Break the Ice by Kristen Bailey

 

5*

If you’re looking for a funny, feel good Christmas story, you’ll find it with Break the Ice. When an impromptu road trip in heavy snow finds Josh and Phoebe delivering a new dog (Steve) to her sister’s family, it becomes instantly obvious that these two are polar opposites. Where graduate student Josh is quiet and pretty buttoned-up, Phoebe is a highly energetic, somewhat chaotic talker who loves to help people, projects happiness, and makes friends with a whole host of characters. My favorite scene is at The Guggenheim Museum where she befriends a colorful, elderly firecracker of a native New Yorker. What starts as a madcap adventure through the quaint villages of the UK leads to a New York City New Year’s Eve when Josh invites Phoebe to be his date for a party where he dreads running into his ex. Will this fledging relationship survive the holidays? You’ll have to read it to see.

I loved how many laugh out loud moments there are in this delightful book, especially with Steve. I also appreciate the excitement they each felt when seeing the sites for the first time. The joy Josh exuded when experiencing everything from Stonehenge to a local pub with Christmas Eve revelers was matched by the enjoyment Phoebe exhibited seeing the City’s famous landmarks. Bailey always delivers with her engaging, somewhat steamy Christmas stories and they’re not to be missed. Highly recommend!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Storm Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.