I loved Carson’s the bartenders secret so when I heard about this one I ran! It was perfect for the holiday season. Her characters have the best development and they are so sweet. Highly recommend anything by her

Caro Carson is a new-to-me romance author and her For This Christmas Only, though flawed, is engaging, well-written, and may have given me that category kick I’ve sought this summer. She reminded me of the gentle, funny, emotionally-savvy Marion Lennox, who also tells about the road to love of two people who are sad when the story opens. In Carson’s case, in For This Christmas Only‘s case, sad are E. L. Taylor (Erasmus Leonardo!) and Mallory Ames; he, a venture capitalist who made millions and recently wrote a bestselling how-to-entrepreneur book, the reading of which gave Mallory the impetus to take a stand against her exploiting family and return to Masterson University, at 29, to finish her business degree. The blurb offers us a few more details

After nearly dying in a plane crash, financial guru Eli Taylor wants to find meaning in his life. A chance encounter at a small town’s Yule log lighting leads to an evening spent as the fake boyfriend of his superfan Mallory Ames. When she finds herself homeless for the holidays, he invites her to stay with him as his fake girlfriend so he can show his siblings what a loving partnership should look like. The arrangement will end when the new year begins…or will it?

Hmmm, that chance encounter is an extended scene that brings us to the 65% point in the e-book. The blurb’s latter half takes place in the last 10%. That extended scene showcased Carson’s romance-writing chops, to my great pleasure, and also bogged the narrative down, to my reading consternation.

For This Christmas Only opens with a truly great “campus harassment” incident, not because I enjoyed reading about assholes chasing a woman ’round a Yule-log-lighting, because Carson captures that annoyed panicky feeling many of us have experienced. Eli’s role isn’t he-man-rescue, which I also enjoyed. Instead, Mallory spots him, beelines, to pretend he’s her boyfriend. He catches on, is annoyed, but goes along. This opens the narrative to a went-on-too-long scene that nevertheless made for great banter and the sure development of two strangers getting to know each other (making their too-hasty sprint to the HEA believable). Carson’s flair for banter is evident from the moment Mallory and Eli meet: ” ‘You want someone to think you have a male protector?’ She blinked. ‘That’s kind of a medieval way to put it, but yes.’ ”

Reluctantly, mistrustfully, Eli goes along, which makes for even further delightful banter and allows Carson to reveal her characters’ personalities, warts, virtues, and vulnerabilities: ” ‘You’ve never had a boyfriend, have you?’ She stuck out her tongue at the top of his head. [In a hilarious moment, to avoid the harassers, Eli lifted Mallory onto a hay bale and then leaned against it.] ‘You’ve never been one, have you? You seem to think sticking me on a pile of hay bales and turning your back on me is a normal thing to do on a date, but let me tell you it’s not.’ He spoke through gritted teeth. ‘There wasn’t time to buy you flowers.’ ” Mallory’s kind normality, learned at the bedside of many a sick relative when she became everyone’s care-giver, contrasts beautifully with Eli’s questioning of his cut-throat life and estrangement from his family. Eli and Mallory are exactly what the other needs: Eli needs to take care of someone and Mallory needs, finally, for someone to care for her.

Things are complicated for Mallory and Eli; they bring baggage and this extended scene allows Carson to reveal it. Eli is a troubled man, a man who suffers from PTSD after a plane crash last year and who can’t move forward to the better man he wants to be, nor return to the driven money-making machine he was. This chance meeting allows him the space to be neither one nor the other. As Mallory draws him out, she too reveals her eight years of servitude to an ungrateful family. She was able to pull herself out with the help of Eli’s book, advocating assertion and ambition. Little does she know she’s fake-dating the very man who now no longer believes in his philosophy. This deception carries us out of this extended scene and into the conflict. I liked Mallory and Eli. They were funny, tender, and elicited my sympathy. I was glad Mallory ended up rejecting Eli’s book’s entrepreneurial drivel and even gladder that Eli does. It was great to read about a couple who became friends before they were lovers.

I loved some of the things Carson did with the narrative. Her allusions to the Cinderella fairy tale, one that Mallory loves, made for great conversation between hero and heroine as they debated the tale’s meaning. I loved how Carson used the Yule-log scene frame to open her hero and heroine’s story and to end in the same place with their HEA. I wish there’d been less internal monologuing and more action. Nevertheless, Miss Austen and I agree, For This Christmas Only offers “real comfort,” Emma.

