Favorite Quotes:

“It would make me crazy. I like order and knowing everything has its place.” “It does have its place. It’s just not there yet.”

Never before had a mundane conversation over breakfast had her ready to throw down on the kitchen floor.

…her emotions. She normally only seemed to have two— happy or pissed off.

What? I know I’m old enough to be his mother— his young mother… I can still appreciate an attractive man!

My Review:

I had a hard time appreciating Darcy for quite some time as she was a bossy, selfish, and inconsiderate brat who as the youngest of six children and the only girl, was used to getting her way whether it was though tantrums, mulish behavior, or being a major pain in the ass, and she certainly had that mastered. She was pushy, thoughtless, highly social, and as stubborn as a bulldog. In contrast, Ben was an introverted semi-recluse who lived quietly and alone in a kitted-out cabin in the woods where he created, sculpted, carved his art. Ben was the oldest of three orphaned brothers and had always been the responsible one who worked hard and helped his younger brothers achieve. And while opposites attract, the process isn’t always pretty or easy. I enjoyed their sassy and multi-textured story as well as catching up with the rest of the large, diverse, and alluring Shaughnessy family. But alas, Ms. Chase has run through all the siblings, I am curious to see what she conjures next.

Loved this book. Ben and Darcy were enjoyable and entertaining and frustrating at times. It was great watching Ben learn to accept the family he tended to avoid and Darcy to let go of the fears she seem to hang on to.
There were moments that melt your heart and will require a few tissues.
Great story

What an end to a series.
Darcy was always the little sister, never able to be herself. She always felt she distant from her family because she din't know her Mom and her memories are not there. Here brothers do baby her and when Savannah offers her the chance to go away and help a client of hers she jumps at it.
Ben loves the solitude he has, but when the firecracker that Darcy is walks through his door he has no idea what her is in for.
Through trial and error they eventually make things work for them but bringing him into her big family might not be all that it is cracked up to be.
They both have healing tot be done in order to move on with their lives and maybe together they can help each other.

** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

So this was fun and frustrating but really fun. The story itself wasn't frustrating, but Darcy made me a little twitchy too many times. I fully admit it's a maturity/age thing with me. I can't do the whole hot/cold thing. I'm just way too old for it in real life and fiction LOL But she never took it too far that I didn't fully enjoy the story. So that's the frustrating part for me. And yes, the brothers were a little too OTT for me .. realistic, but a little OTT. But again, it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

When this book first came up for review I was a little sad because I knew we were going to say goodbye to a really great family. Darcy is the last of the Shaughnessy pack. The only girl to boot. I knew she was going to be a force of nature and she proved me right! The perfect match for the loner, Ben. They made for a great couple to read. They made me laugh and smile and by the end, my heart was full, really really full.

This series has been an excellent reading experience. I've read it from the beginning and altho you can read these books in any order you want, I don't really recommend it. They're a family that sticks to each other and by each other at all times so it is best to read them in the order they were written. You're just gonna have to trust me on that :)

Copy provided for early review

REALLY wanted to love Darcy Shaughnessy's book as much as I loved the previous books about her brothers. Sadly, I did not. If fact, the supportive, loving Darcy that I enjoyed in Owen's book (A Sky Full of Stars...read this one for sure!!) seemed to be lost in the insecure, immature, kind of a bratty girl she was in her own story. I know when secondary characters get their own stories, their personality is more developed, obviously. And being the youngest of six, with five big brothers who are a bit older than her...well, that can make the character seem a bit young. But Darcy seemed unnaturally stubborn and inflexible, but yet a hard worker who was looking for her niche in life. I think she was way too wishy washy for my taste.
Ben had way more patience with her ups and downs than I did. Which you'd think would endear him to me. But it really didn't. He's got his own family issues to deal with (the grumpy, anti-holiday guy), which he doesn't until near the end, but he comes off as almost too old for Darcy. I couldn't picture him in my head, either, as a young guy, so I just kept seeing the guy who played Grizzly Adams!! So not a romance hero.
The great storytelling that I come to expect from Samantha Chase was there and I like the snapshots of what's doing on with the rest of the family. But I just didn't love either our hero or heroine this time around. As this was my first holiday read of the season, I'll admit that bummed me out, too. Still a wonderful series and I recommend it highly...even Darcy's story.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Through her writing, Samantha Chase has shared the lives of the Shaughnessy family and has made us fall in love with the over-protective brothers and their younger sister, Darcy. We have grieved with them as they came to grips with the loss of their mother, and rejoiced with them when they found their soul mates and fell in love. This book, Holiday Spice, is the last in the series and is finally Darcy’s story. And in my opinion, Samantha has saved the best for last.

