Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Last Place in the Chalet

AUTHOR: Sue Brown

PUBLISHER:  Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH:   191 pages

RELEASE DATE:  December 24, 2019

BLURB:

Noel Garrett leaves for his Christmas vacation with an engagement ring in his pocket. But he boards the plane alone and with a broken heart when his boyfriend dumps him in the airport.

His seatmate, Angel Marinelli, takes care of him with gentle determination… whether Noel wants it or not, and Noel doesn’t expect to see Angel again. But when an overbooking leaves Angel without a room and Noel is asked to host him, one night turns into the whole vacation and they settle into the chalet and mix with an eclectic group of guests, including the Wise Guys and a pregnant woman. As they ski and spend every moment together, Noel finds himself falling for Angel, and though his feelings are returned, Noel worries it’s just a rebound romance. It’ll mean taking a leap of faith, but Noel has to make a decision before he hurts Angel, and Christmas is fast approaching

REVIEW:

Noel’s been dumped.  On the way to his ski vacation, about to propose to his long term boyfriend.  He’s DEVASTATED.  Enter Angel – his seatmate on his flight to Colorado.  Angel offers quiet support but otherwise let’s Noel be. Which he appreciates.

After arriving alone- noticably – to his vacation chalet, Noel isn’t in the mood to socialize.  But by evening, the approaching snowstorm has caused there to be a change of plans.  They are in need of one more bed – for one more displaced guest.  Who just happens to be Angel.  Along with a very pregnant Maria without her husband Joe, Marv, Frankie and Goldie – who own the Three Wise Guys car dealership – Noel and Angel find themselves in the care of Don and Charlie – the chalet proprietors.  Noel isn’t thrilled but he can’t leave Angel to the couch.

During the week, Noel and Angel get to be friends – skiing and shopping.  They get much closer – even helping a lady on her birthday – one of my FAVORITE scenes in the whole book.  I don’t want to spoil some of the other surprises, but let’s just say the week goes VERY well and that Noel and Angel might be more than friends by the time Christmas arrives.

Well I just loved this book.  Are there things that are over the top?  Yes.  Did I care?  No!  This was just a wonderful, feel good, incredibly Christmas-y Christmas story that even had me tearing up a time or two. Noel and Angel each have their challenges.  There are so many cute and funny moments in this story.  Angel truly is an angel to Noel – and others – in this story.  I absolutely loved their getting to know you story.  Have you ever gone on a holiday where you’re with a small group of new people in incredibly close quarters for an extended period of time?  Relationships ARE intense in those settings.  You get past a lot of the surface stuff very quickly if you let yourself.  That’s what this story felt like to me.  There were laugh out loud moments, intense moment, tender moments, and hopeful moments.  Everything you want in a good story.  If you in the mood for a Christmas parable story that is fun, funny, sweet, sentimental, heavy in places and light in others, I strongly encourage you to read this.  People CAN and DO fall in love in a week and this story will provide one such beautiful happy ending.  Enjoy!

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press