Christmas on the Rocks by Michelle Dare

Shaine

It’s Christmas in Cringle Cove. Somebody save me.

This place makes me crazy with all the decorations. But one thing makes being here even worse: my ex-boyfriend. In fact, he makes me regret ever leaving the house.

One wrong step and I fall—hard. Who’s there to save me? None other than Max. Seeing him again brings back so many memories. One, in particular, brings tears to my eyes—the day I ended us.

He’s all I think about. All I see. And he wants me back.

However, returning to Max means choosing a road I never thought I’d take again.

Maxton

I always know when Shaine’s home on break from college. Every part of my being goes on high alert the second she enters Cringle Cove. She was once mine, but not anymore.

That is until I find her on the ground in pain. Ice happens.

With her suddenly near, I have to fight the constant urge to wrap my arms around her and kiss her. We aren’t the same people we used to be.

We have a lot to work through. Hearts to mend. If Shaine is my Christmas gift, it’ll be worth all the pain.

This will be one long week.

My Review

This second-chance romance is an okay read. I loved the character’s personalities, the slow-burn romance, and the holiday season mentioned in the book. The author missed the holiday and seasonal vibes as they were so much in the story’s background. I liked the story’s overall plot, and I connected emotionally with them. At the same time, they navigated the past, present, and future with some bumps in the road. But the story was missing something that would have made it genuinely great, maybe more holiday vibes and seasonal feels or an in-depth description to connect with the setting. But this is a great second chance romance.

Shaine is from a small town and doesn’t look forward to coming home from college. She mostly doesn’t want to go home to run into her ex. Her parents live in the land of Cringle Cove, Pennsylvania. She doesn’t love the festive nightmare in this small town at Christmas and would love to live in a warmer state. She is still regretting the break-up and fixing her own broken heart from Maxton. Shaine is feisty and seems to cuss like a sailor and a wreck.

Maxton regrets his decisions and can’t get the girl that broke his heart out of his head. He is a bit grumpy, and she’s a little scroogey. But he is also possessive in still thinking of her as his. He is a caring big hearted mechanic but still pinning after his high school sweetheart.

He is also a knight in shining armor coming to her rescue. I love that her sister is teaming up with his best friend to help them make a move and end this stalemate of brokenness. However, they both have valid fears about why they shouldn’t be together or try again.

The author is a little brash in her writing and creative language, but it gives her characters authenticity. I noticed it is only in conversation, not so much in the thoughts. However, this book Is geared toward adult readers. The relationship is dramatic as they learn to trust each other again; however, the steamy scenes lean toward a romance. Max makes me swoon with that romantic gesture that leads us to the epilogue. They have the stuff to figure out still. But it works out in the epilogue. I do so love the festive romance and special time for them. Something was skipped over in the story that could have made it wonderful. It was how the holiday stuff was touched on but not described. It was in the background of the romance.

if you want to read Christmas on the Rocks by Michelle Dare, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Assocaite, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories New Adult, Standalone, and Holiday.