Full of the sweet and the sexy - and even a few anxiety-inducing moments - An Alaskan Christmas by Jennifer Snow, the first book in her new Wild River series, is a quintessential winter read, perfect for the holiday season. This one made me want to curl up in front of a roaring fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa and just get lost in its pages. It's a very cozy read with sizzling moments that simultaneously make you sweat. I loved that contrast.


The pacing and the seamless flow of the writing was fantastic, and Snow easily guided/submerged us into each new setting. When the book opens, we are thrust right in the middle of one of Erika's shifts at the ER, feeling chaotic and ready to bolt to the next patient in need. Later, we're in the middle of a search-and-rescue mission in the wintry Alaskan wilds. It was phenomenal.
I of course loved the fiery, slightly antagonistic chemistry between Erika and her best friend's brother, Reed. Beyond their instantaneous attraction and dancing the horizontal hula, however, these two had a really lovely and touching dynamic.


I love me a strong female MC, and Erika is all that and more. I absolutely loved her brilliant mind. And while she's a little closed off at first, it was truly a joy to watch her journey unfold as she slowly lets down her walls. Reed basically wears his heart on his sleeve. What you see is what you get with him, and I really liked that openness. With Erika being the exact opposite, watching their relationship develop was interesting. Reed was sweet and patient. And of course also swoonworthy. I'm just sayin' I wouldn't mind him rescuing me from the Alaskan tundra. 😉🤣


The search and rescue action was one of my favorite aspects of this book. I was enthralled. Diva was also the absolute cutest pup in the entire world, if I do say so myself. 🐾


An Alaskan Christmas is a pleasurable, festive read with authentic characters and a magical storyline that you'll fall head over heels for!

**I was provided an eARC copy of this book by Harlequin and Netgalley (thank-you!). All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

What an amazing surprise!!! The sparks are definitely flying in this holiday romance . An Alaskan Christmas got you covered for all the romance inspiration you crave.

This is my first Jennifer Snow romance. She kicks off a new series Wild River with a sexy explosion. HQN keeps surprising me in so many wonderful ways. This book cover looks so innocent when it’s full of sexy holiday magic to heat up your cold winter nights.

Erika Sheraton, a top surgeon and Reed Reynolds, a search and rescue volunteer , rekindle their childhood friendship with a few fiery romps between the bedsheets. You have laugh out loud humor, a great cast of characters and an emotional back story to warm your heart.

I love how their everyday lives where shared in the stories. You see both Erika and Reed in their element. So many books don’t provide a feel for the
Main characters profession. In An Alaskan Christmas you have a day in the life feel to the story.

Erika is desperately trying to find a work/life balance and Reed is willing to accommodate his life to help her believe she can have both - a successful career and the love of her life.

DONT LET THIS SERENE BOOK COVER FOOL YOU. The story between the pages is both sweet and red hot sexy.

HAPPY READING AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

This was the best way to kick off my foray into holiday romances! It had everything I could've wanted – a hate to love relationship, best friends reconnecting, and a woman figuring out what she wants on her own terms. Erika Sheraton is a prestigious surgeon and workaholic. To the point where she's been ordered by the hospital to take time off. She decides to go to Wild River, Alaska where her best friend Cassie (who she hasn't spoken to in years) owns an adventure tour company. This allows them to reconnect, albeit awkwardly at first, and while this wasn't the main plot point it was still one I very much enjoyed. Sometimes life can get away from us and while that it isn't an excuse, it does happen but I like to believe second chances can happen too and that was well-done here. But my favorite part was undoubtedly when Erika reunites with Cassie's brother, Reed. Sparks fly immediately and both have memories of each other as kids that weren't entirely flattering. So naturally while there are sparks, there's a bit of antagonism too (but in a good way!). But they do find common ground through his search-and-rescue team and her being a skilled doctor who can't help herself in a disaster. Between that and their crazy chemistry throughout, it was impossible to not be sucked into their romance and adventures together and root for that happy ending.

Do I recommend? This was my first Jennifer Snow book and the first book in a series. I definitely plan to read the next one!

An Alaskan Christmas is more holiday adjacent than what I expect in a holiday romance. Nevertheless, the setting in Alaska always intrigues me, so I curled up to see where this one would go. I admit I had a bit of trouble getting into this romance mostly because it didn't feel much like a romance to me. Erika isn't very likable in the beginning, and I'm not sure if the back and forth between her and Reed is supposed to be fun banter or not, but I wasn't a fan. That said, she does redeem herself, and as the story goes on, the reason for her prickly nature is explained. The middle of the story is a bit more sex than substance, and I did end up skimming some of that. I have no problem with some steamy goodness, but this one was a bit of overkill for me. That said, the conclusion did win me over as far as rooting for this couple, and it's hard not to like Reed. He's much more considerate in the beginning than I felt like Erika deserved. In the end, there were things I liked, and things I didn't about this romance, but this couple did make for an interesting opposites attract romance.

