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Holidays in Heart Falls #2

A Soldier's Christmas Wish

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This soldier is on a mission—a picture perfect proposal that she can’t refuse.

A standalone holiday story from New York Times bestselling author Vivian Arend.

Mack Klassen is no longer a Canadian Air Force firefighter, but he’s still fighting fires. The one burning between him and a certain small town mechanic might be the hottest he’s ever faced. When Brooke Silver requests his help in making this holiday season extra special, it’s the opportunity he’s been waiting for. A chance to impress her, impress her seemingly unenthusiastic father—and finally find the perfect way to ask an all-important question about forever.

After Brooke catches her dad muttering about an old-fashioned Christmas, she enlists Mack and her friends in Heart Falls to make this holiday season one for the memory books. Cookies, decorations, songs and presents—it should be easy, but between one disaster after another and the impending arrival of the storm of the decade, the perfect festive season seems to be slipping away.

Then suddenly it’s not about the day but surviving long enough to enjoy their future. It’s going to take a holiday miracle for everyone’s wishes to come true.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2019

247 people are currently reading
257 people want to read

About the author

Vivian Arend

152 books2,628 followers
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Vivian Arend loves to share the products of her over-active imagination with her readers. She writes contemporary, western, and light-hearted paranormal romances. The stories are humorous yet emotional, usually with a large cast of family or friends, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. Vivian lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband of many years—her inspiration for every hero and a willing companion for all sorts of adventures.

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5 stars
276 (48%)
4 stars
201 (35%)
3 stars
75 (13%)
2 stars
18 (3%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Karen Roma.
2,762 reviews33 followers
October 9, 2019
Mack is every woman’s ideal man; he is considerate, patient and adores Brooke and all her quirks. But even a patient man has his limits, and after a year of tap-dancing around their budding relationship, Mack is ready to commit for life. He just has to get Brooke alone long enough to make his move.

Brooke for her part, knows Mack is her forever partner. Strong, capable and sex on legs, he aspires to be the very best he can, while ensuring that others are respected and cared for. So why can’t she get those three little words to pass her lips. They’re perched right there on the tip of her tongue, but the time just never seems to be right.

I personally think A Soldier's Christmas Wish is best described as a treasure. Heartfelt and engaging, but most of all, so very romantic. Mack and Brooke have nurtured their relationship; while avoiding rash decisions or think about the consequences later moments, even if that has been due to circumstances beyond their control. The story flows perfectly, with a believable progression to a romance that leads to the final declaration of love.

And naturally there needs to be just a little angst in the form of a cantankerous father who likes to leave Mack wondering what he’s done to earn his wrath. All will be revealed as this captivating couple navigate the ups and downs of finding forever and learning that what goes unspoken is often what means the most.

Thank you, Ms Arend, for yet another fabulous story and characters that warm the depths of a reader’s soul.
Profile Image for QuinnReads.
3,749 reviews210 followers
December 8, 2024
An Old-Fashioned Christmas

Vivian Arend Holidays in Heart Falls bk 02 Soldiers Christmas Wish

I'm in love with Heart Falls. Brooke Silver and Mack Klassen make it all the more enjoyable, as long as Brooke isn't cooking or baking. 😆🚫

“You’re sexy when you start the soldier-in-charge thing. Just saying.”
-- Brooke Silver

I love how sweet they are together, as well as very supportive as they work to solve a couple of problems and a few mysteries. Of course, when they kick things up a notch, I really like that, too. 🥵🔥 They truly come across as a well blended, genuine couple, the kind I'd befriend. 💙😘

I read along with the audio book. The narrator is Tatiana Sokolov. I've probably listened to a couple dozen books that she's narrated, and they are all well done. 🎧🩷🎧

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.8x
Profile Image for Lovingbooks1.
1,187 reviews24 followers
October 10, 2019
All books from this author is speaking to my soul and my heart, they are filled with feelings. In addition the author has managed to build a world I can imagine living in. I think that’s what’s making her books so appealing to me. The community and the people is realistic and down to earth.

