Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses: A feel good Christmas romance novel

Abbey and her son Max have always managed to get by, with a ton of hard work and scrimping, and an open door at her mother’s house. With her grandfather now battling Parkinson’s, her mother’s broken ankle and Christmas coming, Abbey would like nothing more than to lose some of her financial burdens and give Max the Christmas he deserves. For the past 5 years she’s managed to push off his disappointment in not getting everything with the excuse that Santa’s sleigh can’t hold it all – and she’s been guilty that he feels ‘less’ than his schoolmates. But, an opportunity comes up for her to decorate Caroline’s grandson’s home – she’s been a carer for Caroline in her small cottage on the estate grounds, and redecorated the cottage to add warmth, functionality and a touch of style. But her grandson Nick lives in the ‘big house’ which is desperately in need of decorating. Nick is consumed with making a success of his late father’s company – always working, single-mindedly focused on the task at hand. With a divorce behind him – he’s hiding many emotional scars behind a gentle, if firm, remove from the ‘messiness’ that is life. Doing all he can for his family and making sure they have what they need, from a distance. He hires Abbey on the spot, with little to no interest in ‘what’ she puts in the rooms to decorate – only that it be done for his family’s arrival before Christmas. An enigma where Abbey is concerned – so buttoned up in contrast to her own emotionally open and curious nature, her own rather quick-to-judge impressions of his remove all based in the differences in their economic statuses is perhaps the first thing that has Nick surprised and intrigued. Slowly we see Abbey as she struggles with her guilt over Max and not being able to be ‘everything’ for him as a single parent, and her struggles with the curiosity she has about Nick, and his discomfort with her questions. But, beneath it all, Nick is intrigued with her – and finds himself putting his work aside to share meals, shopping and even some truly lovely moments with Max, who instantly gravitates toward him. With Abbey’s understandable hesitations about the connection that is building between Max and Nick, and the shock with which Nick’s family recognizes just how different he is since Abbey arrived, there are moments galore that show Nick’s remove slipping, by his own actions and the ‘take no prisoners’ approach that Abbey shows him – from picking up pieces after breaking promises, to sitting beside him as he shares a piece of himself that his family never saw – this is a lovely story of second chances and growth, perfect for the holidays. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.