This small-town Christmas book was a lot of fun! It had some unique plot points that I really enjoyed! We have a single parent father, who's son is fond of his teacher, who happens to be a widow. She is down on her luck, and frantically try to pay off her dead husband's debt, while not doing anything to disparage her teaching job. 
Loved how this one played out a lot! I'm a Melinda Curtis fan for sure now! Will be reading as many books in this series as they decide to write!

I really loved the premise for this book--a kindergarten teacher making ends meet by taking a second job as a burlesque dancer falls for the local mayor with an eye for higher office. I love the slightly more risque take on a small town romance. Unfortunately, I don't think there was quite enough focus on our protagonist's side gig in the first half of the book, and the pace didn't really pick up until the second half. 

Pacing aside, there was a larger problem--I didn't really want the main characters to end up together. Kevin, our leading man, seemed into mysterious dancer Roxy but then wasn't sexually attracted enough to kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret to kiss her in the same way (and yes, he kissed both, and that's a problem, too). But then when inevitably finds out Mary Margaret and Roxy are one and the same, he's upset, because it would damage his career. Buddy, you can't have it both ways! You can't have your cake and eat it, too! Kevin was such a hypocritical character with more faults than those listed here (because I don't want to spoil), that he really didn't deserve Mary Margaret. And, at times, I couldn't even tell if Mary Margaret even liked him. She seemed to have no real interest in dating him or kissing him or anything, and it was supposed to be because she wasn't in a position to date, but really it just didn't seem like she was that into him. It's hard to love a romance novel where you're not rooting for the two main characters.

This book was fine. I think it was written well, and has some interesting plot points, and a good hook, indicating this author's other works are likely an improvement, and I may give her first in series a try, but I can't say I'll return to this one.

A quirky and sweet holiday romance. The local kindergarten teacher gets a second job as a masked dancer in a burlesque show to pay off her dead husband's debts. The mayor, looking to enter into the national political arena, is looking for a stand-up wife. After attending the burlesque show he's fighting his attraction to the masked beauty until he realizes they're one and the same!

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.

“A Very Merry Match” takes us back to Sunshine Valley and gives us more shenanigans from the Widows Club.

This time, member Edith is looking to be vice-president of the Club and wants her granddaughter, Mary Margaret to find her Christmas joy again. Edith also has her sights on a fella in the retirement home!
But Mary Margaret doesn’t have time for anything, let alone finding love, when she needs to pay her deceased husband’s debt. She takes a second job, that if the people of Sunshine Valley find out about, could cost Mary Margaret everything. She doesn’t count on her attraction to the mayor of Sunshine Valley.
Kevin Hadley has political aspirations beyond Sunshine Valley and he thinks Mary Margaret is the perfect person to help him attain them. His son already adores her, so all is left is for him to convince Mary Margaret himself.
But things get messy and Kevin has to decide if what he wants in his life is more important than who he wants.

“A Very Merry Match” has its moments of humor and fun, but it also has some heart-tugging moments, too.

I wanted to love this book, but it just wasn't for me.  I struggled with the hero and some choices he made.  I didn't appreciate the relationship and things that were done by his first wife.  There was a lot going on in this story that made it feel cluttered and distracting.  Thank you for the opportunity.  I am sad this one didn't work out.

Thank you to Forever Pub for a gifted copy of this book. 

This is my second book by Melinda Curtis and after reading it, I don't think she's really an author for me. Her books are fine, not awful but also not great. The plot for A Very Merry Match sounded really good and I was in the mood for a holiday read. Unfortunately execution was poor. I did not find Mary Margaret and Kevin's relationship believable at all. They barely had any dates and all of a sudden she came to the realization that she loved him. Really? I also did not like Kevin - <spoiler> before he even asked her out on a date, he was telling reporters he's dating her as well as revealing a very personal trauma of hers without her permission </spoiler>. That gave me a very icky feeling and the book took a nosedive after that. This would have been more engaging and believable if more time was spent on Kevin and Mary Margaret's relationship instead of the various side stories (his ex, her grandma's dating life, the debt collectors, etc).

The latest by Melinda Curtis left me confused and actually annoyed with the hero.
First issue is the speed of the relationship. It went so fast, from a kiss to buying an engagement ring, in 2 chapters. I’m all for a insta-love story but this gave me whiplash.
And the hero is a dud!
He wants a nice little wife who will win him votes. Well, what makes him such a great catch?
He doesn’t support Mary Margaret and always wants her to be his ideal.
I kept waiting for her to give him a piece of her mind. Where’s my “come to your senses” moment for Kevin? When it finally happens, it too brief and there’s no grovelling. 
A major letdown!

