I confess that I took this book without even reading the synopsis just for having adored this title and fell in love with this cover so cheerful, full of colors and romanticism. So when I came across the pampered bossy Darcy and the reclusive artist Ben, I was intrigued how the writer would make those two hardheads fall in love.
Ben gives his body and soul to his art, he works with wood and has his life altered when he was contacted to write a book about his art, but he does not know how to put everything on paper and asks his friend Savannah for help to write it. She in turn asks for help to Darcy her sister-in-law who accepts the challenge.
Darcy and Ben soon feel attracted to each other but the insecurities, pains and demons of each other disturbs the relationship. Darcy brings color and changes to Ben's gray world, but it will not be so simple for him to accept so many colors and shakes.
With a light writing, the book comes to warm this fall and already lead the reader to the yummy world of Christmas. What I liked the most was that the writer did not make magic of instant resolutions, the couple will have to overcome the obstacles of personality and individual traumas gradually if they want to live this passion.
4/5 stars

5 HOLIDAY SPICE STARS!! Another fantastic story I come to expect from Samantha Chase, she never disappoints. I love all the Shaughnessy brothers, but Darcy stole the show. Darcy and Ben's story has all the feels you grow to see with this fabulous author. I highly recommend this book or any of her books. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I loved this book, it is the 6th book in the series. I give this book 5 stars. The storyline between Darcy Shaughnessy and Benjamin Tanner was well written and a HOT read. Darcy is snowed in with the handsome wood carving artist. He like his solitary cabin and she is very close to her family. She lost her mother a young age and was raised by her father and brothers. I voluntarily reviewed this NetGalley Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Darcy the one and only Shaughnessy sister, the one who has been ultimately babied and coddled all her life. Her brothers always think every man isn't good enough for her and they also think she shouldn't try anything in life too risky. But Darcy has had enough. Darcy has feelings too and it's about time her family learned she could stand on her own two feet. When an opportunity comes up to interview Ben a famous but reclusive artist she jumps at the chance not fulling knowing what she is getting in to. Ben is by all standards a loner, someone who doesn't want company doesn't like holidays and doesn't feel the need to make anyone happy. Then Darcy shows up, she loves Christmas and Ben has the perfect house for holiday decorations. She begins her interview process only to discover more meets the eye regarding Ben but when one subject becomes too close to home Ben pulls back leaving Darcy to question everything. Now, does Darcy give up on her ideas and forget Ben or does she push Ben to the limits? Well one things for sure, Ben has certainly meet his match. This book offers a lot, from the one and only daughter of a family with several overbearing brothers to a brooding male artist living the recluse life. Such and awesome story. Loved it.

"Getting snowed in would not affect him in any way, shape, or form.
Getting snowed in with Darcy? That was a whole other story. It would affect him in every way, shape, and form."

What do you get when you combine a reclusive artist who loves being alone with a girl who is outgoing and just wants to prove to her family that she is an adult?
You get a wonderful love story full of heart, sass, and family dynamic.

Darcy and Ben are thrown together for a work project, but what they didn't expect was the snowstorm that left them alone together...and stocked full of sexual tension.

"What are you smiling about?"
"Thinking about you."
"Anything in particular about me?"
"A whole lot of particulars."

I enjoyed so much of this book!
I loved Darcy's sass and Ben's closed off attitude.
The constant push and pull, but also the undeniable attraction.

I also loved seeing how they help each other out through their family issues.
They each pasts that continue to haunt them, but it just takes someone who understands to bring it all into perspective.

"Ben..."
"What is it, princess? What do you want?"
"You. I want you."
"You have me."

I never wanted this story to end!
Not only did you fall for Darcy and Ben, but you fell for Darcy's family even more. Not to mention, I really liked Ben's brothers!!

Family is everything, but so is love.
When you combine the two...you have it all.

What a wonderful story to get ready for the holiday season!

"So know this now, Benjamin Tanner-you're stuck with me. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm going to love you and build a life with you, and we're going to be ridiculously happy."
"There's no one else in the world for me but you, Darcy Shaughnessy. No one."

