ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
You don’t have to be a Grinch to be looking for something other than a heartwarming, feel good Christmas romance.
I went in to The Sergeant’s Christmas Siege by Megan Crane looking for the Die Hard version of Christmas romantic suspense, and it delivers. I came out thinking, wow, that needed more romance, but Kate Holiday is one interesting heroine.
Holiday is a state trooper, Alaska born and bred, who’s investigating a quasi-military group known as Alaska Force. She meets with Templeton Cross as part of her initial investigation and attempts to uncover the group’s motivation and any connection to various attacks. But as things develop, it may not be Alaska Force at all, but Kate’s own past that’s following her. Alaska Force comprises former Delta Force and other elite military personnel, but militia it is not, and they find themselves wrapped up in whatever it is that has landed at their doorstep.
But what makes Christmas Siege so interesting is, Kate starts and ends the book in the same place emotionally: ALL BUSINESS.
There’s a lot of internal dialogue…Wow, this dude lights up me up, but no-no, I can’t-won’t. It’s not happening. Emotionally, all Kate is in for is quick and dirty, no entanglements. AND SHE STAYS THAT WAY. I read the book and I’m not even sure how Templeton won her over.
Truthfully, I was hoping for a metaphorical siege, Templeton Cross of one Ms. Kate Holiday. It turns out, there’s a real siege, explosions, some family drama and not as much romance as I would have hoped for.
It’s beyond slow burn. Kate and Templeton don’t even kiss until like 50%, and it’s light from there. It’s more suspense than romance. I almost wondered if we’d end up with an HEA!
Even still, Sergeant’s Christmas Siege is worth a read. It won’t be a warm, fuzzy, Hallmark Christmas romance. It’s not about the transformative love of a man and the holiday spirit. It was so refreshing for a heroine to get her HEA, even without some dude repeatedly saving her, or showing her the true meaning of love.
So yeah, it meets my definition of the Die Hard of Christmas romances.
3.5 stars
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