There's no place like Happily Inc for the holidays…
Wynn Beauchene has a thriving business, a great kid and a mildly embarrassing crush on the guy next door -- local cop Garrick McCabe. She's a strong, independent woman who can't help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help…
Garrick's pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman's touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he's hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter's frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.
As the season works its magic on these wounded souls, Wynn realizes it's time to stop punishing herself for a painful secret, while Garrick remains haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes. Will he allow Wynn to open the only gift she truly wants -- his heart?
Fantastic story of love, family, and forgiveness. I have looked forward to Wynn's story ever since she ended her relationship with Jasper. Wynn is one of those people who always seem to have their life together - organized, successful, a great mom, and a terrific friend. I loved getting to know her better and discovering that it wasn't always that way. Wynn spent years feeling guilty and punishing herself for something she did and has just begun to forgive herself. One of the benefits of that forgiveness is permitting herself to have a crush on the man next door.
Garrick grew up in Happily Inc., got his high school girlfriend pregnant, and left to go to college. He remained friends with the girlfriend and was an active participant is raising their daughter. He became a cop, married and divorced, and did some undercover work. After his last assignment went wrong, he wanted something a little less intense and returned to Happily Inc. with an eye toward becoming the police chief when the current one retires. His relationship with his daughter is strained, but he jumps at the chance for her to stay with him for a few weeks. She's very pregnant, and her Marine husband is deployed. Garrick hopes to find a way to repair their relationship. But first, he needs help to get his house ready for her. The first person he thinks of is his next-door neighbor.
I loved the way this book started. Wynn is drooling over her neighbor and trying to figure out how to indicate her interest when Garrick shows up on her doorstep. Her willingness to help him is typical of Happily Inc. residents, but she also looks at it as an opportunity to get to know him. It was great to see how quickly Wynn and Garrick became friends. I loved the mix of humor and seriousness in their interactions as they give each other advice and support. Underneath the easy friendship are sparks of attraction that intensify the more time they spend together. It was fun to see the buildup as family obligations crop up at inconvenient times. It is easy to see the feelings between them grow, but both have past issues that hold them back. I liked Wynn's honest look at her past, acceptance of her mistakes, and realization that it was okay to forgive herself and move on. What surprised her was what she wanted in her life now. Garrick has a more challenging time of it. He is convinced that he stinks at relationships, that any time he tries commitment, something always goes wrong. Those fears come to the surface when he offers to help Wynn with what she wants. He is so utterly oblivious to what he said/did wrong that I almost felt more sorry for him than mad at him. He earned every bit of his misery. It was great to see Wynn's son, Hunter, call him out on what he did. The reactions of his friends were even better, and I enjoyed seeing them point out his idiocy. The scene in Wynn's office was great, and Christmas morning showed the promise for their future.
Besides the romance between Garrick and Wynn, this is also a terrific story about family. In earlier books, we've seen the close relationship between Wynn and her son Hunter. It is easy to see the love, respect, and trust between them. It is quite a blow to Wynn when Hunter abuses that trust, and I ached for her and the pain she felt. I loved that Garrick was there for support without trying to fix the problem. I ached for Hunter, too, as he realized how badly he had messed up. I was impressed with how both Wynn and Hunter handled the matter.
Garrick's family problems are more complicated. He had a terrific relationship with his daughter, Joylyn, until she was fifteen. Then it went wrong, and he has no idea why. I hurt for him and his pain and confusion over her attitude and actions. When the book started, I heartily disliked Joylyn. She acted like a spoiled brat to her mother and brothers, which got her booted to her dad's for the last month of her pregnancy. She was obnoxious to Garrick when she arrived in Happily Inc. when all he wanted was to make her happy. I liked seeing Wynn call her out on her attitude and how Hunter befriended her while also pointing out how good she has it. I liked how Wynn encouraged Garrick to be patient, but also to confront Joylyn about what had happened. It was a slow process, but I liked seeing the progression. I felt that the whole process was realistically portrayed. I laughed out loud when Garrick volunteered to go to her birthing classes with her. His reactions were priceless.
I ended up liking Joylyn, though her attitude at the beginning irritated me. As more came out about what caused the rift, I understood her feelings. I could see that she also missed her old relationship with Garrick but didn't know what to do. In addition to her problems with him, Joylyn also felt cut off from her life. She misses her husband intensely and realizes that she made a mistake when she moved home rather than stay on base with her friends and support. As her relationship with Garrick improved, she also got more involved in the Happily Inc. community. I loved how Wynn's friends included Joylyn in their activities. One of the best parts of the book is when Joylyn asks for their help when her best friend and her fiancé (both Marines) want to get married. The way they all worked together to pull off an amazing event was incredible and heartwarming.
There were many places in the book that made me laugh or cry, but this was one of my favorite parts, about guys liking shopping:
Wynn: "Oh, please. If you did, you'd have more stuff in your house. Most guys don't like shopping, which I've never understood. All you have to do is pretend you're hunting. You stalk, you pounce, you strap it to the car and take it home. A total win, but men don't see it that way."
Garrick: "There are a lot of gross generalizations in those few sentences."
Wynn: "I'll admit that's true, but how many of them are wrong?"
Garrick: "Not as many as I'd like."
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