A Lot Like Christmas (Blue Moon Bay, 2)

Jessica Connolly, 29yo sits at another wedding, alone, at the singles table while she watches her once-upon-a-time-boyfriend marry another woman. Bad enough. Right? But what if this had happened to her three times within a year?! Jessica is just about to call it quits when she discovers a terrible rumor. Jess runs the best bakery in town, Delicious Delicacies. She’s content with her life and has accepted her 5’4” and 170lb body. She’s got curves and not afraid to show them.Enter Mitch Jameson, 39yo, who calls Blue Moon Bay home only because his parents still live there. His life is spent on-call in foreign lands with Doctors without Borders. This year he gets Christmas with his family for three weeks which he’s not looking forward to until he re-meets Jess at her bakery. Lia is Mitch’s sister and Jessica’s childhood friend. Big problem: he doesn’t do long-term anything…jobs or relationships.There are too many wonderful moments to recount. Great ending. Just enough steam to satisfy about any reader. LOVED this book as much as the last one about Sarah, Wes and his daughter Marissa with whom we get an update in this book. If you like sweet and sexy romance with a bit of age gap, read this book. You’ll love it too. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Entangled/NetGalley.

A lot Like Christmas is the perfect romance to read to get you in the holiday spirit. I love how this one is broken down by the count down to Christmas. Jessica is a sweetheart who has her share of bad luck when it comes to dating. She is surrounded by her besties and I love how they are always there for each other. This is the second book in the Blue Moon Bay series and I'm even more in love with this one then the first. Mitch is fantastic and trying to do his part with doctors without borders. There is such a fabulous connection between Mitch and Jessica when it comes to the love of charity. They are the perfect match. I love the build of the relationship Jessica and Mitch go through. Your heart goes out to Jessica as she tries to decide what is best thing for her to do. I could not get enough of this one. I cannot wait for more Blue Moon Bay to come.

The chemistry was sizzling between the lovebirds in this wonderful story! Jessica and Mitch had me convinced from the get go that they were meant for one another. I loved everything about it!!!

3.5 stars. Connolly is a hometown girl. She loves her town of Blue Moon Bay where she has family and good friends. She also runs a successful bakery, but she has been given an offer to sell it, an offer that is making it difficult to decide what to do. Dr. Mitch Jameson is a wanderer, working with Doctors Without Borders. He is home to spend Christmas with his family before leaving for three months in Cambodia. When he meets the beautiful, intriguing bakery owner who has no desire to date or become serious with anyone, they decide to spend time together over the holidays. Of course we all know where this is heading.I really like Jessica's character. She is such a caring person, often putting the needs of family and friends before her own. Mitch is the brother of one of her friends, and he is wandering the world because he hasn't found what he is looking for. There romance proceeded pretty quickly, but it worked in this story. There is a situation that forces Jessica to make a decision about what she wants out of life that causes some angst, but I liked her decision. There were several tropes in this one: BFF's brother, Older male/younger female, always a bridesmaid/never a bride, fake relationship and maybe others. I enjoyed a lot about this story, but it was a bit too steamy for me. I did have to skim several scenes. This is the second book in the series, but I did not read the first book and that didn't seem to matter, I had no problem following this story. If you enjoy a steamy, passionate Christmas romance with great characters, then this book is for you.

I admit that I was a little hesitant in starting this book since I the previous book wasn't as enjoyable for me as I thought it would be. But like I mentioned in that review, I loved the overall feel of the story and wanted to read more stories from this author. This time around, the story did not disappoint.Mitch and Jessica's story had all the elements I look for in a romance--a great on-the-page connection, a little steam, a wide range of emotions and a dash of humor. I loved Mitch. I liked that he was always honest and didn't give Jessica mixed signals about his intentions. He complemented Jessica's personality and although slow to acknowledge the depth of his feelings, he never shied away from them.Jessica was also a great character to get to know. I knew a little bit about her from the previous book, but the author did a great job in allowing the reader to truly get to know her inner struggles, dreams and desires. She was conflicted, excited and at times overwhelmed by what was developing between her and Mitch and the author did a great job of bringing that to the page without it feeling repetitive and/or unbearable for the reader.I appreciated the author's efforts in bringing Mitch and Jessica's connection to the page and maintaining the slow burn of their romance even though their attraction to each other was undeniable. Their steamy scenes highlighted the chemistry they shared without it being the basis for their relationship. I loved that!Once again, I enjoyed the small-town feel of the story and the presence of Jessica's girlfriends, Sarah and Whitney. Having them written into the story not only added to it but set the stage for what may be coming up in the next installment in the series. And although this is the second book in the Blue Moon Bay series, it can be read as a stand alone.All in all, a heartwarming, sweet romance and a great holiday read for this season.

Easy with a bit of twist