Love....love it, a perfect holiday read. A holiday theme enemies to lovers read. A search and rescue leader and a surgeon, a mountain man and a city girl, oh yeah they're so different and they can't stand each other, they want to strangle each other whenever they meet, but they're so perfect for each other, yup it's complicated, sweet and adorable and successfully warms my heart, so many emotional moments and it's all full of love.
Beautiful story and wonderful characters, yes this one is a perfect holiday read, and you MUST read it.

This was such a fun sexy romance. Erika and Reed have a sort of friends, kind of enemies vibe going on and I loved that instant connection they had with one another. As Erika and Reed are falling in love with each other they have some fun (and harrowing at times) adventures together and I think that just added up to me rooting for them even more. 

They seem to live such different lives but the more they got to know each other the more they realized how much they had in common. Figuring this out about each other led them to falling love with each even faster and it was the sweetest thing to see. I love how strong their feelings were for each and how much the other person meant to the other. This story went in lots of different directions and I loved how they navigated all the twists and turns that came there way.

Not going to lie this book started off a little shaky for me, I wasn’t connecting to Erika off the bat. She came off a little conceited and over the top. How could someone be so disconnected to the outside world completely. Her people skills were way off; however, she did come out of her shell once she got more relaxed in town. I was really enjoying her interactions with the S&R team, she warmed up to them the fastest. I don’t know if it was because they were an emergency crew and she could relate to them. It was enjoyable to see how she grew as a character and learned from her mistakes and apologized for them. She is fallible and she didn’t believe that in the beginning. I liked that she tried to follow her romance for Reed and take it long distance of course there is always conflict with that because this is a romance novel.

Reed was an interesting character, he had buried feelings for Erika from when they were kids and didn’t realize it. He is a very responsible man, he is a man of many hats some people would say. One of the biggest being his job at the S&R unit, I loved how well versed in terminology this author is you can tell that she has researched well into this subject. He was very responsible for his team on the mountain every time they went out and you could tell it would weigh heavily on him if any little thing wasn’t going the right way. I enjoyed him trying to romance Erika and how he was trying to get it right but not be overbearing. It was so sweet how he was willing to work it out long distance.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this small town and am excited to go back and see what happens next. I felt the little bit of drama with Reed’s dad may have been a tad over the top and then it kind of didn’t even get brought up with Erika so I’m not sure why that was in there but it’s okay maybe it will be a plot point in a later book.



Thank you to Jennifer Snow and HQN books for a copy in lieu of my honest review.

Erika Sheriton is a surgeon and she is made to go on vacation. So she goes back home to Alaska to see her best friend, Cassie,who she hadn't had contact with in years. Little did she know she would run into Cassie's brother, Reed.
They have a sarcastic relationship but you know they are attracted to each other.
Reed works for a rescue company and Erika tags along being that she is a doctor. Her father is also a doctor and they were working on a program together but it seems he is moving along without her. Their relationship is not good since her mom passed away many years ago. Both are career driven.
I really enjoyed the storyline and getting to know these characters.
Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for this review.

I really enjoyed this book, with a strong female character who felt very real and who was very career focused. I found it easy to relate to Erika. I loved that Reed’s career was in search and rescue, that’s one of my favorite things to read about. There was great witty banter, and adorable dog, and real life family and personal struggles to over come. The plot moved along well, with some tense scenes and some moments where you just want to strangle the character! I laughed, snorted, sighed in frustration and squeaked with joy! This book was more than I expected and was the perfect December read. I’m so glad I’ve been expanding my horizons to include more romance books to break up the monotony of Fantasy, Thriller and Horror books that I normally read. I definitely recommend getting yourself a copy of this book to read this Holiday season! It’ll leave you with a happy heart for sure.

An excellent novel that i found entertaining and engrossing.
I loved the characters, well written and interesting, and the amazing setting.
The romance was great and I rooted for the characters.
A very enjoyable read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

If you’re a fan of lighter, Hallmark-like stories, you’ll fall in love with this Christmas love story!

In this best-friend’s brother, second chance romance, you’ll find just the right amount of chemistry to warm up your heart this chilly season.

