A BRAVO FOR CHRISTMAS – Christine Rimmer
The Bravos of Justice Creek Series
Harlequin Special Edition
ISBN: 978-0-373-659095-8
December 2016
Contemporary Series Romance

Justice Creek, Colorado – Present Day

Ava Malloy has been raising her daughter Sylvie alone since her husband was killed in the military several years ago. They've recently moved back to Justice Creek, and Ava can't avoid Darius Bravo, the man she's known since high school. Back then, he asked her out once, but Ava, afraid she'd only be another notch in his belt, turned him down. Darius is handsome and charming, and her daughter adores him. He's insistent on being friends with Ava and Sylvie, but she feels all he wants is her in his bed, and then once that happens, he'd lose interest. Ava decides to counter his charm by offering one of her own: a Christmas fling that ends New Year's Eve.

Darius is head of his own company and yes, he can have any women he wants, but he's never forgotten Ava, the one who turned him down. She's a wonderful mother, and all he wants is a chance to date her. She, instead, offers a temporary affair, which he agrees to. They thought things would start off slow, but hot kisses that sizzle between them lead to even hotter sex. Ava tries to shield her daughter from knowing of the affair, but Darius grows even closer to Sylvie. Ava doesn't think Darius is a man ready to settle down, but has she miscalculated the love that's growing between them?

Despite the years that have passed for Darius and Ava, neither has forgotten his asking her for a date and being turned down. In A BRAVO FOR CHRISTMAS they decide to find out what happens if they act upon their attraction for each other. Of course, both are now older and wiser, but is that enough to make their fling more than just a temporary one? Darius is a confirmed bachelor, yet he finds time to spend around the Blueberries girls club, where he bonds with Sylvie. Darius being liked by her little daughter is a plus for Ava, but she is still protective of introducing a man into their lives. Darius and Ava sneak around as much as they can to have sex, but even their family and friends are noticing there's something going on between them.

A BRAVO FOR CHRISTMAS is part of the long running Bravos series by Christine Rimmer, and having never read any before, I found no difficulty in reading this book. The Bravos are a large family, and they support each other. Ava bounced around a couple of foster care homes for a few years along with her three brothers, which has her family being somewhat protective of her. Darius Bravo doesn't fit the “family man” type mold in her brother Tom's eyes, which leads to conflicts between the two men.

A tale which takes place around the Christmas holidays, A BRAVO FOR CHRISTMAS is an enjoyable and sexy read I highly recommend you place at the top of your Christmas reading list.

Patti Fischer