Montana Secret Santa (Love at the Chocolate Shop #3) By: Debra Salonen

Plot:

Ad exec Krista Martin, while feeling more Grinch than elf, still jumps at the chance to co-chair Marietta’s Secret Santa Society. Why not? Especially since brilliant, attractive, and innovative tech wunderkind Jonah Andrews has agreed to help. He’s well connected and Krista’s hoping for some advice on rebooting her career.

Jonah knows Krista has a not-so-hidden agenda, but sparring with her over cocoa at their Secret Santa meetings is the most fun he’s had since returning to his old hometown. Krista may come across as all business, but Jonah’s positive he’s glimpsed a little girl inside her who wants to believe in Santa… and in love.

Review:

Krista is a confusing protagonist. She starts off prepared to tell her partner that she needs to step up because she’s not carrying her weight and their business is going to fail if she doesn’t pick up the slack. She ends up doing a complete one eighty when she finds out her partner is pregnant. All of a sudden none of that matters and an intern will solve everything. An intern that doesn’t start until the next year.

Jonah is a tech genius and says he’s socially inept but doesn’t seem to be at all. He takes over Secret Santa with no issues. He does have some issues with Krista, but that’s mainly because they don’t communicate.

One of my least favorite tropes, lack of communication leading to misunderstandings and in this case a flight from Montana to LA. It’s lazy writing and there were lots of bits like that, characters were inconsistent in things that weren’t romance related. One minute Krista was concerned about her business, the next it wasn’t a big deal and they were going to be alright. Jonah is supposed to be humble, but he talks about his staff and drops around the fact that he’s a millionaire and gives people hundred dollar bills for Christmas. It’s weird.

It was an alright Christmas book and I’m giving it an extra Christmas star, but I’m not a huge fan.

3/5