Caro Carson’s For This Christmas Only is published by Harlequin Books. It was released in December 2020 and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-arc, from Harlequin Books, via Netgalley.

This is a Christmas Romance, and this is the third book in the Masterson, Texas series. I have to say I really love this story, and it was so well done. This is about a guy that has a lot of money, but he does not have love that finds a girl that does not have money, but has a lot of love and caring. I loved all the characters, and I loved that we also got to see what the characters where thinking a long with what they where saying. If you like fun cute clean romance stories then you should give this book a chance. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin) or author (Caro Carson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Mallory is finally taking a chance and following one of her favorite authors advice to do what she needs to do take her life back. Eli is the author of that book and isn't feeling like myself after an accident and pretty much is isolating himself. He never expected to meet Mallory who sings his praises and talking about changing her life unsure how to tell her she's the author she's talking about.

This book was a pretty good contemporary book I enjoyed it. Honestly this book can be read any time of the year since there was very little christmasy things going on. If your looking for the christmas spirit to pep you up for the holidays this book wouldn't be it but if you are looking for a good romance you'll like this book. I loved the idea of Mallory really trying to do what she can after becoming the family's unwilling caregiver. She needed this and you can't help but root for her to what she finally wants. I like the romance I was curious how the whole reveal would go. I mean Eli was hiding his identity but also having a sweet moment with Mallory and it was just nice to see but he's also kinda deceiving her by not being forthright. Overall this was a pretty good book I really enjoyed it.

For This Christmas Only
by Caro Carson
( Masterson, Texas Book 3)
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
After nearly dying in a plane crash, financial guru Eli Taylor wants to find meaning in his life. A chance encounter at a small town’s Yule log lighting leads to an evening spent as the fake boyfriend of his superfan Mallory Ames. When she finds herself homeless for the holidays, he invites her to stay with him as his fake girlfriend so he can show his siblings what a loving partnership should look like. The arrangement will end when the new year begins…or will it?
🌟My Review🌟
For This Christmas Only is the third book in the Masterson, Texas series. I read this book back around Dec 1. But for some reason forgot to come back to netgalley to leave my review. So i had to go back and look through my notebook that i write notes in as i read. I loved the romance between Mallory and Eli. It was believable and enjoyable as they both fought their attraction to each other .All The characters were very believable, and likable, too. This story just flowed so effortlessly. I love this author's writing style, her humor, the pace she always writes the story, and her loveable characters. Her writing is so descriptive that you feel like you are right there watching this whole senario play out right before your eyes. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !
*******Disclosure*******
I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.
*************************
#NetGalley
#ForThisChristmasOnly
#CaroCarson

When we meet Mallory, she's having a rough night. It's her birthday and she just wants to go out and have fun walking around town. It's the holiday season and there's a fire going. What else could she want?

But she runs into some rowdy college boys who give her a hard time, so when she sees a guy all on his lonesome she goes up to him and pretends to be his girlfriend. He's not so open to the idea at first, but when he realizes that she's trying to get away from the guys who are harassing her, he gives in and plays along.

At first, the Mallory and Eli seem to have nothing in common. She's friendly and chatty. He's quiet and doesn't seem all that interested in making Mallory's acquaintance. But I knew I liked him right off the bat because he came to Mallory's rescue when she needed it, and that's what a good guy does.

But there's a twist! See, throughout the night Mallory goes on about how excited she is for E.L. Taylor to be coming to her college to teach. At 29, Mallory is an older college student, and has high hopes for impressing Mr. Taylor and getting him to invest in her.

But as Eli listens to her talk, he doesn't know what to do. See, his name is EL Taylor. He IS the visitor who Mallory is so excited to meet.

Uh oh.

I enjoyed Mallory as a character a lot. She's had a lot of hardships in her life but applaud her for being so passionate and coming up with a plan to get ahead in life. I wasn't so sure about Eli at first. He didn't seem to have too much of a personality. But as he opened up, it was clear that he was a good guy who was just trying to do the right thing.

I found this book to be quite enjoyable! My only real issue is the pacing. To me, it was strange how over 50% of the book took place on the first night they met while the other 50% of the book made up the rest of the time (which was probably the equivalent of 2, maybe 3 weeks).

