About the Book:
Hollywood starlet Tia Beckett knows one moment can change your life. Her career had been on the fast track before a near-fatal accident left her with a debilitating facial scar. Certain her A-lister dreams are over, she agrees to house-sit at her producer’s secluded estate in Silver Springs. It’s the escape from the limelight Tia’s been craving, until she discovers she’s not the only houseguest for the holidays. And her handsome new roomie is impossible to ignore.
Artist Seth Turner has good reason to keep his distance. Losing his wife after only a few years of marriage has left a deep scar, even if he is still happy to spend a semester teaching art classes at the New Horizons Boys Ranch for troubled teens. Despite nursing her own wounds, Tia finds her curiosity piqued by enigmatic Seth, whom she recognizes as something of a kindred soul. Maybe spending Christmas together could be another game changer for both of them—this time, for good.
My Comments:
If there is one thing Christmas romances share, it is usually that they are sweet as the season with conflicts being minimal or a matter of misunderstanding. While Keep Me Warm At Christmas has the expected happy ending, the road there is a little grittier than in many such books.
For those familiar with the Silver Springs books, Seth is one of Aiyana's adopted sons. For those not familiar with the series, Aiyana runs a school for troubled kids, and over the years adopted some of them, who was might be imagined, have issues with trust, love etc.
Tia, as noted above is dealing with a disfiguring car accident. Their story went about as expected.
The gritty part of the story dealt with Tia' relationship with her parents, with Seth's relationship with his in-laws and with a photographer who was trying to get a picture of Tia. Honestly I didn't like the part about her parents. She came from a conservative Mennonite family and I didn't like the way Brenda Novak presented them or their faith. I realize the presentation was through the eyes of one who didn't fit in, but it irked me that the only mention of religion in a Christmas book was a negative one.
I'd like to thank the publisher for making a review copy available via NetGalley. Grade: B-