Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  A Changeling Christmas 

SERIES:  Snowed Inn

AUTHOR:  Eli Easton

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  144 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 25, 2022

BLURB: 

An avalanche, a quaint Christmas inn, and an assignment to sit on an international thief until the cops can arrive. What could go wrong?

Felix can’t believe his luck when a perfect stranger offers him the use of a pre-paid cabin at a mountain inn. He’d planned to ignore Christmas this year, working through the holidays in his job as a nurse in a Denver maternity ward. After all, Christmas won’t be the same without his beloved mother, who recently passed. But the inn, decked out like a Hallmark movie set, is the perfect place to soothe his heart, rekindle his Christmas cheer, and maybe even find romance? When a gorgeous ex-Marine befriends him and sticks by his side through a whole day of Christmas activities, Felix thinks he’s found true love.

Riggs’s plans for a ski vacation are buried when an avalanche blocks off the mountain inn where he’s staying from the rest of the world. A midnight phone call enlists Rigg’s help watching a guy on the FBI’s Most Wanted list who is supposed to be staying at the inn. The FBI and the police can’t get through until the avalanche is cleared. Riggs steps up to do his duty one more time. But the man who is supposed to be The Falcon, an international thief, has one hell of a Clark Kent type alter ego, because he seems like the sweetest man Riggs has ever met. The more time they spend together, the more attracted Riggs becomes to him, and the more determined he is to make The Falcon reveal his true colors.

Will love prevail? Or will the law?

A Changeling Christmas is a mistaken identity, snowed in together, rom-com romance with all the Christmas feels.

REVIEW: 

Felix is a nurse who comes to The Retreat for speed dating.  He gives up after a couple of rounds and is getting a drink at the bar when he’s approached by another guest.  This guest offers him his cabin for free for the next three days – all he has to do is pretend to be him since the reservation isn’t transferable.  He even leaves all his clothes and skis away after getting Felix to agree to not tell anyone that he’s not Alastor.

Riggs is on a vacation to meet up with friends.  After an avalanche has everyone stuck at the resort, he gets a call from the FBI to help keep tabs on one of their most wanted – a thief known as The Falcon.  Riggs agrees to help, but he gets close to the target .  He cannot believe this is the guy.  He’s got to be the best actor on the planet!  No matter how many time he tries to trip him up, this guy just can’t be for real.  Is he?

I have to say that I am a sucker for Eli Easton’s holiday stories.  I can think of a list of them that are among my favorites.   This one is another to add to that list.  Felix is arguably one of the sweetest characters ever.  Riggs is a bit of a grumpy Gus to begin with and of course his holiday is thrown off-course by the avalanche, so it’s no wonder that he’s a bit skeptical about all things.  Felix’s compassion and kind nature is Rigg’s kryptonite, so it’s fun to watch how he vacillates between thinking Felix really is The Falcon and being sure he’s nothing more than he says he is – a L&D nurse.  I loved that their upbringings were similar and that they connected on unexpected things.  This is the third book I’ve read in this interconnected setting and I have enjoyed all of them.  The ways Riggs tried to force “The Falcon” to reveal hi true self were quite amusing.  I found myself chuckling more than once.  These two dance around each other and I loved that we get the story from both POVs.  The epilogue is also “chef’s kiss”.

If you’re in the mood for a low angst, mistaken identity, forced proximity, feel good holiday story with opposites attract characters, I think you’ll enjoy this one!

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon