The Season Bright by K.D. ElizabethMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I had mixed feelings about "The Season Bright" by K.D. Elizabeth, book #2 of the Bright series. The writing itself was very good, and it was easy for me to empathize with the female lead, Jessica. In fact, she reminded me a lot of myself; I also grew up in a small town, but left for college and never returned because I wanted more opportunities than what my hometown had to offer. I was really bothered by the fact that so many people in this story tried to make Jessica feel that she was wrong to pursue a career and build a life outside of her hometown of Bright. Their message seemed to be that a woman's only value was as a wife and mother, or at least that her life didn't truly begin until she was married with children. Her family acted like nothing Jessica did was important, so she should just drop everything and do whatever suited their needs. IMO, Jessica was entitled to make her own choices about where to live and how to spend her time, and while I agree that it was a good idea for her to find a better work-life balance, she didn't need to live in a small town (or be married) to do that. Her family's constant nagging on the subject made ME anxious, so it was no wonder it caused Jessica to have panic attacks!
As for the male lead, Ethan, while I can't say that I actively disliked him, I didn't exactly like him either because I don't feel I got to know him at all. I really wish that the story had included Ethan's POV in addition to Jessica's, especially because he seemed to be an interesting character when he was briefly introduced in the previous book of this series. Based on Jessica's perspective alone, I had a tough time believing that Ethan and Jessica even liked each other, much less were in love by the end of the story. (Jessica was strangely obsessed with Ethan's shoulders, but I wouldn't consider that to be a good basis for a relationship.) Also, I was very confused as to why Ethan kept coming back to Jessica when she was never nice to him. Was he just a glutton for punishment?
On the bright side, there were some funny parts in this book, particularly involving the costumes Jessica's sister made for them to wear in their booth at the Christmas market. Despite my issues with some aspects of the story, I would recommend "The Season Bright" for readers who enjoy Hallmark movie-style contemporary romance, though I much preferred the first book in this series. I will still plan to pick up book #3.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
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