A Celebration Christmas - Nancy Robards Thompson (HSE #2368 - Nov 2014)

Series: Celebrations Inc (Book 7)

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

Lily Palmer is in for the Christmas of a lifetime! When the nanny signs up to watch Dr. Cullen Dunlevy's four foster kids, she's got her hands full. The Thomas clan is the most mischievous group of youngsters she's ever had to wrangle, but Lily loves the job. After all, what girl wouldn't adore spending the holidays with a warmhearted new family -- and their irresistibly handsome foster dad?

Cullen doesn't mind Christmas, but his Scrooge-like facade is there for a reason -- to protect himself. His tough childhood caused him to hide behind his work and avoid entanglements at all costs. That includes avoiding falling for the deliciously tempting new nanny that Santa left for him this year…

Good book. Cullen desperately needs a nanny to ride herd on his four foster kids. They are pretty wild and have succeeded in driving away his housekeeper, leaving him with no help. Enter Lily, a second grade teacher looking to pick up some extra income while school is out for the holidays. She has a handle on things immediately, leaving Cullen very impressed and noticing a lot more than Lily's nanny skills.

Lily has noticed Cullen too. She finds him incredibly attractive, but she's not in the market for a man right now. Her engagement had recently come to a rather spectacular end, leaving her unsure of herself when it comes to relationships. But the more time she spends with Cullen and the kids, the more things start to feel like a real family. She's afraid to start believing in a future because Cullen has a reputation for avoiding commitment. She can see him holding back with the kids and wonders if he'll ever be able to open his heart all the way.

Cullen took custody of the four kids when their parents died. Their father had been his best friend and he had promised to be there if he was needed. He doesn't feel qualified to keep them, so he is trying to find a family that will adopt all four of them, not an easy task. He had had a rough childhood and fears being too much like his father to ever be a husband or father. When Lily comes to work for him and take care of the kids, he is immediately drawn to her. She's nothing like the women he usually dates, but he finds it increasingly easy to come home to Lily and the kids. She brings out thoughts of home and family that he's never had before, but he's still not convinced he has it in him to go the distance. 

I really liked seeing the emotional growth that occurred with Cullen. He was so closed off and almost afraid of the kids at the beginning. Lily's influence showed him that he could have a different life if he had the courage to go after it. I loved seeing him loosen up when they went Christmas tree shopping and start to get more involved with the kids and what they were doing. He really stepped up with George after the basketball game, even though he wasn't sure he knew what he was doing. He also had the courage to tell Lily that he loved her, but had to face his fears or risk losing her over their different expectations. I loved his big moment at the end, when he finally learned what was really important.

I really enjoyed the kids in this family. None of them were perfect little angels, but neither were they monsters. I loved the oldest girl's bossiness as she tried to be the mother to her siblings. George was great as the only boy, having to deal both with his losses and being outnumbered. I loved seeing them lose their fears thanks to Lily. I loved their bit with the mistletoe while they were tree shopping.

Celebration's Baby - Nancy Robards Thompson (HSE #2327 - Apr 2014)

Series: Celebrations Inc. (Book 6)

First comes baby, then comes…marriage? Two best friends discover the secret to true love

How? Well, she knew how… But Bia Anderson couldn't believe her uncharacteristic fling with a celebrity resulted in a baby. Her newspaper job was hectic, she'd just discovered her birth mother…and now this! Just when she thought it couldn't get crazier, the paparazzi descended on little Celebration, Texas. She needed help….

Enter Aiden Woods. "I'll be your fake fiancé and your baby daddy." The pretend proposal wasn't just to throw off the media. Aiden had always been her BFF…and he wanted more. Still, the timing was never right. Well, it was now or never. But with Bia's hormones raging, could Aiden prove that everything she wanted was right in front of her?

Good friends to lovers story.  Bia has had a rough couple months.  First she had a brief fling with a movie star, which ended when he went home.  Then she discovered she was pregnant.  When she's harassed by paparazzi again, her best friend Aiden steps in to help take the heat off her.  He offers to play the part of her fiancé and father of the baby.  She's not too sure about that as she doesn't want to ruin their friendship, but she's happy for the support.

