Doc Holiday
by Debra Dixon
Drew Haywood needs a feminine touch to help give his young son a holiday to remember--and no one does Christmas better than Taylor Bishop. She knows how to transform a house into a home that sparkles. But when Drew lets his guard down, he finds that Taylor has much more to offer. Kissing her is like coming in out of the cold--and Drew doesn't want to go back out.
Taylor has already raised one family--she grew up with six brothers, after all--and she doesn't need another. She may have fallen for Drew as a teenager, but he's asking for a Christmas miracle that would break all her rules. Still, the chemistry she shares with this sexy, single father has nothing to do with the past. Perhaps the gift of a young boy's smile, not to mention stolen kisses beneath the mistletoe, will point the way to the one thing on Taylor's wish list.
REVIEW
Taylor Bishop is a twenty-nine-year-old single girl. Her mother died when she was sixteen years old and she has been pretty much taking care of her father and six brothers ever since. In Taylor's mind, she has already raised one family and she doesn't want to raise another. Thus, she doesn't have any kids and she's not married. One of her rules is to NOT date guys who have kids. Those guys, in her mind, are only looking for someone to raise their kids. Now it's a week before Christmas and she's back in her hometown of Harvey, Arkansas trying to will herself to put together another perfect Christmas for her family.
Drew Haywood is a thirty-five-year-old single dad to a five-year-old son named Noah. Drew has been divorced from his ex-wife Anna for about four years and two months ago she flew to Arizona and left Noah with Drew, with no intentions of coming back for him. It appears Noah didn't fit into her new life. So Drew moves him and his son back to his adopted hometown of Harvey. It's Christmastime. It has been a difficult last couple of months. Drew wants to give Noah a Christmas he will remember.
This is one of those happy-ever-after stories, so you know Drew and Taylor are going to end up together. If you've read any of my reviews before, then you know I'm all about the journey. I LOVE the journey Ms. Dixon takes us on. In fact, I don't think there's anything about this story that I don't love.
Taylor and Drew have had a thing for each other for years but the age difference was a problem. Drew is six years older than she is. In fact, on one of the lowest days of her life, the day of her mother’s funeral, Drew kissed a then sixteen year old Taylor and made her feel better about herself. Drew immediately realized his mistake and apologized, thus breaking a young girl's heart. Now, thirteen years later, Drew has not only moved back, he's come looking for Taylor to give him the one thing only she can give, a Christmas he and his son can remember for a lifetime.
Drew is an only child. He grew up with parents who loved him enough to take care of him, but did not fill the house with a warmth of home. They were all about appearances and the country club scene. In fact, when Drew told his parents he was moving back, they decided to move to Florida. They aren't even planning on being around to share Christmas with Drew and Noah. Ever since Drew and his parents moved to Harvey, Drew has been in awe of the Bishop household. They are/were a large family who immediately welcomed him in, like he was apart of the family.
When Drew goes looking for Taylor at the Bishop family home, she thinks he’s there for her brother Clay, who happens to be the same age and is a really good friend of Drew. Taylor refuses to believe that he actually came looking for her. Through some pushing from her new sister-in-law and father, Taylor agrees to spend the week putting together a Christmas Noah and Drew can both cherish and remember. She swears to herself that she’s not going to get involved or attached. But how can you not get attached to a little boy who isn’t a little boy at all. Noah is the perfect child, a little too perfect in fact. Turns out when his mother left him, she told him that he better not misbehave, because then his dad would send him away too.
Through the course of the book, Taylor tries her best to not fall for Drew and Noah. After all, she still thinks Drew doesn’t want her romantically, but as a mother replacement for his son. You have Drew who can read his “Mouse” just by looking at her and does everything he can to break down the walls she’s desperately trying to put up. Over the course of one week, Taylor manages to turn Drew’s beautiful yet dreary house into a warm home, filled with Christmas decorations. She turns Noah into a little boy who gets his first stuffed animal and has his first fit with his dad (that was a funny scene). Also during this time, Drew confesses his feelings for Taylor after all these years. Of course, she doesn’t believe him. Turns out, at least one member of the Bishop family knew of Drew’s feelings for Taylor thirteen years ago and finally tells her so.
In the end, Taylor fulfilled her promise to give Noah and Drew a Christmas to remember. In the process, she also made her own family as well.
Debra Dixon is a fabulous storyteller. While reading this book, I could actually picture the scenes as if they were truly being played out in front of me. This is a MUST Christmas read.
Rating: 4 (I really liked it.)
Release Date: Available Now
Available Reading Format: eBook only
Source: NetGalley
Purchase through: Amazon
Author’s Website: Debra Dixon
GRRR I wish this was available in print. Mr. Turning the Pages' mom likes LoveSwept romances then again I may just have to buy this one on the kindle just for myself :)
ReplyDelete-Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
You might be able to find an older edition in print.
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