- Lucky in Loveland
- Lost in Loveland
- Mistletoe Reunion in Loveland
- Finding Forever in Loveland
- Winter Lights in Loveland
- Around Loveland - books 3,4,5
Colorado's majestic scenery and creative community may be perfect for finding love, but life can change anywhere.
Graham and Patrick raised a beautiful daughter together, then watched her take flight. But somehow in the aftermath, they lost their way. Now Patrick lives in Denver where he has his art studio, and Graham has been living his own solitary life in the home they built together.
If one didn't count the constant ache of loss, the loneliness, and broken hearts, it was the perfect arrangement. But this year, Christmas holds the promise of a happy event that will bring Patrick and Graham a new kind of bliss...together.
Can the magic of Loveland, the joy of the holiday season, and a special delivery mend the hurting hearts of two men and set them on the path to renewed love?
(Part of the Welcome to Loveland series but can be read as a stand-alone)
Cassie on The Novel Approach wrote:I found this story lingering in my Holiday Reads. I must have missed it Because of the Busy Holiday! I like this series very much and was surprised by the wonderful topic this author chose.
Graham and Patrick are separated by miles and misunderstandings. They were so much in love, they raised a beautiful daughter and now she is about to give birth herself. Both of them will be Grandpa’s and of course will have to spend this time together.
This sweet holiday story, with jack frost nipping, sweet warm memories of happier times told, give us a charming story of two young men who got lost along the way and were Lucky to find their way… Loveland can do it!!!
I’m a total sucker for second chance stories. When I read this blurb, I couldn’t wait to get my grabby little hands all over this holiday short. And overall, it was a satisfyingly sweet bit of holiday cheer.
Told from Graham’s perspective, there’s plenty of guilt and self-recrimination over the 10 month old break up of Graham’s and Patrick’s long-term relationship. The story never ventures into maudlin, staying firmly on the sweet side of the romance spectrum. In fact, I wouldn’t have minded a teensy bit more angst.
From a character standpoint, the POV is so solidly in Graham’s head, we don’t get a lot of insight into Patrick aside from what we learn through Graham. And because all the conversations that could give a more direct look into Patrick’s character get interrupted before we learn much, there’s not a lot of opportunity for the reader to invest in Patrick except as a sympathetic reflex to Graham’s feelings. I also thought the daughter sometimes bordered on too childish. Some of that could be because she is still young, at twenty-two, and possibly because she was falling back on childhood relationship habits with her dads. Still, she ended up pouting a lot, and had a scene where she referred to “down there” instead of just talking about her cervix. That phrasing struck me as being particularly odd given she’s likely been in and out of appointments all revolving around her reproductive organs for several months. Even so, the characters are very likeable. It’s really easy to root for Patrick and Graham to work things out, and to wish the little family unit the best as they find their feet in the midst of all the relationship and medical upheaval that defines the story arc.
This is the only book of the Welcome to Loveland series that I’ve read, and it does work as a standalone, but if you’ve read the series, you should recognize a few of the minor characters that receive brief mentions in this story. Mistletoe Reunion in Loveland is lighthearted and sweet, and the themes of second chances and new beginnings land squarely in prime holiday reading territory. So, go check it out! It’s a pleasant way to spend an evening by the Christmas tree.