CHRISTMAS AT SOLACE LAKE by Jana Richards

Fiction, Romance, 306 pages, Book 4 of “Love at Solace Lake” series

4****

Blurb: It’s Christmas time at Solace Lake Lodge, but a series of thefts threatens everyone’s holiday spirit. An emergency brings Drew Barnes to Solace Lake Lodge, an inn deep in the Minnesota woods owned by his aunt and uncle. He’s sure desperation is the only reason they’d allow him to fill in as their bookkeeper. No one in his family has believed in him since his mistake got him fired from his previous job. Soon after he arrives, Drew is disheartened to discover a series of thefts and financial irregularities. The last thing he wants is to be put in the middle of another crime. Sous chef Celeste Bishop has made a good life for herself and her nine-year-old daughter in the three years she’s worked, and lived, at Solace Lake Lodge. After being unfairly fired, this was the only job she could get, and she’s grateful her gamble on the lodge paid off. The only sticking point is the isolation since she never learned to drive. How can she show her daughter independence when she’s always relying on others? Drew sees Celeste’s frustration and offers to teach her to drive. A powerful attraction ignites between them, and soon deeper, stronger emotions blossom. Drew is all in, but Celeste resists her feelings. She’s nine years older than Drew. An interracial relationship didn’t work for her parents. And loving Drew feels like a betrayal of her deceased husband. As Christmas approaches, the thefts escalate. Can Drew stop the thief and redeem himself in his family’s eyes—and his own? And can he convince Celeste they deserve the gift of a happily ever after this Christmas?

Thoughts: First of all, this is an interracial romance. Not a problem for me, but might be for some people (unfortunately). The characters are really good. Drew has issues – a mistake he made in the past still haunts him and colors everything he does. Celeste is the sous chef at the restaurant, is a widow, and has a nine-year-old daughter. Though Drew befriends her and she feels something more than friendship for him, she decides that nothing can happen between them. She is nine years older than he is, and she is black. He is not. Celeste’s mother spent years telling her that an interracial marriage is a mistake. Then there’s Drew’s sister and her wheelchair-bound boyfriend. And thefts in the kitchen and the accounts. Things are going downhill fast for Drew. But, like in all romances, things do eventually work out. The characters are really well done. The story is full of conflicts, showcases prejudices—not just racial, but for the handicapped as well. I loved how Drew handled the little boy who was picking on Celeste’s daughter Hope. A sweet ending that satisfies.

Recommendation: Recommended.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”