Ami's Hoard

Evergreen Springs is the third story in Thayne's Haven Point series and it features Devin Shaw, the town's physician and Mayor MacKenzie's older sister (the heroine from book #2) alongside the reclusive ranch owner slash single dad, Cole Barrett.

It didn't take too long for me to feel charmed with the relationship; although I must admit that it was significantly buoyed by Cole's son, Ty. The six-year-old was wonderful and so endearing. His older sister Jazmyn was more prickly and prone to say things bluntly without thinking that it could hurt other people's feeling.

Cole had a lot of issues with opening up himself for a chance for love. His wild past, his strain relationship with his estranged father, his divorce ... it was easy to see why he struggled with suddenly having two kids to take care of. Devin, on the other hand, was a natural caretaker. Unable to have kids of her own, a side-effect of pancreatic cancer she suffered when she was teenager, Devin gave her love towards her younger patients easily, including Ty and Jazmyn.

Sure, I liked Devin and Cole just fine but in any case, it was how Devin's building the connection with Cole's children, giving them the joy and spirit of Christmas that just made this a compelling read for me. What can I say, kids and Christmas season, totally make me weak in the knees.

All in all, I think that this is a heartwarming clean romance that embodies the spirit of holiday read.