Unwrapping a Review of ONE SNOWY NIGHT, a Heartbreaker Bay novella by Jill Shalvis

I absolutely love, love, love the Heartbreaker Bay series by Jill Shalvis, so when she put out a novella between THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE and her upcoming new release, ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, I knew I had to read it. Well, actually I inhaled it. ONE SNOWY NIGHT was definitely a holiday treat and perfect for a cold winter’s night.

***purchased for my own personal reading but sharing my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for ONE SNOWY NIGHT:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Heartbreaker Bay with a fun and festive holiday novella!

It’s Christmas Eve and Rory Andrews is desperate to get home to the family she hasn’t seen in years. Problem is, her only ride to Lake Tahoe comes in the form of the annoyingly handsome Max Stranton, and his big, goofy, lovable dog Carl.

Hours stuck in a truck with the dead sexy Max sounds like a fate worse than death (not), but Rory’s out of options. She’s had a crush on Max since high school and she knows he’s attracted to her, too. But they have history… and Max is the only one who knows why it went south.

They’ve done a good job of ignoring their chemistry so far, but a long road trip in a massive blizzard might be just what they need to face their past… and one steamy, snowy night is all it takes to bring Max and Rory together at last.

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Rory Andrews is a wayward runaway that Willa Davis, owner of South Bark Mutt Shop and heroine of THE TROUBLE WITH MISTLETOE, has taken in under her wing. Is she playing matchmaker by asking Max Stranton to give Rory a ride home to Lake Tahoe on Christmas Eve? Yes. Does she have reason to believe there is a match worth making? Probably. Isn't it obvious?

After being convinced by her friend to go home for Christmas after too long an absence, Rory decides to do just that but needs a ride. When her only ride possibility is Max, the boy she’s crushed on since high school, she wonders if she’s gone mad at even considering the trip at all. After a couple of hours on the road in increasingly bad weather, Rory is convinced she’s made a grave mistake but soon discovers that Max’s cold demeanor isn’t just about their past. There’s heat in that truck and it’s not just from the heater or Carl, his dog, panting over her shoulder. There’s real sexual tension, and it’s about to get hotter.

I love how Jill Shalvis conjures such endearing characters but the best part is how like family they become. More than friends, they have each other’s backs in a way that only family should but don’t always. Max and Rory knew each other once upon a time. You could even say they have a past resulting in a slight animosity on the part of Max, but he’s attracted to her. Only he can’t quite get past what she did in high school either. Rory doesn’t know the effect of her actions in the past on Max’s future so when he tells her, she immediately accepts the blame and pushes him away. Their ride together on a stormy road to Lake Tahoe reveals secrets, regrets, and attraction that neither is able to deny, but also takes some time to accept.

I’m not kidding when I said I inhaled this story. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop, even though there were a couple of major errors that tried to stop me. I ignored them and kept reading, I had to know what came next. Jill writes her tales in such a way that we aren’t just reading it; we are experiencing it along with the characters. I highly recommend reading ONE SNOWY NIGHT by Jill Shalvis. Truly, one of the most delightful novellas I’ve read in a long while and it’s perfect for a cold winter day/night read. So grab hold of it, curl up by a fire or under your favorite blanket and escape into a long drive home on a Christmas Eve with Rory, Max, and Carl…you’ll love it.

Happy Reading Everyone!

ONE SNOWY NIGHT, a Heartbreaker Bay novella by Jill Shalvis, Avon Impulse, available in print, audio, and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.