Score: 4.5/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 🍆🍆🍆 /5

Thank you to K.D. Elizabeth for gifting me a review copy of her book The Season Bright. This is the second book in The Bright Series, you can check out my review for the first book The Christmas Cadeau here.

Our heroine, Jessica, is a serial workaholic. She hasn’t taken a vacation in over five years and is trying to make a name for herself at her marketing firm, despite her @$&# of a boss. Eventually, it’s becoming so apparent that she’s burned out that she is forced to take some time off, so she books herself a tropical vacation. But just as she’s about to board the plane she gets a message from her mother that there is an emergency in her home-town and Jessica has to come home to Bright, Vermont, instead.

It becomes clear as soon as she arrives that her mother has manipulated her into coming home, and had planned it for some time. She even throws a surprise holiday party in Jess’ honor, which is the last thing she wants to deal with. Her mom is kind of terrible in my opinion…I mean, who does that?!

And if that wasn’t bad enough, her mom tries to set her up with a guy Jess can’t stand, AND they’re much thrown together because Jess has to step in for her sister and work the annual holiday markets in town.

The loathsome, but super hot, Ethan is just in town visiting his family (his mom and Jess’ mom play bridge together) and he’s working the holiday markets too…right next door to Jess. Naturally, they start a market rivalry to see who can out-sell the other.

I really enjoyed this book, and y’all know that enemies to lovers is my favorite romance trope. There was really good tension build-up and their relationship felt like it moved at the right pace. I also really adored both main characters, although I wanted to slap Jess’ mother and most of her family members a few times.

My only complaint is that we don’t really find out why Ethan is so grumpy towards Jess until about 80% of the way through the story. I think that could have happened a little earlier. Also, I don’t want to give any spoilers but I feel like the ending went a little far, we didn’t need them to do quite so much.

This book was steamy y’all, like whoa my glasses were fogging up kinda steamy. I would have liked a mention of safe sex in there, I like my fictional characters to be safe and responsible while they’re getting it on in naughty locations. ;) Otherwise, it was hot, hot, hot!

Plus, who doesn’t love an adorable holiday market?! If you’re in the need for a sweet and steamy holiday romance, definitely check this one out. You can grab your own copy via the button below.

Synopsis:

Jessica Reynolds hasn’t taken a vacation in five years. But when her tyrant of a boss forces her to take two weeks off—or else—right before Christmas, suddenly visions of beaches and piña coladas are dancing in her head.

Unfortunately for Jess, her family has other plans for her vacation. Before she can escape to Bermuda, Jessica’s mom has guilted her into coming home to run her injured sister’s booth at a Christmas market. Now, instead of sunshine, cocktails, and scantily-clad cabana boys, Jess finds herself back home in sleepy little Bright, Vermont—with no sun in sight.

After fleeing Bright eleven years ago, the last thing Jess wants is to be stuck shivering for days selling her sister’s nuts—roasted chestnuts, that is. Especially when it becomes clear that her family could have ulterior motives for Jess coming home. Motives that might just include the sinfully attractive, but arrogant newest acquaintance of the family.

But Jess’s family doesn’t know about her struggles at work, struggles that threaten to erupt in Bright. Will Jess dare to reach for the life she’s always wanted, or will this be her final Christmas in Bright?