Harmony Kinkaid has lost a lot in a short amount of time: her job, her boyfriend, and her grandmother. Christmas is fast approaching, the first since her beloved grandmother's death, and Harmony is already not looking forward to it when her mother drops the bombshell that she's going to spend the holiday with her new beau and finally meet his family. Harmony doesn't begrudge her Mom's newfound happiness (the woman deserves it) and she does invite Harmony to come along - but she just can't. She wants to crawl into a hole to wait out the holidays and she gets her chance when a temp job on a remote Scottish island falls into her lap. She jumps on it.
What Harmony didn't bargain for is that the Scottish island is considered "the North Pole of Scotland" and every year it's like Christmas throws up all over it. They hold a winter festival every year and it brings in a fair amount of tourism, which the island needs. On top of this? Her new temporary boss is the local "Laird" (a bit of an honorary title given to him by the locals) - Dr. Cameron MacRurie. The attraction is instant for both of them, and very unwelcome on her part. Not only is he her boss, he's a bit of a daredevil - just like her father. He has a long-term health condition, just like her father, and despite that health condition he takes risks with extreme sports with total disregard to life and limb. Her father's death from an extreme sports accident left a gaping hole in Harmony's life, made her mother's life exceedingly harder - nope, a daredevil man is the last thing Harmony needs in her life. So why can't she stay away from Cam?
This is a soft, big-hearted read and just what the doctor ordered. Cam and Harmony both have interesting baggage and spark off each other well. She's orderly and a little uptight. He's devil may care and charming as hell. The island and local village serves as it's own secondary character and the inhabitants add charm and color to liven up the Christmas setting.
The conflict relies heavily on internal angst and the fact that both Harmony and Cam are trapped by their own fears borne out of their respective childhoods - her, the death of her father, him, a mother who coddled him to the point of suffocation because of his Type 1 diabetes. Naturally they can only ignore the attraction for so long, fall into bed, and fall into love - which brings these fears bubbling right up to the surface.
This was a perfect holiday read. Warm, cozy, with enough small town charm to lighten my cold black heart. I really liked our couple and I was rooting for their happy ever after the whole way. McIntosh is definitely a newfound favorite.
Final Grade = B
2 comments:
This sounds lovely! I've slacked off on my Medicals reading over the year but I may have to get this one.
Jill: I'm not widely read in Medicals, but so far McIntosh has been very solid for me. I've read 3 of hers (?) and they've all been very solid B reads. Cozy, warm, with just the right dollop of angst.
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