Mistle-Ho

Cape Coral Swamp Cats: Rugby and Romance

By: Josie Watts, Janice Whiteaker

Narrated by: Emma Wilder, Scott Rose

Gavin Wilkes is rugby’s biggest star and my older brother’s best friend.

He’s tall, dark, handsome… and a notorious player—not just in the sportsball way.

For years he’s teased me—flirted with me as a joke—and I’m tired of it. So the night of my parents’ annual Christmas party, I call his bluff, never expecting him to take me up on it.

He does. Many times.

At my place. At his place. In my mom’s she shed and the back of a bar.

Not once does it cross my mind that our little meet-ups might lead to more. That I might be the woman who makes Gavin want to settle down.

Especially since he’d have to risk everything to make me his.

Maybe I’ll just make him mine.

©2024 Janice Whiteaker (P)2024 Janice Whiteaker

Cute holiday romance

I'm a sucker for a holiday romance and this one was fun if not overly festive. I found introvert Alexis very relatable and Gavin is a sweet and sexy cinnamon roll. I enjoyed their banter and her group of friends. The reasons I'm giving it four stars instead of five is that I kept waiting for some bigger reveal of what killed Alexis' crush on Gavin back when they were teenagers but there was never really any payoff there, and although I enjoyed Gavin coming to her rescue once, twice was pushing it and arriving for a third time right at the perfect moment felt contrived.

Dual narration by Emma Wilder and Scott Rose was great.

The Ending

I didn't like that they left Maddie and Leo broken up. I am assuming this is set up for the next book? It better be.