Cheesecake's Reviews > Three Nights before Christmas

Lacey and Austin. Lacey has spent the last 3 Christmases in prison and finds it hard to believe she gets to spend this one with her brother.(.. early parole.) Her brother who runs the family Christmas tree farm. She wants to make the best of it, but the man who arrested her, Ranger Austin, keeps showing up and every time he does, she has to call her parole officer. All she can think of is his words during the trial, "She was either guilty or criminally stupid". Just when she is about to lose her cool with him, he makes a request that she can't refuse.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Lacey is strong yet almost broken but doesn't wallow in self pity. Her brother is kind of a dork, but means well, and Austin is a handsome prig who needs a dose of reality. The characters were well crafted and her story was heartbreaking without making the reader miserable. For such a short novel, the author does a fantastic job leading these two hearts together in a believable and (un-harlequinee) thoughtful way. The romance is slow build but heartfelt and the side characters were great!