Not Another New Year's

Hannah Davis has done something unpredictable for the first time in her life. She has vowed to spend NOT ANOTHER NEW YEAR’S under the overwhelming influence of her controlling family. She knows that they only want what’s best for her and to protect her, but what about what she wants? Hannah decides to travel to Coronado, California, only to be robbed shortly after her arrival. She makes her way to a bar and ends up spending the night with a hot stud that she thought was a complete stranger, only to find out that he is ex-Secret Service Agent Tanner Hart, the man that her uncle has “hired” to show her around town and make sure she has fun on her vacation. As Hannah and Tanner begin to explore their unwilling attraction to one another, danger seems to lurk around every corner. Will Hannah be able to fulfill her vow of never spending another year like the last?

Ms. Ridgway has written another gem of a tale set in Coronado, closely following Must Love Mistletoe, her Christmas tale, which was published in December. Her New Year’s story features several characters, which first appeared in her Christmas tale, but it is in fact a stand-alone story. Hannah is a very appealing comedic heroine who this reviewer found heartwarming and sympathetic from the story’s beginning to its satisfying ending. This reviewer also enjoyed the secondary love story that developed during this tale, although it could easily have been a stand-alone book of its own. Ms. Ridgway has certainly enhanced her reputation as a writer of contemporary romantic comedy with this entry in her book list. Although this story has strong elements of suspense, they are presented in a light-hearted manner that does not detract from the intrinsic humor of the tale, even when they are at their most dangerous. This reviewer is a fan of Ms. Ridgway and looks forward to her future efforts. Highly recommended!

January 2007