Christmas In Key West

by Cynthia Thomason

home to Key West for Christmas. And there’s certainly nothing holly berry and mistletoe about this visit. She’s got to bail out her eccentric father, and that means taking on the local law. None other than police captain Reese Burkett, Abby’s high-school crush—and the man she’s been avoiding for thirteen years.

She doesn’t know about Reese, but she’s never forgotten the night of her graduation, a night that left Abby with bittersweet memories and a secret that changed her life. Yet even Abby can’t deny that Reese’s behavior has been very good and he doesn’t deserve a lump of coal this year. In fact, he has a right to finally know the truth. Besides, seeing him again makes her want to let go of the past and move on to a future…together. Except he’ll probably never forgive her.… Merry Christmas? Bah, humbug.

A Little Secret

But a big surprise.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Holiday

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

I'm Cynthia Thomason, and I'm a romantic. To me, romance means love between people as well as finding romance in places, such as waterfalls, lighthouses, beaches, or wherever else your soul connects with the wider universe.. I have written 39 romance novels for Harlequin and Kensington. But I am currently proud to announce, BACKDROP DEAD, my FIRST COZY HISTORICAL MYSTERY, set on a showboat in 1898. I guess I'll add showboats to my list of romantic places.
I was raised in Ohio. I taught high school English, ran my own auction house, and wrote books. I have experienced a great love, but lost my husband a few years ago to cancer. But he's still around. I can feel him.
I have won the HOLT Medallion Award, the Golden Quill and Readers' Choice Awards and I've been nominated several times for the prestigious Maggie Award. I'm proud of those awards, but as the saying goes, "That and five dollars will get you in the door of Starbucks." I love to write about America's small towns, similar to the one where I grew up in Summit County, Ohio. I have one son, also a writer. My favorite place to spend an afternoon is the mountains of North Carolina, but I haven't been to Ireland yet. My motto as I grow older and wiser is "never stop learning." After several lessons, I am now playing the guitar and I love it.

Reviews

[Paula]

I really liked the heroine Abby, her family, and the Key West setting. I didn't like the hero Reese's reaction when he found out that Abby gave their baby up for adoption. He acted like an ass. I also didn't like or agree with the way that Abby seemed to be blamed for all that went wrong after the one night stand that resulted in her pregnancy 13 years ago. Reese left home without a trace after the one night stand, and Abby tried but couldn't locate him to tell him that she was pregnant. The blame seemed very one-sided. Reese came off as blameless through it all, he wasn't very romantic and never seemed that much in love. I didn't like Reese and thought he was a jerk. The likable heroine, her family and the great setting in Key West was all that saved this book for me.

[Pam]

AUTHOR: Thomason, Cynthia
TITLE: Christmas in Key West
DATE READ: 04/06/14
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Romance/2008/Harlequin/244 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE: SA
TIME/PLACE: 2008/ Key West Florida
CHARACTERS: Abby Vernay/ social worker w/ adoption services; Reese Burkett/police captain
FIRST LINES: Reese hunkered down on one knee & burrowed his fingers into a patch of soft golden fur covered by a colorful neckerchief. "You have a good day, buddy," he said to the Labrador retriever.
COMMENTS: I loved the setting of Key West and there were many descriptions to make you feel like you were really there -- this was the best part of the book for me. The romance was so-so. 13 yrs ago 2 young people brought up in Key West have a one night stand. Abby has just graduated hs & has plans for college and Reese a few yrs older has gotten himself into a little trouble & to avoid some jail time he rushes off to the service. Abby becomes pregnant from their one encounter but cannot contact Reese so she has the baby & decides adoption is the best decision. She goes off to college & then establishes herself in Atlanta, rarely returning home to Key West. 13 yrs later her father has some issues that require her taking a leave of absence to help him & she runs into Reese. Nice enough characters & story but overshadowed by a great setting.

[Patricia Solla]

This tale involves a man home from the service now serving as the law in the town he grew up in where he was a teenage trouble maker. His past is about to catch up with him as he becomes involved with a grumpy old man and his historic house he is about to lose. There's the father's daughter who has left home and comes to visit but has not seen her 'crush' in years and there's something she hasn't told him. The whole thing comes to a head when the daughter comes home to help her father after he has a slight accident.

[Laura's]

Didn't like it at all it dragged and the characters just got on my nerves and I hated what happened with their son.

[Helena Lawler]

Another page turner. Felt like I was engrossed in their lives. Loved it.

[Laura]

key wesy christmas