently living in Florida.I’m a book and coffee addict and lover of all things elephants.

I get easily distracted by pictures of sexy guys and have tons of book boyfriends.I keep all my alpha males chained to my basement and guard them fiercely.*Back off bitches*I like to see Jason Momoa as a lot of those boyfriends, because ….. mmmmmmm JASON.MOMOA!

I’m a part time graphic designer (yes, everything you see on UTC has been done by me), run my husband's business from home and on a good day I’m a self appointed superwoman (she who can do it all).I love blogging with my girls and I couldn’t do it any other way!My first love is everything paranormal, but in the past few years I’ve re-learned to love contemporary romance.Every once in a while I like to mix things up with a historical romance, a steampunk or an LGBT book.Because I need variety to avoid book slumps.I don’t always need an HEA although I prefer one, and I love authors that can rip my heart out and make me ugly cry.

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