I absolutely loved the Alaskan setting, and it made this cozy story just that much more inviting. It’s just what the doctor ordered!

I ended up giving it 3 out of 5 stars.

The last thing Erika Shelton wants to do is to follow through and take a forced two-week vacation. As a doctor in high demand, she is truly burning the candle at both ends. So she ends up heading to spend time with her best friend Cassie Reynolds. A bonus to this trip is none other than Cassies hot brother Reed, a mountain rescuer.

Erika and Reed get along - very well when it comes to the physical side - and rather quickly. They do have a bit of snark in their relationship and I rather enjoyed that. While Erika and Reed got to know one another again, the story contained strong bonds of family and friendship. Also, there is something about Reed's past that he is holding onto, and Erika has hew own grief involving her father and her work, and this gave this book an extra layer.

This sexy, often serious, story was an excellent read and had a very satisfying conclusion. I always love reading the impossible being made possible. An Alaskan Christmas is the first book in Jennifer Snow's Wild River series. I look forward to not only meeting other couples on their road to love, but would love to continue reading rescue scenarios. These were a very nice bonus to an enjoyable story.

Many thanks to Harlequin and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

An Alaskan Christmas is the first book in a brand new series called Wild River by Jennifer Snow. I knew before I even cracked this book open that I would enjoy it. Set in a rural Alaskan town, An Alaskan Christmas follows the story of Dr. Erika Sheraton and search and rescue team leader Reed Reynolds. If you enjoy holiday romance, I highly recommend it.

The story opens on workaholic Dr. Erika Sheraton. Seriously, she is like a robot, going through the daily grind with little thought about the feelings of her coworkers or patients. She is driven by the lingering grief from her mother’s death years earlier and the need for her own father’s approval. When the board of her hospital recommends a vacation, she has no choice but to take it. Unsure of what to do with herself she reaches out to her estranged childhood best friend Cassie and winds up on a two week stay in her hometown Wild River.

I like Erika, at least I try to like Erika. She isn’t an easy person to like. She pushes people away and has walls built around her heart stronger than those at Fort Knox, but despite all that it is easy to see where her heart lies. Erika may play the tough, no nonsense surgeon, but in truth she is just protecting herself from ever being hurt again.

Enter Reed Reynolds, Cassie’s older brother and tormenter of Erika’s youth. Though I say that loosely. Reed remembers Erika as Cassie’s annoying, snobbish friend growing up. Now that he is all grown up, he has a desire to prove to her that he is more than she thinks he is. Where the desire comes from he doesn’t know. He can’t have a thing for her, can he? She’s not his type. The more Reed denies his feelings for Erika the more evident they become to the reader. At times I wanted to reach through the pages and smack some sense into him or at the very least yell at him to go get the girl. Reed is kind, protective, loyal, and loving to everyone that knows him, and Erika may just lose her heart to him if she hangs out in Wild River too long.

The plot of the story revolves around Erika and Reed. I don’t feel like this fits into any romance trope that I’m aware of. It isn’t really friends to lovers or enemies to lovers, nor is it second chance. What it is is entertaining, steamy and sweet all at the same time. I rooted for them from the first page and found myself anxious as the explored the Alaskan wilderness with the search and rescue team.

Overall I really enjoyed An Alaskan Christmas. I love Reed and Erika, and I know you will too! The setting was a bonus, making me want to don skiing gear and wrap up in a blanket while reading to ward off the cold the characters were in. If you enjoy holiday romance, I highly recommend you grab a copy asap.

Finding What You Truly Desire at Christmas

Dr. Erika Sheraton, a driven, general surgeon, has nothing in her life but her surgery practice and research. She has few social skills and drives people away with her brusque manner. When the hospital board mandates a two week vacation for her, she literally doesn’t know where to go. Finally, she decides to visit Cassie, her best friend from her childhood. Cassie lives in Wild River where Erika grew up. It’s been a long time, she hopes Cassie will take her in, but what will the reunion be like?

Reed Reynolds, Cassie’s brother, is a search and rescue team leader. He remembers Erika from one night when they were lost in the mountains, and he held her because she was afraid of the dark. Now that she’s back he sees the same stuck-up brat he remembers, but there was that one night when she seemed human.

The romance between Erika and Reed starts from the moment they set eyes on each other, fueled by a few cranberry-vodka cocktails. It gets pretty steamy at some points, but when Erika returns to Anchorage, Reed wonders if they can hold a long distance relationship together.

