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Harmony Springs #0.5

Fly Me to the Moon

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A sweet and sexy small town contemporary romance.

Lexi Taylor never let herself be defined by the fire that burned her when she was just a kid. Now, she happily works at The Christmas Cat, a year-round holiday boutique. So what if she wears long sleeves to hide her scars? Who cares if her relationships don’t last long enough for a lover to see her damaged back?

Tom “Finn” Finnegan is one week out of the Army, fresh from Afghanistan. He vowed to visit the parents of J-Dawg, his best friend who was killed by a roadside bomb almost a year ago. But promises are easier made than kept—especially when J-Dawg haunts Finn’s dreams.

When he literally stumbles into The Christmas Cat, Finn shatters dozens of ornaments, not to mention Lexi’s peace of mind. The only way he can repay her is to take on handyman work in her store. But “other duties as assigned” takes on new meaning when sparks sizzle between the couple. Can Lexi and Finn find the key to healing each other’s scars as Christmas approaches in Harmony Springs?

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2015

83 people are currently reading
312 people want to read

About the author

Mindy Klasky

111 books541 followers
Mindy Klasky learned to read when her parents shoved a book in her hands and told her that she could travel anywhere in the world through stories. She never forgot that advice.

Mindy's travels took her through multiple careers, including copyright lawyer and law librarian. Mindy now writes full time. Her books fall in a number of genres -- including romantic comedies, paranormal romance, and traditional fantasy.

In her spare time, Mindy knits, quilts, and tries to tame the endless to-be-read shelf in her home library. Her husband and two cats do their best to fill the left-over minutes in her days.

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5 stars
84 (26%)
4 stars
97 (30%)
3 stars
96 (30%)
2 stars
33 (10%)
1 star
9 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel-RN.
2,420 reviews29 followers
December 20, 2017
Lexi was burned as a child and has a fear of fire. She hides her burns and is limited due to her fear (she doesn't cook on her gas stove). She owns an ornament store. Finn was in military and now out, struggled with what to do next. He has PTSD and deals with it by drinking. He came into town with goal of meeting the parents of a deceased military friend.
Finn and Lexi meet when he comes into her store and literally stumbles into a tree breaking all the ornaments on it. Having no money, they agree that he will work off the money owed over the next month.
I liked both characters. Both were perfect for the other in that they each had their own scars. In meeting and developing a relationship that grew, both were able to confront their issues and work on them.
Profile Image for Jenny.
281 reviews21 followers
March 28, 2016
Meh. It was okay. I'm getting tired of the insta-lust/insta-love thing. For a novella, it makes sense, but, really... Somebody who has serious body issues isn't likely to jump into bed with a complete stranger, much less a complete stranger who has shown himself to be a less-than-stable dude. Ugh. Maybe I'm just in a reading slump.
Profile Image for Cathy Geha.
4,341 reviews118 followers
January 11, 2016
Small town Harmony Springs is the setting for this new series by Mindy Klasky. The first story of the series introduces some of the characters for future books but focuses on two injured but very strong people. Lexi Taylor suffered physical pain and damage when she was only twelve and it has impacted her ever since – sometimes in ways she is not really aware of any longer. Tom Finnegan “Finn” is in town to follow up on a promise he made to a comrade in arms. Finn is carrying baggage from his childhood, the war and the loss of his friend – this overlaps into his life and leaves him not only with PTSD but other issues he needs to deal with. Finn and Lexi have chemistry from the very beginning but will chemistry be enough to provide them with more than a temporary relationship.

3.5 Stars
Profile Image for Sujatha.
11 reviews
Read
March 23, 2016
Romantic Love story
This is a romantic love story of Finn and Lexi. Finn is a soldier who has left the army and Lexi is a Christmas store owner.

Both suffer from their own past. Finn suffers from PTSD, the loss of a friend and fellow soldier. As Finn says “Its not like I'll go to couple of meetings and I'll suddenly be healed” Lexi on the other hand went through a fire accident during childhood. And still carries the past and her scars.

It is interesting how these two emotionally effected individuals come together as lovers. I liked the characters and the setting in a small town, Harmony Springs.
Profile Image for Patti Fischetti.
125 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2017
A good Novella for Christmas.