Bia is a strong, independent woman but she's been hit with a lot of surprises lately.  After her father's death she found out she was adopted, but has no information about her birth parents.  Then she had the surprise of her pregnancy.  While dealing with the fallout from that, her birth mother makes contact with her.  Finally, Aiden's surprise proposal that suddenly has Bia looking at him in a whole new way.  But she has some trust issues dealing with Aiden, thanks to his involvement in the end of her last relationship.  She has also seen him run through women and doesn't believe that he's capable of commitment. Even though she comes to accept her feelings she still has trouble with the idea of taking a chance.  

Aiden is an all around nice guy.  He has been friends with Bia for a long time.  He started seeing her differently while they were in college, but by that time she was in love with his roommate.  That's when he began his varied dating career, but he always maintained his friendship with Bia.  They had a rough patch when she blamed him for her ex-fiance's cheating, but they have moved past that.  Now his protective instincts kick in when she has problems with the paparazzi over her brief relationship with that movie star, so he claims to be her fiance.  This serves a double purpose for him, as it helps her out but also gives him the chance to get closer to her in a way he hasn't before.  I really loved his patience and persistence as he tried to show Bia that his feelings were real.  His big moment at the end was so sweet.

I also enjoyed the secondary story involving Maya, the chocolate maker who played such a big role in the previous books.  I loved the quick connection she developed with Bia and how she used her experiences to help her.  She had a very interesting history. I really liked seeing her get to know the gentleman who came shopping at her store. There was quite a twist to his story, though I did have my suspicions about him from the start.  It was a lovely conclusion to her story and the series.

Celebration's Family - Nancy Robards Thompson (HSE #2315 - Feb 2014)

Series: Celebrations Inc. (Book 5)

Bachelor dad for sale?

Liam Thayer would do anything for his twin daughters and for his beloved Celebration, Texas, hospital. But a bachelor auction for the new children's wing was out of the question for the dignified doctor. He didn't intend to date till his girls were in college, and besides, he'd already lost the love of his life. Why try again? Until he finally caved, no thanks to a pushy event planner.

Rigging the auction to win his date was a piece of cake for organizer Kate MacIntyre. Resisting the handsome doctor? A problem she hadn't expected.  And as their fake romance slowly turned to real love, no dollar amount could keep Kate from wishing for a happily-ever-after with Liam and his children....

The best books have laughter and tears and this one had both.  I really liked both Liam and Kate.  As head of the MacIntyre Family Foundation Kate has been tasked with heading the fundraising push for the pediatric surgical wing.  With seven eligible doctors a bachelor auction seems like the perfect solution - until one of those doctors balks at the idea.  Liam is a widower who is wrapped up in his family.  Dating isn't on his radar for several years, if ever.  He really hates the idea of the auction, but is given no choice by his boss.  Then Kate comes up with a solution they can both live with.

Kate has pretty much written off any kind of relationship for herself.  She had been engaged years earlier but broke it off when she realized she didn't love him the way he loved her.  Her parents had had that kind of marriage and she never wanted to experience that kind of unhappiness.  She had also had a miscarriage that reinforced her feelings of loss, so now she concentrates on her job and her brother's family (Rob and Pepper from Texas Christmas).  She understands Liam's desire to avoid the auction and comes up with the idea of bidding herself, letting him off the hook for the followup date.  She doesn't expect the attraction she feels for him, or the feeling that it might be returned.  Actually going on that date makes her see that she's ready to risk her heart again, but Liam doesn't seem to be fully there.  I loved her sensitivity to Liam's dilemma and the way she came up with the plan to help him.  She knew she was playing with fire because of her attraction to him.  I loved their date and her actions afterward show what a good heart she has.  I loved her scene with one of his daughters and what she told him afterward.  It was heartbreaking to see her give up on what they might have because she can't see him being able to move on.

