A Christmas Bride
Susan Mallery

Genre: Contemporary
Heat Level: Mild
Rating:

Only Us

Pet groomer Carina Fiore wants nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loves. She's drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie's good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. There's just one problem—he's her boss. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all….

The Sheik and the Christmas Bride

When Prince As'ad of El Deharia agrees to adopt three orphaned American girls, he does so on one condition—that their beautiful teacher, Kayleen James, become their nanny. His plan is to leave her to deal with the children as he continues his life, undisturbed. But all that changes when Kayleen and the girls invade the palace—and As'ad's heart—and change it for the better.

Review

Susan Mallery knows how to master a genuine, heartfelt romance. There’s a complete balance of joy and humor that will leave readers satisfied with each story in this book.

Only Us: A Fool’s Gold Christmas

Carina Fiore is in love with her boss but he has no clue. Fear of his rejection and losing his friendship holds her back from professing her love. She would much rather protect their friendship and the relationship she’s built with his daughter, Kaitlyn. With a little encouragement from her friends, Rina decides to throw caution to the wind and fight for the family she has grown to care for.

Cameron McKenzie is looking forward to settling down in the small town of Fool’s Gold with his young daughter. He is still healing from the blow of his ex leaving him and their child. A relationship would only complicate things, but in a town predominated by women, it is hard not to fall into temptation.

This is a cute and wonderful holiday story. While I found it too short, I love how it fell into place. Kaitlyn is a great balance to the family dynamic. She adds a sweet and wonderful touch and the love she shows for Rina is genuine.

“We haven’t talked about what we’re getting her for Christmas,” his daughter informed him.

“I don’t want to get her a sweater. Rina loves us. We need to give her a present that says we love her, too.”

There was a conversation he didn’t want to have, he thought grimly. “Love is complicated,” he began, but his daughter shook her head.

“It’s not. It’s simple. Love is when we care more about somebody else than we do ourselves. It’s like with Mommy. She didn’t love us and that’s why she left. Because if she’d loved us, she would have wanted to stay. People who love you want to be with you. And we want the people we love to always be around.”

Needless to say, Kaitlyn has more sense than her father and she reminds Cameron that he needs to fight for Rina. I wish that I believe Cameron came to his senses more naturally, but the story is rushed and I’m left feeling a bit disappointed at how unrealistically he falls for her.  

Rating: 3
Heat: 1

The Sheikh and the Christmas Bride

Prince As’ad can never say no to his aunt and when she requests that he come to the orphanage to deal with a crisis, he doesn’t even hesitate. Little does he know that he has just walked into his aunt’s plan to set him up with the American teacher residing there.

The three little American girls have captured Kayleen’s heart. So when a tribal chief comes along to take them to a nearby village, she naturally loses her cool to keep them together. She is surprised to see Prince As’ad arrive, offering to adopt the three girls with one condition…she must come to live with them at the royal palace as their nanny.

Of course, Kayleen can’t stand the idea of the girls being separated and she quickly agrees to the Prince’s terms. She is not in the least bit prepared to live in the palace or to receive ice-cold treatment from the Prince. She expected him to embrace the girls as his own.

When Kayleen announces that she will be leaving for America in a few months, Prince As’ad hatches a plan to seduce her. Along the way, he realizes he loves her and he must convince her that they will be a family.

This story leaves me with a mix of emotions. On one hand, I found it cute and entertaining while on the other hand, I found it a bit far fetched. Prince As’ad is arrogant and I didn’t buy his love until the very end. The side story about Prince As’ad’s aunt falling in love with a King could have been left out. It adds nothing to the plot, especially since the aunt is worrying about him being a King. She is royalty for goodness sake! She’s had her entire life to acclimate to being part of a royal family.

Rating: 3
Heat: 3

Reviewed by Samantha