A soldier who has PTSD and a girl who is scared for life have an shattering encounter that starts out bad but then ends up right. They end up helping each other in the healing process that changes both their lives and teaches them how to love and be loved. At first in was a little sceptical about the story but as I read I couldn't put it down. Some pretty strong language and some descriptive scenes but the story was very good. The characters were well defined and the Christmas theme just brought it all together.
Profile Image for Barbara "Cookie" Serfaty Williams.
2,705 reviews5 followers
June 22, 2017
Fly Me to the Moon: A Small Town Contemporary Romance

This the love story of Alexandra and Tom. Tom is a return soldier and Alexandra is the owner of the Christmas Cat who was badly burn in a fire. This is a Christmas story where love find a way and the opening book for a new series.
14 reviews
July 28, 2017
Reason

I choose the book because I like the title. It was pretty decent to see what Finn was going through, a lot of vet has this and more complicated issues. Lexi also had her issue but I felt more from Finns then hers. But in all a good balance with the need they had . pretty good.
37 reviews
December 5, 2017
Fly Me to the Moon (Harmony Springs Book 1)

A lovely book to enjoy. The Author has a way of making me feel like I was in this book. The characters are all so interesting and different. A truly unique book.
2 reviews1 follower
December 24, 2016
Get to the point

The book was not bad, but she too long to get to the point of the story. Very quick read
Profile Image for Lyn Sweetapple.
840 reviews15 followers
January 23, 2019
Very good characters, but they need to talk more. I like that they are both damaged and help each other heal.
The version I read was called Harmony Christmas.
330 reviews8 followers
February 10, 2017
The process of fragments becoming whole

Loved this. So many great elements. Two damaged souls coming together to heal from what life has inflected upon them.
Profile Image for AnjaliC.
129 reviews1 follower
June 13, 2021
Love And Healing Are Found in Harmony Springs

Harmony Springs Christmas or Fly Me To The Moon is the start of the Harmony Springs Series by Mindy Klasky. It is Book #0.5. This book covered a lot of sensitive issues and was very heart warming. It was lovely to see the steps towards a healing process after some painful and tragic incidences.

Christmas Shop Owner and Resident, Alexandra "Lexi" Taylor shows the world her façade of being successful and having made it. She is well-known in the town and presents a sunny front. However, underneath she is fearful and timid of what her future may hold. She hides behind her Victorian costumes and jokes, so that no one can get close to her. But one fine December day, a man walks into her shop and changes the trajectory of her life, making her face her vulnerabilities.

Army Veteran and Handyman, Tom "Finn" Finnegan has arrived in Harmony Springs for a purpose but it is something he is not relishing to complete. His past and present have been extremely tumultuous and hurtful, and so his future appears bleak and alone to him. He had a goal in mind when he entered the town's Christmas boutique but everything transformed in an instant. This trip just might lead him to something that he never imagined as he deals with his ghosts.

I LOVE that this was a story of two broken people finding hope within themselves, in others and making peace with their situations. Exactly what a Christmas romance novel is all about! It was seeped in reality and made it more believable. I did enjoy those aspects. My small complaint was the instant attraction trope, that I am just not a fan of. Maybe because it was the length of the book or the start of the series, that the authoress had to lean towards it. Also, didn't enjoy the over the top descriptions of every minute and irrelevant thing, sometimes.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this book. Even the supporting characters were funny and added some breadth to the story. The character development was on point and the reader becomes involved in the occurrences of Harmony Springs. Despite the small issues, it did not take away from the fierceness and sensitivity with which Mindy Klasky deals with heart wrenching subject matter.

If you are looking for a Christmas romance with substance and reality bursting with optimism in a small town, then you have found your book! It is a quick read that will leave you wanting to explore the Harmony Springs Series further.
Profile Image for Tracey.
1,115 reviews291 followers
April 17, 2016
Mindy Klasky is one of those writers who plays tricks on my brain. She was on my List (the roll of authors to follow and keep track of), but I had to go check and remind myself of what it was … and when I did I was a little surprised; the Glassblower trilogy wasn't something I adored, and yet the author's name always rings a small, positive, bell.

Happily, Fly Me to the Moon was simple unabashed fun. I knew her from her fantasy work, but this is a contemporary romance, and a nice one. Lexi is a woman with scars, literal and metaphorical, who owns a highly improbably Christmas-themed shop in a tourist town – improbably because it's one of those shops which abound in cozy mysteries and romances which stand about a four percent chance of survival. Who knows – maybe this is part of the four percent. Into the town comes another scarred soul, Tom Finnegan, who is just returnedfrom battle, and is in town intending to talk to the parents of a buddy killed in action. A duty which he keeps shirking. He goes into the shop looking for a gift for the buddy's mother, and suffers the traditional fate of the bull in the china shop. Owing Lexi more than he could pay, he contracts to work for her until his debt is paid off… and until his debt of honor is paid off. And of course until he – they – figure out the connection growing between them.

It's a strange thing; main character Lexi's pets sounded remarkably familiar. She has a three-legged hound and a one-eyed cat – and I could swear I just recently read another book where the heroine had a three-legged dog and a disabled, if not one-eyed, cat.