Darcy lost her mother at such a young age that she has no real memory of her. She struggles with her own kind of grief… how can she grieve someone she never even knew? She feels at time estranged from her brothers as they share their memories of Lillian, their mother.

At her sister in law’s request, she agrees to help Benjamin Tanner organize and finish a book he is putting together to showcase his sculptures. Ben lives in Colorado so she has to travel there to work with him. A snowstorm leaves her stranded there and she and Ben need to make the best of it. Ben is dealing with his own grief but in a much different way…. He lost his parents unexpectedly at Christmas and has since avoided the holiday and anything associated with it. Enter Darcy who is all about the holidays and cookies and decorating…anything and everything to do with Christmas. Think of it sort of as “Elf” meets “Scrooge.”

Though they are as different as night and day, they find a way to help each other traverse the road to the healing they both need… and along the way, find their way into each other’s heart. This is a book takes you on an emotional ride so be prepared! The saga of the Shaughnessy’s is finished and the story is complete. I will miss this wonderful family but have enjoyed the ride.

WOW!! Words can’t describe my reaction to Holiday Spice by Samantha Chase. I’m not sure how she does it but each of Ms. Chase’s books is better than the last. Ms. Chase has the gift to create a sweet story with two people needing to find that confidence and understanding of themselves and their lives while finding love along the way. The manner in which she has created a family in which everyone is supportive of each other, no matter how difficult things seem is amazing. This is Darcy’s story; Darcy the baby, who never knew her mom and longed for the perfect two-parent family. Darcy flitted from temp job to temp job, not sure what she wanted to do. Then her sister-in-law sends her to Washington State to help Ben Tanner finish his book on wood crafting, craving, and creating. All he needs is help organizing everything, which Darcy is a master at doing, plus Darcy understands Ben’s vision misunderstanding, these two fell harder than either thought possible. With Darcy on the east coast and Ben on the west coast can these two find a way to meet in the middle.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Ms. Chase is an excellent storyteller, keeping me interested in this story so that I had trouble putting it down. I highly recommend this outstanding book to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

I love how this book brings us back to the Shaughnessy family. We get to catch up with our favorites from past books and get a good glimpse into their future. You can very clearly see how the story will work itself out from pretty early in the book. It doesn't take away from the story, more like makes you wait for how it will ultimately unfold.

I had a hard time liking Darcy in the beginning. She carries around a lot of baggage and is quick to make judgements. Her sister-in-law recommended her for this assignment, helping Ben finish editing his book.

Ben is a reclusive artist. His cabin up in the mountains is beyond perfect for his needed solitude. When beautiful Darcy comes blowing into his life like a blizzard he is in lust. She is fun, exciting and sexy as hell. BUT something has her not only spooked but lying to his face. She doesn't want to stay with him and doesn't even want to share his space outside of work time. Darcy doesn't even want to see the inside of his workshop. Seriously.

Samantha has done it again with this amazingly womderful book.
The characters in this book are so different yet so alike and have conflict throughout it. But the way they change as the story goes along is great! I believe this has got to be my favorite of the entire series. If you havent goven it a read yet you definitely should because you dont want to miss this one.

This book right here is why I read! Words cannot adequately express how much I loved Holiday Spice. It has everything I look for in a book and so much more. OMG the feels are everything and Darcy and Ben’s story is captivating and consuming. I didn’t want it to end and I’m ready to dive in and read this again and again. This is my favorite book by Samantha Chase and definitely one of my all-time favorite reads ever!

HOLIDAY SPICE is the sixth and final installment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult THE SHAUGHNESSY BROTHERS romance series focusing on the Shaughnessy siblings. This is youngest child and only sister Darcy Shaughnessy, and recluse artist Benjamin Tanner’s story line. HOLIDAY SPICE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately twenty years earlier the Shaughnessy’s lost their mother to a drunk driver that left six siblings (including a one year old infant daughter) without a mother. Fast forward to present day where the now adult children continue to struggle with the loss.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Darcy and Ben) HOLIDAY SPICE follows the building relationship between Darcy Shaughnessy and artist Benjamin Tanner. Benjamin Tanner is in desperate need of some organization in his life but the shy, quiet and introspective woodcarver prefers the solitude of his cabin in the woods. Enter Darcy Shaughnessy, his friend’s sister in law, and the woman with whom he will fall in love. What ensues is the turbulent and emotional relationship between two people whose lives are the complete opposite.

