This is
the first time I’m reading anything by Fiona Murphy and it won’t be the last. This
novel captures the essence of Christmas: family, love, good deeds mixed in with
some romance, a few surprises, and a heartwarming ending.   

So, let’s
meet Lydia Romano, a renowned and in demand sexy, sassy plus-sized stylist with
many rules that her clients adhere to like not contacting her before noon (it’s
on her business card that her hours are from noon to six). So, when she gets a
call at six in the morning, she is furious and lashes out at the caller who later
turns out to be Decker Holt, the ruggedly handsome, overbearing, commanding, and
possessive billionaire. After apologizing to Decker for the way she answered
the phone; Lydia agrees to style his sister, Juliet who is slated to attend
various events with him over the holiday season. When Juliet decides not to go
with Decker, he tells Lydia that she has no choice but to attend in Juliet’s
place. 

This is
where the romance heats up. Decker is intrigued by Lydia and offers to donate
Money to her charity for each event she attends with him. However, he has a lot
of demands – what she should wear, no showing of skin and her tattoos, etc.  When she defies him in the way she dresses for
the first event, she ends up embarrassing herself and is slapped with unkind
words by some of the women at the event. She is shaken but then follows his
instructions for the next event. Thereafter, the two become inseparable: arms
around each other at events, deep conversations, tense moments, and intimate
trysts. 

Overall,
this was a quick and fun read. I loved the pacing of the storyline, the theme
of friends to lovers, the dialogue, the well-rounded characters and their
edginess, as well as their vulnerabilities. Despite Lydia and Decker bumping
heads a few times, there’s no denying their chemistry sizzles on the pages of
this novel. Moreover, their backstories provide readers valuable insights into their
personalities and motivations. The ending was quite fitting for this genre and
very timely for the Christmas season with both their wishes coming true –
heartwarming. So, here’s to reading another novel by Fiona Murphy. Two thumbs
up! 

Rating: 4
stars  

Some of my
favorite lines: 

Without
remorse or hesitation, I make an offer I know she won’t be able to refuse. I
need a date for six events over the next few weeks. I’ll donate ten thousand
dollars for each date she attends with me to the struggling charity she is
devoted to.

She
counters with twenty-five thousand each date and a whole lot of hate.

Deal. It’s
a bargain, as far as I’m concerned. 

I have six
dates and her love of the magic of Christmas to get her to take a chance on the
magic of us.   

Originally Published on https://vocalexpressions.blogspot.com

Deliah Lawrence Attorney, Author, Blogger, Workshop Facilitator

Deliah Lawrence is a Maryland-based attorney and award-winning author of two romantic suspense novels (Gotta Let It Go and Gotta Get It Back) set in Baltimore. She’s also a blogger and workshop facilitator who writes poetry and short stories.

When Deliah isn’t writing, you can find her reading a book, indulging in her addiction to investigation discovery shows; or painting her yet-to-be exhibited oil artworks of landscapes, portraits or whatever else comes to her creative mind. Constantly on the go, she is also a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland and Sisters in Crime.