MIRACLE CREEK CHRISTMAS, by Krista Jensen, Shadow Mountain, Sept. 8, 2020, Paperback, $15.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult fiction)

Two people who desperately hiding from the limelight find themselves instantly drawn together in Krista Jensen’s Miracle Creek Christmas.

When Riley Madigan moves to the sleepy mountain town of Miracle Creek, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will help her mend her recently broken heart. A little peace and quiet would be a gift this Christmas season. The last thing on her mind is love.

Former firefighter Mark Rivers has spent the last year recovering from burns sustained during a rescue operation. He’s been trying to piece his life back together but still struggles both emotionally and psychologically. When he meets Riley, he finally sees something that might bring some light back into his life.

When Mark asks Riley to work on a special nativity project, he finds himself falling for her quirky, unaffected ways. Riley doesn’t seem bothered by his scars, but is her affection for him real, or is this just another act of charity? One thing is for certain, in a small town that views Mark as a fragile hero, it’s hard to pursue a relationship without everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is she ready to risk her heart? —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain

Miracle Creek Christmas is part of Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance line. While generally aimed at adults, most of the books in this line have crossover appeal to a YA audience. Miracle Creek Christmas is on the bubble mostly because the protagonists are older to begin with.

Like all books in the Proper Romance world, you go into it with a fair idea of how things will work out. What you don’t know, is the journey. In the case of Miracle Creek Christmas, the journey is often quiet and introspective.

Mark and Riley both suffer from anxiety, and while author Krista Jensen does a good job of presenting rough topics, it could be a little triggering for readers who are dealing with anxiety in their own lives.

While both Mark and Riley are strong characters, I found Mark more sympathetic. Mark, though complicated, is fairly straight forward as far as his heart.

Riley is a little harder to warm up to. Another “love interest” makes an appearance in the book, and the fact that she either can’t “read” him or rather chooses not to read him was really irritating. On the other hand, people in her position often can’t see what’s in front of them, so it may be more realistic.

Miracle Creek Christmas is fast paced and inviting. Krista Jensen has a warm writing style that feels at once familiar. This is a nice book to escape into.

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LAKESHIRE PARK, by Megan Walker , Shadow Mountain, April 7, 2020, Softcover, $15.99 (young adult/ new adult/ adult)

Let’s face it. The past week has been a rough one. Schools, restaurants and stores are closed. It’s like winning the lottery when you find a package of toilet paper. Parents are making homeschooling work. And, if things weren’t bad enough, on Wednesday, Utahns were literally shook awake by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake.

At this point, we could all use a little escape — or a lot, depending on the day, the hour, the minute. If a romantic regency escape is jam, then Megan Walker’s Lakeshire Park may just be your cup of tea.

Brighton, England 1820. Amelia Moore wants only one thing — to secure the future happiness of her younger sister, Clara. With their stepfather’s looming death, the two sisters will soon be on their own — without family, a home, or a penny to their names. When an invitation arrives to join a house party at Lakeshire Park, Amelia grasps at the chance. If she can encourage a match between Clara and their host, Sir Ronald, then at least her sister will be taken care of. 

Little does she know that another guest, the arrogant and overconfident Mr. Peter Wood, is after the same goal for his own sister. Amelia and Peter begin a rivalry that Amelia has no choice but to win. But competing against Peter — and eventually playing by his rules–makes Amelia vulnerable to losing the only thing she has left to claim: her heart. —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain Publishing

Lakeshire Park is part of Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance line, and it’s one of the stronger in the recency genre.

In Amelia, Walker has created a heroine who is pragmatic and quick-witted. Amelia is savvy and smart and is someone you want to succeed. Peter is equally as likeable, and his interactions with Amelia are what make this book a success.

Lakeshire Park is a fast read. Walker’s prose is tight and her pacing strong. As with other books of this genre, the happy ending is not a surprise, but there are some nice twists that make the book feel fresh.

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THE CANDY CANE CAPER, by Josi S. Kilpack, Shadow Mountain, Oct. 1, 2019, Softcover, $15.99 (adult)

In March 2009, Josi S. Kilpack introduced readers to cooking aficionado turned amateur detective Sadie Hoffmiller with Lemon Tart. Since then, she’s taken readers on 12 more Cozy Culinary Mystery adventures. The latest of those books is The Candy Cane Caper, a Christmas novel that’s out now.

The Candy Cane Caper opens as Sadie is finishing last-minute preparations for the holiday season. Sadie is preparing for a large blended-family gathering.  Even with the festive chaos, Sadie drops everything when word gets out that her friend, Mary, is the victim of a holiday robbery.   

At 94-years-old, and nearly blind, Mary knows this is may be her last Christmas and the last year to enjoy her family heirloom Christmas tree ornaments. She wants just one more holiday to display her ornaments and following Christmas Eve Mass, she’ll pass them on to her great-granddaughter, Joy. Though priceless to the family, the collection has been valued at $40,000, and the Christmas tree in the care facility has never looked so good. But before the ornaments can be retrieved by Mary, eleven of the most expensive ornaments are stolen.  —Synopsis provided by Shadow Mountain

The Candy Cane Caper is the first of Josi’s Culinary Mystery series I’ve read, and it’s certainly different from her Proper Romance novels. Whereas the Proper Romance books lend themselves to a crossover audience, The Candy Cane Caper feels like it’s meant to be read by adults. This, in large part, has to do with Sadie’s age — she is a grandmother — and her personal experiences. It’s not a book I would have enjoyed in my teens/ younger adult years, but that I enjoyed as a parent.

You can easily walk into The Candy Cane Caper as a first-time culinary mystery reader, although I did get the sense that I would have felt more fulfilled overall if I had read the previous novels first. You sometimes miss out on a “bigger world” when you jump in at a later book. However, Josi’s comfortable style and bright protagonist quickly draw you in no matter your level of familiarity.

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