REVIEW BY CEECEE! UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR BY MJ SCHILLER

Dylan Fisher is an EMT and part-time Santa Claus at a mall in Denver, Colorado. He has logged plenty of time with children sitting on his lap asking for anything from the latest electronic gadget to a week’s worth of homework passes, but he never heard anyone ask for what little Delaney Kelly asked for on one snowy night in December. A dad! When Dylan’s eyes search the crowd for Delaney’s mother and land on Keira Kelly, the paramedic almost finds himself in need of a little CPR. She is stunning!

Keira Kelly is still grieving over the loss of her husband, but a reckless driver has her thinking about nothing but survival as she’s headed home from the mall. When Keira wakes in the hospital to find a hunky EMT at her bedside, she begins having a few thoughts that would put her on Santa’s Naughty List for sure! But when she finds out the EMT is only hanging around because the police believe someone is out to get her, she’s not sure what to think about his kindness. Is he helping her because he wants to, or because he feels he needs to? And what about the man who rammed her car, could he have had something to do with her husband’s death?

This exciting story literally began with a bang!

I was captivated from beginning to end with this enchanting tale of how love always seems to find its way back to you.  The characters were darling, the suspense was nail-biting, and there was just enough spice to make me blush!

Dylan and Keira are kindred spirits brought together by a precious little girl with a special wish for Christmas, and an unfortunate turn of events.  My heart ached for Keira as she fought to move on, and for Dylan as he worked so hard to convince her of his good intentions.  The more I read, the more I loved it! 

There’s a dark figure that haunts this beautiful love and jeopardizes their future.  This twist completes the novel, making it a well-rounded story, worthy of praise! 

I was once a single mother and I was impressed with the manner in which the author portrayed Keira’s struggle. The internal battles and indecision a single parent goes through when it’s time to live again is delivered expertly.  Dylan’s role is also penned with what seems to be an experienced hand.  The supporting cast is sparse, but excellent, and the story line is believable.  I highly recommend this novel to anyone that loves a good romance, a tender touch of reality, and a suspenseful tale all wrapped in one novel.

 

REVIEW! Trapped Under Ice by M.J. Schiller (@mjschiller)

 

 

EXCERPT:

They looked at the menus and made small talk until the waitress returned with drinks and took their dinner order. In her wake, she left an awkward silence. For the first time, the pair was alone with no ready subject for conversation. They both took a sip of their drinks to stall for time.
“Your drink all right?”
“Good, good.” She nodded.
“Good,” he repeated, seeming at a loss as to where to go next. He exhaled with a laugh. “You know, I don’t know anything about you, other than your name is Beth, you have a daughter named Cassie, and you’re one hell of a singer.”
“Ah…well...” Again she was unnerved by the praise.
“You’re staying at this hotel, so you’re not from here. Where do you live?”
“Bloomington, Illinois.” When he stared at her blankly, she added, “It’s about halfway between here and Chicago.”
He nodded. “What’s it like?”
“Well…it’s a college town. In fact, we have the little known distinction of being the only city with a university at either end of the same street,” she threw in, remembering seeing that in a paper Cassie did for social studies.
“I see,” he replied, bemused. “And what do you do in this fair city? I mean,” he back-pedaled, “do you work outside of the home?”
“Ah, so politically correct. Yes, as a matter of fact, I’m a lunch lady.”
The singer looked for a minute like he was going to spit out his drink, but he swallowed hurriedly and laughed.
“What?” Beth retorted, pretending to be hurt. “You’ve got something against lunch ladies, I suppose?”
“No, no,” he insisted. “It’s just…you don’t look like any lunch lady I ever had.”
She took a long drink and considered his words. Was there a compliment in there somewhere?
“So how did you land this lunch lady gig?”
Now it was Beth’s turn to laugh at his choice of the word “gig.” “Well, in truth it wasn’t all that difficult. I just showed up for the interview, they told me what the hours were, how much it paid, and what it entailed, then asked me if I wanted the job. So, hearing what glamorous duties I was to have and what a fabulous paycheck I would be bringing home, I, of course, took it.” He laughed. “No, really, I love my job. I love working with kids. I can come home and take a nap every afternoon before Cas gets home from school. What’s not to like?”
“Well, when you put it that way...”
“Not to mention, sometimes I get to bring home leftover sloppy joe meat.”
“It gets better and better. Sign me up.”
“Oh, yeah. ‘Cause this whole rock star thing can’t compare to the wonderful benefits I just described. Tell me the truth, it was the sloppy joe meat that really sold you, wasn’t it?”

REVIEW:

I LOVED this book!  I wasn't sure how the romance with a woman my age and a rock star would go but let me tell you that M.J. knows what she is doing. 

Beth has been a fan of Trapped Under Ice for a long time and when her daughter, Cassie surprises her with tickets, she is stoked.  After the concert, the two women are attacked in the restroom and Chad Evans, lead singer and knight in scruffy armor, comes to the rescue.  The attraction between them is like lightening but Beth still feels like she is mourning the loss of her husband, Paul. 

This was not an easy story and the twists and turns in their relationship, friends and family kept me glued to the pages.  I love how M.J. was able to draw out each emotion and play it out so you could see how it affected the ones involved.  I love that Beth was a lunch lady, who happened to write as well.  She showed a real passion for her work and didn't feel like it was beneath her.  I look forward to more books from this author and hope she comes back to join us here at Romancebookworm's Reviews!

Rated 4 Bookworms

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