this was such a fun summer read! i really liked this book and it made me so ready for summer! i can't wait to get to travel again and i'm so pumped!!

Angst. Lots of angst. I wasn’t sure who felt more sorry for themselves .. Melody or Finn. And, it was a little disconcerting. I enjoyed the story but, some things were predictable. Including the love.

I enjoy reading Victoria James but Snowed in with the Firefighter didn’t totally hold my attention. The writing was spot on but, the drama kind of overtook the story. I love strong woman and Melody just didn’t come off as strong or independent. And, I adore alpha heroes. Sorry, that wasn’t Finn. So, to me, I was reading about two woe-is-me characters that really needed to face life head-on instead of hide out away from the realities that they were facing.

As for the family aspect, and what is a holiday without family, I was kind of thrown with it. I know that this is the 7th book in the series but, I was a little lost without the full background. The mother just needed to be told off, put in her place, ignored. Maybe that happened in a previous story but, she really needed an attitude adjustment in this story. She was a master manipulator and the whole reason why Melody wasn’t a determined, strong individual. And, I’m still not sure about what happened between the sisters … glad they are close now … but, I was confused. Finn’s family was supportive of his predicament and understood what he was going through and the decisions he had in front of him.

I think, in all honesty, my favorite part of the story was the final 2 chapters … the end. Melody came into her own, Finn made decisions. The story came full circle and gave me a swoon-worthy happy ending.

A bit of angst, some drama and a little bit of holiday cheer. Snowed in with the Firefighter was a cute holiday story.

I was unaware this was a series but had no problem following along anyway. Melody and Finn were absolutely adorable. The way they dealt with things together was just *chefs kiss*. Honestly this was a great relaxing read when I didn't want to have anything too stressful or worry about a non HEA. It has the HEA while having some good dialogue.

I was so charmed by Melody and Finn and their sweet romance, i couldn't put this book down. I was so happy to see Melody learning to deal with her insecurities and to start loving herself and accepting the love Finn had for her and seeing that she could trust him and that he would be always there for her and support and love her. I identified so much with her and her way of doing things and i was happy when she accepted happiness in her life. Finn was the most loving hero, he was a gentleman and i adored him. The epilogue was the cutest thing.

The final installment of this series was great.  I loved how Finn and Melody’s story was written how the author went all the way back to high school till they were grown-ups.  They had so much in common and they were perfect for each other.   

Finn was a strong determined man that had finally decided what he wanted to do in life and he knew it was going to be hard to tell his family but his leg was not going to be at 100%.  Now as for Melody she is going to have to work on trusting herself and letting go of the past.  Her mother did a number on her and pinning all the sisters against each other.  Melody was going to have to deal with not only the emotional toll of losing a baby during delivery but also did she want to continue being an OB/GYN.  She is a great doctor and something like that can haunt anyone in that profession.  While Melody and Finn are alone in the cabin they both realize that they both have feelings towards each other but in the end Melody runs away.  Finn is ready to be with her but Melody is still having issues with trust that she runs away. 
  
Snowed in with the Firefighter was a great read and I enjoyed it immensely.  I love Victoria James writing style.  The characters were well developed as well as the storyline.  Now after reading this story I want to go back to the first book in this series and read it all over again.

All the Feels Holiday Romance

I really loved reading Melody and Finn’s love story. Both are dealing with losses in their lives and careers. I wept for Melody and all she’d been through, and ached for Finn as he faced the possibility of an end to his career as a firefighter. However, well-meaning meddling relatives have an idea that the two can help heal each other. Throw in a fake holiday celebration that gets more real by the moment, a very real snow storm, and characters you can really connect with, and you have the makings of a classic holiday romance. All the feels.

Awesome book!  A doctor and a injured firefighter who both need healing and love will it work or will the demons of the past prevent it.  For Mel it is like the “Chance” option in Monopoly.  
This is another amazing read by Victoria James.

Snowed in with the Firefighter is book 7 in the Shadow Creek, Montana series by Victoria James. Each book can be read as a stand-alone but I would recommend at least reading books 5 and 6 first or you might be confused. 