If there’s a Sunshine Valley novel, count me in. If there’s a novel with holiday themes, sign me up. The SV characters are so great, and I loved how this had almost a bit of suspense added with Mr. Laurel & Mr. Hardy. 

I did feel like Mary Margaret’s and Kevin’s relationship did escalate quickly. One moment they’re sharing a kiss, two chapters later he says he bought an engagement ring? I’m all for Christmas magic, but their relationship quickly developed and didn’t really have that organic feel to go from friends to almost engaged in such a short time. I went back to make sure I didn’t skip anything on accident when flipping a page. I love yous, yes. Marriage? Eh..hard to understand. 

I honestly feel horrible for Mary Margaret and think she deserves so much better than Kevin. He saw her history with her father as an angle for campaigning and then treated her the same way as not being worthy when she didn’t tell him about dancing. She talked about how she loved to dance because of how it made her feel, her passion. All he wanted was for her to end it. I just felt so bad for her. You want a partner to support your passions. I’m so glad Kevin’s father stepped in when he did, because I did find that frustrating that she tried to explain and he brushed her aside. Kevin’s father is the true voice of reason here.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I loved the premise and how The Widows Club gave their unconditional support. I think I adore Sunshine Colorado, but not so much Kevin & Mary Margaret’s relationship. I can’t wait to see what the rest of their residents have in store next.

Thank you Forever & Net Galley for this gifted copy. This one is out Sept. 29th!

The Widow's Club in Sunshine Valley, Colorado is up to their usual shenanigans in A Very Merry Match (Sunshine Valley #2). They play a hand of poker and the winner gets to choose which widow or widower in town gets matched with a prospective spouse. Things go a bit awry this time. They weren't trying to match Mary Margret Sneed, widowed local kindergarten teacher with recently divorced Mayor Kevin Hadley. But sometimes the Widow's Club gets things wrong. Poor Mary Margaret lost her husband Derek to cancer. Unfortunately his last months after learning his cancer was terminal Derek racked up massive debts. Mary Margaret believed it was her obligation to pay and was doing okay until two shady guys show up and tell her Derek owned one hundred thousand dollars from online gambling. That presented a major problem for Mary Margaret. Her solution meant protecting her new love, Kevin by pushing him away. If her second job became known Kevin's political career would be over.

This story has a fun but very bumpy road to a Happily Ever After for Mary Margaret and Kevin. I love Ms. Curtis' writing style and really enjoyed reading this story.

I was a little confused by the latest in Melinda Curtis's A Sunshine Valley Novel series.  I just didn't identify with Mary Margaret and her choices.  The  portrayal of an adult dance club was completely unrealistic and romanticized.  I couldn't understand why Mary Margaret would be so naive as to accept that she should allow herself to be shaken down by two loan sharks, however maybe I shouldn't have been by virtue of the fact that she paid them back dancing (even with her clothes on, which the author goes to great lengths to explain to the reader).  I was especially confused by the casual way Mary Margaret referred to sleeping with Lola's deceased husband, the same Lola she called on to rescue her when she needed a ride from Greeley.  Juxtaposed to all of this is a love story, Christmas, charming and hilarious widows, cute children and a bully's comeuppance.  This was not my favorite from Melinda Curtis.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

this is a funny  sad story about a women who's husband has died and left her in debt.  she is working to pay off the debt but now some bad men what money and want it now.  Kevin is the mayor and wants to be a senator  but also like the teacher of his daughter.  i was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review.   well written story,  there a match makers , a school teacher  who also works at a club dancing and a father who like the teacher

A Very Merry Match, wow! A elementary school teacher/widow paying off her dead husband’s debts with a bit of risqué dancing and a divorced  mayor wanting to further his political career thinks dating/marrying his sons teacher might help his image but can’t stop thinking about Burlesque dancer Foxy Roxy! With lots of hilarious action in the plot I didn’t want to put it down! Thanks to NetGalley and the author and her publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of her book A Very Merry Match!

The Widows Club (also known as the Sunshine Valley Matchmakers Club) is at it again. They want to make a match of two people they think would be a great pair. They are full of good intentions, but offer that leads to very humorous situations.

I adore the characters of Sunshine. They are quirky and lovable. This story includes characters of many ages, from 5 year old Tad to the mature ladies of the widows club. The two main characters are a kindergarten teacher (with a very interesting side job) and the mayor of Sunshine.

