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aboutthatstory's review against another edition
4.0
Such an awesome story! It was sweet and fun with the perfect mix of emotion added in. By the end, my heart was pretty much exploding with happiness. :-)
This had everything I love rolled up into one impactful story. The story jumps right in with all the important details and introductions and I immediately wanted Nick and Ellie to have their happily ever after. I totally understood their conflict and why they were holding back. Their attraction to the other is really fun and cute, all the longing and looks. It had me smiling big time. It was so sweet watching their shields come down as they let their attraction out. Nick was so kind and caring and Ellie was just so strong with all that had happened in her life. I loved their internal struggle to work through everything. They had a wonderful connection and ease with one another and really like how everything grew so naturally.
I thought the writing was great. There are excellent details and a really nice cast of characters. There was a great build and pace as well. The story moved along at a quick pace but it never felt rushed or like it was missing anything. There was so much emotion and that ending, it was all I could do not to ball my eyes out. It was just a sweet, cathartic moment. Add some sexy times in to round it all out and it was pretty great read.
I love an HEA that leaves my heart feeling full and that’s exactly what happened. Wonderful story full of so much love, strength, and healing. Fantastic read.
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
This had everything I love rolled up into one impactful story. The story jumps right in with all the important details and introductions and I immediately wanted Nick and Ellie to have their happily ever after. I totally understood their conflict and why they were holding back. Their attraction to the other is really fun and cute, all the longing and looks. It had me smiling big time. It was so sweet watching their shields come down as they let their attraction out. Nick was so kind and caring and Ellie was just so strong with all that had happened in her life. I loved their internal struggle to work through everything. They had a wonderful connection and ease with one another and really like how everything grew so naturally.
I thought the writing was great. There are excellent details and a really nice cast of characters. There was a great build and pace as well. The story moved along at a quick pace but it never felt rushed or like it was missing anything. There was so much emotion and that ending, it was all I could do not to ball my eyes out. It was just a sweet, cathartic moment. Add some sexy times in to round it all out and it was pretty great read.
I love an HEA that leaves my heart feeling full and that’s exactly what happened. Wonderful story full of so much love, strength, and healing. Fantastic read.
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
merrycain's review against another edition
3.0
3⭐️. I think it would have been 3.5⭐️ for me if there would have been an epilogue.
classygigi's review against another edition
2.0
This was very lackluster, but I didn't have super high expectations to begin with.
emilyhei's review against another edition
3.0
Ellie Washington has come to terms with her husbands death and devoted her time raising her son. Fortunately she had the help of her husbands brother, Nick. However, Ellie is beginning to develop feelings for Nick that are far from from sisterly and she does not know what to do about it.
Nick doesn't know what to make of Ellie's behavior lately, when it is revealed why Ellie has been different towards Nick they begin to explore what they have. The problem is Ellie believes she is holding Nick back and is willing to let him go for his shot at happiness, will Nick feel the same?
Festive story, I felt for Ellie but wish she didn't get in her head so much. Liked Nick, he is a great hero who you want more of with every page. If you are looking for a holiday read, this is one to pick up.
Nick doesn't know what to make of Ellie's behavior lately, when it is revealed why Ellie has been different towards Nick they begin to explore what they have. The problem is Ellie believes she is holding Nick back and is willing to let him go for his shot at happiness, will Nick feel the same?
Festive story, I felt for Ellie but wish she didn't get in her head so much. Liked Nick, he is a great hero who you want more of with every page. If you are looking for a holiday read, this is one to pick up.
arickman's review against another edition
2.0
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. I've read numerous other books by Ms. Burton and will continue to read others. My main issue with this story was Ellie and her inability to make up her mind. For me it felt like I was reading the same thing over and over each chapter.
shobeteener's review against another edition
4.0
Nick moves his brother's widow, Ellie into his house after his brother died. Ellie was pregnant. Nick has been there all along for her, through delivery to helping raise Henry. Nick realizes he has deeper feelings for Ellie and would like to take their relationship to another level but is afraid of jeopardizing what they have.
To the reader Ellie can be a little hard to take. In fact she can get on the nerves. Nick is just so amazing that it is difficult for us to relate to her. But I feel that the author does a great job with the reality of what Ellie is dealing with. Her emotions are all over the place. She has gone through a terrible loss, still dealing with the ups and downs of that loss, feels guilty for robbing Nick of a life and feels guilty for having more than 'brother' feelings for Nick.
Kudos to Nick for having the patience of a saint and staying strong to his feelings for Ellie. He knows what they can have together. Every person out there would love to have Nick as their partner, someone so committed to them and have their back no matter what.
There is just something about a holiday romance that just adds a deeper level of warmth to the story.