Melody has issues from the past stemming from her controlling mother and how she pitted her and her sisters against each other. She is struggling to overcome her inner voice and a situation at the hospital that made her feel as if she isn’t meant to be a doctor. Finn is an injured firefighter who doesn’t know what his next move is in his career or his life in general. Their siblings are married so they will have to get used to each other and that’s how they ended up at a cabin alone together at Christmas in the first place. Can they help each other heal or will painful memories haunt them? 

I have been waiting 2 years for this book and it did not disappoint! We get glimpses of both Melody and Finn in their siblings books, and I couldn’t wait to read about those two. I thought their story suited them both and I couldn’t put this book down. I do wish it had been longer though.

A Sweet Christmas romance that was a quick read that helped to take my mind off 2020 for a bit of time.

Snowed in with the Firefighter is a sweet romance between two people--Melody and Finn--whose lives are in a spot neither of them expected and who are both having difficulties dealing with the changes they are facing. The last thing they need is their siblings trying to set them up (at Christmas, nonetheless!)--right? ;)

I enjoyed reading what would be the "getting closer/falling in love" montage if this story had been a Hallmark-style Christmas movie--it was a lot of fun watching them try to become more Christmassy for their families' sake (Monopoly! Snowman construction! Decorating!) and falling in love at the same time.

Of course their families invading the cabin throws a few wrinkles into their plan, and Melody's lifelong insecurities come roaring back and almost ruin things to bring us the relationship black moment. But Ms James manages to bring us an HEA at the end--just wait for the return of the Monopoly board for a truly adorable epilogue! <3

Snowed in with the Firefighter is the 7th story in Ms James's Shadow Creek, Montana series, and the third and final Mayberry sister's story. Though you technically don't have to have read the rest of the books, I would definitely recommend having read Molly and Addie's books fairly recently ( The Firefighter's Pretend Fiancee and A Christmas Miracle for the Doctor , respectively) because Melody spends a lot of time dwelling on the sisters' shared past that was revealed in those books. I did feel a bit behind times with that portion of this story, since I've read roughly a bazillion books between this book and those (only a *slight* exaggeration) and only remember the barest details. So my recommendation--if you're new to the series or just to these three books of it--would be to read all three of the sisters' books together.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Snowed in with the Firefighter is a really sweet, heartwarming story of Melody and Finn- two people who have had major setbacks that are learning to open up and be vulnerable with each other. I really loved the characters and their chemistry jumped off the page. I do feel like I unfortunately missed a lot not having more backstory on Molly and Addie, I think that would have added a lot more to my reading. I do recommend this book and it was a great Christmas story.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I am not sure if this is from a series as Melody's sisters are married and it seemed like there was a story previous to this one but it was easy to read this as a stand alone.  I would like to find if there are books about her sisters as Molly;s story seems pretty emotional and yet she got her HEA.

Back to Melody and Finn, they both were dealing with pain and hurt and really didn't want anyone around them but their loving family set them up to spend the week together then decided to crash the party.

I liked both Finn and Melody and it was fun to watch them interact and at times it got emotional as they were both dealing with tragedy.  Melody really needed to learn to deal with her mother or cut her out of her life as the mother was pretty toxic and wrecked havoc in her daughter's lives.

Nice ending to wrap it up and fun that it was a holiday romance to get me in the spirit for the holidays!

It’s been two years since Victoria James has invited readers back to Shadow Creek, Montana. Snowed in with the Firefighter is the seventh book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series. However, the series was rebooted with the fifth book, The Firefighter’s Pretend Fiancée. I like to call this reboot/spin-off the Mayberry Sisters. It's not necessary to read all the books in the series. If you just start off with The Firefighter’s Pretend Fiancée, you will be fine and have the opportunity to meet all the Mayberry sisters and learn about their background. 

Melody Mayberry is a character I really don't remember very much. Outside of her being the sister of the last two heroines and an OB/GYN, I don't remember her at all. Finn Matthews on the other hand has had my heart since The Firefighter’s Pretend Fiancée. My heart broke when at the end of the story he was injured and his fate was left in question. 