This is book two in the Sunshine Valley series (but there is a book 0.5, The Christmas Wish and a book 1.5, Sealed with a Kiss). The third book in this series, Dream a Little Dream, will be issued in February 2021. I have read the previous books and while I recommend reading the entire series, the books can be read and enjoyed independently.

There are many themes running throughout this story, accepting faults in others and loving them anyhow, friendships that hold tight in face of problems, being judged falsely but carrying on and forgiving, and family that is made up of strong friendships.

I enjoyed so much reading this clean romance book. It is really refreshing to me to read a heartwarming book at this time that the world is suffering with the Covid pandemic. It is a joy to leave the real world and visit Sunshine for a while.

I want to thank NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read the advanced reader copy. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC. #AVeryMerryMatch #Forever(Grand Central Publishing) @melcurtisauthor @melcurtisauthor

This is a fun, light-hearted holiday read.  Mary Margaret is down on her luck.  Her husband died around a year ago and left her with a mountain of debt.  Kevin is the mayor of Sunshine Valley and a recently divorced father to Tad, who is a kindergartener in Mary Margaret's class.  The two have a slow burn as they muddle through all the things going on in their lives and gradually find their way together.

If you are a fan of Hallmark movies, this book is for you.  It has that small-town feel with fun and quirky characters and that cozy holiday feel.  This book is second in a series by Curtis but can be read as a standalone.

I had never read this author before but I absolutely adored this story. This story features Mary Margaret,who is sweet, kind and sexy and a real go getter except in matters of the heart. She was married to a jerk of a husband who treated her terribly and even cheated on her but he had cancer and died and left her with huge gambling debts. 

Enter the bad guys from an online gambling casino who threaten her and so she works all kinds of jobs and eventually becomes a dancer at a close towns club. The scandal is that she is a kindergarten teacher. But this was her only solution.

Kevin was married to a jerk too and she cheated on him and while she made him miserable she is never going to let anyone else have him. So when he starts to like Mary Margaret well thats when trouble starts brewing.

This was sorta a farce with the bad guys threatening Margy Margaret and Kevin's ex giving her the evil eye but Kevin was adorable and such a sweetheart and Mary Margaret is such an awesome character that I was absolutely rooting for this couple.

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to netgalley and the publisher Forever (Grand central publishing) for allowing me to escape the Georgia Heat with this wonderful Christmas read! First of all this cover is my favorite and has all things Christmas which honestly is my absolute FAVORITE holiday! 

Mary Margaret, a widowed teacher, has just realized how much debt her late husband has left her with, so to make ends meet she takes a job as a burlesque dancer. She doesn't realize that the mayor will be in attendance, prepare to fall in love with silly snowball fights, hot chocolate, yummy cookies, and of course those lovely meddlesome widows we all know and love! 

A heartwarming fun Christmas romance that will have you looking for love and hot cocoa!

Doesn't the cover of this book just grab your attention?  So cute and fun and sooo Christmasy! This was a very enjoyable read.  I loved the characters and how Mary Margaret has a rather unusual 2nd job to take care of "issues" she found herself stuck with.  Her 2nd job is not considered one that a school teacher would expect to have and so she must be careful in relationships, etc.  But! The local matchmakers have different ideas.

You will become engaged in the story!  A great Christmas read!

I received an e-arc from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.

It may be summer here (as I’m writing my review) but it’s never too early for some holiday romance. In A VERY MERRY MATCH, Mary Margaret is learning that her husband has left her with a huge debt from his online gambling before he passed away. With the threat of two men nipping at her heels, she may have to start dancing again in a burlesque club the next town over. Little does she know that the local mayor will also be in attendance. Cue in snowball fights surrounded by Christmas trees, cookies and hot chocolate, meddlesome and hilarious elderly widows, and you’ve got a fun holiday romance read. 

I enjoyed this romance - although there were elements of the story that could have gone a lot darker (and steamier), I enjoyed that Melinda Curtis kept it light and fun for the majority of the novel. 

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-arc.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Forever. 

I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A single dad and a widowed mayor’ teacher left in debt.

The mayor’s young son would like nothing better to have his sweet teacher as a Christmas present.   There seems to be a mutual attraction between them but she refuses him as the mayor sets out to woe her over.

She is afraid to ruin his political career by going out with him since she has taken a questionable second job to help pay the bills. It promises to be a holiday season without all the usual Christmas festivities until the Widow’s Club get into the act.

It is another heartwarming Christmas theme story that will have you routing for love and second chances.