Liam has no interest in dating.  After one really bad experience right after his wife's death, he's decided that he'd already found and lost the love of his life and it's unlikely he'd be so lucky again.  He doesn't want to put his girls through what happened before, so he won't date again until they're in college. I enjoyed the obvious love he has for them, though he is pretty clueless about one very important thing about them.  He hates the idea of the bachelor auction and really resists it.  He's getting a lot of pressure from his boss when Kate contacts him with an idea that could work for both of them.  I loved the way that he went along with it, not just because it would save him from a date with a strange woman, but also because he actually wanted to spend some time with Kate.  He's not exactly comfortable with that desire because it makes him feel disloyal to his late wife.  He spends quite a bit of time trying to fight his feelings.  I loved the date that he planned, as it showed just how much he had already come to know and care for Kate.  He nearly wrecked everything at the end by giving in to his fears, before listening to some very good advice.

I loved the part that Maya, the chocolate lady from the previous books, played in this book also.  She definitely has some serious matchmaking abilities.  I also enjoyed her setup for the next book.  I will be very interested in seeing just what her involvement is, as I have a suspicion that I'd like to know if I'm right about.

Celebration's Bride - Nancy Robards Thompson (HSE #2273 - July 2013)

Series: Celebrations Inc. (Book 4)

Home at last

Sydney James knew she seemed like the consummate single girl, what with the enviable job in the public eye, and a reality TV show to boot. But the former foster child had never had a place to call home, or anyone to call family. Her strategy: leave before you can get left. So when she met irresistible filmmaker Miles Mercer, she thought, Maybe I don't have to resist altogether? A fling might be good for me….

True, Miles had come home to Celebration, Texas, to jump-start his career and then head right back to L.A. But he knew as soon as he met Sydney that his plan needed some serious reworking. His feelings for Sydney spelled out happily ever after! Now all he had to do was convince her that forever was within reach….

Very good book.  Sydney has been in Texas for several years working with her friends' catering business and their new tv show.  She's starting to feel like she needs to move on, that she's becoming too attached and that makes her nervous.  Miles has come home to Celebration to fill in as director for the show and visit with his family before heading back to California.  Meeting Sydney causes him to take a new look at what he wants out of life.  Unfortunately she already has one foot out the door.

I really liked Sydney.  She has been an important part of the Celebrations Inc. group from the beginning.  I loved the way that she has put so much effort into making the company and the show a success.  She has also always been a little bit apart from the others.  Having been a foster child from the age of seven she has never experienced a loving family life.  It seemed that whenever she would start to get settled she'd end up being moved again.  Now she won't let herself get attached to anyone or any place.  As soon as she starts to feel that way she moves on.  In this book she has applied for a job in Europe that will take her away from her friends.  When she meets Miles there is an instant connection.  She makes it clear to him that she isn't relationship material, but finds herself getting closer to him than she is comfortable with.  She sees him as the settling down kind and she has no intention of opening herself up to that kind of emotional risk.  Though she won't admit it to herself she is somewhat envious of the happiness her friends have found, and of Miles's big and loving family.  I loved the way that she and Miles were able to talk to each other about anything.  It really showed just how special their connection was.  By the end Sydney had to decide what was more important to her - the chance of this fantastic job or the chance of a future like she had never dreamed possible.

Miles was back in Celebration for two reasons.  First to fill in as director on the tv show for a friend while he makes some decisions about his future.  He is also going to spend some time with his family who he hasn't seen in five years, ever since a falling out with his father.  His first sight of Sydney puts a lot of that right out of his mind.  I really enjoyed his flirtatiousness even as he had great respect for the job that she was doing.  I loved how well they worked together and that they often saw things the same way.  He was also surprised at how well she fit in with his family, especially after she told him about her childhood and how she never intends to have children of her own.  He sees qualities in her that she doesn't see in herself and doesn't believe when he tries to tell her.  She also has a way of helping him  deal with his own family issues, especially with his father.  In spite of knowing that she plans to leave, Miles falls hard for her.  He really wants to find a way to make a relationship between them work.  I loved the ending and the solution he came up with.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of the book with the background of the tv show.  It really showed the relationships of the characters very well and how each has their own strengths.  Sydney worried about hurting her friends with her plans to leave, but found that they supported her in whatever she decided to do.  I loved seeing how Miles and Sydney's connection also made their work life so much better.  There were several situations with their producer that required everything they had to keep from turning into disasters.