I would have preferred for a shorter first "date", and more time spent developing the relationship between the time that they decided to stop seeing each other and the time that his family unexpectedly came to town. Eli and Mallory were really cute together and I enjoyed their banter, like when she teases him about joining the mile high club. I would have enjoyed more of that throughout the second half.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

For This Christmas Only by Caro Carson is the 3rd in the series and a wonderfully written book. This is a sweet Christmas story about a couple that have their own problems that they learn it’s easier to work through them together. I highly recommend to anyone that wants a sweet Christmas romance.

Who is Mallory Ames? Where is she? What is going on around her? Who is E.L. Taylor? What is the deal with Mallory about Taylor? Who are the douche canoes? Who is Eli? How does she meet the four of these people? Who are Eliza and TJ? Wha thappens when Mallory meets her hero? When do we get to meet them and why? Oh, I liked them very much! This book turned out to be a really fun read! Especially when E.L. Taylor showed up at Kappa Lambda! I hooted at the rules they were given. You need to read this touching story!

For This Christmas
Caro Carson

Caro Carson’s latest in her Masterson Texas series is all about dreams and regrets staring a truly deserving yet very odd couple. E.L. (Eli) is a mega rich man looking for a new start and Mallory is as poor as a church mouse but an eternal optimist and are both genuine likeable people. Masterson Texas is all decked out in holiday style and the way Caro has her couple meet and get to know each other as strangers at a Christmas festival is excellent. Anyone looking for a great holiday read will really enjoy this.

After her six and a half year detour to finish her degree the last thing Mallory Ames needs is to be bothered by some frat boys at the annual Masterson University Yule Log celebration so she seeks the help of a handsome stranger to help fend them off, a stranger named Eli who the more she spends time with the more she confides in him about her journey getting to this point and the hopes she has to aspire to live life like her hero.

E.L. Taylor is an extremely wealthy venture capitalist entrepreneur but after nearly dying in a fiery plane crash he realizes he has nothing but money, no friends, no relationship with his family, no love of his own. But while attending the Yule Log celebration he meets a woman who makes him feel alive for the first time since the accident and just as he’s about to tell her who he really is she reveals who her hero is and that hero is no hero, that hero is just a broken man, that hero is him and he knows its best if he just keeps on lying to her because she deserves more than he could give.

This was so good!
Eli and Mallory are great characters. She calls him out on his entitled life and he learns and grows from her perspective.
This book does have the “she doesn’t recognize who he is” premise. Now usually, that would be maybe 1 or 2 chapters.
In this book, it’s over half the book!
And Eli doesn’t tell her. But because we have time with them and see the development of their relationship, we can understand him and his reasons. Then just sit back and wait for the fireworks and the HEA. It’s delicious!
I need to read all of Caro Carson’s books now!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Terrific book. Eli nearly died in a plane crash and hasn't been the same since. He no longer has the same passion for his work, he's haunted by nightmares of the crash, and realizes that he's pushed his family away for so long that he doesn't know them anymore. Eli recently accepted a semester-long teaching job at his alma mater, but even that doesn't break through his gloom. In an attempt to face one of his fears, he attends the town Yule log lighting and ends up facing much more.

Mallory is a senior at the college, finally finishing her degree after several years away. She spent those years as an unpaid caretaker to various elderly relatives before the gift of a self-help book helped her break free. Mallory practically worshiped the author of the book and applied its business advice to her personal life. I liked the book's quote at the beginning of each chapter and how that quote applied to the chapter. Darn close to destitute, she attends the Yule ceremony for the free entertainment. Unfortunately, she encounters three frat boys who make nuisances of themselves, driving her to approach a stranger for assistance.

Eli did not make a good impression during these initial moments. Mallory is a woman who needs help, and all he can think about is himself. He's wealthy and well-known and is therefore sure that she is coming on to him. I loved Mallory's reaction and his shock at it. He remained suspicious but did eventually play along with her plan. I enjoyed seeing the connection between Eli and Mallory, as he relaxed a little, able to be the man he wants to be. It was interesting to see Mallory tell him about her "friend" and his advice. I couldn't believe that Eli didn't recognize it as being from his book. There were some tense moments over a discussion of heroes, and I ached a little for Mallory as she looked at hers from a different angle.