No unnecessary descriptions of feelings and lots of good dialogues.
Both main characters and secondary characters is made familiar with the realistic personalities created by the author.
The chemistry between the main characters is clear from the beginning and it’s nicely built up to a happy ending.
5 stars for a Christmas story that certainly can be read again.
Profile Image for Suzi (Obsessive Reading Disorder).
2,235 reviews
November 2, 2019
I am loving these little Christmas tidbits set in the Heart Falls world. This one is Mack and Brooke's story. we get glimpses of the previous couples in the series. But this novella is set at Christmas and focuses on a secondary character. Loved the move. Loved the LOVE. And as always, loved the small town atmosphere! Great job!
1,676 reviews43 followers
December 26, 2019
This is this year’s Christmas novella offering by Canadian author Vivian Arend. This story takes placed in and around the imaginary town of Heart Falls in northwest Canada. I always find Arend’s stories interesting partially because they give me a taste of what I imagine life is like for our northern neighbors living in a small ranching community in one of their western provinces. It’s like living down here in the States yet different. Just like we both speak the same language (most of us anyway) yet we spell words differently. Like in the U.S. it’s flavor and in Canada it’s flavour. Our heroine is Brooke whom if you’re a regular reader of her Heart Falls series you know her as the town’s female auto mechanic who has appeared in most if not all the Heart Falls books as a secondary character being a member of a close knit group of female friends that includes all the other female heroines in the series. The hero is Mack, the town’s only full-time firefighter and ex Canadian military officer. The other main character is Gary, Brooke’s father who owns and with her operates the local auto repair garage.
There are two stories at play here. The first is the romance between Brooke and Mack. They’ve been in an exclusive relationship for a year now as we approach Christmas. Mack lives at the firehouse which allows him to send a portion of his pay home to his parents who got themselves into financial trouble. Brooke lives with her dad in an apartment above the garage they operate which has allowed her to pay off her student loan debt. Being normal healthy young adults they both have an active libido. But their living situations and active lives doesn’t afford them many opportunities for alone time. After a year, now that Mack’s parents are out of financial trouble and Brooke has made her last student loan payment, they are both ready to take their relationship to the next level and move in with one another. Although of course neither has shared this idea with the other yet. The second story line is Brooke trying to make this Christmas special for her dad Gary. Brooke’s mom abandoned her and her dad when she was only two years old. Since that time Gary, with the help of his now deceased parents raised Brooke on his own. Gary has expressed to Brooke that he misses having an old fashion Christmas. So, Brooke with the help of Mack and others sets out to recreate the Christmas she believes he wants for him.
Being a Christmas time story it’s low on angst and high on sappy, happy feels. Sort of like an R or X-rated Hallmark movie because Arend does include a few explicit sex scenes when our two lovers can steal some alone time, but she does leave out F-bombs. I enjoyed all three of the main characters. Arend gives us at least brief visits with the other Heart Falls characters we’ve come to know. She introduces a few new single characters who along with Tansy and Rose I’m sure will eventually get their own stories.
There is one issue that left a sour taste in my mouth at the conclusion of this story and it’s something authors sometimes do in this genre that drives me crazy. IMHO Arend takes it to the extreme in this story. For me an epilogue is supposed to help bring a story to a close. In contemporary romances it usually gives us a peek down the road at our couples happily ever after. In this book’s supposed epilogue Mack and Brooke aren’t even a part of it beyond a brief mention of how in love they are one year later as Ryan longs for the same thing in his life. No, it entirely a device to interest us in Arend’s next Christmas story between Ryan, a single dad who is a prominent secondary character in this story and an unidentified woman whom he rescues when her car goes off the road during a winter storm. I’m willing to bet that woman is Yvette, the new veterinarian who was also prominently featured as a secondary character in this story. I don’t mind a little teaser for the next book. I sort of expect it. But to devote the entire epilogue to it, I just find disappointing and annoying.
Profile Image for Kelly.
5,729 reviews228 followers
August 30, 2020
Mack and Brooke aren't in a weird place, necessarily, but they do feel like they're on the edge of making it something more. They've been dating for a while, they're good together and they're both looking toward the long term, but they have a few little road bumps they need to come to terms with before taking that step.

