Of all the Shaughnessy books I think I loved this one the most. The only girl in the family, Darcy, finds herself snowed in with brooding Benjamin Tanner. While Ben enjoys his solitude and privacy, Darcy loves family and social life. The two personalities will clash but sparks will soon fly. Both Darcy and Ben have unresolved issues regarding loss and will finally come to terms with them.

Don't forget your tissues when reading Holiday Spice. They were happy tears but tears nonetheless. Darcy is an extrovert and loves being part of a bigger pictures. Ben is a introvert that wants to stay close to home.

I found the book to be broken down in 3 areas. The beginning where Darcy and Ben were finally gave into their feelings towards each other. The middle of the book where their love started to get real and how to deal with their friends and family and how to build their relationship being cross country .
And finally the ending. It was bittersweet with the love and acceptance and both families. Also, the love they had for each other.

The epilogue is what was truly special about this book. Ian had me in tears speaking with Lily. My heart ached for him. I'm happy he was given a second chance. He deserves it.

Holy moly! That was good! Like smack you in the face, make you cry, laugh out loud good! Darcy and Ben were the perfect mix of sassy, sweet, sexy, and serious. Bring out your tissue box at the end.

The cover for the novel is gorgeous. The chemistry between Darcy and Ben is fantastic. The Shaughnessy clan was present and accounted for and fun as ever. Loved that Ben was someone that works with his hands and Darcy was still trying to find her way in life. Stories like this are such a breath of fresh air. Samantha Chase is one of my go-to authors for sweet, feel good romance novels, and Holiday Spice was wonderful.

I love this series so much! Darcy, youngest and lone girl of the Shaughnessy family meets loner Ben while doing a favor for her sister-in-law. Their relationship runs hot and cold as misunderstandings abound but their spark is undeniable. This story is filled with romance, family, and a lot of heart. It was the perfect ending to this beautiful series.

Amazing.......Darcy has grown up so much since the first book. This book was so worth the wait though. I truly believe she was ready to find her happily ever after. The book just flowed from page to page. I totally love Ben. He is my dream man. I love a guy who works with his hands and is outdoorsy. He's a little too stuck in his ways but so is Darcy. So when they finally find a balance it totally fits. I feel sad that this is the end of the Shaughnessy family's books. I will miss them. Maybe Ian and Martha will get a book.

The long awaited story of the baby in the Shaughnessy clan. Darcy, is trying to find her place in the family, her job, even herself. Doing a favour for Savannah, going to a cabin to help a wood carving artist complete a book project, Darcy finds Ben Tanner, a reclusive, gorgeous guy who is instantly attractive and little does she know attracted. The get snowed in and fall into working, enjoying and playing together. Trying to make their relationship work, both have emotional baggage, they work out the travelling, Ben finds the whole Shaughnessey clan overwhelming, he lashes out, Darcy runs and .......you should read the edition, it's so emotional, found myself crying from the prolong and sobbing through to the end, I love a book that prompts that strong emotion, I also laughed, growled, gasped in frustration, and cried a little more - you'll love it.

We have been waiting what seems like forever for Darcy's book. And sadly I am a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong this was a good book, but it did not feel like a Shaugnessy book, it had more of the feel of a fast Christmas romance novel. There was alot of sex in this book, where it didn't go into much detail, that was a big part of the book. The ending (epilogue) was great! It wrapped up the series well.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and am so thankful I had a chance to read it early. This is my favorite Samantha Chase series and I feel each book just surpasses the previous one with it's awesomeness. Although Owen's book is still my favorite :) What an absolutely fantastic way to finish up the Shaughnessy series! Darcy, the only female among all of that Shaughnessy testosterone, finally gets her HEA!
Darcy is still struggling to find a career. When recluse wood sculpter, Ben Tanner reaches out to his friend Savannah Shaughnessey for some help, she sends Darcy in her place. And thus begins our tale.
These two definitely don't appear to hit it off very well from the get-go but that is soon to change. I enjoyed watching Darcy and Ben find their groove and become everything to each other. They definitely don't see eye to eye on some pretty important issues to Darcy, like family and Christmas. They had some high hurdles to jump over and it was looking a little hopeless there for a bit but alas no worries.
I laughed and cried and just enjoyed this book so very much. I loved getting glimpses of what the other siblings lives are like now since we last left them. I especially loved the scene with Darcy and Owen near the end.
This is a must read conclusion to a fantastic contemporary romance series by Samantha Chase.
5 shining swooning stars!!

