~Now Available~
This is a great series and one I’d recommend. You can
find my reviews of the first five novels by clicking on the titles above. The
sixth book is in my TBR pile. I’m more than a bit behind so review to come once
I have more romance reading time.
The bonus novella, The Last Bachelor in Tolson, is available exclusively in this box set. Sadly, it’s not one I can say I’d recommend.
~Review~
The Last Bachelor in Tolson
is the romance of Hank (Colton’s dad from Dancer) and Karen (Travis’s mom from
Trucker) who are both widowed and have known each other for years but have
held back getting involved.
Set on Christmas Eve and during the wedding of Beverly
(Jimmy and Ezra’s grandmother) and Ernie, I opened this expecting a sweet and light-hearted
Christmas read. And if you are looking for a feel-good, leave you with a smile
on your face quick story, you're going to want to skip the epilogue. I can't tell you how much I wish I would have
stopped before it (or that I wish it would have just ended up on the editing room
floor.) It is somber and depressing and not the ending I was expecting. While
it technically gives the hero and heroine of this tale their HEA, I’m not sure
I can say it does the same for the series as a whole. If anything, it takes
away from it. I don’t know I could re-read Dropout now and enjoy what is
some of the funniest parts without feeling sad.
I think this is a situation where the epilogue went
too far in the future (it can happen), and it wasn’t needed. It didn’t add
anything to the story or the series. In fact, I would have much preferred the
time and pages to have been spent on the Christmas story at hand, adding more development
between Hank and Karen (I can’t quite say I felt as warm and fuzzy about them
as I have the previous couples) and more holiday good times. There was
definitely missed opportunities for some holiday humor (Sweatpea is mentioned
but never gets a real cameo).
I’ve always been a romance reader for a little escape.
I can read other things for life’s realities. We’re living in a real-world pandemic where
loved ones (especially elderly and vulnerable loved ones) are lost every day. I
was frankly kinda shocked to have to read about the deaths of beloved fictional
characters too, in a holiday novella. It’s much more fun to just imagine them
going on with their lives.
This is still a good bundle as the bonus story is only the last 5%. Just be aware that if this is a trigger or reading hard pass for you, to bow out before the end.
Safety Recap:
*Title purchased from Amazon. All reviews written by Book-Bosomed Book Blog are honest opinions.
