It's not very Christmasy. Pretty weak on the part of the Silhouette editors to release this as a part of Nora Roberts' hardback Christmas series. But whatevs.

It's Nora Roberts, and it's a solid, sweet story. Some of the stuff in the book made me shake my head and go "no way" so it wasn't completely believable, however it was enjoyable.

And fast. I read it in a couple of hours.

Shane Abbot is back in her hometown starting an antique shop in the house left to her by her grandmother when she meets newcomer (and kind of grumpy hermit) Vance Banning. Vance is on a sabbatical from his multi-million dollar construction business, but Shane assumes he is out of work and offers to pay him to help get her antique shop fixed up. Vance is disillusioned from his first marriage to a manipulative gold digger who was eventually shot and killed by one of her lovers. Honestly, I don't love Vance and he hides his true profession way too long. However, Shane has some good qualities - a hard worker with ambition and a kind soul - despite her insta-love tendencies. To hear a full discussion of First Impressions listen to Season 1, Ep. #7 "Nora Roberts 1984: First Impressions, A Matter of Choice, and Less of a Stranger" of Romancing the Shelf, a Nora Roberts podcast: https://romancingtheshelf.libsyn.com/

Amo a Nora Roberts, en cualquier formato y de cualquier año.

Vance es un gran personaje!! Muy digno de Nora Roberts, duro por fuera pero dulce como el chocolate derretido por dentro, tiene muy buenos motivos para tener su corazón (y su billetera) tan bien custodiados. Shane es totalmente abierta y alocada, lo opuesto a Vance y por eso lo intriga y enfurece a la vez. Si a esto le sumamos el contexto histórico de la Guerra Civil, un museo, unas cuantas antigüedades y una romántica historia en Navidad... encontramos a un ganador!!

The first story in this collection was pretty darn cute. The second story was simply too cliché. Not really believable at all. Still, Nora Roberts is good with setting the place, the landscapes and the food. If the second story characters seemed a little flat well.... she got paid to write this story, hmmm?

*ACTUAL RATING: 2.5/5 stars

*BOOK COVER/DESIGN: 8/10 stars. I love the book cover, however simple it may be. It adds up to that holiday feel.

This book I have came with the bonus story, "Blithe Images."

*GENERAL REVIEW/THOUGHTS: I actually liked this story. It was way better than Blithe Images. What only put me off about this story is their  little argument towards the end. The scene/s when Shane's mother suddenly shows up, the suspense was so built up, but when it was through her that Shane finds out about Vance's past (that he's a millionaire and all), she suddenly goes into a fit, which just absolutely kills the already built - up suspense.  Then, it ends just like that. I found that really corny and I felt that Roberts was in a rush to finish writing it. Nevertheless, I could say that this is still a more decent read rather than Blithe Images (which was just plain awful). I also found this story quite misogynistic, which I didn't particularly like. Still, I liked the steamy sex scenes.

*RECOMMENDATIONS: If you're looking for a light yet steamy read, I would recommend this. Just keep in mind this is one of Roberts' not - so - good written novels.

This book was too corny for me. It just felt like the characters personalities were very over exaggerated, like a melodrama. I don’t like how quickly the book jumped into an erotic romance. I felt there wasn’t enough of a build up between Vance and Shane. It felt too rushed. I wish we had more of a backstory about Cy and why her failed relationship with him caused so many trust issues. I don’t understand how she fell in love with vance. I don’t think his actions were compelling enough for her to fall in love with him. She barely knows him? I just feel like it’s a very cheesy novel.

Random library find, of the "hmm, I recognise the name, don't think I've ever read anything by her" type. Turns out to be a romance, verging on porn in some scenes. Light, fluffy, not particularly successful as erotica, but then I think I'm not the target demographic. I like the protagonist, I found the world building/scene setting delightful (in particular, the references to antiques -- Yes, the protagonist is a war nut and an antiques expert. No, I didn't feel like the point of the story was to describe the scenery).

Other than that, I have little to say. Young woman moves back to her home town when her (great-) grandmother dies and leaves her the farm. Older man tries to escape the details of a busy life. Misunderstandings happen, mutual attraction happens and is denied; they fall in to bed together. Cue Christmas carols (it is billed as "A Christmas tale from the #1 New york Times bestselling author."). According to the blurb, this is a 'classic, hard to find' novel by this author. Meh.

All Nora Robert's books are predicable stories now. Boring, same characters in each, just with a different name and job. Waste of time to read.

I love all the JD Robb books and will read any Nora Roberts books that have the same kind of character and plot building that she does so well in her JD Robb series. This is an old book and I guess she hadn't hit her stride yet. The book pretty much gets into sexual tension in the first few pages and continues all the way to the end. Things obviously happen along the way, but I could hardly stand to read the book all the way to the end. My daughter and I usually read some silly Christmas romance-type books and I told her to skip this one since it's pretty much a lot of stupidity in between and no interesting plot whatsoever. Plus there's nothing Christmas about it except for the fact Vance wanted to surprise Shane with a Christmas present and they went and got a tree together. Otherwise, there's not much talk about the holidays at all. It shouldn't be marketed as a Christmas story.

Vance needed an escape from his stressful, busy life in DC so buying and fixing up a house in the mountains is the perfect way to lose himself. He doesn't want to interact with anyone, he's happiest being alone and grumpy, but his personable and happy neighbor Shane just won't let him. Shane is fixing up her Grandmother's home, turning it in to a museum and antique shop, but can't seem to keep her mind off her grumpy next door neighbor. There was a spark between them at first sight and Shane is ready to fall in love, she just needs to convince Vance of it. A really sweet story of finding personal forgiveness and a second chance. Some light conflict but really a sweet, sexy story. Fun read!

Again, Nora Roberts is an expert at giving the reader that feeling of familiarity with a twist of novelty. I still don't know how she does it.

There was a lot I enjoyed in this book and some things to relate to, but in the end, it was a simple story. The characters' attitudes were a nice surprise and showed me how little of this 'fated' romances I read in contemporary authors, which I would have thought was the opposite.

Shane Abbott has given up her teaching job in Baltimore to return to her hometown and convert her childhood home that her grandmother left her into a museum and antique shop. On an errand to buy coffee, Shane runs into Vance Banning. Vance is a carpenter, new to the area who comes across as very private and unfriendly. Shane immediately senses that they are "meant to be".

Shane worms her way into visiting with Vance and develops a friendship. Eventually, thinking she's helping an out-of-work carpenter, she hires him to make the bigger improvements to her property that she can't handle. This forces them to spend more time together and Vance warms to Shane's sunny and warm personality.

Trouble arises when Shane's absent mother makes one of her rare visits. Shane's mother reveals the secrets that Vance has been keeping, right before he has a chance to share them with Shane causing them to have a big fight.

This was a new read for me of one of Nora Robert's earliest works, part of her Language of Love. I would have liked the last conflict prior to the HEA to have been handled differently. Shane had known from the start that Vance had something in his past that he hadn't shared with her. So why should she be so angry when she finds out what it is. She should have just laughed in her mom's face and waited for Vance to tell her. Shane knew she and Vance were in love with each other. I wish she would have trusted in that....it seemed more in line with her personality if she would have done so.