Very good book. Jenny has spent all of her life in Oak Hollow, dreaming of going to New York and becoming a fashion designer. She put her plans for fashion design school on hold when her grandmother got sick with cancer. Now that Mimi is well again, it's time to put her plan into action. Taking a temporary nanny job for Eric McKnight and his daughter Lilly will give her the last funds she needs.

Eric and Lilly recently moved to Oak Grove, where Eric now bases his carpentry/restoration business. Lilly's health and happiness are his number one priority as a widower. Though he has the attention of the single women in town, Eric has no plans to marry again. His marriage wasn't happy, and many parts of it still haunt him. Eric isn't a big fan of the fuss and bother of Christmas, but he'll do what he must to make Lilly happy.

I loved the first meeting between Jenny and Eric, and Lilly. Eric's love and care for his daughter were immediately evident in how he treated her. Lilly's immediate dubbing of Jenny as a "fairy girl" because of her petite stature was adorable. But the biggest thing that jumped out was the sparks that flew between Eric and Jenny. Both plan to ignore the feelings. Eric refuses to open himself and Lilly up to more pain, and Jenny won't start something she can't continue.

One thing that quickly becomes noticeable is Eric's lack of enthusiasm for Christmas. Because Christmas is Jenny's favorite time of year, she makes it her mission to instill the Christmas spirit in Eric. As she involves Lilly in as many activities as possible, she slowly draws Eric into them. There are sweet scenes of tree decorating and cookie baking and some steamy scenes as their attraction continues to simmer and grow.

It isn't long before thoughts of family occur to both Jenny and Eric. But Jenny has waited so long to make her dream come true that she can't stand the idea of giving it up. Eric loves Jenny so much he'll do anything to support her vision. Unfortunately, he goes a little too far, creating conflict between them. It also makes Jenny wonder if she's clinging to her dream out of habit or genuine desire and if perhaps her dreams have changed without her realizing it. I loved the ending, seeing what Eric is willing to do to make their dreams come true, and Jenny's epiphany about her options.

Lilly is a joyous presence throughout the book. I loved her immediate connection with Jenny and the love that quickly grew between them. Though Lilly has cerebral palsy, she doesn't let it slow her down from what she wants to do. Her enthusiasm for all things Christmas was adorable and made it impossible for her daddy to maintain his grinchiness.

I also enjoyed seeing the people who have appeared in earlier books. It's always fun to catch up with those who have come before. ( )

I really enjoyed this holiday romance. I bought this at a local store and I voluntarily chose to review this book. I've given it a 4.7* rating. This is not for the under 18 readers, which is a shame because it had a lot of fun things in it. It also has some sad things too, which means you may want to have a tissue handy. Lot of action, plus a few little ones, and a dog. But the biggest thing is Christmas all around. Just left a good feeling at the end. ( )