I’m dressed as a Christmas fairy. My car is broken. My phone is dead. And I’m probably next, but I get rescued by a bossy grump.

Talk about bah humbug.

He tows me to his place, a hotel close by.

Hooray! A hotel. Except it’s shut.

As a storm closes in, I hunker down with Jason, the handsome capable ex-military, and Rocko, his enormous dog, in the tiny hotel gatehouse, their temporary home.

At first, Jason resents my chaotic presence and possibly regrets his roadside rescue as we wait out the raging blizzard.

Then, the power goes out. We’re thrown into darkness. But we have a wood-burner and candles.

It could be just my imagination, but Jason’s frosty exterior melts away in the soft warm glow. He even forgets to be annoyed about the trail of pink glitter I’ve left in his room.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit that I’m having the best time in this snowed-in disaster.

I know what I want for Christmas. I wonder if Jason wants it too.

My Review

Jason has inherited a dilapidated mansion. As an engineer, he can see exactly how much work the place needs, and he can’t wait to get rid of this money pit and move on. First, though, he has to make it through the holidays. He’s also a great uncle, and with his previous military background, he still seems to operate like he’s always on a mission to be the hero.

Charlie is a damsel in distress and an absolute hot mess, stranded on the side of the road with a broken-down car. She’s dressed in her work outfit as a fairy, complete with wings and glitter, and has probably watched way too many suspense TV shows. So far, though, her POV feels like a slightly reworked reminder of the previous chapter rather than bringing much new to the story.

Somehow, Charlie ends up with Mr. Grumpy, and their predicament involving a major storm, one bed, and forced proximity sounds like the perfect recipe for holiday romance.

This is a relatively short read, though it’s a full-length story, and the plot moves along at a decent pace. Jason is awkward and grumpy, and he doesn’t seem to know what he truly wants. Charlie is clearly interested in him, but we don’t get to know much about her either. As the story progresses, things get pretty sappy, and our grumpy hero starts delivering monologues. Unfortunately, the characters don’t always feel consistent.

They do eventually kiss, but there’s little heat or description behind it. This is essentially a clean, Hallmark-style holiday romance rather than a steamy read.

The ending is sweet and a little less sappy, but honestly, the best part of the story was the blurb.

If you would like to read Stuck with my Christmas Crush by Francesca Spenser, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Winter, Only One Bed, and Grumpy/Sunshine.