While the finding time together part is a little problematic (he lives at the firehouse and is rarely there alone and she lives with her dad, so alone time is few and far between), it's the way her dad doesn't quite seem to warm up to him that seems like the biggest of those road bumps. Mack working with Brooke to give her dad the old fashioned Christmas he was dreaming about seems like the perfect way to bring him around.

Except...well, that's not exactly what happens. AND I MEAN THAT IN THE BEST WAY. Brooke runs into more than a few problems with recreating old recipes and Papa Silver gets a little testy when he finds them digging out old decorations and a freak snow storm keeps Mack and Brooke away at an inopportune time. BUT IT ALL WORKS OUT IN THE END.

Heart Falls is a pretty darn chill town and it was really nice seeing old faces and having friends gather (while dragging new friends into the mix) as Mack and Brooke found their groove. *thumbs up*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Profile Image for Lexee Toste.
2,823 reviews19 followers
June 27, 2024
cute story!

This one was a really cute story. I loved getting to see Brooke and Mack finding their happy ending this one. Brooke and Mack have been together for about a year now and it is holiday season again. Their relationship is solid and steady and both are ready for that next step but certain things and circumstances have seemed to hold them back a touch but everything is finally clearing up for them in the near future/new year and both are close to starting that conversation with each other now. I loved watching these two feel steady and solid in their relationship even without having had all of those next step conversations as they didn't want to put pressure on yet when they didn't feel in the position in order to do something about it. Brooke's father makes a comment about an old fashioned Christmas and it sets Brooke and Mack off on an adventure to try and accomplish that. I loved watching how they worked together and enjoyed time spent just during things together, even when they didn't work out how they wanted/expected. This story had a lot of cute moments as they tried to figure out recipes and track down old decorations. This was a great little holiday, feel good read (that can be read anytime). I really enjoyed the characters.
284 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2020
This story seemed a bit incomplete because we didn’t get to see the beginning of their relationship or when feelings started to get a bit more serious. We got to see tiny bits of them in previous books set in Heart Falls, but it wasn’t quite enough for me.

Also, Arend seems to have a habit of mixing up similar (or sometimes just blood-related) character names. In this book, she called Mack ‘Matt’ (the name of one of the Rocky Mountain House Colemans) at least once. I’ve noticed this in MANY of her books, but I still like the stories.
Profile Image for Eileen.
2,293 reviews
January 9, 2021
Mack & Brooke
Mack and Brooke have been dating for some time and he feels they are ready for a bigger commitment. its christmas time and he wants to get the right moment to propose to her. She wants to celebrate an old fashion christmas for her dad and she asks Mack to help her. He figures this might work for him to find that RIGHT moment.
the whole story was comfortable and sensual. when they finally got together it was perfect for them to take the time since they were stuck out in a storm. I am really liking this series.
Profile Image for Dar.
4,551 reviews94 followers
February 16, 2020
Brooke and Mac were a wonderful! A couple who are dating, not newly, not long time, but ready to move to the next phase of their relationship. They were fun, they were sexy, and the attraction and affection between them was so evident. Real life people, having a relationship with real life interruptions and pressures, but through it all, committed to each other, and making the best of everything!
Profile Image for ButtonsMom2003.
3,814 reviews32 followers
May 27, 2024
Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5

Sweet with heat!

I loved everything about this book. The inventive way the author worked out the predicament that Mack and Brooke found themselves in during a storm was great. I loved the teaser for the next book and I can’t wait to listen to it. Tatiana Sokolov’s performance was once again so, so good.

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request; my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
1,272 reviews6 followers
March 20, 2025
Love Mack and Brooke.

Mack and Brooke have been kind of dating for a year but neither has really said out loud how they feel about the other. Brooke is living with her dad above the auto shop they own and work in together. Mack is staying in the quarters at the fire station so they don't get to spend much time alone. But they both have bills to pay off so can't afford to move into an apartment. But then they get stranded in a snowstorm and true feelings are finally spoken. What will happen when the storm settles and they are finally able to get back home?
Profile Image for Dawn Cruikshank.
1,133 reviews8 followers
January 4, 2020
A Soldier's Christmas Wish

This is such a sweet romantic story about Brooke and Mack. Heart Falls is a small town where Mack lands and meets Brooke. It is intriguing how their love progresses yet they don't really tell each other they love each other until they get stranded in the barn and Mack proposes to Brooke. It was fun reading their love story. I am happy that they found each other and work on their happily ever after. FANTASTIC job Vivian! I would recommend this book.
819 reviews3 followers
December 11, 2020
There is plenty of heat between Hearts Fall firefighter Mack Klassen and mechanic Brooke Silver. Brooke asks Mack to help her make this Christmas extra special for her dad.

