One Snowy Night by Jill Shalvis

I had a family emergency so I have been away for a while. I am officially back and catching up on some missed deadlines!! :) Here is the review for One Snowy Night by Jill Shalvis.

Excerpt

When Rory came out of the woods, Max really wanted not to care that she was wearing more snow than clothes and shivering, but he couldn’t do it. He watched while with shaking hands she carefully shook off before climbing into the truck. Then she stripped out of her jacket that clearly wasn’t waterproof.

                This left her in a soft off-white sweater that was damp and clinging to her like a second skin. She wore a white lace bra, also damp, and not doing much to hide the fact that she truly was cold. And he was absolutely concentrating on that and how she looked like she needed a hot cheeseburger, and not her nipples, two hard little beads threatening to poke through both the lace and the material of her sweater.

                Had he thought of her as the sweet, girl-next-door type? Maybe if the girl next door was pinup material, because damn. Sitting there with her long waves clinging to her face and shoulders and chest, giving him peekaboo glimpses of her perfect breasts, he couldn’t remember why he didn’t like her and didn’t want to like her.

                “What?” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “You’ve never seen cold nipples before?”

                Yes, but not ones that made his mouth water to taste. Kiss. Nibble. Suck into his mouth… “Did you see any bears?”

                Rolling her eyes, she pulled a hair tie from around her wrist and used it to contain the wet mass of waves on top of her head.

                He handed her a towel, but she shook her head. “I’m fine.”

                “Yeah, if fine is drenched and cold,” he said. “Take it. It’s not the same one I used on Carl.”

                “I wouldn’t care about that,” she said. “But you might have to stop and put on chains soon and you’ll need a towel for yourself.”

                “We’re not going to need chains,” he said. “I’m in four-wheel drive and we’ve got good tires. Now use the damn towel, you’re dripping all over the place.”

                As he knew it would, this galvanized her into action and she ran the towel over herself in jerky motions. When she was done, she was still shivering, and after a hesitation, she pulled off her damp sweater.

                This left her in a white camisole and aforementioned white lace bra, neither of which were all that significant.

                “You going to stare at me all night or get us back on the road?” she asked coolly.

Review

When she was 17 years old, Rory Andrews ran away from home to escape her troubles in Tahoe. Now living in San Francisco her life has really turned around. Willa, her boss at South Bark Mutt Shop, practically adopted her and helped her get her life together.  She decides to go back to Tahoe this Christmas to attempt to make amends with her family. 

Max grew up in the same town as Rory and when he finds out she is headed that way for the holidays he jumps at the chance to offer her a ride. Max has a thing for the groomer, taking his doberman Carl in for weekly groomings just to see her.  

Headed for Tahoe on Christmas Eve they get stuck in a blizzard and are stranded for hours. Being in such a small space for a while makes them give in to the chemistry and desire they've both been fighting. Giving in to the heat between them, they realize how bad they've wanted each other and how much they want each other for the long term. 

I was familiar with Jill Shalvis through the Lucky Harbor series which is my favorite series by Jill. I will have to read this series in order so I can see Rory and Max's past. You can read it as a stand alone though so no worries there but if you want a little backstory read "The Trouble With Mistletoe". The next book "Accidentally on Purpose" comes out in January so I have a bit of time to catch up :)