It's Christmas in Copper Ridge, and love is waiting to be
unwrapped…
Falling for a bad boy once is forgivable. Twice would
just be foolish. When Sabrina Leighton first offered her teenage innocence to
gorgeous, tattooed Liam Donnelly, he humiliated her, then left town. The hurt
still lingers. But so does that crazy spark. And if they have to work together
to set up her family winery's new tasting room by Christmas, why not work him
out of her system with a sizzling affair?
Thirteen years ago, Liam's boss at the winery offered him
a bribe -- leave his teenage daughter alone and get a full ride at college.
Convinced he wasn't good enough for Sabrina, Liam took it. Now he's back, as
wealthy as sin and with a heart as cold as the Oregon snow. Or so he keeps
telling himself. Because the girl he vowed to stay away from has become the
only woman he needs, and this Christmas could be just the beginning of a
lifetime together…
Good second chance/enemies-to-lovers story, though
frustration with both characters made it a little harder to invest in their
story fully. Sabrina was the daughter of the local winery owner and Liam, the
boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The summer she was seventeen, Liam came
to work at the winery, where the two of them quickly became friends. That
friendship developed into a big crush on Sabrina's part. Sabrina's father
noticed and offered Liam a hefty chunk of change to leave town. Right after
that offer, Sabrina offered herself to Liam. Knowing he wasn't good enough for
her, he turned her down, took the money, and left town, breaking her heart.
Thirteen years later, Liam is back, a wealthy businessman
who is working with his brothers at Laughing Irish ranch. He has plans to
partner with Sabrina's family's winery. When Sabrina is tasked with partnering
with Liam to get the new tasting room up and running, she is not happy. She has
done her best to avoid him since his return, but now she has no choice. She
plans to keep things professional and lock down any lingering feelings.
That viewpoint doesn't last past their first meeting. The
sparks flew as they faced off over the past. I liked that they cleared the air
between them, as that opened the door to a better working relationship. But
physical attraction simmered under that improvement. It doesn't take too long
before they decide to carry on a no-strings affair with an end-date of the
tasting room's Christmas opening. The banter between them is quick-witted and
fun. The more time they spend together, the closer they get, and some
confidences are shared. There were some sweet scenes of the time they spent
together, as well as some steamy ones. As the time for the opening grew closer,
both Liam and Sabrina had to face the future. Sabrina chooses to protect her
heart, while Liam was ready to keep going for as long as they could. I hurt for
both of them as their roles reversed, and Sabrina was the one to walk away.
I ached for Liam. What he went through as a child was
horrific, and it's not surprising that he holds back the way he does. It's hard
for him to believe that anyone would want him for himself, including his family
members. Be that as it may, I still became very frustrated with his attitude
that he was good enough to sleep with Sabrina, but not for a relationship. I liked seeing all three brothers call him
out on his attitude, and try to break through the walls he built up. The
confrontation between Liam and Alex finally opened his eyes and heart.
Sabrina provided some frustrating moments also. She was
so stuck in the past that she didn't do much dating, much less form a
relationship with anyone. She was much stronger than she believed she was, but
it took her almost the whole book to realize it. I liked seeing her confront
her father over the way he treated her, then and now. It didn't make me like
him any better, but I was happy to see the effect it had on Sabrina. I did wish
that she dared to tell Liam her feelings, but I understood her hesitation.
The ending was emotional as Liam was able to open himself
up and show Sabrina that he was there for the long haul, that he was done
walking away. Sabrina could finally trust that she didn't have to fear
rejection any longer. I enjoyed the epilogue and seeing where all four brothers
and their families are. It was a nice wrap-up to the quartet about the Donnelly
brothers.
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