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Book CoverStevie‘s review of Christmas at Seashell Cottage (Jewell Cove Book 1.5) by Donna Alward
Contemporary Holiday Romance published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 07 Oct 14

I don’t tend to read Christmas stories before December, so I was a little concerned when this repeat, and seasonal, visit to Jewell Cove appeared in October – especially since it was billed as number 1.5 in the series and the second full-length novel was due out soon after (and I’ve since read and reviewed that one). All was not lost, however – this in-between story probably fits better into the sequence if read after the other two – and works very well as a standalone too, since the focus is very much on two characters we haven’t really met before, backed up by a couple of members of the supporting cast from the other stories.

Charlie is one of the local doctors, working with Josh (who has appeared in both the other Jewell Cove stories), but has yet to properly fit herself into the town’s social scene. She’s always been better at working and studying than at partying – possibly as a result of trying to please her high-achiever parents, who are not at all impressed at her decision to practice general medicine in a small town rather than take on a speciality in the city. She’s admired Dave from afar – especially during her lunch breaks – but the pair haven’t spoken to each other prior to the beginning of the town’s Christmas celebrations. Just as they’re about to go for a drink and get acquainted, however, their plans are disrupted by the discovery of an abandoned baby.

Neither can bear to see the little one without a home, so Charlie arranges to care for him at the medical centre and then at her cottage. Other residents of the town rally round to help her, while Dave gets involved too. Dave already has a daughter from a previous relationship and moved to Jewell Cove to be closer to where she and her mother now live, but he hasn’t been planning to settle down just yet. Charlie, on the other hand, has no time for casual relationships and worries about getting her heart broken if she and Dave become close and he then decides to move on.

As the Christmas season continues, the pair have a difficult job of staying just friends, even as Charlie tries to push Dave away. Of course there’s a solution there for them eventually, and there’s also a resolution to the mystery of where baby Daniel came from.

This story is a great way to start my seasonal reading for the year, and it is also great to see more of Jewell Cove, even without any of the main characters from the other books having much to do with this one. I am a little sceptical as to how easily Charlie is allowed to take on the care of a new baby, and would have liked to know more about what was going to happen to him after Christmas, but overall this is a worthy addition to the Jewell Cove series.

Stevies CatGrade: B

Summary:

It’s Christmas in Jewell Cove…

And local doctor Charlie Yang finds her quiet, steady life disrupted by both an abandoned baby in the nativity manger, and a real-life mystery man. Sure, she’s always wanted a family of her own, but she didn’t imagine it coming from a baby that wasn’t hers and a man who was more interested in living day by day than making long-term plans.

Ex-SEAL Dave Ricker hadn’t planned on making Jewell Cove his forever home, but the talented and tender-hearted Charlie has him reconsidering his position on settling down. Can a beautiful woman, adorable baby and a small-town full of holiday spirit change his mind for good?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:
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