A baker unlucky in love finds an unexpected connection to a doctor who's time in town will end with the start of a new year in this sensual yet heartwarming holiday-themed romance. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of A Lot Like Christmas by Jennifer Snow, then add this second installment in the Blue Moon Bay series to your bookshelf!
For Jessica Connolly, there is no better place than her coastal hometown of Blue Moon Bay. She has a wonderful family, supportive best friends, and a successful bakery on Main Street. Unfortunately, every time she designs one of her ex-boyfriends' wedding cakes, she's reminded just how unlucky she is with love...and that she's a good luck charm for men to find their happily ever after. With someone else. The minute they break up. So she's decided to be done with love.
Dr. Mitch Jameson is more comfortable traveling the world with Doctors Without Borders than staying in one place. He just needs to survive the holidays in his small hometown before he can leave again. The beautiful, intriguing bakery owner with an aversion to dating might be just who he needs to occupy his restless heart.From sipping hot chocolates at the local festival of lights to early morning dessert deliveries, Jessica and Mitch rediscover the spirit of the holidays. But when the 25 days of Christmas are over, will their romance be over, too?
EXCERPT:
He shot a quick glance toward her in the passenger seat of his rental. She’d licked her dark mauve colored lipstick from her lips during dinner and she hadn’t reapplied it. Did that mean she’d be open to a good night kiss? He’d read in a Cosmo magazine left behind on a flight once that the lack of reapplying lipstick was a sign...
Jeez, now he was getting his relationship advice from a magazine he had no business reading.
She looked at him, and he quickly turned his attention back to the road. “I’m just the next left,” she said, as he came to a stop sign. The speed limit in the neighborhood was thirty, but he couldn’t be going faster than ten. He was reluctant to see the night end, but inviting her back to the Inn for a drink had seemed too sleazy...but would she invite him into her place?
It had been far too long since he’d been on a real first date, and it was quickly becoming evident that he had no idea what the dating etiquette was these days in the era of apps and hookups. She’d been quiet on the drive back to her place, so it was hard to read her.
He turned onto her street and cleared his throat. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate tonight’s date?”
She grinned as she turned in the seat to face him. “Like if I was leaving a Yelp review?”
“Yes. Yelp review me.” He could take it. Hopefully, she wouldn’t dock him for his use of the word “corny” or his unimaginative date suggestion.
She looked as though she were thinking for a long moment. “Um...I’d say it was a solid eight.”
“Eight.” He nodded slowly. Not bad. Not a ten. “What could have I done for a better score?”
Jessica’s cheeks flushed slightly as she stared at their joined hands between the seats. “I docked you two points because you are a limited-time offer.”
He swallowed hard. So, she was looking for something a little more serious in a guy. Normally that response would have him doing the logical, responsible thing—breaking it off before the woman got too invested or got her feelings hurt. So far, he’d been honest and clear in his intentions. Saying goodnight and thanking her for a fun evening was the way to play this.
But he really wanted to see her again. More than he’d wanted a second date with a woman in a long time. He didn’t want to see her get hurt, of course, but maybe they could take things casually and see what happened.
All he knew was he’d been dreading this time in his hometown. Dreading the downtime, the holidays with his family, being in one place for too long...but Jessica was already helping him cope.
Jeez, now he was getting his relationship advice from a magazine he had no business reading.
She looked at him, and he quickly turned his attention back to the road. “I’m just the next left,” she said, as he came to a stop sign. The speed limit in the neighborhood was thirty, but he couldn’t be going faster than ten. He was reluctant to see the night end, but inviting her back to the Inn for a drink had seemed too sleazy...but would she invite him into her place?
It had been far too long since he’d been on a real first date, and it was quickly becoming evident that he had no idea what the dating etiquette was these days in the era of apps and hookups. She’d been quiet on the drive back to her place, so it was hard to read her.
He turned onto her street and cleared his throat. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate tonight’s date?”
She grinned as she turned in the seat to face him. “Like if I was leaving a Yelp review?”
“Yes. Yelp review me.” He could take it. Hopefully, she wouldn’t dock him for his use of the word “corny” or his unimaginative date suggestion.
She looked as though she were thinking for a long moment. “Um...I’d say it was a solid eight.”
“Eight.” He nodded slowly. Not bad. Not a ten. “What could have I done for a better score?”
Jessica’s cheeks flushed slightly as she stared at their joined hands between the seats. “I docked you two points because you are a limited-time offer.”
He swallowed hard. So, she was looking for something a little more serious in a guy. Normally that response would have him doing the logical, responsible thing—breaking it off before the woman got too invested or got her feelings hurt. So far, he’d been honest and clear in his intentions. Saying goodnight and thanking her for a fun evening was the way to play this.
But he really wanted to see her again. More than he’d wanted a second date with a woman in a long time. He didn’t want to see her get hurt, of course, but maybe they could take things casually and see what happened.
All he knew was he’d been dreading this time in his hometown. Dreading the downtime, the holidays with his family, being in one place for too long...but Jessica was already helping him cope.
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AUTHOR INFO:
Jennifer Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author writing contemporary romance fiction for Grand Central Publishing, Entangled and Harlequin. Her stories range in heat level from sweet to sexy and are set everywhere from big cities to small towns. Her books are light and humorous, but also full of heart, featuring families and communities readers love to visit over and over again.
Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, she now resides in Spain with her husband, son and three mischievous cats.
She currently publishes psychological thrillers under her pen name J.M. Winchester and writes screenplays and TV shows in her 'spare' time. Her holiday rom-com, Mistletoe and Molly airs Christmas 2021!
Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, she now resides in Spain with her husband, son and three mischievous cats.
She currently publishes psychological thrillers under her pen name J.M. Winchester and writes screenplays and TV shows in her 'spare' time. Her holiday rom-com, Mistletoe and Molly airs Christmas 2021!
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