Book Review: This Christmas by Jeannie Moon

Summary (goodreads): Single mother Sabrina Gervais has built a happy life with her daughter Charlotte in their eastern Long Island hometown of Holly Point. Having Charlie meant putting some of her own dreams on hold, but Sabrina is content to surround herself with family and friends, safe from the realities of the outside world. She had enough of that when the man she loved broke her heart. 

Jake Killen’s career in professional hockey has brought him many rewards on and off the ice, but returning to New York brings back a flood of memories. When he sees Sabrina again, he discovers that he didn’t just away from her ten years ago, but also from their unborn child. 

Struggling with anger, guilt, and chemistry that’s off the chart, Sabrina and Jake wonder if they can find love again and, this Christmas, make all their wishes come true.

My Thoughts: 

Secret baby plots are one of my catnips, so when I read the summary for this story I was all over it. I was surprised to realize that this is actually part of an anthology of sorts, which tells the story of four friends around Christmas, that was interesting (particularly as each story was written by a different author) but since I read it as a stand alone I can say that I both perfectly understood the story... and I still felt like I was missing something of context. 

But none the less, This Christmas was a sweet story. Sabrina and Jake both made many mistakes when they were young but when they met again, they don't beat around the bush. Jack can quickly tell that Sabrina's daughter is his and wants in immediately, and Sabrina doesn't deny it or him. 

They dealt with the situation pretty maturely, I thought, and I appreciated that. The bonding between Charlotte and Jake was a bit too quick for my taste, but at the same time this is a novella and that was a bit to be expected.