There were a couple of things that irked me… Lexi was horribly burned in a house fire, and since then has never tolerated so much as a lit candle around her … yet she has a gas stove. I've never been burned that badly, and I'm afraid of those things. Also, she makes a decision which should have a major impact on the whole of her life through the business into which she has put so much, but never seems to think about it.

But when all's said and done it's … charming. No, really. I like these people, I like the setting, and I like the writing. Nice.
1,116 reviews23 followers
March 23, 2016
I couldn't get into this story. The hero, an army vet, comes to town to meet with his friend, J-Dawg's, parents after the man was killed serving his country. Tom suffers from PTSD and hears J-Dawg talking to him all the time. He often hits the bottle to forget the atrocities he witnessed in the war.

Lexi owns a Christmas boutique. She's doing her best to stay afloat. When Tom comes in looking for a gift for J-Dawg's parents, he accidentally knocks over a Christmas tree on display, shattering several very valuable ornaments in the process, because of a nail gun going off in the back room, Lexi has no choice but to ask him to pay for the damages. When the total comes to $5,000, Tom is floored. He doesn't have that kind of money. He offers to work off the debt by doing the obvious repairs the store needs. When she agrees, her best friend and her brother both rake her over the coals. To them, Tom seems unstable and he's a complete stranger.

Here's my complaint. Tom and Lexi get off to a really bad start. His bad attitude plus his reaction to the nail gun, frightens Lexi. Even so, she agrees to his working off the debt. (Shoulder shrug) I can live with that. However, as soon as Tom comes to work the next day, he's touching her hair, making a move on her, kissing her. And she lets him. All of a sudden she's ready to hop into bed with the guy. It was way too soon for anything like that to happen. I was extremely disappointed. I was looking forward to them getting to know one another and Lexi helping Tom with his problems. In addition, Lexi had been burned in a fire and was very self-conscious about her scars. He could have helped her too. Needless to say, I didn't finish it. I felt like it could have been much more when truthfully, all the author was interested in was getting them straight to a physical relationship. It actually turned me off. Hence the one star.
Profile Image for Clotilde Martinez.
Author 13 books9 followers
April 25, 2016
I have this thing well I guess you can call a habit. If I see something pretty, interesting or so unique that I have to get it. Usually my wallet makes me wait a day or two or sometimes weeks.. This was the case with above novella. Seriously, how cute is that cover. Feels very Christmas and I do love my Christmas stories in the springtime. Now, I'm not a huge fan of novella as I feel that the characters develop too quickly or they just sit there like a tuna fish sandwich left over from last Tuesday.
In this story, you have Tom Finnegan who is trying to adjust to civilian life as he just left the Army. He made a promise to his deceased best friend that he would visited his parents but somehow finds himself unable to do those. Lexi Taylor suffered a childhood injury that while it didn't destroy her zest for life. It did however hinder her when it came to relationships especially in the matters of love. Tom aka Finn meets Lexi for the first time at her holiday store. He goes there to buy a gift for his buddy's parents. Lexi has a policy at her store " You broke it, you buy it" Guess what happens next-that's right. Thru a series of accidents at the store involving Lexi's brother's inability to handle a tool, Tom finds himself with a hefty bill. He made a deals with Lexi to fix what is need at the store which she agrees to. Her brother doesn't like the idea but Lexi's mind is already made up. Next day, Tom shows up to work and suddenly they are hooking up to the delight of local town gossips. It's a small town. Things are going well for our couple then Lexi gets upset with Tom for not coming clean to her. They break up..they get back together. That's it. Finn gets the help he needs. Lexi finally allows herself to be loved and I'm finding myself wanting more for them like another chapter or two.
988 reviews35 followers
February 19, 2016
Lexi Taylor has spent a lifetime living with the scars of her past. But the scars from the accident aren’t the only ones she is dealing with. She won’t let anyone get close to her emotionally, for fear they will reject he. Working at The Christmas Cat has allowed her to protect herself. With long sleeved shirts and long skirts, she hides herself from the world’s eyes.

Tom Finnegan is living his own nightmare. In Afghanistan he witnessed the death of his best friend. Now he is in the little town of Harmony Springs to see J-Dawg’s parents. Wanting to take a small gift when he visits, he goes into The Christmas Cat, where, like a bull in a china shop, he precedes to knock over a display of very expensive ornaments. The only way he is able to make financial restitution is to offer his carpentry services to the shop owner.

Despite the pull Finn and Lexi feel, neither are willing to reveal their scars or venture outside of their safe place. How do two wounded individuals overcome their personal pain and dare to reach out for love?

