ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU

 by: Jessica Scott

Summary:

All Major Patrick MacLean wanted was Christmas with the woman and child who were his family in everything but name. But Captain Samantha Egan has come back from the war a different woman than the one who left - and she doesn't know if she can love him anymore.

But neither of them counted on the determination of a little girl they both call daughter and if Natalie has her wish, her parents may have no idea what's coming for them. It's going to take Christmas miracle to bring these two wounded warriors back from the edge of a broken heart. 

Excerpt:

It was not a gentle kiss. It was not tame or timid or questioning.

It burned her down to the root of Sam's soul. It touched something deep and dark and hidden.

Something she'd thought was long since dead and buried and gone.

Patrick’s tongue slid against hers, stroking to life the very sensations she thought she'd never feel again.

It was electric, the feel of his mouth against hers. The scrape of stubble against her chin, the taste of him. The smell of his skin.

He nipped her. Pinched her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked it. And she sighed at the pleasure, at the raw ache his taste and touch aroused in her, pushing aside the darkness that haunted her.

Sam felt him. Felt everything. The heat of his skin. The warmth that drew her closer. That made her want to crawl into his lap and unzip his pants and push up that damned flannel shirt until they were skin to skin and there was nothing between them but sweat and heat.

One hand slid down her side. Tugged at her fleece and...

"Dear lord how many layers of clothing do you have on under this thing," he muttered against her lips.

She smiled. "You weren't wondering why I wasn't cold?"

"Well you'd be a champ at strip poker right about now," he murmured.

Then his fingers found her skin and she was no longer thinking.

 

 REVIEW

Natalie is just an eight year old, but she knows what she is doing when she phones up her father and lets him know that she is missing him and mommy Captain Samantha Egan is sad. Samantha has recently come home from war and she is having a hard time coping and thus she has left her husband and gone back to Maine to live with her parents.

Patrick immediately rushes into action and arrives in Maine to surprise Samantha and try to convince her that they belong together. This is hard for Samantha as she feels her heart is dead inside. Not only did she serve her country in time of war and have those battle wounds to bear but she also watched her best friend die over there. She is having a very hard time dealing with any sort of emotion and has just totally shut down.

The author did an amazing job of describing the heartache that this young soldier is going through. I found myself crying a various parts throughout the story. Patrick is also a soldier so he knows exactly what feelings she is experiencing and is trying desperately to get through to her. But he also knows that she needs to get some professional counseling.

I thought the scene at the mall with Santa was just breathtaking. This author certainly has an insight into the anquish that Samantha was experiencing yet managed to keep this book light enough so that we could read it and enjoy the love story.

Patrick is on a mission to awaken feelings in Samantha that she believes she is incapable of feeling again. My heart goes out for these two. Their pain was evident in every page, in every interaction, in every kiss.

I thought this story was a perfect quick Christmas read. It has all the elements of a lovely romantic read. I would give it a 5/5.