We’re a few days away from Christmas, so I can’t help but post a review for a holiday read. Last year I read and really enjoyed Duke, Actually. So This Is Christmas is the next book in this series and I was very grateful when I got approved for an eARC on Netgalley. So keep on reading to find out more about the book and what I thought!
A big thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.
USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday concludes her beloved royal Christmas series with an unforgettable romance about a confident American woman and the strait-laced royal advisor who falls hopelessly in love with her.
Matteo Benz has spent his life serving at the pleasure of the Eldovian crown. His work is his life and his life, well…he doesn’t have much of one. When he is tasked to aid a management consultant who has been flown in to help straighten out the king’s affairs, he is instantly disturbed by her brash American manner—as well by an inconvenient attraction to the brainy beauty.
Cara Delaney is in Eldovia to help clean up the king’s financial affairs, but soon finds herself at odds with the very proper Mr. Benz. As intrigued by his good looks as she is annoyed by his dedication to tradition for its own sake, she slowly begins to see the real man behind the royal throne.
As they work together to return Eldovia to its former glory during the country’s magical Christmas season, Matteo discovers he is falling hopelessly in love with the unconventional American. But a man who has devoted his life to tradition doesn’t change easily. Can he become the man Cara needs, or will their love be another sacrifice to the crown.
Review
So This Is Christmas isn’t a grumpy/sunshine romance, but in some ways a grumpy/grumpy romance. I love how Jenny Holiday wrote these characters and gave us a dual POV. I read this book in just about one sitting and it left me with a smile on my face.
Our main character Cara travels a lot for her work and is upset about having to leave for Thanksgiving. That’s normally always the holiday she spends with her parents. I loved how much she was there for her parents and really wanted to take care of them. Being so busy didn’t leave much time for a relationship, so she had her flings while traveling. Until she met Matteo and started feeling a connection.
Matteo will do anything and everything for his country, so when Cara comes to try and make sure this country doesn’t lose money all he sees is someone coming in to make people unhappy and take jobs away from their people. I love how passionate he was for everyone, but it was clear that he was thinking of everyone but himself! He was just so generous and very heartwarming.
I loved watching these two grow closer together even if they tried everything to keep that from happening. Their walls slowly went down, but this is definitely a slow burn romance. Watching them slowly get to know each other was a lot of fun, but I do wish we had a little more time with them. The balance of what Cara was there to do and the romance could’ve been leaning a little more to the romance if I had to choose.
Eldovia is a place I would move to. There love of Christmas and just how beautiful the country sounded would have me packing my bags! There were also some side characters I would’ve loved to have seen more of. If you’re looking for a quick and heartwarming read I would suggest So This Is Christmas!
So This Is Christmas was a fast and fun holiday read. As a lover of Christmas I would love to live in Eldovia! It would definitely make me happy. I would definitely love a story about some of the side characters we meet in this book. Have you read any holiday book this year? Let me know in the comments what you’ve read!