Darcy Shaughnessy is a butterfly who enjoys the boisterous, family get togethers and social functions that allow her to express her ideas and have fun. Growing up the youngest child and only daughter, Darcy struggled with the over –protective nature of five older brothers who chased away all the men she wanted to date. Benjamin Tanner is a loner; a social misfit who battles the need to remain hidden from the paparazzi and social functions that come with being a successful artist but Benjamin also struggles with the holidays-the reminders of everything he has lost- and two younger brothers who would give anything to reconnect with the brother they love.

The relationship between Darcy and Ben begins as a business arrangement that quickly dissolves due to misunderstanding and Ben’s needs for privacy. Their attraction to one another is immediate and palpable but the potential for a long distance relationship begin to build a wall between our leading couple that may be too hard to pull down. The $ex scenes are all implied.

All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles. The Shaughnessy’s are a close knit family, and their over –zealous attitude is too much for our story line hero.

HOLIDAY SPICE is a story of family, friendship and love. The premise is entertaining and emotional; the characters are colorful and dynamic; the romance is sweet. HOLIDAY SPICE is the perfect ending to a well-loved series.

Copy supplied for review by Netgalley

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Loved this book, so worth the wait. I have been waiting for Darcy's story since the beginning of the Shaughnessy Brothers. Darcy gets snowed in at a cabin in Washington with Ben, who is a polar opposite of Darcy. He prefers the solitude of quietness. Darcy will soon bring him out of his shell. They both have suffered loss in their family. The banter between them is great, They are sweet, spicy and everything nice in between.

A great end to the series with catching up with all her brothers. Must have kleenex, for happy and sad tears. Good bye, Shaughnessy Family, you brought many hours of happiness to days/nights. I highly recommend this series.

Holiday Spice has the most tear jerking prologue of this series yet, who could resist a heartbroken six year old little girl? This is also the last book of the Shaughnessy Brothers series which is fitting since it centers on the Shaughnessy sister. A romance between an extroverted family centered woman and a grumpy not even old man is something worth reading about. When Darcy and Ben meet there were a lot of sparks of the wrong kind flying. There is chemistry but their different personalities resulted in a lot of misunderstanding. When they do come together it's as magical as can be but when real life comes knocking then they have to face up to the fact that there are things that have to change for them to be really be together.

Holiday Spice concentrates on the after, what happens when the I love you's have been said and commitments are promised? When things get too hard and changing is an active effort to make it worth with the one you love. It will definitely make readers cheer when Ben and Darcy when they realized how easy it is to give in to love.

Anyone following the Shaughnessy knows that there is the Shaughnessy sister Darcy, pampered, indulged and spoiled and the apple of the entire family. Super social, talkative, interfering and the eternal butterfly fluttering from one job to another with mad organization skills, yet never zeroing in on her passion, faces off with Benjamin Tanner, the reclusive

Loving his solitude, away from the public eye and shunning social gatherings, Ben wants nothing more than to be left alone to create his amazing woodcarvings, his passion and his livelihood. Circumstances bring the tornado Darcy to his quite and Ben is thrown into a hurricane of feelings, lust, attraction and fighting for his solitude at the same time.

As much as I can understand Darcy, it was hard for me to get her fixation of having a perfect family and perfect everything, and I really thought for a grown adult, she sure comes off like a spoiled brat. Ben is the epitome of a saint, patiently handling Darcy’s various hang-ups and insecurities and I can’t blame him for taking a break!

And my hang-up was Darcy and if portraying her as the spoiled rich brat was Samantha Chase’s goal, then she definitely achieved that. But I definitely did feel that the ending was rushed, and Darcy’s enlightenment of her mistakes and all was a tad fast to accept. The conversation between Owen and Darcy is my favorite of the book…insightful, honest, brutal and totally rocked!

Benjamin Tanner is the flavor of “Holiday Spice” for me!

Received an ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and this whole series. This book has me ready for Christmas and I wish I had a cabin in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the holidays in. There were even a few places that pulled on my heart strings. I got tears in my eyes and the epilogue wrecked me for sure. Darcy and Ben are a must read.