I have read and enjoyed the previous book of Samantha Chase that I have read unfortunately none of the previous books I read belonged to this series. But that's not a problem this is just fine as a holiday stand alone.
What happens when an introvert and an extrovert fall in love. Ben lives for his art, he's a wood carver and he's trying to get the word about his art out to more people his PR person suggested a book
and while Ben loves the idea the fact that he has to write stuff is really putting him off. Until he comes up with the idea to get an old friend and reporter to help him, she's busy but she sends her sister-in-law in her place. It's right up Darcy's alley anyways she is active in the art scene and she lives for organization. Not to mention she's still trying to figure out what to do with her life.
There is instant chemistry between the two but due to a misunderstanding Darcy starts to treat Ben distant and when she gets stranded at his cabin in the woods it seems like things can't get much worse, until they kiss. Once the misunderstanding to figured out and Ben and Darcy start to sleep together it seems like the idyllic life. It was just suppose to be a fling but by the time for Darcy to go home they don't want it to end at decide to try a long distance relationship.
Things get really touch and go when Darcy and Ben realize how different they are, Darcy and her closeness to her family and Ben and his solitary life. Ben unwillingness to move on from the deaths of his parents and Darcy's misguided search for the perfect family.
Overall, from Halloween to New Years this story is full of drama and romance; a thoroughly enjoyable holiday romance. Samantha Chase is humorous and really hits the heartstrings with this one. I really empathize with Ben, I would rather live in a cabin in the woods.

Such a cute story. I read this one in one day and i loved every minute of reading this book. I do highly recommend

Darcy is spoiled and self important. For all of her 25 years, she is still very immature and has serious family/mother issues. She is a very confrontational person and walks away when she feels she is wronged. I do not like her much. Benjamin enjoys his solitude and has difficulty dealing with people. He is dealing with his loss in a very different way. I adored Ben and feel for everything he went through. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

I’m a sucker for all things Christmas and especially Christmas romance novels. This book didn’t disappoint as it was a perfect opposites attract type book. Darcy is outgoing and cheery while Ben is broody and a homebody. Their friendship gets off to a rocky start and that's when the story got interesting. I felt like Darcy got off the hook too easily with her assumptions and she was a little bratty. I wanted Ben to put her in her place for the way that she acted but sadly he didn’t at that time. As the story progressed we got to see the characters in a different light as they are both dealing with some heavy issues. This part of the book I loved because they both helped heal each other and I’m a sucker for those kinds of reads. As expected we had some drama but I liked the way it was resolved this time around. Ben put his foot down and Darcy finally matured. Even though this was book number six in the series I didn’t feel lost at all. I enjoyed seeing the other characters and after reading I will be starting the series from the beginning. This book was well written, evenly paced, we had some laugh out loud moments and some very soul searching and heartbreaking moments. Plus it was based around Christmas which is my favorite time of the year!

The only girl in a family full of boys, Darcy was left motherless with the hope that she would find the mother figure she needed.

Although Darcy is the one person who would do anything for her family or someone she loves, she isn't willing to be hurt. Being protected and somewhat put on a pedestal by her five brothers and her father has shown her that she deserves someone who is willing to do the same for her.

After his parents died Ben was left to be the guardian of his younger brothers. Being young and having very little experience, Ben guarded his heart in the only way he knew to keep from feeling pain again. 

After Darcy is recommended for a job with Ben, he is not very thrilled to see her much less work with her. Ben isn't a huge fan of any kind of change so when he and Darcy have an explosive chemistry and not to mention how rocky it is in the beginning. Miscommunication, hurt feelings, and a fiery romance is just the beginning for Ben and Darcy.

But will a Christmas miracle keep these two in the same space long enough for them to see what they could really have?

Samantha Chase did an amazing job with Ben and Darcy! Their relationship is like so many that start out in turmoil but can become so much more than they ever expected!

Darcy is someone that can be easily related to because of her needing that female figure in her life and someone that she can really have to confide in. So many women don't have that maternal figure that they can always go to when they need that companionship, and that's not something very often portrayed in books. But so many women have this void that hasn't been filled by the mother that they always needed. 

But with that being said I did have issues with Darcy and her immaturity levels. I really couldn't stand when she would try to leave when the going got tough, But I also understand being the baby of 6 kids, she was always taken care of. But with age comes growth and she could have handled things a bit better.

There were some aspects of this book that really had to grow on me, and that would have definitely been Darcy and her maturity level. She really could have handled things better than she did, even if she was the youngest of 6.

This wasn't really an insta-love story but even the enemy to lovers doesn't really fit this story exactly either. It was definitely a story that I grew to like! I wish I would have loved it more, but with some storied they aren't always going to make you love them from the beginning. BUT this story was still a great read and I definitely recommend you pick up a copy!

I have enjoyed the Shaughnessy family for some time now. Seeing each brother find that just right for them woman has been an exciting, satisfying adventure. Now it’s Darcy’s turn and Holiday Spice is going to pack such a powerful, emotional reading punch.

