Same Time, Next Christmas by Christine Rimmer is a 2018 Harlequin Special Edition publication.

Matthias is planning to spend Christmas at his remote cabin in Oregon. Still coping with the effects of war, and haunted by the disappearance of his brother, he just wants some alone time. But, when he arrives, it looks as though his cabin has been broken into, and he’s caught the culprit red- handed.

Sabra can’t bear to spend Christmas at her family farm with her father who is still grieving deeply for his wife. She only wanted to take a walk, but her plans went awry when she got caught out in a snow storm. Finding the empty cabin, she seeks short term shelter- But, then Matthias Bravo barges in pointing a gun at her.

Not the most romantic way to start a relationship!! However, moody Matthias is soon won over by Sabra who takes care of him after discovering he had a nasty leg wound. Stuck together until the storm clears, they have plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. The more they talk, the more they realize how much they enjoy one another’s company, and how badly they need human contact. However, neither of them is in a place, emotionally to commit to a relationship. So, they agree to meet back at the cabin again for Christmas to ‘exchange gifts’, so to speak.

I loved the set-up for this story. Yes, it did remind me of the movie, “Same time, Next Year’, but only because it has a similar premise. This story is centered around two singles who have been through an undue amount of emotional stress, from bad breakups to deaths to childhood to traumas. But I had to wonder if deep down they knew they were meant to be, but the timing had to be just right. Not that Matthias didn’t try to force the issue…
I thought the story had a whimsical quality to it, but at the same time it captured the emotional growth each character experienced. Naturally, we don’t all progress at the same pace, so Matthias and Sabra’s relationship has a few fits and starts, before they wind up on the same page.

It was a little nerve racking at times, though, and I started to seriously worry about this couple. But, while the journey was occasionally bittersweet, it was also a fun story, with terrific dialogue. I enjoyed seeing this couple through the various stages of their relationship. The mood or atmosphere often shifts, as the couple grapples with life changes and uncertainty. I experienced a gamut of emotions along the way, as well. In fact, it was almost like reading a mini-saga. Of course, when I follow a couple to their ultimate destination after a long, eventful trip, I often feel like their HEA was especially poignant and satisfying, which was certainly the case here.
This is a terrific holiday romance, as always, from Christine Rimmer. I loved this couple and the delightful theme of the story and thought the author did an amazing job with it!!
4.5 ( )

Terrific book with a very unusual timeline. Most romances take place over a few days to a few months, while this one spans four years. It was a lot of fun to see how both Sabra and Matthias changed over those years. It began when Matthias arrived at his cabin for his yearly holiday retreat. He loves his big, noisy family, but at that time of year, he'd prefer to be alone. Those plans are upended when he arrives at his cabin and discovers a beautiful trespasser. Sabra had been out on an impulse hike when she got caught in a storm. Miles from her car, she broke into an empty cabin to get out of the weather and dry her clothes.

I loved the first meeting between Matthias and Sabra. Matthias wasn't in the best of moods when he arrived, thanks to a small accident with a hatchet and not feeling well, so he may have over-reacted just a little bit. Sabra certainly wasn't expecting a rifle-wielding man to come bursting in the door. I was pretty impressed that she didn't freak out, especially with Matthias's surly attitude. She earned even more points from me when, noticing both his injury and his fever, she refused to leave. Instead, she stood up to him and insisted on helping him. The battle of wills was pretty funny, and I loved seeing Matthias finally give in. Once he started to feel better, Matthias's better nature came out and I enjoyed seeing him and Sabra get to know each other, well enough to be comfortable sharing their pasts. There are also some hints of sparks, but both of them have been burned in the past and have no immediate plans to enter any relationships. Yet those sparks prompt an unconventional idea - indulge themselves in a holiday fling, knowing that when they part, they won't see each other again. So fling they did, and what they had together was fantastic. And when the snow melted, that was it. Except neither really wanted to say goodbye. I loved the plan that they came up with: that if she wanted to, Sabra could return next Christmas, and they would do it again. But there would be no contact for the rest of the time.

I loved the glimpses into their lives over the next year, as neither could forget the other. But both stuck to the agreement until December 23rd came around again. I loved their joy at seeing each other again, and how they couldn't get enough of each other. One of the best things was that it wasn't all physical. I loved the way that they could be content just talking, playing with Matthias's dog, Zoya, even just being near each other while reading. Each of them realized that their feelings were changing, but neither was quite ready to do anything about it. I ached for both of them because their fears were still holding them back.

I loved the roller coaster of emotions over the years as Matthias and Sabra worked their way through their fears, hopes, and dreams. The strength of their feelings was never in question, only what they would do about them. I loved their times in the cabin as they grew closer physically and emotionally. There were some really sweet scenes of the two of them together as they shared the good and the bad of the previous years. There was also a lot of pain as first Sabra and then Matthias allow their fears to push them apart. Those scenes had me in tears as their pain leaped off the page. The glimpses of them during the non-Christmas times of the year showed how deep their feelings for each other were, and how their separations affected them. I was especially rooting for Sabra during that last year as she confronted her fears and allowed herself to build up hope for the future.

The reunion of Matthias and Sabra was everything I could have hoped for. Their joy at being together again was clear. I loved how they were able to face their pasts and see that everything that happened had been necessary for the growth of their relationship. I liked seeing them catch up on each other's lives, especially the changes in his. I adored the epilogue and seeing them with their friends and family. I had to laugh at Sabra's friend Iris and her "talk" with Matthias. I loved how easily Sabra fit in with Matthias's family and the lovely surprise at the end. ( )