With the help of Mack and her friends they go on a hunt for past memorabilia that will bring back an old-fashioned Christmas that will be a joy for all.

Mack and Brooke know that they are it for each other. Mack has decided that he does not want to wait any longer to make their relationship permanent.
Profile Image for Christina Montminy.
2,164 reviews22 followers
February 2, 2023
great story

This was an interesting story about love & Christmas. As Mack & Brooke embark on making an old fashioned Christmas that she thinks her dad wants, they run into several roadblocks. They also have trouble finding time together as they work & try to create this old fashioned Christmas until the weather steps in & traps them in a blizzard. This was sweet, funny & definitely sexy.......recommend to read.
Profile Image for Selina Durio.
2,524 reviews12 followers
March 16, 2020
Traditional Holiday

Even though I finally read this book well after the holiday season, it was a nice holiday read. The story was a nice way to look at traditional holiday celebrations, not just Christmas. It was a great reminder that holiday celebrations are for family, biological and chosen.
Profile Image for Tonya Turner.
57 reviews
November 22, 2020
Good read

I continue to read Vivian Arend's books. She continues her spin off books, with past characters which I enjoy. I have all of them and look forward to the next. This story is no different. Old friends and new love. I don't tell the story in my reviews, but this is a lovely addition to my collection. I hope you enjoy it too.
1,035 reviews8 followers
March 3, 2022
Great story!!

I loved this story between Mack and Brooke!! She is the local mechanic and he is the assistant chief firefighter in town. They've been dating for a year. This story is about family at Christmas and taking the next step in their journey together. Its a great book. And you get to visit with the rest of the Heart Falls family too! Can't wait for Ryan's story!!
3,992 reviews7 followers
April 29, 2024
Mack and Brooke have been dating for a while now and both are ready to make the next step in their relationship but there is always something holding them back. This year Brooke wants to give her father an old fashion Christmas and Mack helps her out bringing them closer than ever in this sweet read.
Profile Image for Just Read and Imagine.
531 reviews3 followers
November 2, 2024
Brooke wants to give her father Gary wonderful Christmas memories this year. Firefighter Mack who happens to be the man in Brooke’s life is front and center leading the people of Heart Falls to make sure it happens. This is one of the most heartfelt Christmas books I have listened to with Tatiana Sokolov narrating and definitely a great read to get you in the Christmas spirit.
81 reviews2 followers
December 25, 2020
A yearbook

ANOTHER winning streak to get myself lucky enough to have found this author. I love her books, love this series, !my first with her. They all hard to guit once you start you have to get to the end. 👍👍👍👍love all your books 📚
2,758 reviews130 followers
October 7, 2021
Mack Klassen and Brooke Silver have been happily dating for nearly a year. Might be time to take things to the next level, if they can sort out what that should be for them. Vivian Arend’s A Soldier’s Christmas Wish is a lovely small-town Christmas story.
2,674 reviews
December 30, 2024
3.5 Stars. It took a few minutes to realize this story is set in Canada. It was a lovely story about the meaning of Christmas and how much gets lost over the years as minor and major tragedies take away little pieces. It was enjoyable.
27 reviews
September 23, 2020
Good read

Looking forward to the next book. In this series.
Also to make sure I am up to date on the other books. So that you don't get confusedd.
203 reviews3 followers
January 19, 2021
Good story, some angst with a bit of humour
350 reviews
December 16, 2021
A cute book for Christmas times. Seems to be a good series with people who live close together and are friends. I find this interesting and enjoy this aspect.
Profile Image for Lissa J.
646 reviews11 followers
March 12, 2022
Sweet, heart warming, romantic Christmas story
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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