First Chapter Review: THE KISS THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS by Elysia Strife @elysialstrife #Holiday #Romance #firstchapterreview

Thanks for visiting Literarily Speaking! Today's post is a first chapter review of THE KISS THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS by Elysia Strife. First, a little about the book....

Author: Elysia Strife
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 310
Genre: Holiday Romance

BOOK BLURB:

Claire’s husband passed away two years ago this Christmas, leaving her alone and in charge of a beautiful and overwhelming cabin venue in the Montana mountains. She’s low on cash, the truck won’t start, and fewer people are calling in event requests.

Every past assistant has been problematic and disappointing. With one final wedding scheduled for the year, Claire is desperate to make a good impression and needs the property in top shape. Only one candidate remains: Zach.

Zach is prior service, down on his luck, and shamed by the town for the actions of his youth. Even after a decade of service, he can’t escape the gossip.

Claire has no option but to entrust him with the future of Briar Ridge—her future. She just wished he didn’t have to remind her so much of her late husband. Yet Zach is different, bringing with his burdens an unexpectedly sweet side.

Zach is full of surprises.

She doesn’t want to fall for him.

He can’t help but fall for her.

A sweet holiday romance with a few curses and some violence.

FAVORITE QUOTE FROM FIRST CHAPTER:

"She drew in the last breath of her husband’s piney, metal-slag scent. Then it was gone—like footprints in the sands of a honeymoon in Hawaii. Claire clutched the fabric of his shirt. Her body ached, wishing to lie next to him once more. Despite her fluffy wool socks, her feet were cold. Nothing could combat the chill that followed that phone call. She had to love a soldier."

BOOK COVER:

Very festive and very professional - I love the way it looks like a wrapped gift and also love the way the sun is shining between the the couple. The author aced it.

FIRST CHAPTER REVIEW:

Poor sweet Claire. I automatically took a liking to her. We open the first chapter with her contemplating hiring this new guy to come help her with the lodge - the lodge that her deceased husband and she shared. You can just feel the emotion as she's recollecting the past as she fears the present without her husband. It's the last wedding of the year and the new guy is coming to fix things around the lodge so that the wedding that is scheduled there can go off without a hitch and perhaps she can figure out where to go after that. She knew one thing - she did not want Briar Ridge Lodge to go down without a fight. It was something her deceased husband cherished and one in which she was not willing to go down without a fight to save. Claire might have gotten knocked down a notch or two but I have a hunch she's a fighter.

KEEP READING?

My goodness yes. Even though Christmas is over, I would definitely keep reading. I want to find out more about this guy who is coming to help her take care of the lodge. I want to see if grief overrules the heart or the heart helps heal the grief. Or both! This first chapter gets a 2 thumbs up!

Pick up your copy!

Amazon → https://amzn.to/37PqSx1

Meet The Author

An optimist and opportunist, Strife is a self-made author, cover designer, and editor. Best known as Elysia Strife, who writes primarily sweet holiday romance, she most loves writing dystopian science fiction fantasy novels under the pseudonym variation E. L. Strife. She is an upcoming author of young adult fantasy as Elysia Lumen and looks forward to diving deeper into the world of magic.

Strife has toured castles, haunted houses, frozen caves, lava tubes, and concentration camps. She’s a hopeless empath who needs the quiescence of hiking in the Cascades, camping, and snowboarding to recharge. She also enjoys reading on rainy and snowy mornings with a fire going, even if it’s just the fake one in her RV. She craves learning new things, like how to work on her 1981 Corvette, her jeep, and the four-wheeler that just won’t budge.

Strife lives with an amazing man who can build anything he puts his mind to and a rescued dog that steals socks and chases the vacuum. Together, they travel the country—from the golden plains of North Dakota to the warm ocean of the southern Texas coast and back to the green valleys and vineyards of Oregon. Anywhere is home as long as they’re together.

If you’d like to know when Strife’s next books will be out, and to ensure you hear about her giveaways, visit her website: elstrife.com and subscribe via the links on her homepage.