4 What Happens When Opposites Attract Stars!!

This is my first book by Ms. Chase and I admittedly was a little concerned that I would be a little lost not having read the previous books in this series. While there were times when it would've been nice to have the back story of Darcy's brothers, it certainly didn't ruin my enjoyment of reading this book. I got a general gist of her past and her lack of a mother and how that affected her in every way possible.

Ben is a man that has closed himself off and basically stays as far away from human interaction as possible even with his younger brothers that he's had to basically raise. When Darcy shows up in his life to help him get his book with his carvings put together, there's some definite fireworks but not of the romantic type....at first!

Talk about oil and water! I loved how Darcy wasn't going to let Ben's cranky butt get away with some of the remarks he made. She's also exuberant about life but this exuberance can sometimes backfire with some miscommunications. Which of course leads to some interesting conversations with Ben! I have to say though, with this crackling tension between them I just knew when these two finally give in to their attraction it was going to be combustible!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the fact that it takes place in a snowed in cabin in the woods of Washington, creating the perfect backdrop for two people who didn't' know they needed each other and the love they have to offer. This one put me in the perfect mindset for the upcoming holidays. On a side note, I'm going to go back and read the first five books in this series now that I've found Ms. Chase and her books!

Even though this book works as a standalone, I think that I'd be better off reading the series from the beginning in order to get more background on Darcy. As it stands, I had a hard time gelling with her and to a certain extent, I also had a hard time with Ben. They were both so moody and a bit abrasive and the bickering, miscommunications, and ensuing anger were just too much for me. But maybe with more background, I'd like the characters a bit more and perhaps enjoy the book more because of it. The Shaughnessy brother's meddling were at turns comical and annoying, but either way it was a fun element to the book. I did warm up to Ben a bit as the book went along; I appreciated his struggle with the responsibility of taking care of his siblings on his own. I think I may go back and read the first book in the series to see how I enjoy it, then from there decided whether or not to continue on with it. As it stands, I give Holiday Spice 3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

When I started this book, I didn't realize it was a part of a series. But I didn't feel totally lost as to who the characters were. Sure, I missed the entire backstory, but I got enough here that I understood who was who. But now, I want to go back and start with book 1!
I was quickly lost in Ben and Darcy's world. They were both headstrong and stubborn and didn't give in to others. She was there to work and that was it. Until there was more :) I enjoyed the push and pull these characters had with each other and their chemistry was off the charts! Darcy was quick to jump to conclusions and even though she was attracted to Ben, she knew she couldn't go there with him. Thankfully, she had her family to talk to and help her to see she was being unreasonable and she had to say I'm sorry to him. However, she did it in her own way and they soon found themselves stuck with each other for a few days. I thought their story was cute, sweet and so swoony! I really enjoyed their journey, their pasts and their potential future. I HIGHLY recommend this story, but if you're like me, you want to start at the beginning.

“I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.”

I have read many books by Samantha Chase and am a fan of her work! With that said, this was not my favorite of her books. It just felt like there was a lot of hostility in this story. I don't want to list specifics as I don't want to ruin the book for others. It was not a bad book overall, just not up to the usual high caliber of her stories! I will continue to read Samantha's books.

Holiday Spice is book 6 in The Shaughnessy Brothers Series but it can be read as a standalone, I have not read the previous books in the series and I still really enjoyed This book , so I guess I now need to one click the rest of the series.
Darcy Shaughnessy is the youngest sibling, the only girl and at times she has struggled with the over protective nature of her five brothers,they have always managed to chase every man she ever wanted to date away,that was until Benjamin Tanner came into her life.
Ben Tanner is a loner, a man who spends his time avoiding the fame that goes with being a successful artist. Darcy excepts a temporary job helping Ben but his need for privacy and a misunderstanding soon see’s the business arrangement falling apart, will the instant attraction these two have for each be enough for a long distance relationship.
Two very different people with sizzling chemistry try to get overcome their differences , Darcy loves Christmas and Ben would rather forget the holiday season, can Darcy change his mind on her favourite time of the year and will true love win in the end. I loved Ben but it did take me a while to warm up to Darcy maybe this was because I had not read the previous books. I was drawn to this story because of the title, Christmas is my favourite time of the year and this book did not disappoint, it was a great holiday read.