Maggie Blackbird

Today, I’m reviewing fellow eXasty Books author Denise Wheatley and her Christmas release A Naughty Jolly Christmas.

Book:  A Naughty Jolly Christmas
Author:  Denise Wheatley
Series:  The Holiday Chronicles #1
Genre:  Contemporary, Interracial, Adult Romance
Publication Date:  December 21, 2018

Blurb:  Someone is about to have the best holiday ever…

Sasha Williams is an African-American public relations powerhouse who’s come a long way from the south side of Chicago to glamorous Los Angeles. While she loves her LA life, she hasn’t forgotten her roots and always goes back home to celebrate Christmas with her tight-knit family.

This year, however, Sasha’s holiday plans are nixed when she’s forced to accompany her sexy, notoriously naughty new client, Drake Lancaster, on the press tour for his upcoming Christmas movie.

Sasha’s furious, yet finds herself overcome with lust when Drake strolls into her office. She’s surprised, considering she’s never dated a white man. Drake’s attraction toward her is just as intense, and the pair partake in far more than just a business meeting…

Despite Sasha’s promise to keep things all business during the press tour, their sensual trysts heat up even further while out on the road. In the end, Sasha must decide whether their cultural differences, along with her secret painful past and Drake’s playboy reputation, are worth her risking her heart and career—especially without knowing whether this is the real thing or a racy fling.

****

The tagline says it all:  someone is about to have the best holiday ever.  And the person is Sasha Williams, uber-publicist for one of the hottest PR companies in LA.  Looking forward to celebrating her success in becoming partner at her firm, she is ready to return to Chicago to bring in the holidays with her family, whom she very much misses.

Enter bad boy Drake Lancaster, Sasha’s newest client, and much to her dismay, she must accompany this rumoured trouble-making hotshot actor on his movie tour to promote his latest release.

When they first meet, sparks fly.  But Sasha doesn’t want to feel anything.  In the past, she’s experienced some nasty burns from playing with fire, and she won’t repeat the same mistake—falling for someone in the industry.  Her career has cost her much, even seeing her beloved family, and she isn’t about to toss aside her hard work to play second fiddle to anyone.  Will Drake understand?  Will he accept her career?  Will he accept having two powerhouses in a relationship?

The writing is absolute top-notch.  Ms. Wheatley knows how to create prose that sucks a reader in from the first page.  Her descriptions, the witty dialogue, the lovely banter between Drake and Sasha puts you in the moment.  You’re brought to sunny LA and given a fly-on-the-wall’s view of what’s going down in Sasha’s office when Drake goes into seductive mode.

The sex scenes between the twosome are hot and written superbly.  There are moments of straight up nasty, and other moments of sheer pleasure.  Well done.

As for the relationship development, things move fast, too fast for Sasha.  And her confusion and apprehension come through strongly in her POV.  Although Drake doesn’t get a POV, the reader is given a nice look at why he’s appealing to Sasha through her eyes and thoughts.

The author did her job and kept me turning the pages.  I read before I go to sleep, and I finished A Naughty Jolly Christmas in two nights.  I highly recommend this book to readers.

 

Have you read A Naughty Jolly Christmas?  What did you think of the characters and their relationship?  Was my review spot on, or do you have a differing opinion?  Please remember to keep comments respectful.