Hi all! Today I’m reviewing a contemporary romance that’s fit for the holidays. JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS by Kim Boykin is a heart-warming read.

About the book:
Nobody does Christmas like Miranda Hamilton, and now that she finally has her chance to chair Magnolia Bay’s tree lighting and the cotillion, which benefits her late mother’s breast cancer foundation, this Christmas is shaping up to be the best ever. That is until her childhood nemesis Logan Mauldin buys his way on her committee and starts making plans of his own.

Logan Mauldin loves to get under Miranda’s very sexy skin, and it’s only fair. She’s been getting under his since long before their first kiss at 13. Logan’s the last man interested in co-chairing a Christmas committee or participating in a sexy bachelor auction, but since that night he interrupted Miranda on a date and cornered her under the mistletoe, he can’t stop thinking about her. Or vying for her attention and bugging the hell out of her.

Christmas cheer isn’t the only thing that heats up between the Miranda and Logan, but, thanks to a lie that is as much her fault as it is his, he loses the woman he’s loved since forever. Logan will need a Christmas miracle for Miranda to forgive him. A grand gesture to melt her heart and win her back just in time for Christmas.

My Review:

This is a cute story with lots of heart. Miranda and Logan have always had sparks–but sometimes those have led to more hellfire than passion. Miranda’s dedicated to organizing the Christmas cotillion of Magnolia Bay. It’s a labor of love, especially because the charity it supports is in memory of her mother who died years ago to breast cancer.

Logan buys his way onto the cotillion committee with a huge donation to the charity. It aggravates Miranda, because, well, this gal holds a long grudge. Back in college it looked like Logan favored Pammy, a mean-girl rival of Miranda’s, and Miranda never let it go. Their sexy-sparring disappeared and it’s only been in the past few years that Miranda’s even spoken to Logan–he’s determined to change that. Their latest interactions sizzle with all the passion missing with Miranda’s newest boyfriend.

Naturally, Pammy insinuates herself into the cotillion committee as well–she’s been burning a flame for Logan since….forever. She even orchestrates a bachelor auction in the hopes that she can buy a date with him. Miranda’s miffed, but what can she do? The auction is raising money hand over fist, even if Miranda can’t afford to continue bidding on Logan. Thank goodness some internet gal is outbidding Pammy at every turn.

There are lovely side characters who don’t hesitate to point out Miranda’s stubbornness, and Logan’s lunacy. All their friends and family are convinced they are in love, but neither Miranda nor Logan will take the final step to sealing the deal–until the cotillion. Logan is as bold as he can be, and it ends up being a real problem. A Kick-Him-Out-Of-Bed type of problem, for Miranda. Good thing Logan can think on his feet, because he’s fed up letting Miranda isolate herself from love, his love.

I had guessed the ending, and I was rewarded in kind. Things seemed a bit rushed at the end–I wondered what in the world happened to Miranda’s previous beau–but it seems clear that this novella is linked to others either written or soon-to-be. No cliffhanger here, just a lot of strands that appear to be woven into the story lines of other characters. I really liked all the texture the author gave to the setting, and the world of Magnolia Bay. It was clear that Miranda had a deep love for her hometown, and her friends. Logan’s a stand-up-guy, for the most part, and his mistakes are very human–and very forgivable. I was glad Miranda finally took a good look at the man who seemed ready to pause the earth’s rotation if it might win her affection. ‘Cause that’s a gem right there.

Interested? You can find JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS on Goodreads, and Amazon.

About the Author:
Kim Boykin is a women’s fiction author with a sassy Southern streak. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair, Steal Me, Cowboy, and Palmetto Moon (Summer 2014.) While her heart is always in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, 3 dogs, and 126 rose bushes.

You can find Kim on her website, blog, twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

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