I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Christmas Promise by Sean D. Young is the second in her series A McClendon Holiday which revolves around the McClendon sisters. Each book can be read as a standalone with characters crossing over to the other books. This particular book is about Jennifer McClendon and a vacation that gives her more than she bargained for.

I like Jennifer. She’s a strong heroine who despite circumstances (like finding her boyfriend cheating on her) keeps going. She doesn’t allow the lemons that life throws at her to get in the way of her hopes and dreams. Simeon is just as likable. In fact I found myself falling for him. He’s a little more vulnerable than Jennifer and once he commits to something he commits himself wholly which I admit caused me to swoon a little.

The romance and plot of this book was a little all over the place which is where it lost me. The pacing was odd. The beginning when they first meet moved at a fast pace. Then when it fast-forwards a few years the pace and plot dragged. There wasn’t enough to keep me interested, yet I finished the book because I was invested in the characters by this point. Also the writing style…this was more a case of “it’s me, not you.” It just didn’t work for me. At times it felt clunky and overly detailed and I would rather have just enough detail to get the picture and allow my imagination to do the rest of the work.

Overall, The Christmas Promise was just an okay read for me. It’s a sweet, (surprisingly) clean romance set around the holidays. There is plenty of drama and a little tugging of your heartstrings as well. If you enjoy contemporary, second chance romances, I highly recommend it.