So, I Guess It Did Have a Christmas Tree

 

TITLE: Merry Ever After (Under the Mistletoe #2)

AUTHOR: Tessa Bailey

PUBLISHER: Amazon Originals

PUBLISHING DATE: November 12, 2024

PAGES: 59   

SOURCE: Kindle Unlimited

FROM GOODREADS: A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one in this smoking-hot short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey. 

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

MY THOUGHTS: I knew I had a readathon coming up so I saved all of the recent Amazon Original Under the Mistletoe Collection specifically for it.  I love Tessa Bailey, so it was a no-brainer that I picked this one up first.

I know Bailey's books can be a bit spicy and I have no problem with that.  And I've pretty much enjoyed everything I've read from her.  However, I don't know that her formula transfers well to short stories/novellas.  Evie has moved to a small Texas town with her infant son Sonny. She is working in a thrift store when she meets Luke, a giant farmer.  I won't go any further because it's only 59 pages, so I don't want to risk giving anything away.  

I really want a full-length book with Evie and Luke's story.  Bailey did a fine job of giving me enough back story that I understood where the story was headed and why, but I guess I just enjoy all the buildup and getting to know the characters before they get to the down-and-dirty. There was a prologue at the end which was definitely needed to wrap things up or else I feel like the whole book would have been "I work in a shop.  I work on a farm. Let's have sex on the floor."  

Of course, I still rated this pretty high because I did enjoy it and I am trying to capture some more Christmas spirit.  That's the other thing, the story takes place in Texas and other than it happening at Christmas and there being mention of an undecorated Christmas tree, it wasn't very festive.  Could they have at least had sex under a Christmas tree?

MY RATING: 4 PAWS