Yay! A *different* (i.e. not Christmas) holiday read 🙂
Title: Auld Lang Syne
Author: Kerry Adrienne
Author Location: Raleigh, NC
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 18, 2014
Page Count: 84 pages
Publisher: Blush from Ellora’s Cave
Format: Digital eBook
ISBN: 9781419949814
Synopsis:
She never expected to see him again; he never told her how he felt all those years ago. Will the new year also bring them a new start and a second chance?
The years since college have been tough for small town Texas girl, Charlotte, but after her husband’s death, she’s finally able to explore a career in photography. A friend offers to exhibit her work in his swanky New York City gallery. New York during the holidays is everything she’s heard and more. Overwhelmed by the city, she never expected to cross paths with her old friend-with-benefits from school.
Staid psychology professor Jacob learns that Charlotte will be in town for New Year’s. He’s spent the time since graduation regretting not telling her how he really felt all those years ago. He loves her and has never stopped thinking about her.
In a whirlwind trip around the city, Charlotte learns to shed her guilt and follow her long-time dreams. Jacob has to step out into the real world and make a stand for what he believes. To find love, they both must take a chance or risk being stuck in times gone by.
Review:
Auld Lang Syne is a short and sweet second chance romance–a former-friends-with-benefits-to-something-more story, really–set in NYC at New Year’s. All the classic romantic moments are there–skating at Rockefeller Center, carriage ride in Central Park, ball drop at Times Square–with interesting little twists added. Charlotte’s looking for a fresh beginning and to leave her feelings of guilt over her husband’s death behind (but not for romance, or so she thinks, anyway) and Jacob’s looking to right the wrong he didn’t have the guts to fix back when they were in college. There’s a happy-for-now ending with a distinct possibility of more, though the short format doesn’t really give them time to iron out the details of what for now is going to have to be a long distance romance.
It was a pleasant way to pass the time, and it was refreshing to read a holiday novella that wasn’t set at Christmas. (Though Christmas was still hovering there on the edges–there’s more than one Christmas tree involved, and a bunch of holiday songs mentioned and decorations decorating all over the place.)
One aspect of the plot–some almost-at-the-end drama with Ben, the gallery owner who knew Charlotte and Jacob back in college–felt a bit out of place and odd; I’m still not sure what it was doing there. The length of the piece didn’t allow for a lot of resolution of the drama of the two main characters, let alone throwing in a side concern for a secondary character. Still, though, it was only a minor distraction from the novella as a whole.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Author Bio:
Kerry loves history and spends large amounts of time wondering about people who lived and walked on Earth in the past. She’s a mom to three daughters, six cats, and various small animals, including a panther chameleon. Her shoe horde will attest to her fine shopping skills.
In addition to writing, she’s a college instructor, artist, costumer, and editor. Her new love is her Mini Cooper Convertible, Sheldon, and they have already gone on many adventures.
Kerry is represented by Marisa Corvisiero.