Damn straight I'm considering this a Holiday book - it takes place in early Nov and ends sometime in February! The holidays definitely happen.

Even if we don't see them :whistles:

Once again I decided to reread a former Harlequin Romance favorite of mine. According to my teen reading journal I read this for the first time when I was 14, so guess what it's been 20 years.

I think I see why it enchanted me enough to add to my "keep" list oh so long ago. Adorable moppet children, cynical doting father, beautiful talented heroine and the hero has to beg forgiveness. This is young teen Lexie catnip.

On rereading at 34 though I find myself pretty peeved at the dad. Sir you literally keep stating "don't worry we'll keep it secret!" then have the audacity to get upset when she rejects the casual affair?

YOU GAVE HER THE LITERAL DEFINITION OF A CASUAL AFFAIR.

I forgot just how long they spend apart though, which is weird in a Harlequin Romance. She gets very ill at one point and when he is basically "no, bad idea this is bad" she takes a restorative vacation for three months...only to return to him offering to set her up as his mistress like this is the 1800s and he's a bloody Duke!

Yeah. I'd peace out too.

I do wonder if not for the kids what pretense either of them would have to see the other.

So overall while not a bad old timey Harlequin Romance (it's almost 30 years old), and while indid appreciate the fact it's set in Seattle, not England, it's not a book I'll be rereading any time soon. Not even in 20 years. ( )