This beautifully told story touches the heartstrings as the reader roots for these two to find the love they so richly deserve.
Profile Image for Tia.
638 reviews
January 7, 2016
When winter weather drives an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD into a year round Christmas store full of fragile items, only chaos can happen. He accidentally knocks over some expensive ornaments and offers to pay for them, but finds out that despite his good intentions he can't afford to. He comes to a deal with the owner to work on building shelves for her in repayment. Their budding attraction for one another helps to heal her emotional scars, but takes longer for him to stop hiding in a bottle of booze.

I enjoyed this romantic story very much even though it dealt with hard topics that most would prefer to keep hidden. And maybe for that reason the most, I love it. It's easier to write a love story that has little conflict, than to write one with so much obvious pain and angst. I read this as part of the "Mischief Under The Mistletoe" box set.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018...
Profile Image for Rachel.
35 reviews7 followers
November 1, 2016
*I received this book as part of a giveaway on LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book so much! It's the first book I've read in quote some time that I stayed up extra late to finish. I just couldn't stop reading it! At the beginning I was a little hesitant, thinking it was going to turn into just another cheesy romance, but I was wrong! Ms. Klasky created rich characters with so much depth that grew like crazy over the course of her novella. The passion was intense, but definitely believable, and the blossoming relationship quite realistic, with secrets, lies, a major fight, and working to change for the better and work things out. All in all I loved this book. Highly recommend for any romance lovers out there!
Profile Image for Gina Schwartz.
274 reviews3 followers
January 22, 2016
This was a lovely uncomplicated story. A nice easy Christmas love story. The plot in this novel was very simple but yet still there were some very exciting quirks to the characters and the setting that made it just that little bit more special - a Christmas shop, a ghost, civil war re-enactments.

The reader was able to keep the happy feeling right through the novel. Even when the conflict came as it must come in a love story, it did not last long and had the added bonus of being very cathartic for both characters.

You will enjoy this one.
227 reviews
February 11, 2016
I received this free book for an honest review. Although it was a quick read, it was full of substance. It is the story of Finn who is emotionally damaged from his service and Lexi who has physical scars. Fate brings them together and although they have different kinds of scars and fears, they have to work on building enough courage to learn to deal with their pain. It is a romantic, feel good Christmas story in a cute town called Harmony. The characters show us that with a bit of hope and courage you can overcome obstacles.
432 reviews
January 25, 2016
I received this ebook free from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This is a short story about two very human and emotionally damaged individuals who become romantically involved. I would like to see the author develop each of the characters more. I had so many questions at the end and felt disappointed. I felt like I was missing something and that I didn’t know enough about the characters. Hopefully the author will continue to develop Finn and Lexi as she writes more books in the Harmony Springs series.
139 reviews
April 11, 2016
Loved this book.

Finn entered Lexi's shop to buy a gift for his deceased friend's mother. While in the shop, Finn knocked a tree over. Expensive ornaments fell and broke. Finn and Lexi came to an agreement that he would work the debt off. Their relationship grows from not really knowing each other to where they help each other through experiences they are each struggling with. It is a beautiful story about friendship building and turning to love. A must read.
Profile Image for Shela Kelley-sturgeon.
5 reviews
March 19, 2016
Shel

I thought this was a good book the two main characters both have problems, they don't know how to tell the truth about. But when they finally get it together and start telling each other the truth it works out.
Profile Image for Vickie.
182 reviews1 follower
June 15, 2016
Sweet book

This is a book about a man who just left the military, a woman who had been in a bad house fire, shop owner, and some of the emotions and trials that they had to endure. You wanted to cheer for them. Love conquers all
800 reviews6 followers
March 21, 2016
Heartwarming

This story delves into tough subjects with such aplomb that in the end you can smile about them and know that Mindy handled them better than I would have. Good job. Enjoyed the writing style and the first rate characters.
Profile Image for Michele.
39 reviews13 followers
March 24, 2016
This was such a heart warming story. I love both Finn and Lexie and was sad when the book ended.
I've never read any of this author's books before,but I will be sure to read some more. I highly recommend this book. Great short read.
Profile Image for Amary Chapman.
1,665 reviews27 followers
April 16, 2016
Courage is personal

Fire victim Lexington and Iraqi veteran Finn, struggle through their battles with their personal demons separately. They meet and after some misunderstanding join together and become a loving couple. Sweet and sensual tale
1,292 reviews1 follower
June 10, 2016
How long can we hide our scars?

An interesting romance between two damaged people. A soldier just back from Afghanistan and a horrific fire survivor meet and move toward healing their scars.
Profile Image for Shawn Harmon.
26 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2016
It was a good book...a short quick read about two people carrying baggage they cannot get past until they meet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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