A return to Sunshine, Colorado and the matchmaking Widows Club.

After reading the first book I was excited to see Kevin as the hero of A Very Merry Match. I was curious what was next for him after he found out his wife had been cheating on him. Now, fresh off a divorce and trying to do his best for the town, he finds himself falling for Mary Margaret and her dancer alter ego.

Mary Margaret was widowed about a year ago but finds out she is on the hook for a huge debt her husband incurred. In order to earn money to pay it, she begins burlesque dancing as a second job. She is a sweet but also strong character. She also is attracted to Kevin but unsure if it's a good idea for them to start anything.

This Christmas romance was a really sweet read. It is dual POV so you really get to know both Mary Margaret and Kevin well. A few scenes are also told from the POV of Mary Margaret's grandma Edith.

Do you have a Christmas Spirit? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all have it all year long? Of course, life happens and sometimes we just can’t get that feeling as much as we would like to. Come along with Mary Margaret, Kevin, Tad, Grandma Edith and of course the ladies of The Widow Club as they keep life rather interesting in Sunshine Valley. I think you’ll enjoy this story of coming together and learning what is really special in life. The characters are great, you’ll find some you love and some probably not so much. I hope to be able to catch up with these good folks again soon. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

A Very Merry Match is not just a light and fluffy romance. Mary Margaret has been widowed for a year. Her husband Dereck left her a lot of debt. And in order to pay her debt she starts dancing at a burlesque club. I loved the burlesque storyline. It is not something that is seen in any romance I’ve read. The author did a great job describing burlesque and the misconceptions a lot of people have for burlesque shows. Mary Margaret struggles with dancing because her religious father was super against it and hit her. She struggles with her internal voice thinking she’s a sinner.⠀
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Kevin is the town major that wants to further his political career and run for state office. His ex wife Barbara has a hard time letting him go. My issue with Kevin is that he wants to be accepting but he also makes a big deal about his career.
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I enjoyed that it wasn’t too much Christmas. And I also enjoyed that it wasn’t an all cheery romance. I love when romance has characters that have a real self inner voice with insecurities. And this is not the fake insecurities of oooo he doesn’t like me.⠀
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This was a great small town romance read with Christmas vibes.⠀

It is no secret that I feel like we could all use a little holiday cheer a little early this year! It has been a difficult time for many with so much going on in our communities and the world. This story is playful and filled with lovable characters. Just the right thing to give us a pinch of holiday spirit.
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Mary Margaret is a little down on her luck. Her late husband has left her with some debts to payoff. She takes on a saucy second job to do the right thing and make good on those notes. This saucy second job is not for the faint of heart though and may put her real career and a budding romance with Kevin the towns mayor in jeopardy.
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Enter the towns Widows Club who are determined to match Mary Margaret with one of the towns eligible bachelors. With a sprig of mistletoe and a pinch of holiday hijinks we are off on an adventure that is sure to make you smile and believe in happy ever after holidays.

"A Very Merry Match" (Sunshine Valley Book 2) by Melinda Curtis is an entertaining read. I enjoyed Mary Margaret and Kevin's story. This was a great addition to this series. This story has romance, humor, entertaining characters, small-town life, friends, twists, and more. There's never a dull moment when the widow's club is around. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in Sunshine Valley. Highly recommend to all fans of romance, small-town life, friends, and series.

This review is not going to be long. I am not a huge fan of a review rehashing the entire plot and spoiling it for everyone.

This is the first book by Melinda Curtis that I have read. It was a cute story. I enjoyed reading it. I am checking for other books by her to read.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve read many of Melinda a Curtis’ books that I have thoroughly enjoyed and reviewed. Unfortunately, A Very Merry Match, is not one of them. I didn’t feel any connection to either lead character and even worse, I couldn’t stand Kevin. Like, at all! He wasn’t that career, small town mayor who’s in the position for the life and the good of his town. For Kevin, he’s the mayor as a steppingstone towards higher power. And I’m out. I’ve seen this character (not always a mayor, but definitely someone using their job as a step up the power chain) all too often lately. The guy looking for some quiet, sweet lady to enhance his image. That’s not a hero I want.
Mary Margaret is in some ways very brave, but in many others she just a bystander in her own life, letting her past and her innate goodness stop her from being her honest self. She sold herself short with the joke of a courtship afforded to her by Kevin. Honestly, her grandmother Edith is more ballsy than she is.
And then there’s the Widow’s Club. I love quirky older characters in books. But there’s a fine like between amusing and annoying. Edith, Mims and company had already crossed than line for me, and their behavior in this book just strengthened my distaste for them.
So, I finished the book, because I never want to say I didn’t give any story a chance to change my mind. My mind wasn’t changed and I won’t be be reading any more Sunshine Valley books. But I will continue to enjoy other series books by Melinda Curtis.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

2.75 Hearts Ok so this was not really for me. First there was not a lot of Christmas/Holiday so it didn’t set me into the spirit of the holidays. And honestly, I never really liked the characters. I mean seriously, how did Kevin not know Mary Margaret and Roxy were the same person? And how could MM/Roxy be willing to date a guy she knows is two-timing (yes both with her but still HE doesn’t know that).