For me, the best part of the book was the exciting description of search and rescue in the mountains. This is the first book in the Wild River Series, and I hope the focus continues to be on search and rescue work. Erika was a good character, but Reed stole my heart. he was so brave and he cared so much about Erika. If you like steamy romance with a great setting, this is a good one.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

Happy December! I am a huge fan of holiday romances and love everything involved in the Christmas season. I always try to read a lot of Christmas romances during this time of year because they are just the perfect compliment to the cold weather and cozy time by the fire and Christmas tree!

Today I’m featuring An Alaskan Christmas by Jennifer Snow, a perfect start to my holiday reading list. Erika is an overworked, one track mind surgeon who is being told she has to take a forced “vacation”. She doesn’t know the meaning of this word and has no idea what to do with herself. She takes this time to go back to see her best friend and spend the time with her. The only thing is she hasn’t kept in touch with her over her years of nothing but work.

It was at first a little awkward as Erika spends time with her best friend Cassie and it actually took me a bit of time before I got into the story because things felt a little disjointed. However, as Erika and Cassie’s friendship gets back on track, things started clicking for me too! Cassie’s brother Reed works in search and rescue and is such a genuinely good guy. As he and Erika get reacquainted sparks fly.

As Reed gets Erika to realize that work isn’t all there is to her life and Erika discovers a different side of herself. I loved seeing the two of them get to know each other and discover how they actually feel about the other.

Erika’s relationship with her father was something that I wish had a bit more of a focus. It came into play at the end but I feel like it would’ve had a more emotional impact to have more detail about it.

I really enjoyed this romance and I’m interested to see if Cassie gets her own book next! If you’re looking for a cute romance with a riveting couple and interesting characters, this is the one for you! This will be a great addition to your holiday reading list!

"An Alaskan Christmas" had a lot of potential to capture my interest. (Note the word "potential" here.) Erika decides to visit her childhood friend Cassie to fulfill her required two week vacation from working as a surgeon. The visit does not go exactly as planned, as Erika encounters a man from her past.

The setting in Alaska really intrigued me, since I have visited that state, which is why I asked to review this novel. The career paths of Cassie as owner of an outdoor adventure company and Reed as a search and rescue team leader also interested me. However, this novel lost its interest and potential for me when I encountered four-letter words (swear words and slang words for body parts) and overt descriptive sexual situations early on in the book. This was a deal-breaker for me. Sadly, for this reason I was not able to finish this book. Readers need to know what to expect, before spending their hard-earned money on this book.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Sexy, compelling, and with characters that feel like family, AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS by Jennifer Snow is sure to set your pulse racing and your heart melting this festive season.

Erika Sheraton is a workaholic but that's what it takes to be one of the top surgeons in the city, and it doesn't help that she is always striving for approval from her father who runs the hospital. But when she is forced to take a vacation Erika doesn't know what to do. She doesn't have a boyfriend, or hobbies, or even friends anymore if she is being really honest with herself. She hasn't had a close friend since Cassie whom she grew up with in Wild River. On a whim, Erika gets in touch and soon finds herself on holiday back in her childhood town where Cassie's annoying brother, Reed, is still there judging her, even if he is much more handsome and sexy now. But as Erika and Reed begin to get to know each other there is an unescapable chemistry between them but nothing can ever come from it. Erika will be returning to her life as a surgeon and Reed is born to lead the mountain search and rescue team. It cannot work, and when fear and an awful accident occur, will Erika lose her chance at happiness?

I loved every moment of AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS and as this is my first time reading anything from this author, I cannot wait to catch up on her back catalogue. The setting is stunning yet the dangers of nature at its finest are excellently portrayed. I really felt for Erika who has given up every facet of her life to be the best surgeon but there has to be more to life than work all of the time and I desperately wanted her to open up to Reed. Reed is everyone's dream guy - sexy, kind, witty, and strong - and I wanted him to find happiness because he deserved it. There are misunderstandings, secrets, dangerous situations, and steamy sessions, all nestled amongst these pages and I highly recommend that you all buy yourself a copy of AN ALASKAN CHRISTMAS by Jennifer Snow because it is just that good!

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Very cute and adorable Christmas romance,With that said I want to say thank you to the publisher as well as Netgalley for letting me read and review it

This holiday romance combines a frenemies into lovers romance with a bit of a second chance at love romance, and wraps it all up in a sparkly bow.

A bow that occasionally seems to be pulled in two directions (and tied in a strangled knot) by two strong-willed workaholics, neither of whom are good at stopping to smell the candy canes and hot cocoa. But then, both Ericka and Reed have spent years working all the hours available in order to keep them too busy to let any of their griefs and fears catch up to them even for a second.

