Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley
Re-issue of Wedding Ring Promise – Originally published 1998.
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns with a classic story of destiny, desire and a little holiday magic!
In her youth, Molly Anderson couldn’t help crushing on gorgeous bad-boy Dylan Black – even though he only had eyes for her older sister. When things didn’t work out between them, he said goodbye to Molly as well, vowing they’d have a great adventure when she grew up. Years later, dumped by her fiance just before Christmas, she’s finally ready to take Dylan up on his promise.
A guarded Dylan always had a weakness for Molly, and when she waltzes back into his life – grown-up and gorgeous – he’s stunned. So why not whisk her away for some no-strings-attached fun?
Laughter-filled days and late-night kisses are changing Molly’s life, for good. The only gift she truly wants now is Dylan’s love, but when he discovers the secret she’s been keeping, she may lose him again – this time forever.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I never read the original story by Mallery, but since she is on my auto-everything list, I thought it might be fun to give this old story a try.
Molly had a serious crush on Dylan when she was younger. She didn’t think her sister deserved his devotion, and she worshiped the ground he walked on. When he offered to take her for an adventure when she grew up, Molly clung to that promise as only a girl can. Now that she’s an adult and her life is in shambles, she hasn’t given Dylan a second thought, until she finds his token of promise to take her away.
Dylan always adored Molly, and now that the grown up version has waltz into his office and asked to be taken on the road for an adventure, Dylan struggles to find a reason to say no. They take off and escape from the real world, finding that their friendship is deeper than ever. But Dylan knows Molly is still holding something back, and he desperately wants all of her. But her secret may be enough to rip them apart, forever.
I love second chance love stories, and although this book doesn’t fit within the typical parameters of the trope, I loved it all the same. I thought Molly and Dylan were so cute together, and I thought the fact that Molly was willing to go back to Dylan after so many years apart was both crazy and sweet. I don’t know that I could look fondly on a childhood friend like that and look them up years later to go on an adventure. I’m not nearly that brave!! 🙂
I thought Molly was so sweet. She was the kind of heroine I wanted to wrap up in tissue paper and put in my pocket. She was sweet, caring, devoted, and gentle, all wrapped up in a set of steel nerves. I was desperate to know what her secret was, and although I didn’t think it was a big problem for the overall romance, it was a huge emotional roadblock that she needed to get over, and had me in absolute tears.
Likewise, Dylan was a great hero. He had some big decisions of his own to make, and I enjoyed the fact that he didn’t make them lightly. Although he asked Molly’s opinion, he also didn’t seem to put much stock in it, and really took the time to weigh the pros and cons and come up with the solution that would work best for him. I do sorta wish that Dylan struggled a bit more with reconciling Molly the girl with Molly the woman. He seemed ready and able to jump on the idea of her being all grown up, without really taking the time to process that he really only knew her as a teenager.
The romance between these two was super sweet though, and Mallery definitely took the time to let it build. They started as old friends that were mere acquaintances as adults. Their friendship grew as they got to know each other and blossomed into something more and deeper. I liked watching that all unravel and grow as they grew together.
All in all, I really enjoyed this story from Mallery. Like all her other romances, it was a great combination of sweet and sexy, funny and serious. I adore Mallery’s writing style and will continue to gobble up everything she writes. Molly and Dylan were both wonderful characters and their HEA was so fun to read.
I give The Christmas Wedding Ring a B
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