Snowfall on Cedar Trail: Two full books for the price of one

by Annie Rains

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a heartwarming holiday romance between the a small-town florist and the handsome chief of police. Includes a bonus novel by Miranda Liasson!

Last Christmas was tough for Halona Locklear and her seven-year-old son Theo, who hasn't spoken a word since his father's death. This year, Halona wants nothing more than to give him a good holiday and to hear his sweet voice again. Enrolling him in the Mentor Match program might help but when Theo gets matched with Sweetwater Springs Chief of Police, Alex Baker, Halona realises that the handsome hero might know secrets about her past that she is determined to keep buried.

Chief of Police, Alex Baker, re-opens his father's hit-and-run cold case every December, hoping to finally solve it. This year, his plate is full with being a Mentor Match to a young seven-year-old boy as well. His biggest obstacle, however, is fighting his attraction to the boy's mother, Halona. As Alex gets close to solving his father's cold case, he learns that those closest to him may be in danger - including Halona. Alex has already lost one of the most important people in his life; he isn't about to lose her too, even if it means walking away to keep her safe.

Includes the bonus novel Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson!

• ISBN10: 1538714027
• ISBN13: 9781538714027
• Publish Date: 14 November 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Forever
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 720
• Language: English

Reviews

[chymerra]

I love romance novels set around Thanksgiving/Christmas. I always get in the holiday mood while reading them. So, when I saw the Annie Rains had another book set around Thanksgiving/Christmas, I knew that I had to read it. I am glad that I did!! Because of this book, I was in the holiday mood for days.

The plotline for Snowfall on Cedar Trail was medium paced. The medium pace of the plotline worked for me. If the book had been faster-paced, an essential part of the plotline would have been glossed over.

I liked Halona. She was doing everything she could to run her business and get her son the help he needed. There was no place in her life for romance, which I understand. I thought her crush on Alex was cute. But she was wary of getting involved with him. I thought it was because of Theo’s issues, but then there was another reason why. That reason broke my heart when it was revealed. It also reinforced, in my eyes, how strong she was and had to be.

I loved Alex. He took his job as police chief seriously. When the book started, he was trying to help a battered woman leave her husband. He had also reopened his father’s cold case, trying to see if there were any new clues about his death. Then, while checking on the battered woman, he takes an abused puppy from her husband. On top of that, he had agreed to become a mentor to a child in need. It was a lot. His interactions with Halona, Theo, the town folk, and Officer Chew (the puppy and I LOVED the name!!) made the book.

Halona and Alex’s romance was a slow burn. I loved that they had been crushing on each other since, well, forever. They did have their ups and down, though. A significant down with their relationship was Halona’s ex-husband and how he treated her. But, they did get past it. When they did, their romance went into high gear.

Theo’s selective mutism was a significant part of the storyline. It was the reason that Theo was placed in the mentor program and in turn, got paired with Alex. I did feel bad for Theo. He saw his father doing something horrible to his mother. It affected him so much that he stopped talking. It broke my heart. But, I was glad to see that Alex was able to help Theo. But, I didn’t buy the end of that storyline. It seemed to me almost too perfect.

Another storyline that ended almost too perfectly was Alex’s father’s cold case and the battered woman’s storyline. I wasn’t a fan of Halona giving Tony advice about how to win his wife BACK. I mean, he beat his wife and a puppy. I also didn’t like how the cold case ended up. It left me with more questions, which drove me nuts.

The end of Snowfall of Cedar Trail was cute but seemed a little rushed. I couldn’t figure out who the next book will be about.

[Pigpen.Reads]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What first drew me to this book was the cover. Honestly, it is gorgeous and just gives out Christmas feels! The snow covered trees, house, and falling snow. And the puppy!

In this story we have Halona and her son Theo. Halona is a divorced single mom. Theo, only 7 years old, has selective mutism. Our main man of the book is Alex Baker. Alex is Chief of Police for their small town and single. Their story together was perfect! The way this story flowed was magical. We have love, family, murder, and mystery. All of it worked perfectly well together.

I will pick up anything that Annie Raines writes. I'm a fan of hers now!