Until Ericka is forced to take a two week vacation – and decides to spend it in Wild River where she grew up with her childhood best friend Cassie – and Cassie’s very hot but exceedingly annoying brother Reed. Ericka and Reed have always seen the worst – and brought out the worst – in each other at every turn. But the sudden sexual chemistry between them adds a new and frustrating aspect to their rocky relationship – in more ways than one.

What at first seems to Ericka as an interminable stretch of time to be away from her high-pressure life as a surgeon at one of Anchorage’s big hospitals turns out to be much, much too short as she and Reed manage to get past their stubborn animosity to explore their intense chemistry.

Only to have her two week vacation abruptly cut in half, just as they figure out that under all that heat – was a whole lot more heat along with an emotional connection that neither of them has found with anyone else – not that either of them left much time in their lives for looking.

But once Ericka is back at work – and under the constantly disapproving eye of her emotionally distant father – who also happens to be her boss – Ericka falls back into her old patterns and lets Reed go – no matter how much she misses him, the connection they share and the much more balanced life she discovered in Wild River.

It takes a crisis of epic proportions – and very nearly a re-enactment of that famous Christmas story The Gift of the Magi – to bring Ericka and Reed to their holiday happy ever after – with just a bit of an assist from her dad the Grinch.

Escape Rating B: I picked this book because I lived in Anchorage for three years, leaving me with a fount of Alaska stories that I’m still telling 15 years later and a love for books set in “The Last Frontier” that persists to this day. That love is at least partially fueled by an equally endless need to figure out what matches the Alaska I remember – and what feels as far off the unbeaten path as Cicely was in the TV series Northern Exposure. (There is no Cicely AK, but local collective wisdom decided that Cicely was meant to stand in for Tok.)

So, I have a few quibbles. There is no Alaska General Hospital in Anchorage or anywhere else. The three “general” hospitals in Anchorage are Providence Alaska Medical Center, Alaska Native Medical Center and Alaska Regional Hospital.

Only two rail lines run all winter and one only runs once a month – the other and more likely runs once a week, the Aurora Winter Train, beginning in Anchorage and stopping in Wasilla, Talkeetna, Hurricane Flagstop Area (Chase, Curry, Sherman, Gold Creek, Canyon, Twin Bridges, Chulitna, Hurricane, Denali), Healy, Nenana and Fairbanks. Based on the description of Wild River, it’s likely between Wasilla and Talkeetna – or would be if it existed..

Also, contrary to the blurb, Anchorage is no one’s definition of a big-city, except in Alaskan terms. The current population of Anchorage is 380,000. It’s actually one of the smallest cities I’ve ever lived in. It only seems large compared to places like Wild River because it is the largest relatively “big” place that’s closer than Seattle WA or Vancouver BC which are about 700 miles away – basically a 3.5 hour flight.

Setting all that aside – no matter how much it drove me crazy during the story – An Alaskan Christmas is a lovely holiday romance that has a bit more to it than just the romance.

The romance happens fairly quickly, as is often the case in holiday romances. But it doesn’t feel rushed this time around, as Ericka and Reed had known each other for years – although admittedly they didn’t seem to like each other very much. But they were tied together not just by growing up together, but by an important moment that they shared, and a special bond over their lost parents.

Ericka’s mother died at about the same time when Reed and Cassie’s father disappeared. Ericka’s dad retreated into his work and left 15-year-old Ericka to grieve alone with the help of her friends.

Something else they share is missing fathers. Reed and Cassie’s dad is still missing, and Reed is still searching for him. Ericka’s dad, even though he is her boss – or perhaps especially because he is her boss – is a distant and disapproving figure in her life. She runs herself ragged trying to both please and emulate him – and she fails at every turn. Not because she’s not capable – because she’s actually excellent and any parent would be proud to have her as a daughter – but because the man has become so emotionally disconnected that he’s incapable of approving of anything or anyone but especially his own daughter. It IS his way of coping with the loss of his wife but it’s left Ericka quite literally out in the emotional cold. Ericka’s journey in this holiday tale is to finally figure out what SHE wants out of her own life – before she finds herself trapped in her work just like her father. That part of her story was heartbreaking. Ericka deserved better for herself and a big part of her happy ending is that she finally reached out and grabbed that better with both hands.

And like the Grinch, her dad’s heart did seem to grow three sizes at the end – but he still has a long way to go. Ericka, with Reed’s help, has made it.