Christmas Rekindled

 . . . Tacoma bartender River Lundqvist has a damn good reason for hating Christmas. Working at Bangers Tavern keeps him busy and helps him work through the grief associated with tragic loss. “Get back to living” is the last thing he wants to hear. 

. . . Freelance web designer Charlie Khoury returns to Tacoma for a family emergency—only for the short term—and must brace herself for the suckiest Christmas ever. A temporary job at Bangers gives her a chance to earn the money needed to keep her business afloat, escape her father’s constant criticism, and blow off steam caused by the abrupt desertion of a long-term boyfriend.      

. . . Their unplanned introduction at Bangers stirs up powerful desires—as well as errant thoughts of starting anew. Except the timing is off. After greedy developers threaten to take over Bangers, River and Charlie muster the troops to save the neighborhood symbol of family, comfort and home away from home. Sizzling chemistry might feel like the real thing—but do rebound relationships last?

Our Review:   Once again, author Sadira Stone has not failed her fans with this colorful setting, which she populated with unique characters and even more unique events designed to save the bar. [Gus the Grump in his SpongeBob pajama shirt to celebrate PJ Nite was a particularly fun touch.] As well, her skill for nicely subtle sexual tension, slowly building to a mind-blowing crescendo is well done. For fans of well-drawn plot lines with steamy romance, terrific characters and snappy dialogue, this is the book for you.

On a scale of 1-5, Christmas Rekindled earns a 7.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews