The Trouble With Mistletoe (Heartbreaker Bay #2) by Jill Shalvis

Blurb...

If she has her way . . .

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her . . .

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him . . .

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice . . .

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work . . .

Jill Shalvis is one of the best contemporary romance authors out there and her stories are fun, poignant, sexy, and always, always leave me wanting more. Whether we're in Lucky Harbor, Cedar Ridge, or Heartbreaker Bay, I never, ever want to leave!

Willa Davis is an awesome woman! She's caring, selfless, compassionate... but she can hold a grudge like nobody's business, which she does against Keane Winters, the jock who stood her up the night of her first highschool dance (years earlier, mind you). But when he shows up at her pet salon, desperate for her help, she just can't say no...well, she can easily say no to Keane (remember she's a grudge holder) but she can't say no to that poor pitiful cat he needs to board.

Keane is in a pickle and needs Willa's boarding services, but the woman seems to have something against him and he has no idea what it is. But beggars can't be choosers so he decides to ignore her attitude and just be grateful she's agreed to watch the cat! It's not like this is about anything other than business, afterall....

Until, (there's always an 'until' in romance novels!) until the attraction between them becomes undeniable. They quickly learn that, if there's any hope at all for them to be together, they need to let go of their pasts, open their eyes and their hearts, and take a chance.

Sometimes in romance novels one of the main characters will have issues while the other is solid...grounded. What I love most about the story is that Willa and Keane are both...damaged. They accept that they both have issues and understand that they can lean on each other to overcome those issues, if they hope to have a life filled with love, laughter, and a happily ever after.

Oh, how I'm looking forward to the next installment. It's going to be a hum-dinger, that's for sure!

An ARC was provided by Avon Books via Edelweiss. In appreciation I'm giving them an honest review.