Who Needs Mistletoe? by Kate Hoffmann

Tropical Festive Romance

3 Stars

All that pilot Sophie Madigan wants for Christmas is a man, so she’s delighted when her last minute fare on Christmas Eve turns out to be gorgeous and wealthy Trey Shelton. Before she can think about how much she’d enjoy unwrapping her gift, she’s forced to make a crash landing on a deserted tropical island.

Trey is equally delighted by his pilot and personal tour guide and despite it not being the way he usually spends Christmas Eve, he isn’t exactly heartbroken at being stranded alone with Sophie. Soon their inhibitions and clothes are left behind – but can what starts out as a holiday fling really turn into something more when the pair get back to civilisation?

This was a festive story with a twist as there was no snow, ice or any of the usual Christmas bits and pieces. I didn’t think it embodied much Christmas spirit but this had little to do with the tropical setting.

It took me a long time to warm up to the story and this was largely to do with the characters. Sophie was confident and had absolutely no hang-ups or inhibitions. While this is admirable, it didn’t make her a very real character in my eyes and I never felt that I could identify with her at all. Trey too wasn’t really very desirable to me and I felt he developed little from the ‘male equivalent of Paris Hilton’ that he was dubbed near the beginning of the book.

The story and emotions were believable despite the romance being set over such a short period of time (24 hours) and the writing flowed naturally. There was enough heat between the characters and a good number of sex scenes. The book was just let down by the fact that the two main characters weren’t hugely likeable. Good for a quick read or if you’re a fan of Kate Hoffmann, this book just isn’t a keeper for me. 3 stars.