Christmas at the Cove

be prepared for a high-anxiety read full of moments you want to knock heads

Jumping into a series that combines some of my favorite elements is never a hardship and in Christmas at the Cove, Rachel Brimble brings the lovely English seaside village of Templeton Cove into the story as a background and almost-character in this second chance romance.

Carrie is back in town after an absence, looking to touch base with Scott, the man she had a fling with years before. Townsfolk are not particularly welcoming, they love their Scott and after his last relationship ended more than badly, are unwilling to allow him to be hurt.

Scott could be a playboy, if he didn’t have a sense of obligation and respect for the women he encounters. While the fling with Carrie was just that, he did care for her, in as much as he could allow thoughts of something more to intrude. He’s cautious though, after his last relationship became more than tumultuous, and threatened his ability to care for his mum and sisters.

Two people, issues and drama – oh it was never ending. From the unwillingness of BOTH characters to speak their minds and be honest to the “secret” that Carrie seems to be using as her reason to NOT fully (against all reason and sense) be honest, to both characters lack of thoughtful considered choices, which as we all know aren’t always successful, but to their credit, they do both manage to deal with (if not well, honestly or particularly thoughtfully) with the consequences.

As an introduction to Brimble’s work, this was a good one, but be prepared for a high-anxiety read full of moments you want to knock heads about – off brick walls, in a coal scuttle, or together. Carrie is particularly difficult – everything with her is a test or has an angle, and with Scott’s own issues, red flags fly stronger than capes at a bullfight. You can’t help but welcome the distractions from their drama with secondary characters from the village, their ‘us v them’ mentality, and their inability to keep their own opinions quiet. A perfect setting for a story, incredibly frustrating and intrusive (even with the obvious good intent) in real life.

I will say that my least favorite (ok – HATED) trope here was used, and while I thought Brimble used reasoning that felt logical for Carrie, even if the decisions she made were horrible and unfair. Moments of steam and the connection between the two do appear, and show a decided path to that mostly happy ever after, although from the drama here, I don’t know if these two could appreciate happiness and coupledom that didn’t include some over-the-top self-induced drama. Overall – a solid read that will encourage me to read more of her titles.

I received an eBook copy of the title via the Tour Company for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.