As the evening went on, sparks of attraction began to build. Mallory is all for seeing where it goes, but Eli holds back. She stirs up feelings in him that he hasn't experienced in a long time, and he worries about losing control. When he finds out who her "friend" is, he feels guilty about concealing who he is. I liked that he had enough honor to want to come clean and understood why he wanted to put it off for as long as he could. I ached for Mallory and her feelings of betrayal when she found out the truth. I also hurt for Eli because Mallory had begun to break through walls that had surrounded him for so long.

I was so caught up in what was happening between Eli and Mallory that I didn't notice that one day/evening took up more than half the book. The intensity of their conversations made the story fly by. The pain of their parting was vividly portrayed, as was the hit to Mallory's pride. That pride was what kept her going when she had to see him on campus. When her financial problems made her homeless over the holidays, I loved how Eli stepped up to help.

Mallory's time at Eli's house added another level to their connection. Her support of him when he told her about the accident and what he's been through was heartwarming. That support became critical when Eli received an unexpected visit from his siblings. I loved seeing Mallory help him reconnect with them. There were still a couple of rough spots, but she helped him see what went wrong and how to fix it. The scenes between Eli and his brother and sister were emotional and satisfying. I also enjoyed seeing Mallory take Eli's book's advice less literally and see that her past is part of who she is now. I loved the ending and seeing the changes in Eli. His big moment at the end was sweet and romantic.

"For This Christmas Only" features broody and damaged millionaire business genius E.L. Taylor and determined and resourceful college business student Mallory Aimes, who meet an a Christmas celebration

The background build-up for both Mallory and Taylor, and then their meet-cute really had me enthralled in this book in the beginning. The magic of the Christmas bonfire, the children singing carols, what a magical atmosphere! You could tell they had a connection. Then we kept staying on that same night, in that same park, and then I realized the book was 60% over. The last 40% covered the next 4-weeks. Without giving too much away, I do understand this decision made by the author, but the pacing just felt off to me in general. Similarly, Taylor is dealing with some dark stuff, and the pacing of his personal work also felt off, and just a bit convenient for the story line. The writing is good and engaging, and it does bring some Christmas warmth to your heart, so if you love a romance novel with a broody grumpy guy and a bright, sunshine girl, this one may be perfect for you! I give it 2.5/5 stars, mostly due to the pacing that I found unsatisfying.

I did find this story to be ok but I found the story to be slow and I almost quit reading it .
I am glad I finished it but this is not one I will be reading again in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for access to this arc.

I've read and loved Caro Carson before so it pains me to DNF this one. The opening scene - which went on for over half of the book it seemed - started out strongly with a #metoo scene that too many women have faced. The heroine thinks of a way to get out of it and I hoped that this would set the stage for a great book. But as the long, slow burn scene continued, I began to lose interest. The heroine kept pushing the hero for some reaction, some crack in his brick emotional façade but I cared less and less.

Then the inequalities of their relationship appeared and starting the final 80 pages of the story, the hero seemed to think that throwing money at a problem - as he'd done in the past - would fix things. I skipped to the end and it appeared he was still doing this. Plus I was never felt much chemistry between them. Sadly, this one is not for me. DNF

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on Dec 1, 2020

For This Christmas Only is the third book in the Masterson, Texas series and my first book read by this author. Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read, I got some laughs from the storyline although it did have its serious moments also. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Harlequin Special Edition and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

DNF at 32%. This is too much of a slow burn for me. This far into the book and we are still in the same place. The characters have almost no chemistry either.

This book was received as an ARC from HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada) - Harlequin Special Edition in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book arrived just in the knick of time and it is perfect to get you in the mood for the holidays. I needed a book that brings up spirits and gets you excited for the holiday season despite the effects of COVID-19 and the story was so heartwarming that I felt so relaxed and loved when finished. I have been on the road where you have a passion for something and then life gets in the way and things don't turn out as expected and the love and passion you once had fades away. Then, someone comes in your life and reignites the flame and you realize it was with you this entire time. Then on the other hand, you are left alone and everyone has abandoned you and you lost everything due to mindless actions and you have a chance to meet your idol and he asks you to be his fake girlfriend and then later you grow attached and realize you have a lot of love to give. This is a story that will make the smile on your face hard to fade.

We will consider adding this title to our Romance collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Mallory is twenty nine years old. She lives in Texas near a big college. There is a huge bon fire going on. I really liked Mallory. I liked the descriptions and dialogue.