Romance

4.5 stars

With a heartwarming small-town setting, two adorable children and a wonderful pairing of a widow and a sheriff, Snowfall on Haven Point by RaeAnne Thayne is an absolutely charming holiday romance. This fifth installment in the Haven Point series can easily be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend the previous novels as well.

The past two years have been quite challenging for Andrea "Andie" Montgomery but she is determined to make this Christmas memorable for her children, six year old Chloe and four year old Will. A policeman's widow who was betrayed in the worst possible way by her late husband's partner, she refuses to let the events of the past define her. When her good friend Wynona asks her to help out with her injured brother, Sheriff Marshall Bailey, Andie is reluctant to spend time with the gruff man who makes rattles her every time she sees him. With her kids by her side to act as a buffer, she quells her nerves long enough to deliver meals to her housebound neighbor. Watching the gentle way Marshall interacts with Chloe and Will provides Andie with a new perspective of the taciturn sheriff and she is shocked to discover she is attracted to him. Is there more to her sudden interest in Marshall than just attraction? If so, will Andie risk her heart on another man in law enforcement?

Andie has had more than her share of tragedy in her life but she has proven to be surprisingly resilient in the face of adversity. Nothing is more important to her than her kids and their happiness and she hopes this Christmas will help them recover from the traumatic events from a few months earlier. Although she is good friends with Wyn, she and Marshall have not spent much time in other's company. Despite her anxiety when she is around him, Andie refuses to be intimidated by his insistence he does not need her help. This provides her the opportunity to really take charge of her fears and as a result, she truly begins to heal from the misfortune she has experienced and she becomes much stronger and secure. However, she refuses to relinquish her desire to protect herself from future heartbreak so Andie refuses to give in to her growing feelings for Marshall.

Marshall is a workaholic whose devotion to his career is admirable but his long hours leave him little time for friends or family. Not wanting to admit to any weakness, he never stops trying to push Andie away but she gently yet firmly ignores his request to let him deal with his injury on his own. Suddenly and inexplicably, Marshall finds himself looking forward to visits from her and the kids but he is sure this is due to the extended amount of time on his own. He has plenty of distractions to keep him occupied but Andie is never far from his thoughts.

Despite the somewhat rocky beginning to their relationship, Marshall and Andie have a mutual respect for each other and their uneasy friendship is underscored by an unexpected mutual attraction. Andie is quite observant and she sees more than Marshall is comfortable with, but she quickly becomes a trusted confidant as he tries to work through the complications in both his personal and professional lives. As Andie spends time with Marshall, she realizes that she will eventually begin dating again, but she clings to her assertion she won't become involved with another cop. There is a little bit of a push/pull between them as they grow close only to have their unresolved issues prevent them from fully committing to one another. Marshall is the first to envision a future together but will he convince Andie to give him a chance despite her fears?

Snowfall on Haven Point is an absolutely marvelous addition to the Haven Point series. The characters are multi-faceted with realistic strengths and weakness. The novel is well-written with a slight suspense element in addition to the developing relationship between the lead protagonists. The romance between Marshall and Andie is believable and despite the obvious chemistry between them, their interactions are limited to some very steamy kisses. Old and new fans of RaeAnne Thayne are going to love this sweet holiday romance that takes place in a wonderfully inviting, close-knot community.
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This was another great visit to Haven Point, just in time to celebrate Christmas in the small town. Andie is a relative newcomer to Haven Point. She and her children were secondary, yet important, characters in the previous book (Riverbend Road). There we saw that Andie grieved the death of her cop husband, and fled from a dangerous stalker, hoping to start anew in Haven Point. When her stalker followed her to Haven Point, it was her new friend Wyn who stepped between Andie and danger. So when Wyn asked Andie to keep an eye on her brother Marshall, Andie felt she couldn't say no - even though Marshall intimidates the heck out of her.

Sheriff Marshall Bailey was the victim of a hit-and-run driver, leaving him with a badly broken leg and a forced leave of absence from work. He's hurting, hates feeling helpless, and just wants to be left alone. He's also convinced that the hit-and-run was no accident and wants his chance to find out the truth. This makes him quite grumpy and uncooperative when the lovely widow shows up at his door.

I loved Andie's first visit to Marshall. He was rude and recalcitrant, doing his level best to discourage Andie from following through on her promise to Wyn. But Andie had a pretty good stubborn streak herself and refused to be scared away. She didn't yell or threaten; she simply refused to be run off. It was fun to see him realize that he wasn't going to win and finally give in. Over the next few days, Andie and Marshall developed a tentative friendship.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Andie and Marshall. Underneath the growing friendship was also a simmering attraction, something that neither one was happy about. Marshall was convinced that he wasn't cut out for a family of his own. Because of that, he tried to keep his attraction buried. For Andie, having lost her husband in the line of duty, she wasn't interested in taking that risk again. I loved seeing Marshall's crusty exterior soften, especially around Will and Chloe. He was so fantastic with them. I loved Marshall's protectiveness during the tree episode, and how he insisted that Andie and the kids stay with him. It didn't take long for Marshall to discover just how much he yearned for the situation to be permanent. But Andie was still unwilling to risk her heart on another law enforcement officer. I ached for Marshall as he put his heart on the line and Andie pushed him away. Her eyes were opened to her feelings in an unexpected way, and I loved seeing her display the courage she didn't know she had. The epilogue was great and showed just how much all their lives had changed in a year.

During the book, Marshall had to deal with two big issues. First was the hit-and-run attack on him. He was certain it wasn't an accident and believed it had to do with an investigation he was involved in. It was easy to see his frustration at the lack of progress and his own inability to be as involved as he wanted to be. He also had some problems happening inside the department, adding to the possibilities for the attack on him. The resolution of the attack was unexpected and heartbreaking. The second issue involved a secret Marshall had kept for many years. He's haunted by the consequences of his actions, and unsure how to make it right. It was interesting to see how quickly Andie figured it out and tried to help him work through it. That resolution had a much happier ending. ( )

A big snow at Haven Point during the Christmas Holidays brings two wary hearts together......

This book was a freebie from Harlequin on Christmas Eve. I was in the mood for a sweet small town holiday romance, and SNOWFALL ON HAVEN POINT was just what I was looking for. Sheriff Marshall Bailey is laid up with a broken leg at his sister's house, recovering from a hit and run. With his family out of town, his sister's friend Andie is saddled with caring for the stubborn, grumpy man. While Marshall's wounds are physical, Andie is dealing with emotional ones, starting with the death of her husband two years ago. Along with the developing romance between Marshall and Andie are two intriguing side stories, including the mystery surrounding the hit and run. This is the fifth book in the Haven Point series. I read the first one a couple of years ago, and now I want to go back and read the rest. I love RaeAnne Thayne's realistic, relatable characters and cozy small town settings. Enjoyed. ( )