Thoreau "Theo" Foster has been best friends with Morgan Bradford since they were kids growing up together in the small town of Winter Valley, Colorado. After Theo's little sister Tilly died, his parents divorced and they moved away. Theo went to live with his father in Boston, though he came back to visit his grandmother for the holidays each year and remained close with Morgan and the Bradford family. There's nothing he wouldn't do for Morgan, which is why he says yes when his best friend calls to ask for help in managing his family's auto repair shops after deciding to go back and finish his degree at MIT. Unfortunately, that puts Theo into direct conflict with Morgan's younger sister Elisse, who's already volunteered to run the shops while Morgan's away. She's angry and hurt that her brother doesn't trust her to handle things on her own and resents her childhood crush Theo for agreeing to step in. She always thought she'd outgrown her crush on Theo, but now that they're working together, she worries that her old feelings are coming back. Theo, meanwhile, has had feelings for Elisse for years but knows she's off-limits as his best friend's little sister. Will they be able to resist the pull of the attraction between them?
I really enjoyed the chemistry and banter between Theo and Elisse, especially when she told him off for continuing to use her childhood nickname, "Squirt." They both had a strong work ethic and were devoted to helping the people they cared about, but they weren't quite as good at caring for themselves. For example, Theo had a tough time standing up to his father and asking for more control over the family business, instead choosing to retreat into his love of racing and spending time with the Bradfords. Elisse, meanwhile, couldn't seem to say no to her sister Clarissa, who kept trying to pull her back into the events management business they co-founded rather than hiring a new assistant after Elisse quit. Theo and Elisse were definitely stronger together, finally standing up for themselves with their families as well as finding a way to be together despite geographic complications and Morgan's objections.
As in the previous books of the series, the secondary characters were a highlight of the story for me, with the exception of Elisse's sister Clarissa. Her passive aggressive behavior and refusal to allow Elisse to step away from the events management business really annoyed me. If the authors decide to write a story for Clarissa in the future, IMO they're going to have their work cut out for them in trying to redeem her character. She needs to learn that she can't always get her way.
Overall, I enjoyed "Here with You" and would recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Winter Valley!
*Review copy provided by the authors. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Here with You"
USA TODAY bestselling authors Claudia Burgoa and Grahame Claire bring you an enchanting best friend’s little sister holiday romance filled with sarcasm, love, and mistletoe.
I finally landed my dream job.
No one told me my childhood crush came with it.
Theo Foster, my brother’s best friend.
The famous billionaire playboy, race car driver, and my long-time frenemy.
Now I’m forced to see him every day.
And that childhood crush…
It hasn’t gone anywhere.
Lucky for me, Theo Foster isn't one to stick around and he'll be out of Winter Valley in no time.
If only he'd stop being all flirty with me.
He isn't supposed to be all swoony and romantic.
And I’m not supposed to flirt back.
But a few caresses and kisses shouldn’t matter.
Or do they?
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