Review: One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson #BlogTour #HarlequinBooks


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ONE CHRISTMAS WISH

Author: Brenda Jackson

ISBN: 9781335201980

Publisher: HQN Books


Purchase Links: 

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It’s Christmas in Catalina Cove, a time of promise and second chances. But when you’re starting over, love is the last thing you’re wishing for…


Vaughn Miller’s Wall Street career was abruptly ended by a wrongful conviction and two years in prison. Since then, he’s returned to his hometown, kept his head down and forged a way forward. When he is exonerated and his name cleared, he feels he can hold his head up once again, maybe even talk to the beautiful café owner who sets his blood to simmering.

Sierra Crane escaped a disastrous marriage—barely. She and her six-year-old goddaughter have returned to the only place that feels like home. Determined to make it on her own, Sierra opens a soup café. Complication is the last thing she needs, but the moment Vaughn walks into her café, she can’t keep her eyes off the smoldering loner.

When they give in to their attraction, what Sierra thought would be a onetime thing becomes so much more. Vaughn knows she’s the one. Sierra can’t deny the way Vaughn makes her feel, but she’s been burned before. With Christmas approaching, Vaughn takes a chance to prove his love, and it will be up to Sierra to decide if her one Christmas wish—true happiness—will come true.

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One Christmas Wish is the fifth entry in the Catalina Cove series and my first novel by Brenda Jackson. Sierra Crane was raising her young goddaughter, running a small business, and still trying to heal after her ex-husband’s betrayal ended their seven-year marriage. Vaughn Miller has recently been exonerated for a crime he did not commit, after serving two years in prison. A return to his hometown and a fresh start has helped sooth the bitterness over all that he lost. When Sierra and Vaughn met there was instant chemistry, but Sierra was determined to keep her distance. She was slow to trust and unwilling to give up her independence for any man. But Vaughn knew his feelings were the real thing and was patient enough to wait until Sierra could see that, too.

Despite Sierra’s efforts to keep things with Vaughn casual, it was obvious she had feelings for him that ran deeper than she was ready to admit. While her hesitancy was understandable (to a point), I found Vaughn’s approach so refreshing. He was a man who had been burned in the past but was willing to put his heart on the line again for the woman he was quickly coming to love. His patience, his understanding, and his care and concern truly made him the star of the show for me. When some drama with Sierra’s ex happened late in the story, her stubbornness and insistence on “handling her own business” became a real stumbling block and it was frustrating to see her fight against someone who was so clearly on her side and trying to help. Thank goodness Vaughn had the patience of a saint!

There were a lot of characters mentioned throughout the story and while it was a bit overwhelming at times, it also helped set the stage and reflect what a tight knit community Catalina Cove was. The story did take place over the holidays, the seasonal elements were fairly mild: talk of the small town’s Christmas on Main Street, a tree decorating party. I found the story’s “twist” concerning the titular Christmas wish to be a bit over the top with the kismet aspect, and truly not necessary to the story, but it also didn’t detract from my enjoyment.

One Christmas Wish was a quaint small town romance with a strong focus on the community and those who called Catalina Cove home. Readers looking for a heartwarming comfort read with a bit of spice will surely enjoy Jackson’s One Christmas Wish.

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About Brenda Jackson

Brenda Jackson is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and traveling.


 

30 comments

  1. I was wondering if this was one you could jump right into, but it sounds like it might be better to read the rest of the books first.
    Great review! I've missed reading your thoughts on books lately.

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    1. I think the cast of characters would have been easier to follow had I read the previous books, but it wasn't necessarily a stumbling block.

      Aw, thanks Deanna. I've missed posting more but work has been brutal and any downtime is just spent trying to relax and recharge. Hopefully things will return to normal soon!

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  2. I love books with a huge cast of characters! I'm glad it worked for the story despite being a little overwhelming. :)

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬

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    1. A good cast of characters always seems to make for a richer, fuller story. :)

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  3. I enjoy small town romances. Sierra sounds a bit challenging, but it seems like Vaughn helped make the story a win.

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    1. Vaughn was such a good man. I really appreciated how up front he was with his feelings for Sierra (and her god daughter) and the future he wanted with them as a family.

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  4. I love small town settings in Christmas stories. Good to hear the many side characters from the series didn't keep you from enjoying it!

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  5. Sounds like fun and the community sounds like a big part of the story, which is always nice especially when it's fun to read about (I like it when a story makes you want toLIVE there)! Nice cover also!

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    1. I think the cover was what initially got me interested. :)

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  6. aww what a darling read this sounds like. I have definitely had this author on my list for quite a while. And I adore seeing close knit communities in iromances.

    Lovely review.

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    1. I'm sure I'll be reading more from Brenda Jackson. Oh, and I learned that she lives here in my city!

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  7. This sounds like a cute read! I love small town romances so much. Maybe in real life I'd go crazy, but reading about them always give me so much comfort.

    Genesis @ Whispering Chapters

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    1. LOL Same here, Genesis! Love reading about small town but definitely don't want to live in one.

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  8. I always delight in a community focus, but I would have expected more Christmas with a cover like that

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    1. Same here, Sam. On both counts. I do love when a story widens the lens enough to include the people within the community.

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  9. Great review! Glad you could slip in despite it being your first. Bummer it didn't have more holiday.

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    1. With the cover and the title I definitely expected more of a holiday aspect, but it certainly didn't lessen my enjoyment. :)

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  10. This sound like the perfect little Christmas read!

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  11. Vaughn sounds like such a great guy! I can understand Sierra's reluctance, though.

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  12. This sounds pretty good. I enjoy a good small town romance and both main characters sound appealing to me, especially Vaughn.

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    1. I'm a sucker for a good small town romance. And Vaughn was so great.

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  13. Day by day I starting to like romancing novel. I love this one too especially Vaughn, it is very interesting character.

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  14. I love quaint small town romance!

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