Holiday Spice is the sixth book in the Shaughnessy Brothers series however it isn’t about one of the brothers but the sister Darcy…the only girl born into the family. Darcy’s story is sweet, healing, and truly heartfelt with just the right amount of sexy and sass.

Darcy is visiting Savannah and Riley when Ben (we were introduced to him in This Is Our Song) calls asking for Savannah’s help with a book. Savannah can’t leave so she sends Darcy. From the moment Darcy and Ben meet in the driveway of his secluded cabin there is chemistry. Both fight the attraction and they make the working relationship work to finish the book.

All bets are off after Ben rescues Darcy from being stranded at the airport for days during a major snowstorm. Things heat up as the two are snowed in together. Although the two are opposites in many ways – they are true and genuine.

There is some drama that tears Ben and Darcy apart for a short time but both realize that their lives cannot be full and satisfying without each in the others’ lives. The ending while happy brought tears to my eyes. The final scene is so emotional and all-consuming that I was happy and sad at the same time. I cannot imagine a better ending to the Shaughnessy Brothers series!

Holiday Spice by Samantha ChaseFinally the last Shaughnessy sibling gets her story. Darcy is the youngest as well as being the only girl. She's twenty-five and still working on figuring out what it is she wants to do with her life. She knows she's good at organizing and that's what gets her a week-long job helping woodworker Benjamin Tanner figure out his book. And it works well. Until she can't get home. And Ben is conscripted to come rescue her so she doesn't have to sleep at the airport.
Their relationship starts off with a misunderstanding and it just keeps going.
There's a lot of sexual tension in this book but I'm not sure that we get to see much else. Both are sketched out but there's not an arc for either. An okay book but I was hoping for more for Darcy.

Three stars
This book comes out October 3
Follows A Sky Full of Stars

LOVED it! I was so excited to get Darcy's story. This series has been amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next.. It is always fun to see the previous book characters appear and get updated on their lives while getting the story of the couple in the book. Darcy has kind of been on the peripheral of the previous books, but you knew that everyone doted on her. The prologue will have you in tears with your heart breaking. This is definitely a go-to author for me. Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca who provided me with a copy of this book. I have not read any of the other books in this series, so I wasn't familiar with any of the other characters mentioned in this book. In my opinion this story was a bit dull....definitely no spice at all!
The main characters Darcy and Ben who get stuck together because of severe weather, and end up falling in love. I found the character Darcy quite annoying at times. She was rude, interfering, impulsive and immature. I am not really sure how Ben found her endearing....

As a couple I am not really sure how they would work.... Overall a pleasant story but not a memorable one.

This is a very interesting story of Darcy, who has five brothers, five sister's in law, and a Dad who loves her. Yet, she is needy, her Mother died when she was she little, and she has some emotional problems.
Ben, tall, dark, and handsome, a sculpturer of wood, famous, yet his problems stem from his childhood. His parents were killed while on a vacation, a few days prior to Christmas. He still lives in his log home, way out in the country, a couple of hours from Seattle. I wouldn't mind living in his house! He needs some help with his book, the person he trust the most, Samantha, is Darcy's sister in law, who recommended to Ben, to try letting Darcy help him. That is how they meet, two people with the same type of problems, only thing is, she needs her family around her, he likes being a hermit! Great Read!
I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

I have enjoyed every book in this series and Darcy & Ben's story did not disappoint Two people who have lost important people in their past and in their own ways still grieving that loss. They learn together that it's alright to say goodbye and learn to live again on their terms. There is a lot of angst & misunderstandings but also sexy times and sweet moments. This is a really touching story and you made need a kleenex or two to get through it.

Holiday Spice was a fun, sweet and romantic read. We have watched Darcy grow from the very first book and have loved the sassy, fun loving, independent woman she has grown in to. Ben Tanner is a loner, he likes his solitude and working with his wood. When Ben needs help with his book, he reaches out to a friend for help and Darcy lands on his door step to help. Ben and Darcy has this instant attraction that they fight from the very beginning. Once Darcy leaves to go home, Ben realized that he doesn't like the solitude he once craved, he wants to live and experience life with Darcy. Holiday Spice touched all of my emotions during this book I thoroughly enjoyed Holiday Spice and highly recommend checking it out and all of the books in the Shaughnessy Brothers series.

