The holidays have never been her thing. But Christmas in Rose Bend has more than one surprise in store…
Grieving ER nurse Nessa Hunt is on a road trip with her sullen teen half sister, Ivy, and still reeling from her mother’s deathbed confession: Nessa’s dad wasn’t really her dad. Seeking answers, they arrive in Rose Bend to find a small town teeming with the kind of Christmas cheer Nessa usually avoids. But then she meets the innkeeper’s ruggedly sexy son, Wolfgang Dennison.
Wolf’s big, boisterous family is like a picture-perfect holiday card. Nessa has too much weighing on her to feel like she fits—even though the heat between her and Wolf is undeniable. And the merriment bringing an overdue smile to Ivy’s face is almost enough to make Nessa believe in the Christmas spirit. But with all her parental baggage, including lingering questions about her birth father, is there room in Nessa’s life for happy holidays and happily-ever-after?
Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Christmas is that magical time of the year when second chances make themselves known, opportunities pop in to view, new beginnings spring up, or the best trope of all -- the hardened heart softens and a broken heart is mended.
In Christmas in Rose Bend, Nessa finds herself in her personal hell, a town that lives and breathes Christmas. She's there with her sister Ivy, a sibling she barely knows. Nessa's family's complicated history has made this one of the hardest Christmases she's had to face yet. Her mother passed away months ago, her father who had left her and her mother years before, passed away recently leaving her to care for Ivy. Nessa isn't ready for this. There's so much unresolved pain and anger from being abandoned by her father, then there's the massive secret bomb that her mother dropped on her before her death that's only compounded her feeling of abandonment and not fitting in. But spending the Christmas season in Rose Bend with Ivy was her late father's wish, and as much as it pains Nessa, she will step up and try to be a big sister to Ivy and not have her feel that she's been abandoned too. When she literally runs into Wolf, she and Ivy become fully embraced in his big family's generosity. His family runs the B&B Nessa and Ivy are staying at so there's no avoiding the family, and in particular Wolf who makes her feel things. Same goes for Wolf who feels an instant like to Nessa but also senses her apprehension. Not that he should get involved with anyone, much less a guest, anyway. His survivor's guilt from coming back from war has made him feel especially vulnerable, broken and feeling unworthy of anyone's love and forgiveness.
The overall story is beautiful. Three people pushing out of their own darkness to discover love, learn to trust and redefine family. And during Christmas when the festive mood facilitates those things. However, there's a lot to wade through to get to the happy ending. Christmas in Rose Bend is extremely heavy on grief, so it's not light or joyous holiday reading if that's what you're going for. Both of Nessa's parents passed away from cancer. Ivy's mom died when she was young. Wolf lost his best friend while they were serving, and his siblings have also experienced tragic loss which was at the center of the first book in this series. The blurb eludes to some sadness, but I wasn't prepared for what felt was an onslaught.
I made my way through it, though. The story does pick up. With backstories in order, and Nessa and Ivy settling in, I started to enjoy the story better. Nessa sand Wolf have incredible chemistry. I particularly liked Wolf's character because he's a modern day hero with some pretty outstanding qualities - attentive, conscientious about how he makes a woman feel with his presence. He's basically a dreamboat in a man bun. I also liked how Nessa was written as a bit prickly and not touchy feely. Her metamorphosis into someone who is willing to trust again and put herself out there is slow-going but she eventually gets there. And Wolf respects her boundaries. Where the story is weighed down by tragedy, it makes up for it with these particular details that modern romance fans appreciate.
It's my first time reading Naima Simone. While I liked Christmas in Rose Bend, it took me a bit to get past all the emotional turmoil and tragedies. Simone is a descriptive writer who's packed in some serious punches yet has somehow made this story palatable despite all the sorrow. As I said previously, this isn't lighthearted fare, but it's perfect if you want a story about redemption and forgiveness that eventually lead to the happily ever after.
~ Bel
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