To the reader Ellie can be a little hard to take. In fact she can get on the nerves. Nick is just so amazing that it is difficult for us to relate to her. But I feel that the author does a great job with the reality of what Ellie is dealing with. Her emotions are all over the place. She has gone through a terrible loss, still dealing with the ups and downs of that loss, feels guilty for robbing Nick of a life and feels guilty for having more than 'brother' feelings for Nick.
Kudos to Nick for having the patience of a saint and staying strong to his feelings for Ellie. He knows what they can have together. Every person out there would love to have Nick as their partner, someone so committed to them and have their back no matter what.
There is just something about a holiday romance that just adds a deeper level of warmth to the story.
kindlelovingmom's review against another edition
4.0
This one was 3.5 stars for me. I loved the hero, but the heroine, not so much. Due to this, I wasn’t as invested as I should have been in their budding relationship.
Ellie Washington lost her husband 5 years ago tragically, near Christmas time. She was pregnant with their son at the time, and had no other family. Her husband’s brother, Nick, moved her into his house, and they grieved together, and took care of each other during their time of mourning. Then, when her son Henry was born, Nick helped her out immensely. He’s always been there to pitch in with Henry’s care, and whenever Ellie needs anything. She’s started to have new feelings for NIck, but she’s afraid that she’s trapped him in a life he didn’t choose, with herself and her son. So, she’s determined to set Nick free, even if part of her feels like she’s losing her own future happiness to do it.
Nick Washington loved his brother, and he grieved his death. But, the last couple of years he’s started to feel a lot more toward his brother’s widow than a normal brother-in-law’s affection. He also loves Henry as if he were his own son. He’s decided that he can’t live without Ellie, and wants to be honest about his feelings, but he’s very unsure where she stands, and he doesn’t want to push her away. They’ve been in a very comfortable existence for the last 5 years, so what happens when he rocks the boat?
Ellie and Nick started as family, and then became true friends, and confidantes, over the last 5 years. They’ve both been comfortable with their arrangement, and didn’t want to cause any waves. They’ve both developed strong feelings for each other, but have not wanted to say anything for fear of everything changing. However, once Ellie realizes Nick’s feelings, instead of being happy, it makes her feel guilty. She’s worried that she’s trapped Nick with herself and her son, and she’s convinced she needs to set him free. How can he know what he feels for her is real when he hasn’t dated any other women in 5 years?
I loved Nick. He was an amazing hero, and he was such a good, sweet, sexy man. Ellie, however, was a different story. I had a hard time connecting with her, and I felt some of her decisions were not only misguided, but flat out dumb. She made some unilateral decisions that hurt both herself, and Nick, and would have eventually hurt her son as well. She thought she was doing the “right thing”, but really, she was just scared. I get that she lost her husband tragically, and anyone would be afraid to move on romantically after that, especially with her dead husband’s brother, and all the drama that could entail. But, mostly, she just made me mad. I wanted to smack her around and tell her how stupid she was being. Her best friend Fran was a great side character, and she was able to say exactly how I was feeling when she and Ellie were discussing Ellie’s issues, and I felt so vindicated.
I typically love Jaci Burton’s books, but unfortunately this one was just OK for me. This was mostly due to my issues with the heroine. I just had a hard time relating to her, and that didn’t grow much better throughout the story. I was glad with the book’s outcome, but getting there was not easy breezy for me. I still look forward to what’s next from this author, as always, especially with her Play-By-Play sports series!
ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Megan from Alpha Book Club
Ellie Washington lost her husband 5 years ago tragically, near Christmas time. She was pregnant with their son at the time, and had no other family. Her husband’s brother, Nick, moved her into his house, and they grieved together, and took care of each other during their time of mourning. Then, when her son Henry was born, Nick helped her out immensely. He’s always been there to pitch in with Henry’s care, and whenever Ellie needs anything. She’s started to have new feelings for NIck, but she’s afraid that she’s trapped him in a life he didn’t choose, with herself and her son. So, she’s determined to set Nick free, even if part of her feels like she’s losing her own future happiness to do it.
Nick Washington loved his brother, and he grieved his death. But, the last couple of years he’s started to feel a lot more toward his brother’s widow than a normal brother-in-law’s affection. He also loves Henry as if he were his own son. He’s decided that he can’t live without Ellie, and wants to be honest about his feelings, but he’s very unsure where she stands, and he doesn’t want to push her away. They’ve been in a very comfortable existence for the last 5 years, so what happens when he rocks the boat?
Ellie and Nick started as family, and then became true friends, and confidantes, over the last 5 years. They’ve both been comfortable with their arrangement, and didn’t want to cause any waves. They’ve both developed strong feelings for each other, but have not wanted to say anything for fear of everything changing. However, once Ellie realizes Nick’s feelings, instead of being happy, it makes her feel guilty. She’s worried that she’s trapped Nick with herself and her son, and she’s convinced she needs to set him free. How can he know what he feels for her is real when he hasn’t dated any other women in 5 years?
