Anyone following the Shaughnessys knows that there is the Shaughnessy sister Darcy, pampered, indulged and spoiled and the apple of the entire family. Super social, talkative, interfering and the eternal butterfly fluttering from one job to another with mad organization skills, yet never zeroing in on her passion, faces off with Benjamin Tanner, the reclusive artist.
Loving his solitude, away from the public eye and shunning social gatherings, Ben wants nothing more than to be left alone to create his amazing woodcarvings, his passion and his livelihood. Circumstances bring the tornado Darcy to his quite and Ben is thrown into a hurricane of feelings, lust, attraction and fighting for his solitude at the same time.
As much as I can understand Darcy, it was hard for me to get her fixation of having a perfect family and perfect everything, and I really thought for a grown adult, she sure comes off like a spoiled brat. Ben is the epitome of a saint, patiently handling Darcy’s various hang-ups and insecurities and I can’t blame him for taking a break! And yes, he’s not perfect either.
And my hang-up was Darcy and if portraying her as the spoiled rich brat was Samantha Chase’s goal, then she definitely achieved that. But I definitely did feel that the ending was rushed, and Darcy’s enlightenment of her mistakes and all was a tad fast to accept. The conversation between Owen and Darcy is my favorite of the book…insightful, honest, brutal and totally rocked!
Benjamin Tanner is the flavor of “Holiday Spice” for me!
Received an ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for an honest review.
Romancing Life 