This was just not for me!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A really fun book. Well written and entertaining. A great Christmas story. You will love the characters and the plot. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

In the latest installment of Melinda Curtis’ Sunshine Valley series, the ladies of the Widows Club have decided that maybe it’s time to match Edith’s granddaughter, Mary Margaret. Or is it too soon? Mary Margaret seems a little too sad. Maybe a little too preoccupied.

A Very Merry Match very much matches the season and is the kind of escapism for anyone currently requiring that in a read. (All of us?)

Kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret is up to her ears in debt, not her own, but that left after her husband dying of cancer went on spending sprees during his last months. And now another, more ominous debt appears forcing Mary Margaret to make a decision she would much rather not make.

Sunshine Mayor Kevin is considering moving his career in politics to the state level, but first, there’s the matter of development he would like to bring to the town, not to mention, the reputation his philandering, controlling wife has left him with. Mary Margaret seems like she would be the perfect pick for him, free from scandal.

There’s a lot going on in A Very Merry Match to keep the reader engaged. It is a sweet romance. There’s not much heat between Mary Margaret and Kevin, and pretty much no swoon. The romance almost seems platonic, but I liked it regardless.

The fact that Mary Margaret was very much her own woman and didn’t allow herself to be controlled by those around her was a huge plus. I also liked the fact that she and her grandmother had time for each other and even danced in the kitchen together.

Kevin, on the other hand, was not my favorite character. The fact that he was willing to kiss two different women in a short amount of time said a lot about his character, to me at any rate.

While A Very Merry Match doesn’t have the robust humor that the first novel in the series, Can’t Hurry Love (see my review here) had, it nevertheless, is a sweet seasonal story that might make you long for cold weather, hot chocolate, and sugar cookies.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Margaret had lost her Christmas spirit even before two shady characters arrived on her doorstep to advise her that her deceased husband’s gambling debts were now hers to pay and they wanted the money now! A sweet small town romance featuring a mayor with dreams of higher political office, burlesque dancing, sassy widows and a cute five year old.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Very Merry Match was such a cute story. I love Melinda Curtis's writing and this was no exception. It was a unique premise and I was rooting for Mary and Kevin the entire time. I am enjoying this series and can't wait to read the next book!

Always a fun time when the Widows Club gets involved. Tad is also a lot of fun. Love that little ninja. This time, they are going to help Edith's granddaughter. Mary Margaret has been a widow for almost a year. Her husband left her with a ton of debt and she feels obligated to pay it all off. Two men show up to tell her that her husband lost $100,000 gambling online. How will she ever pay that much? She worked her way through college by dancing in burlesque shows. Could she do that again? Kevin is now a single father and he also is pursuing a career in politics. Mary Margaret would be the perfect wife for him. She is a kindergarten teacher after all. What if Kevin finds out about her secret life as a burlesque dancer? That would ruin his chances of getting any state office. She doesn't want to be a liability, but she is in love with him. What to do?

I want to start off this review with the fact that I hate Barb! If you haven't yet read this series you are probably confused about who Barb is when the heroine's name is Mary Margaret. It's just something you need to learn by reading the story.

Now that I wet your whistle lets move on to what I thought of A Very Merry Match. Those of you who follow me on the regular know how much I love small-town Christmas stories. I just love them! Heck, I'm a small-town reader girl. Love those types of books. I was so excited to read the next book in Curtis' Sunshine Valley series. I've been really enjoying the series so far and wanted more. It was a plus that it also happened to be a Christmas themed story.

I so loved Mary Margaret. There is just something about her that made you think that she'd be the perfect mommy. She was so cute in her kindergarten class. You got glimpses of what could be. She was shy and fun. You wanted to be friends with her. In fact, I liked her much more than I did Kevin.

Usually, I'm more into the hero than the heroine but not this time. I took Kevin a long time and some straight talk from his parent to get a clue. By then he almost lost everything. At times you'll find him to have tunnel vision but I think that Roxy really helped him to look and think about something else other than his future in politics.

I really felt for Mary Margaret, she has put up with a ton because of her dead husband. At the end of his life, he became very selfish and only thought about himself not about what he was leaving behind. I was shocked when Mary Margaret believes the men that showed up for money but kinda understood after all the financial shocks she has been under.

