Reviewed by Sammy
TITLE: A String of Lights
SERIES: Naughty or Nice? Collection
AUTHOR: Alexa Milne
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 174 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 8, 2020
BLURB:
Devlyn Collins lives with his mum and stepdad in the north of England. He goes out with his mates, drinks a bit too much and works for his Uncle Sid. The trouble is, he’s begun to think he wants more.
Henry Ward is a man with a secret—he’s a multi-millionaire who owns a landed estate on the edge of Exmoor, thanks to a massive win on the lottery. He’s also a man with a mission, determined to restore Secoombe Hall and village and find out how he shares a history with the place. He’s too busy for love.
Christmas brings these two men together when Henry offers Sid and Dev silly money for a last-minute job of putting up Christmas lights. Dev doesn’t expect to meet an attractive man in this small village and Henry expects them to be just strangers, passing for one night only.
But events conspire to bring Dev back to the village…and keep him there for Christmas. Will this be just a holiday romance, or could it develop into something more?
REVIEW:
Dev enjoyed working with his Uncle Sid doing electrical work far better than the plumbing stint he did with his own father. Since his parent’s divorce he and his dad had drifted apart and the constant harping his dad heaped on him while he tried to measure up was too much for Dev to handle But still, living at home and adrift in terms of a relationship or direction for his future, Dev is just getting by…until he meets Henry.
Henry Ward and his sister hit the biggest payout in the history of the European lottery making them both millionaires many times over. With his half of the winnings Henry disappears into the country side into a small village and onto a decrepit estate in Exmoor where he is determined to revitalize the area and discover if he is indeed related to the previous owners of the great hall and its holdings.
The people living there love him and despite a bit of push back from one board member of the town council Henry loves his life. However, Henry decides to pass himself off as the estate manager—not the owner. It’s not that he doesn’t trust the village with his secret, he’s just found that people tend to view him differently when they learn of his immense wealth. Everything is going along just fine until he meets the young man who arrives to put up the Christmas light display in the village. Instant attraction sparks between them and before long Henry is very conflicted—tell Dev the truth and risk him turning Henry away or worse or ignore the growing affection he feels for him m and dismiss the idea that they may have a future together.
Alexa Milne creates a lovely whirlwind romance in the holiday story, A String of Lights. With little angst and lots of incredibly sweet moments, the story brings two opposites together during Christmas—complete with a snowstorm and a convenient accident that prevents Dev from leaving as planned to return home. Instead he and Henry spend lots of time together getting to know one another, discussing their love for Marvel movie heroes and slowly falling for each other.
Understandably Henry is very reluctant to let anyone in the village, apart from his two friends he set up to run the local tavern and hotel, know that he is the actual owner of almost the entire village. But with every step he takes to revitalize the area, he looks to the interests of the people there and returning the estate to its former glory. It will be a place for community gatherings and all will feel they have a share in its success. Henry is a genuine good guy and despite a sadly haunting past, he is ripe for a new romance. Dev provides just the right mix of fun and heat to make that happen. The interactions between the two men are quite nice with lots of humor and heat—a great combination that made the novel speed by.
I think we may see more of this little village and its inhabitants in the future. There seems to be more stories there to tell if the hints about the vicar and his single status are anything to go by. I will definitely be on the lookout for more because this introduction to Henry and Dev was just delightful.
RATING: 
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