I loved Nick. He was an amazing hero, and he was such a good, sweet, sexy man. Ellie, however, was a different story. I had a hard time connecting with her, and I felt some of her decisions were not only misguided, but flat out dumb. She made some unilateral decisions that hurt both herself, and Nick, and would have eventually hurt her son as well. She thought she was doing the “right thing”, but really, she was just scared. I get that she lost her husband tragically, and anyone would be afraid to move on romantically after that, especially with her dead husband’s brother, and all the drama that could entail. But, mostly, she just made me mad. I wanted to smack her around and tell her how stupid she was being. Her best friend Fran was a great side character, and she was able to say exactly how I was feeling when she and Ellie were discussing Ellie’s issues, and I felt so vindicated.
I typically love Jaci Burton’s books, but unfortunately this one was just OK for me. This was mostly due to my issues with the heroine. I just had a hard time relating to her, and that didn’t grow much better throughout the story. I was glad with the book’s outcome, but getting there was not easy breezy for me. I still look forward to what’s next from this author, as always, especially with her Play-By-Play sports series!
ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Megan from Alpha Book Club
maria_nanci's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
A sweet, feel-good holiday romance!
Ellie Washington hates Christmastime. Five years ago, her beloved husband, John, passed away during the holiday season and left pregnant Ellie a widow. Having no family of her own, Ellie moved in with John's brother, Nick, who was also having a difficult time coping with the loss. Nick and Ellie leaned on each other during their grief and Nick was there to help when Ellie's son, Henry, was born. Fast forward five years later, Ellie and Nick still live together and feelings are starting to develop.
To be perfectly honest, it was a little icky for me to think of Ellie moving on from her husband with her brother-in-law. However, the author did a fantastic job addressing this twist of fate. Both Ellie and Nick have had sufficient time to grieve and realize their budding attraction to each other is genuine. Plus, Nick is such an amazing father figure to Henry that you can't help rooting for them. If you're looking for a comforting, sweet romance for the holidays, look no further!
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
A sweet, feel-good holiday romance!
Ellie Washington hates Christmastime. Five years ago, her beloved husband, John, passed away during the holiday season and left pregnant Ellie a widow. Having no family of her own, Ellie moved in with John's brother, Nick, who was also having a difficult time coping with the loss. Nick and Ellie leaned on each other during their grief and Nick was there to help when Ellie's son, Henry, was born. Fast forward five years later, Ellie and Nick still live together and feelings are starting to develop.
To be perfectly honest, it was a little icky for me to think of Ellie moving on from her husband with her brother-in-law. However, the author did a fantastic job addressing this twist of fate. Both Ellie and Nick have had sufficient time to grieve and realize their budding attraction to each other is genuine. Plus, Nick is such an amazing father figure to Henry that you can't help rooting for them. If you're looking for a comforting, sweet romance for the holidays, look no further!
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
bookbae96's review against another edition
4.0
We'll be in the middle of the holiday season before we know it. Soon enough it will be all hustle and bustle, so making time to read books that remind me of the finer things about this time of year is a must. LOVE ME BY CHRISTMAS by author Jaci Burton is just my second seasonal read this year, and it's a lovely addition to my holiday catalog.
In the five years following the death of Ellie's husband, John, she has come to rely on his brother, Nick, for pretty much everything. Nick completely stepped up to be the man that Ellie needed in her life, being a friend, a co-parent, and a source of support. They've been the best of friends, but, lately, Ellie's feelings towards Nick are different, and she's conflicted. She's grateful for all that Nick has done to give her and her son, Henry, a normal life, but thinking of him as anything more than her brother-in-law is throwing her for a loop. Funny thing, though, because Nick is having some more than brotherly feelings himself, and he's ready to go all in.
I really enjoyed the comfortable relationship between Ellie and Nick, and the life that they'd created, but, while I understood her reservations about taking things to another level, I think that she made it harder than it had to be. They had already been a couple in every way except taking the step to move beyond friendship to something more. Her concern over what other people would think about them acting on their feelings was frustrating, although somewhat understandable, but I have to admit that I was ready to shake some sense into her by the time she figured things out.
LOVE ME BY CHRISTMAS is both sweet and passionate, with just the right amount of heat. Jaci's focus on the importance of family and friendship is perfect for the time of year, and made this a 4-star read that is perfect for those looking for a feel-good story with a HEA.
***ARC generously provided for an honest review.***
dylanisreviewing's review against another edition
2.0
eh. wasn't expecting anything, so not disappointed i guess lmao
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