I really enjoyed The Christmas Challenge by Sinclair Jayne and now that I know it’s the third book in a series, I will definitely go back to read the first two. Two people, who are both at a crossroads in their lives, find one another in an unlikely place and forge a bond neither one expected. The magic of Miracle Lake, two compelling characters, and a challenge/promise/quest made this book extremely entertaining and frustrating all at the same time.

Tucker McTavish has many regrets about her life; she regrets the distance between her and her twin sister, she regrets the last six months of her life where she made some really bad choices and she regrets staying away from “home” so long. Back for the month of December and her twin’s Christmas Eve wedding, Tucker has decided she is going to be “good” and not do anything to cause gossip or bring trouble for her sister. What Tucker doesn’t count on is meeting the mysterious and gorgeous Laird Hunter.

Finally getting the truth about his life on his mother’s death bed, Laird Hunter is Marietta to see if he can find answers to the questions about his birth. Hoping for some peace and quiet and to connect with the great outdoors Laird is quite sure what to think when he is interrupted from his night skate by a woman who intrigues him like no other.

I really loved the way these two met and how comfortable they were with each other almost from the start (Laird was a bit of a d*ck at first, but got over it quickly). It was so obvious they both needed a friend and while the attraction was pulling at them from the start, Tucker’s challenge and Laird’s acceptance of it made their interactions quite interesting. I loved that Tucker felt she could share everything with Laird and while he was slower to open up, it was refreshing the way they both accepted one another with no judgments of their past. This was a complex story with many players, all of whom were an integral piece of the story, but the relationship between Tucker and Laird was never lost and with each passing day it just intensified.

A hopeful, heart-warming and engaging story of family, friends, and most of all love; I was completely charmed by The Christmas Challenge.