[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Jack is a kringle baker at the Julemarked, a magical Christmas market where it’s always December somewhere. But his favorite spot is Milwaukee. Because that’s where she is. He doesn’t know her name, and she never remembers him from year to year. But he always remembers her.
Astra looks forward to the Christmas trips with her college friends, especially the Christmas Market. And this year, after the divorce and issues with her ex, she’s lonely and really in need of a girls trip.
Astra has met Jack before. But she never remembers. She comes to the bakery, gets kringle, and maybe chats with him. But after Christmas, he vanishes from her memory. Every year.
Except this year.
Review
I’m struggling to name how I feel about this one. I loved the kringle references. And there are some hilarious moments. Astra’s friend group and Jack’s brother we get to know are fantastic. And maybe that’s where I’m getting hung up. I think I liked the secondary characters more than the primary ones.
The premise here is clever, although I did have some logistical questions. But overall, I didn’t fall in love with Astra and Jack in a way that I wanted to. I was invested in seeing this through to the end, but the characters just didn’t click for me.
If you like your romance with a hint of the paranormal (like the author’s fantastic Kindred Spirits Supper Club, or Ashley Poston’s delightful Dead Romantics), you might give this a try. I think it’s a nice blend of holiday magic and a will-they-or-won’t-they-make-it story. (Language)
Rating: ♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥ – Good, solid, fine