e-Audio, 08:32:12
Narrated by: Leon Nixon, Gene Roberson, Sable Lyn
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Published by: Recorded Books, Inc
Read from: October 4-6, 2024
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
Content Warning: Death of a Parent, Alcoholism, Child Death, Rape, Cancer
For Readers Interested In: Holidaze, Sparkly Covers, Own Voices, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Black), Realistic Fiction, Romance, Surprise PregnancyOld flames are reunited with the burden of their past and a love that still lingers in this heartfelt holiday romance by Jahquel J. Being known as the daughter of the Sageport’s town drunk always left Faith Stone defending her mother and herself. Her only solace was her boyfriend, Rome. Even as a teenager, Faith knew she wanted forever with Rome Atkins. Their small town, her mother’s struggles, and everyone’s opinions of their relationship couldn’t hold them back forever. After graduation, they would put Sageport behind them and start life anew together, but prom night will change everything. Fifteen years later, Faith, now a divorced single parent, finds herself back in Sageport for the holidays. The memories and pain are still fresh, as if everything happened yesterday, especially when she runs into Rome, who never left Sageport. Also fresh are the unexpected lingering feelings they still harbor for each other. Do old wounds run too deep, or can the joy of Christmas provide enough healing power for a second chance love reunion?
*MY THOUGHTS*
As I stated in one of my other reviews, I am a SUCKER for holiday romances. And now that it’s October, I’m like knee deep in them lol So of course when I saw this cover I couldn’t help but add it to my TBR ASAP!
I just KNEW it was going to be December before I got my hands on this book lol But I hurried to put a hold on it because I didn’t want to be reading this in like January lol So imagine how excited I was when I saw this show up as ready to check out. And I’m actually glad I read it so early. The holiday vibes were subtle and just what I needed to last me over until the holidays. The cover and the title are the most in your face holiday thing about this book lol (Well besides the ending when they’re exchanging gifts lol)
Ok so the characters were really what made this book for me. I think I loved Faith. I felt for her so bad. She didn’t deserve any of the turmoil her mother put her through back then. And even through all of that, she had still lost a parent. She never got the chance to grieve. Even if she wanted to. And then here comes the one person she loved and he left her too. That was traumatic. But through it all she never quit. And then she gets a divorce and has twin girls? Lordt she was put through the ringer. As for Rome, he wasn’t my favorite, but he definitely knew what he wanted. I had to say I respected him for being upfront and saying exactly what he wanted. And then for going out and getting it, even when the circumstances weren’t the best. But then there was his mama. I knew as soon as I met her she was on some bs. She was too into their business to not be. It was a mess.
The romance between them was ok. He basically decided he was done caring about everything his mom said and he was dead set on getting back with her. It was weird to go from 0 to 60 lol I know it was over years, but we didn’t see any of the healing he went through, so it seemed like it was just super fast. But once they got together it was like a cozy romance.
The thing that pulled me out of this story tho was the repetitiveness. It was said approximately 80 times what her mom did by her and then another 80 by him too. At one point I contemplated actually counting, but I was already like 40% into the story and it wouldn’t have been accurate. It was unfortunate because I was paying more attention to that than the story itself, which was unfortunate because I thought she would talk more about the things she found out about her mom or what she found out about her mom. Or how the relationship between his mom and her were changed because of the Christmas present. But instead it was constantly about her mom. She wasn’t even in the book except for the memory of her and it was all about her.
I will never turn down a winter holiday romance book. I mean never. I will ALWAYS pick it up, no matter what month it is, no matter what holiday. I LOVE that special time of year and it always just seems so much more magical. And that was definitely the case with this one. It had a few hiccups, but in reality, I couldn’t put it down and I was smiling ear to ear while reading this in October lol
Overall, I give this