I will admit that the romance between these two is a little different than I usually like. It was a very slow burn to a wild firer. I wish the author spent a little more time with only them. But even with that, I liked their story and truly felt by the end of the book that they really did love each other.

The story is full of holiday cheer and small-town stick your nose into everyone else's lives. You'll really enjoy it. I would say that you should read this series in order, It just makes for a better series.

We are back in Sunshine Valley, this time during the holiday season and once again with the older ladies of the Widows Club, as well as the young widows of the town.
This story belongs to widowed kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret Sneed’s and divorced Mayor Kevin Hadley’s story.
Mary Margaret’s husband left her with debts she has been paying slowing. Thinking she’s almost clear of all the debts, a $100,000 gambling debt is presented to her by two less than stellar individuals. Desperate times require desperate actions and she secretly begins working in the Hanky Panky as a dancer. If the school board finds out, she could be fired.
Meanwhile Kevin has aspirations for higher office . But his son’s teacher, Mary Margaret , intrigues him as did “Roxy” the masked dancer at the club he recently visited.
Add to the mix a vengeful ex, a project that has divided the town , and a political future, and have an entertaining story.
I have to confess that at times it dragged and I wasn’t too impressed with Kevin’s original comments about kissing Mary Margaret.
Still, it was engaging and a reminder that our childhood does in fact affect the adult individual. Scars, whether physical or emotionally , are real.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Forever. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

A Very Merry Match is a Christmas story that will warm your heart. A young widow must find a way to pay off her dead husband's debt as she is hounded by loan sharks. Love enters the scene and everything changes. You'll enjoy seeing how things developes.

This small-town Christmas book was a lot of fun! It had some unique plot points that I really enjoyed! We have a single parent father, who's son is fond of his teacher, who happens to be a widow. She is down on her luck, and frantically try to pay off her dead husband's debt, while not doing anything to disparage her teaching job.
Loved how this one played out a lot! I'm a Melinda Curtis fan for sure now! Will be reading as many books in this series as they decide to write!

I really loved the premise for this book--a kindergarten teacher making ends meet by taking a second job as a burlesque dancer falls for the local mayor with an eye for higher office. I love the slightly more risque take on a small town romance. Unfortunately, I don't think there was quite enough focus on our protagonist's side gig in the first half of the book, and the pace didn't really pick up until the second half.

Pacing aside, there was a larger problem--I didn't really want the main characters to end up together. Kevin, our leading man, seemed into mysterious dancer Roxy but then wasn't sexually attracted enough to kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret to kiss her in the same way (and yes, he kissed both, and that's a problem, too). But then when inevitably finds out Mary Margaret and Roxy are one and the same, he's upset, because it would damage his career. Buddy, you can't have it both ways! You can't have your cake and eat it, too! Kevin was such a hypocritical character with more faults than those listed here (because I don't want to spoil), that he really didn't deserve Mary Margaret. And, at times, I couldn't even tell if Mary Margaret even liked him. She seemed to have no real interest in dating him or kissing him or anything, and it was supposed to be because she wasn't in a position to date, but really it just didn't seem like she was that into him. It's hard to love a romance novel where you're not rooting for the two main characters.

This book was fine. I think it was written well, and has some interesting plot points, and a good hook, indicating this author's other works are likely an improvement, and I may give her first in series a try, but I can't say I'll return to this one.

A quirky and sweet holiday romance. The local kindergarten teacher gets a second job as a masked dancer in a burlesque show to pay off her dead husband's debts. The mayor, looking to enter into the national political arena, is looking for a stand-up wife. After attending the burlesque show he's fighting his attraction to the masked beauty until he realizes they're one and the same!

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

“A Very Merry Match” takes us back to Sunshine Valley and gives us more shenanigans from the Widows Club.

This time, member Edith is looking to be vice-president of the Club and wants her granddaughter, Mary Margaret to find her Christmas joy again. Edith also has her sights on a fella in the retirement home!
But Mary Margaret doesn’t have time for anything, let alone finding love, when she needs to pay her deceased husband’s debt. She takes a second job, that if the people of Sunshine Valley find out about, could cost Mary Margaret everything. She doesn’t count on her attraction to the mayor of Sunshine Valley.
Kevin Hadley has political aspirations beyond Sunshine Valley and he thinks Mary Margaret is the perfect person to help him attain them. His son already adores her, so all is left is for him to convince Mary Margaret himself.
But things get messy and Kevin has to decide if what he wants in his life is more important than who he wants.

“A Very Merry Match” has its moments of humor and fun, but it also has some heart-tugging moments, too.