Both Monet and Marcu are fairly melodramatic characters with a tendency to react with big emotions to even the smallest situation which occasionally was a bit much, I mean, I don’t know that these are people I’d want to spend time with in actual life, but if you know going in like I did that you’re in the mood for something a little heightened as Presents novels tend to be, then you’ll likely find this entertaining.

I liked Monet and Marcu together, they had chemistry and she stands up to him at every turn so even though he’s the bossy/demanding alpha type his obnoxiousness is kept mostly in check by the heroine. Marcu does have some really old-fashioned views which can be tough to swallow, those views are often attributed to him being Sicilian, but since my knowledge of Sicilian culture starts and ends with Sophia on The Golden Girls, I can’t speak to how accurate the portrayal of his culture is, be assured however that Marcu grows over the course of the novel.

Lastly, It’s annoying how often I’ve picked up a book with Christmas in the title only to find the Christmas content underwhelming. I thought this one delivered fairly well on its title, it may not be Christmas on every page, but Marcu is something of a grinch, plus there’s a big deal made about the importance of a tree and the overall setting of a castle surrounded by snow definitely gives off seasonal vibes. ( )