When Darcy fills in for her sister-in-law heading into the “wilderness” to work with an artist, she has no clue that her life is about to do a major turn around. Ben is reclusive, a bit of a hermit and completely happy to be shut off from the rest of the world… people included. He’s raised his younger brothers but is not close to them. He’s happiest working his craft and letting the world with it’s emotional madness pass him by. He hadn’t counted on one stubborn, sassy, determined woman to step in and turn his world upside down. In fact, neither had counted on falling in love in the middle of a snow storm, at Christmas time when memories are strong and emotions even stronger.

Of all the siblings, Darcy has taken the death of their mother the deepest. That’s not to say that anyone else didn’t miss and need their mom, yet Darcy kept searching for a mother figure, for someone to fill that role that really is impossible to fill. She’s at times brash, opinionated and doesn’t always believe that tact is the way to go during an argument. Between Ben hiding his emotions away, and Darcy’s misunderstandings theirs was a romance that had a lot of challenges to survive. In spite of what appears to be an impossible romance, I really liked both Darcy and Ben for different reasons. Sometimes totally opposites really do work out, and on many levels they weren’t all that opposite as it appears at first glance.

I’ll be frank, I never like to see series that I’ve loved end… yet, Holiday Spice was a satisfying story for many reasons. Family can be the best gift and the most annoying one as well. And there were moments here that the family just butted in a bit too much. But all ended well eventually. Yep, being vague because you should enjoy this Shaunghnessy Christmas tale for yourself. It’s good, really good.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Ok, I put off reading this book for several weeks. You see, I absolutely LOVE the Shaughnessy family and all the phenomenal stories about each family member the spectacular Samantha Chase has created. I did not want the stories about this family to end. Sorry, I am a bit greedy that way. But, I broke down and Darcy’s and Ben’s story is phenomenal!!! I think it is one of my favorites in this series.
My favorite type of romance is one that draws out a lot of emotions for me. Holiday Spice certainly does this, it is an emotional roller coaster ride from the prologue, thru to the epilogue. The tears both happy and sad started Christmas morning when Darcy came…. Oops, Sorry no spoilers from me. I will say I started crying like a baby, here and several additional spots in the book. AND I LOVED EVERY FREAKING WORD I READ!!!!
I love the family dynamics of the Shaughnessy family. You can see the love that comes through whenever the family is together. They are a family that anyone would love to be a part of. Each family member has met the “love of their lives” and Darcy is no different with Ben. I thoroughly enjoyed watching these two fall in love. Then, when her brothers found out, oops!! Both Darcy and Ben have issues dealing with the death of their parent or parents, they each are handling it different, but the same.
Ms. Chase certainly knows how to write the best kind of emotional romance books. She sucks you in from the very beginning until the very end. I have yet to find a book by Ms. Chase that I have not absolutely loved, and Holiday Spice is no exception.
I was gifted with a copy of this wonderful book for my honest opinion.
Thank you for reading my review. Now, what are you waiting for, go hit that one-click button, you will not be sorry.
Ms. Chase, phenomenal finish to a spectacular series. Kudos!!!

the last shaughnessy gets her happily ever after in holiday spice. darcy may be the youngest shaughnessy but she might have the biggest heart of them all. the only daughter with five older brothers, she's used to fighting for her independence. at the same time, she's fiercely loyal and close to her family.

so when she falls in love with reclusive artist ben tanner things are complicated. for one thing he lives in a remote area of washington state. her family lives outside of charlottesville, north carolina. he's an introvert who generally avoids spending time with people. she's an extrovert who thrives in a crowd.

and yet, together they make sense. when they can shut the world out of their relationship bubble, everything is wonderful. so they need to figure out how to quiet the noise.

remote cabins outside the cascade mountains help. and eventually they both find a solution that works. both of them have some family issues and old baggage to work through too. and once they settle those things it's easier to find a happy medium.

on the one hand i really enjoyed this story, on the other, i have to acknowledge that darcy did her best to make herself unlikeable. it's actually pretty amazing that ben stuck it out with her, because she was horrid to him for a large chunk of the novel. but he's a good guy, and he's so upfront about how much he loves her. and i can't help but get swoony over it.

Getting to read and experience Darcy's love story and adventure has been something I have been looking forward to since I first started reading about and loving The Shaughnessy Brothers. Several times throughout the series I was not a big fan of Darcy because of the way that she talked to her siblings or their loves, but this story changed that completely. I was so happy to see Benjamin return to this series. I was intrigued by him and his art when he was introduced to us, and he now is one of my favorite book characters to date.

