Christmas on Reindeer Road    

Highland Falls

By Debbie Mason        

ISBN13: 9781538716960

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra                   

Summary:

Can the magic of mistletoe bring together two busy single parents?

Mallory Maitland knows all too well what it’s like to feel abandoned, which is why she’s sworn never to give up on her two stepsons – her late husband’s children. But when the teens land in hot water, she’s got a whole new problem: how to resist the caring and incredibly hot Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan. All Mallory wants is to give the boys a magical holiday. She doesn’t need the distraction of wondering what it would be like to kiss Gabriel under the mistletoe.

After his wife died, Gabriel left his job as an adrenaline-chasing New York City homicide detective to focus on raising his three sons. But back in Highland Falls, he doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. It finds him – in the form of a beautiful neighbor and her troublemaking stepchildren. With Gabriel’s mother-in-law looking for any excuse to gain custody of his sons, Gabriel can’t risk getting involved with Mallory, even though she’s the only woman capable of making this Christmas – and all the rest to come – his best ever. (Goodreads)

Review:

Christmas on Reindeer Road is the second book in the Highland Falls series by Debbie Mason. This story centres around the lives of Mallory Maitland, a native of Highland Falls that is returning to her home town with her two stepsons following the death of her husband and Gabriel Buchanan (recently widowed), who has also returned to his roots in accepting the position of Chief of Police in Highland Falls to provide a new start for his three boys.

Mallory must deal with her step-sons down right distain for moving to Highland Falls as they would rather remain in boarding school in England. However, with their deceased father’s estate going to his first wife (and not Mallory), the funds are just not available to maintain their enrollment overseas.

Gabriel has a number of issues to deal with as well – the least of which is the ongoing tug of war for living arrangements of his sons with his late wife’s parents.

Let me start off by saying that there is a lot of family angst within each of the family units, which provide some gut wrenching moments. But never fear, there are some delightfully chuckle worthy moments as well with romance and swoon worthy scenes to make one’s heart pitter patter.

I came to love Teddy (a six-year-old young lad), Gabriel’s youngest son. He had a mission and by golly – he was one tenacious young man. His “match making” endeavours were what captured my heart. A young boy, who was too young to know his mother before she passed, with a goal of making it the BEST Christmas he has ever had by getting himself a mother J  He still believed in the magic of Christmas and everyone (and I literally mean everyone in town) did their upmost to make sure that magical feeling was upheld for Teddy’s sake.

One thing I found a bit unbelievable – the fact that Mallory had this awesome car and was totally oblivious to its coolness. Really, who doesn’t know how special a Jag is – of course it might be my bias as I do appreciate great cars:

“Harry was into cars. He loved the Jag but they all look the same to me. Put me in a parking lot, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you which car was mine.”

“Okay, that’s just sacrilege.” He looked sincerely offended.    

I had the biggest chuckle at Mallory’s favourite made up curse word “son of a nutcracker.”  Adding to the chuckle factor were the senior’s in this book. I truly enjoy the senior perspective as they take liberties due to their life experiences, which is just priceless.

I also want to say that I was really drawn in by the cover art. Very festive without being over the top :).

I stand by my love of all written by Debbie Mason (well – at least the books I have read to date). Of course, if history is any indication – I am certain to love those few unread titles by Ms. Mason (a situation I hope to rectify in the very near future).

If “Christmas themed books” are your reading “jam”, you enjoy laughter and you like “Hallmark” type stories with a wonderfully crafted HEA (happily ever after) – then I highly recommend Christmas on Reindeer Road.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*