Do Not Open 'Til Christmas
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
What happens when a Scrooge-like boss and a determined young woman have to work together during the holidays? A Christmas of surprises . . .
Bret Radner once dreamed of being a hard-hitting journalist, exposing corruption and writing Pulitzer-winning pieces. But heart-tugging circumstances kept him at the Tall Pine Gazette, where small town life, new neighbors, and human interest stories are the news. In charge for the entire holiday season, Bret is determined to run the newsroom right. Yet with a too-pretty rookie reporter to train, he finds himself challenged on just about everything . . .
A waitress at the Pine ‘n’ Dine restaurant, freelance reporter Chloe Davenport finally gets her big chance to work full-time for the Gazette. But proving herself to her handsome boss won’t be easy. He turns down all her holiday-themed stories and, in fact, doesn’t seem to like Christmas at all. Yet the closer Chloe works with Bret, the more she realizes that his tough exterior conceals a hidden hurt . . . and a heart she wants to fill with glad tidings of great joy—for many seasons to come . . .
“Sierra Donovan captures the magic of Christmas in this charming and romantic tale. I smiled the entire time I was reading it!” —Shirlee McCoy on We Need a Little Christmas
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Donovan's very sweet third Evergreen Lane romance veers toward the bland with its unexceptional protagonists. Tall Pine is known for its Christmas celebrations, from the year-round Christmas-themed hotel to the giant tree the town decorates each year. Bret Radner has hated the Christmas season since his mother died around that time seven years ago. As acting editor of the Tall Pine Gazette, he has to contend with Chloe Davenport, the paper's recently hired temporary writer, and her incessantly, almost gratingly, peppy story ideas. Thanks to Bret's brusque mentorship, Chloe develops as a writer and soon has a loyal following for her human interest stories. These allow Donovan some heartwarming moments of small-town life, including some that continue stories from earlier books. Bret and Chloe's conflicts and playful teasing never quite rise to match the intensity of their secret feelings, and the holiday setting is perhaps too incidental. The final hurdles to the happy ending raise the stakes, but come too late to offset Bret and Chloe's lack of spark and spunk. This gentle courtship will comfort readers but falls short of real Christmas magic.