It's been a little over a year since Finn’s accident. The last few months have found him isolating himself at his brother and sister-in-law's remote cabin, much to his family's displeasure. After being forced to take a vacation from the hospital where she works, Melody finds herself at Molly and Ben's cabin, not knowing that Finn is there as well. Can you say family set up? Melody and Finn end up spending several days together, where they get to know each other better and make decisions about their own lives. 

Melody isn't one of my favorite characters. I had a really hard time relating to her and liking her. However, at the same time, it's difficult to judge someone when you haven't walked in their shoes. Melody is a product of her parents. Her father failed to protect her and her sisters from the verbal and mental abuse of their mother, who is just plain evil. Melody has spent her whole life being jealous and envious of her older sister Molly. When she let her walls down and opened up to Finn, I was able to get to know her and like her just a little. There were times when she and Finn were good together. He made her loosen up and embrace happiness that she never truly allowed herself to have. At the same time, I'm disappointed that the issue with the mother wasn’t fully addressed. Let's be honest, Melody and her sisters really need to sever all ties with their mother for their mental and emotional well being.

Snowed in with the Firefighter is a slow burn, sweet romance. The book needs a trigger warning. Melody is an OB/GYN, and not every case she sees is perfect or has a happy ending.

~ Favorite Quote ~

“It’s okay to not be a superstar every day.”

“Everyone makes mistakes. It’s okay to not be okay.”

**Received a copy of the book courtesy of Entangled Publishing and voluntarily reviewed.**

This book was so cute. I love this author and was excited to read another book from her. I was not disappointed! I look forward to reading more from Victoria James.

A lovely romance about two wounded souls trying to find their way forward in life, when everything they held dear in the past has fallen apart. I usually tend to get impatient with h/h who seem to be stuck in inertia between the past and the future, but these two characters stuck together over Christmas, tentatively reaching out to each other, daring to trust one baby step at a time, was endearing. Did not care for the last-minute, sorry we can't be together reversal; I think the story would have been more charming without it.

This was cute and I did enjoy the premise, but I found I wasn't much of a fan of the female lead, Melody. She is an OB/GYN and sadly a baby died during delivery. She blames herself, even though she knows she wasn't really at fault. It wasn't anything that she did wrong. I completely understand how upsetting that must be, but to suddenly decide that was it, and she was done with medicine seemed a bit extreme.

I can't fully blame her attitude on her though, she had a very rough childhood with a piece of work Mother (I really couldn't stand her Mother) so I know a lot of that played into it. 

Overall a cute Christmas story.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Entangled in exchange for an honest review. 
Rating 3.5

Short review.

A small town romance and two individuals who were dealing with life issues. 

Finn, an injury he incurred as a firefighter. Dealing with rehab and the pain. Trying to find some solitude to possibly make some life changes.

Melody, a young doctor who is dealing with a tragic event that transpired under her watch. Needing some time alone to recoup and figure out what and how to deal with the outcome. 

Both end up at a cabin that their family (big mixup from both sides, maybe 😉 or maybe not a mixup) set up for them to relax and rest at.

Well it's the Christmas season and the weather outside is frightful so they both decide to work on sharing the place. And during their stay together they get reacquainted and also decide to play a little bit of a joke on their family. They are going to pretend to have fallen in love.

This was an enjoyable read of two people struggling with life changing issues. They learn to communicate and trust each other with their secrets and hurts. It was a sweet and emotional read that was perfect for the Christmas season.

A little slow at times but a nice story and good pacing.

I really liked this story and its characters, I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of this book. This is book 7 of the series and I read it as a stand alone. This was a cute second chance romance. I liked how the book started with Mel and Finn tricked by their family. A fun holiday romance with lots of funny moments.

Such a fun holiday story. Two troubled souls find themselves and each other when they are snowed in. They are both hiding out from their real lives. Finn is fighting with coming to terms with his recent serious injury and the possibility of never fighting fires again. Dr. Melody is questioning why she became a doctor. Since their siblings have set them up at the cabin they decide to pretend to be in a relationship to get the "happy" people off their backs. What happens when the lines blur and you feel at home with the person who is pretending to like you?   Sometime it takes another person to point out all the good in you when you are filled with self doubt. Great read!