Although I don’t like the single-parent trope, I do have a soft-spot for a falling for the nanny story. Add in an age-gap, and I melt! This story had all of it, plus a small-town and holiday sweetness and spice.
36 year old Rhett, is the mayor of small-town Jasper Falls. He’s had a tough time keeping his nannies, and he needs someone to provide what he can’t for his young daughter. Skylar, is 21 years old, and has been so busy working at the family restaurant, getting her associate’s degree, and being sucked into her large family’s drama and needs. After a chance run in at the park, Rhett asks Skylar to be his live-in nanny. The attraction is immediate, but he never expected to experience the meaning of love (and Christmas) with a younger woman who couldn’t be more his opposite.
I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Skylar is a bit bland for me. She was sweet and kind, but I never FELT anything for her. Rhett was pretty selfish with her (sometimes the people most lacking of affection, are the ones most selfish with it). He wanted everything Skylar had to give, while knowing he had no intentions of giving her more than what he was. However, I felt most connected to him and his backstory did a lot in helping me understand his character. Rhett also grew by leaps and bounds toward the end.
As for the romance, there was a time when I struggled to feel the romantic element between the two. The attraction is there, but it didn’t feel romantic until closer toward the end.
The last handful of chapters were very sweet. They added in the pining and romance aspects, as well has character development. I appreciated the lesson that Skylar herself knew what was best for her. It’s a hard lesson to learn when you have overbearing people (who often mean well) telling you otherwise. But Skylar trusted her instincts and stood up for what she wanted and felt was right.
I am new to Jasper Falls and Lydia Michaels. I do think I want to go back to the first book and learn more about the people of Jasper Falls.
3.5 ⭐️/5
🎧/3