Holiday Spice is Darcy’s romance. I loved how Ms. Chase kept Darcy true to her character as in her previous books. Over the series, it was as though Darcy was the spoiled, sometimes bratty little sister, but there was more to her than that. She didn’t remember her mom. She did not get to enjoy the closeness to a mom her brother’s all had. There was always something missing in her life that really affected her lack of being able to find herself. Yes, she is now an adult, but she is still searching. You can see it in her relationship with Ben.

The Shaughnessy Family series has been one of my favorite. Darcy never knew her mom because she died when Darcy was a baby. Although this could certainly be a stand-alone book, I enjoyed it all the more for having read the series through from beginning to Holiday Spice. The family dynamic of the five older brothers and their issues related to their mother’s death made Darcy’s lack of relationship to her mom all the more touching.

Ben was actually a part of Savannah and Riley’s book briefly with Savannah interviewing him for a magazine. He was not super social then, either. He lives alone, he wants to work alone, he wants to be left alone. Ben is a bit of a recluse and struggles with some social clues and even small crowds. But, now Riley, not Savannah sends him to help Ben in Savannah’s stead sort of to get Darcy out of their house for a while. Darcy thinks he is crushing on her sister-in-law and does not like it one bit. It is as though she is a bit of a whirlwind and he the Tasmanian devil during some of their clashes, but you see Ben begin to realize he may need/want change.

With Darcy getting snowed in with Ben after giving away her seat on a flight bound for LA, she is not sure she can deal with his idiosyncrasies. Needless to say he is all man and quite a hunk, so with trying or realizing it, Darcy lets nature take its course. She and Ben become quite close quickly, not saying it was easy at first. She kind of takes over his office and his kitchen as well as his heart. Both Ben and Darcy have left over issues from losing parents/parent that have not been truly dealt with since those losses occurred. This seems to be a burden to both in building their relationship.

Ben seems to avoid his brothers, while Darcy is super close to her family as we have seen in the previous Shaughnessy books and continues in this one. Ben works with his wood and has a firm career. Darcy still struggles with finding the right job fit. There are a lot of struggles to their HEA, but as always Ms. Chase makes their struggles real to the reader. Oddly, I even teared up a bit when Darcy visited her mom’s grave – a sweet conversation.

Although this may be the last of the Shaughnessy family, there is still Bobby, Anna’s brother who needs to find his mate.

I love the Shaughnessy family. They are a very tight family who is there for each other whether they like it or not sometimes. I can see how it could be overwhelming for some people though. Ben is one of those people. Which is hard for Darcy to understand. She really struggles with it in, Holiday Spice. They tell each other of their feelings pretty early in their relationship. So we are left to wonder if this will be the thing that just might break them.
For me the holidays with the Shaughnessy's is perfect in, Holiday Spice.

Holiday Spice is the final book about the Shaughnessy's. Throughout the five brothers books, Ms. Chase has given us characters that have stolen pieces of our heart & made us fall in love with them. During their stories, Darcy was always there encouraging, mothering & keeping them together. Before they could embrace their HEA & their true loves, they had to come to grips with unrealized emotions from their mother dying so young. What makes Darcy's journey & acceptance so poignant is that she doesn't have all the memories of her mother like her brothers do.

Benjamin Tanner has never gotten over the loss of his parents. They were on vacation when an accident took both of them. He keeps everyone at arms length, especially his brothers. His mother's favorite holiday was Christmas & he hasn't been able to decorate or celebrate it since her death. Basically, Ben has become a loner & pretty much a recluse. He's a great sculptor that has been talked into creating a book & he's totally lost. It's so far out of his comfort zone that he needs help.

What a wonderful ending to this amazing collection. With each book, Ms. Chase had been building up Darcy's emotional intensity. Why couldn't she settle? When will she find her love? The journey that these two take us on as they find their way is unreal. They are both set in their ways & can't see the others' side. I'm wrung out just reading the story - crying, sympathy, anger, despair, grief, acceptance, laughter, & most importantly, love. This is the perfect ending. Darcy brought everything full circle.