Author: Krista Jensen
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Christmas
Source: Purchased

Goodreads: When Riley Madigan moves to the sleepy mountain town of Miracle Creek, she hopes her new job as a high school art teacher will help her mend her recently broken heart. A little peace and quiet would be a gift this Christmas season. The last thing on her mind is love.

Former firefighter Mark Rivers has spent the last year recovering from burns sustained during a rescue operation. He’s been trying to piece his life back together but still struggles both emotionally and psychologically. When he meets Riley, he finally sees something that might bring some light back into his life.

When Mark asks Riley to work on a special nativity project, he finds himself falling for her quirky, unaffected ways. Riley doesn’t seem bothered by his scars, but is her affection for him real, or is this just another act of charity? One thing’s for certain, in a small town that views Mark as a fragile hero, it’s hard to pursue a relationship without everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is she ready to risk her heart?

Broken hearts and lives are mended as the town of Miracle Creek comes together to celebrate a Christmas to remember.

Ope’s Opinion: This was such a great holiday story. It had so much more to it than just the romance. The two main characters each had a lot to deal with before they could enjoy the holidays.

I loved the pace of the relationship between Mark and Riley. It started out as friends and helping each other out, which caused them to spend time together. As they spent that time together they revealed themselves, started to heal and found strength to face fears.

This was a great read, I will look for books from Krista Jensen.