Christmastime with a stranger --
A lifetime together?
Neurosurgeon Maxwell is determined to atone for the one life he couldn't save…his late wife's. Set to perform delicate surgery on a king, Max finds himself shadowed by PR director Ayanna. They must work together to keep the king's case a secret. But when Ayanna temporarily moves in to Max's apartment, they face a very different type of tension -- their undeniable attraction!
Very good book. This book takes place simultaneously with the first book in the series, Falling for the Secret Prince, but concentrating on the king's neurosurgeon and the hospital's PR director. It can be read as a standalone, but the first book provides additional background and context.
Ayanna is the new PR director for the hospital and her first day is chaotic. The hospital's upcoming fundraiser ball is way behind in its planning, a VIP patient arrived three weeks early for his surgery thanks to a car accident and his presence must be kept quiet, and she needs to pick up the patient's neurosurgeon at the airport. She's not happy to arrive at the airport and find he's already gone.
Max has no time to wait around. Max must act fast with his patient badly injured to ensure that his future surgery isn't jeopardized. He neither wants nor needs the hospital's PR person's constant attention, but he can't get rid of her.
The sparks flew at the first meeting between Ayanna and Max, and they weren't all antagonistic. Once they got past that earlier unpleasantness, they discovered they got along pretty well. Perhaps too well. Both were aware of each other in ways that they preferred to avoid. Max had locked down his emotions after his wife's death - a death he blamed himself for. He deals with his loneliness by burying himself in his work. Ayanna swore off men and love after her fiancé ran off with her best friend. Now she's concentrating on her career.
When Ayanna needs a place to stay while her apartment undergoes repairs, Max offers her the second bedroom in his hotel suite. As they spend time together, the attraction between them blossoms. I enjoyed seeing Max use his love of cooking to take care of Ayanna. It was fun to see Ayanna pull Max into her family's circle by inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner with them. I loved the slow lowering of the walls around their hearts and seeing the trust build. But when each of them realizes that their feelings go deeper than expected, old fears resurface. I ached for them both when a careless comment set off an argument that ended in harsh words and hurt feelings. Though both realized their mistakes quickly, each believed that it was too late to fix it. I loved the support that Ayanna got from her family, including the advice not to give up. Max had to provide his own kick in the pants, and I loved the nod to Clarence and It's a Wonderful Life. I adored the scene at Ayanna's parents' house, from her and Max's reunion to her family's antics.
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