SC does an excellent job of creating characters that draw you in and are very relateable. All of the siblings showed growth and change throughout the series, but Darcy in many ways showed the most change and growth. There were several scenes in this story that just gutted me emotionally, but were also beautiful in their meaning and language. I also would quickly be laughing because of the follow up scenes. While each story is beautiful and entertaining on its own, I love the overlap of family dynamics, memories and stories that show up in each book and especially this book. Seeing which couples have had children, where they all are living, how dad is doing, etc. added to my enjoyment of this story and series. I mentioned in another review how listening to the fatherly advice with each child was one of my favorite parts of each story...and this was no different. The relationship between Darcy and Ian and their conversation regarding love and her mom...oh the tears, the joy and the love. Simply, and easily said, beautiful.

This was a wonderful end to the Shaughnessy series! I had been looking forward to Darcy's story and it didn't disappoint. It was fun to watch the hero soften up and open up the the heroine while they are trapped at his house. This is the perfect holiday read!

I don't even know how to start this review. I absolutely adored this book. I went into reading it knowing that it was the last Shaughnessy book and I still cried. I am so sad to leave this family. That being said, I feel like Samantha Chase did the right thing by making Darcy's story last. Throughout the series, you kind of get the feeling that she has been a bit spoiled and definitely overprotected. It was awesome to see her grow and become a better person. Ben is a loner, who doesn't even want his brothers around. To see him have to interact with the Shaughnessy family made me laugh. Ben and Darcy complemented each so well. The epilogue was absolute perfection!! I will miss this series but can't wait to see what's next for Samantha Chase!

Darcy is the youngest Shaughnessy and the only girl. Her mother passed away when she was a child and she loves that her brothers have all found their “ones” as she finally has some sisters that she can talk to. She is affectionate, friendly and will do anything for those that she loves.

Ben is the opposite of Darcy as he is withdrawn, abrupt and only wants to spend time alone in his workshop. Since the death of his parents around Christmas a few years ago he prefers to pretend it doesn’t exist and wants to spend the time alone and not even see his brothers.

Darcy has been sent by Savannah to help Ben finish his book and the connection and chemistry between them was instant but will they be able to handle her interfering brothers as well as the differences in their personalities and lifestyle?

I have loved this series and the closeness of this family and am sad to see it end but this author has a way of creating such compelling and complex characters with realistic story lines that I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

I adore this series and the entire Shaughnessy series. This is the last in the series and each book references the books before but they can be read on their own. I have the admit that I an seriously bummed that this is the last story we get from this family for this series. However, I feel like this isn’t the last we will hear about them.

Darcy is the baby of the family and the only girl. She had a lot of overprotective brothers but she has also been a little spoiled. I love her spunk and energy. In Holiday Spice she is looking to grow up some and find a career she can really settle into but she takes a job that is supposed to be temporary helping Ben get his book displaying his art put together.

Ben is crabby and likes his space, bur she’s met his match in Darcy. She won’t let him get away with being a jerk all the time and he opens up his home and himself to her.Both of them are holding on to issues they have to face if they can make it work. Both make sure to push the other into seeing their issues and working on them to grow.

Samantha Chase did an amazing job with the characters and the story. She had me crying though the last % of the book. I was crying from the emotion Samantha brought out in the characters, but also because I knew that this was it. When I finished this book it would end my time with the Shaughnessy’s. I have become so inversted in theor lives throughout the series it’s sad to let them go.

Holiday Spice is a great snowed in holiday read get it today!

4 Stars - Holiday Romance/Contemporary Romance

YAY! It's that time of the year! HOLIDAY ROMANCES are everywhere! There is nothing better than a good Holiday book to get into the Holiday spirit. It makes me soooooo excited for the Holidays!

On to Holiday Spice. I was told this is a standalone but I wish I would have read the other books within this "series" first. I didn't connect with these characters and I really do think I would have by reading the other books. I felt that Darcy was too "immature" and really hard to understand where she was coming from. I liked Ben, but I thought he was too "eh". I hoped he would be more stubborn or more kind, not in between. I really do think the lack of background stories from the other books changed how I connected with these charterers.

Let's talk about what I liked! I loved the beginning of this book. It sets up the "holiday" feel and pulled on my heart strings. I was able to understand Darcy a little more from the beginning...I wanted MORE! It worked so well for me that I was craving more. This book does have the awkward/funny/hot banter that makes for great chemistry.

Short review here, check this book out! This is a great start into the Holiday Romance genre and I will definitely be looking more into Samantha Chase's other books.