Review: A Very Merry Match by Melinda Curtis

 

This holiday season, kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret Sneed never imagined she'd be unwrapping...herself. But a burlesque side gig is the young widow's only hope of paying off her late husband's substantial debt. With her reputation and career on the line, she performs in disguise, under the stage name Foxy Roxy. But her secret identity is threatened when Roxy's biggest fan turns out to be Mary Margaret's biggest crush -- the handsome-as-sin mayor of Preston!

Newly divorced single dad Kevin Hadley is prepping to make the jump from mayor to state assemblyman. He knows he should be settling down with someone quiet and practical, someone like Mary Margaret Sneed. The last thing Kevin needs right now is a steamy scandal. But he just can't stop thinking about Foxy Roxy...and if Preston's matchmaking Widows Club has their way this Christmas, Kevin won't have to...

I want to start off this review with the fact that I hate Barb! If you haven't yet read this series you are probably confused about who Barb is when the heroine's name is Mary Margaret. It's just something you need to learn by reading the story.  

Now that I wet your whistle lets move on to what I thought of A Very Merry Match. Those of you who follow me on the regular know how much I love small-town Christmas stories. I just love them! Heck, I'm a small-town reader girl. Love those types of books. I was so excited to read the next book in Curtis' Sunshine Valley series. I've been really enjoying the series so far and wanted more. It was a plus that it also happened to be a Christmas themed story.

I so loved Mary Margaret. There is just something about her that made you think that she'd be the perfect mommy. She was so cute with her kindergarten class. You got glimpses of what could be. She was shy and fun. You wanted to be friends with her. In fact I liked her much more than I did Kevin. 

Usually I'm more into the hero than the heroine but not this time. I took Kevin a long time and some straight talk from his parent to get a clue. By then he almost lost everything. At times you'll find him to have tunnel vision but I think that Roxy really helped him to look and think about something else other than his future in politics. 

I really felt for Mary Margaret, she has put up with a ton because of her dead husband. In the end of his life he became very selfish and only thought about himself not about what he was leaving behind. I was shocked when Mary Margaret believe the men that showed up for money but kinda understood after all the financial shocks she has been under. 

I will admit that the romance between these two is a little different then I usually like. It was a very slow burn to a wild firer. I wish the author spent a little more time with only them. But even with that I liked their story and truly felt by the end of the book that they really did love each other. 

The story is full of holiday cheer and small-town stick your nose into everyone elses lives. You'll really enjoy it. I would say that you should read this series in order, It just makes for a better series. Have any of you read her before?

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