I am very picky when it comes to romances that don't included any physically intimate scenes and one of the authors that I find writes it without me realizes that I'm missing that steam factor is Victoria James. Snowed in with the Firefighter is a new release in her Shadow Creek Montana series. This can be read as standalone because I enjoyed myself without having read any of the other books in this series. I was however left with an itch to go back and read others from it in the future.

This book follows OBGYN Dr. Melody who decides to spend the holidays at her sisters cabin after having something happen at work that threw her off her axis. She didn't plan on her brother in law's brother being there when she arrived. Finn has been hiding away and recuperating at his brothers cabin for the past few months after an accident on the job as a firefighter almost cost him his life. They are both dealing with their own traumas and when their family decides to descend on their time away they decide to pretend at being happy and being together. As they Christmas up the cabin and get to know each other the fake cheer becomes real. But when Melody's real life comes calling will she walk away from Finn or let him stand by her side.

I loved all the tropes this holiday romance had going on- high school crush, injured hero, forced proximity, fake relationship, and snowed in ! They were all executed well with Victoria James strong writing. I enjoyed both main characters. Finn was grumpy but no matter what couldn't stop himself from being kind and caring towards Melody. Melody had a boat load of emotional problems because of her horrible mother and it's a miracle she as kind of a person that she turned out to be. I loved the friendship they grew between them and the way they supported each other. This is a romance but the steam level is very low, all that happens between Finn and Melody are some passionate kisses and some snuggle time. Yet I still felt like there was great chemistry between the two, and I was hoping for them to find a way to make it work.

Snowed in with the Firefighter by Victoria James is a sweet contemporary holiday romance filled with self reflection, family meddling, Christmas trimming, snowman building, and couch snuggles.

A sweet heartwarming romance between two unfortunate people. They are both learning to live again after accepting some harsh realities of their respective lives. The setting is simply adorable and I thoroughly enjoyed this swoon-worthy contemporary fiction. I think everyone who loves romance will love this book. And it has the right kind of holiday vibes. So get cozy and pick up this perfectly sweet book.

This story is well written with great characters, although I admit the gaslighting by the heroine's narcissistic mother became quite tiresome as the heroine was so very unhealed from her emotional abuse. It is not quite a standalone story as there were quite a few gaps in the backstory, but it wasn't really a problem. Overall I quite enjoyed this sweet Christmas story and liked that it had some depth to it.
I received a free digital copy via NetGalley, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Melody has always wanted to be a doctor and help other people but a painful loss has her questioning her choice as a career. Some time away alone at her sister’s cabin will hopefully give her the clarity to heal so the last thing she wants is to find out that her brother in-law Finn is also there.

Finn is a firefighter who was injured on the job however the healing isn’t going as well as he had hoped, and it could irrevocably change the career that he loves. He isn’t looking for company, but their matchmaking family has other ideas.

Their plans to share the cabin but keep their distance from each other is proving to be more difficult than they imagined. As they spend time together, they may just find out that even though they are brought together by the worst of circumstances it could be the best thing to happen to either one of them.

In the interest of transparency I voluntarily received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an adorable Christmas romance! Slightly cliché but hit all the hallmarks of a great Christmas romance! If you want a classic hallmark Christmas movie in book form this is a great option!

The ending got a little mushy for my tastes but it was still an easy enjoyable read. It is part of a series but there’s enough information included that you can read it as a stand alone.

All in all it was a fun Christmas romance and I’d definitely recommend it!

The books in the series are described as stand alones, but they really aren't. I have not read the previous books, and while the author provides some back story, there are a lot of holes. It seems that the mayor of the small town, Marlene Mayberry, has narcissistic personality disorder, and her three daughters grew up suffering from her behavior, becoming estranged rather than banding together. Where was their father? Don't know. But they have grown up and two of them are happily married and want the same for their sister, Melody and are not above playing matchmaker. Molly's brother-in-law Finn had done just that to get Molly and Ben back together. Finn and Melody are both going through a crisis, so their siblings think it would be a great idea to trick them into sharing Ben and Molly's cabin in the mountains. Finn was seriously injured while rescuing a child from a fire and does not know if he will ever be physically able to return to the job he loves, while Melody, an OB/GYN just lost a child she was delivering and is as devastated as the parents, partly because she hears her mother's voice in her head, all the time. But as they are snowed in together they find that they are able to open up to each other, more than they have to anyone else. Can Melody be happy, without her self doubts, guilt and self loathing, all speaking in her head with her mother's voice, destroying it?

Very well written, with deftly developed, likeable characters with a HEA. But now I have to read The Firefighter's Pretend Fiancee to find out what happened to Molly. I read an ARC provided by NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

This book was a very enjoyable read with the well written storyline and characters that were so well defined that I ended up reading this book in one sitting!

Melody Mayberry and Finn Matthews are two broken souls trying to hide away from the world. When Melody shows up at her sister and brother-in-law's mountain cabin, she soon discovers she's not alone. As she hauls her belongings inside, Melody is met by Finn, her brother-in-law's brother. She just wants peace and quiet, to be alone, and wallow in her grief. Finn is trying to come to grips with his life-altering injury that may just end his career as a firefighter. He has no time to entertain Melody, or anyone for that matter.

After amicably agreeing to share the house and stay out of each other's way, they are hit with another surprise...Their family will be joining them for Christmas. In an effort to get back at their family for meddling, Melody and Finn join forces to pull a fast one on them. All bets are off, however, when the fake front they portray backfires on them.

Melody and Finn have a humiliating backstory that punched me right in the gut. My eyeballs leaked a little bit of moisture as I relived the event that wrecked her. She may be a successful doctor now, but her childhood was horrible. Despite her upbringing, Melody is a kind and compassionate character. She's struggling with a recent event but she's closed up tight and has a hard time opening up to Finn. Finn, on the other hand, opens up to Melody, surprising himself. His pain is both physical and emotional and the author did a spectacular job with his character. I'm #TeamFinn all the way.

Snowed in with the Firefighter is another fantastic book by Victoria James. She is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is realistic and her subject matter for each book is believable. Her heroines and her heroes are not perfect but they are perfect for one another. She writes impassioned and realistic contemporary romances. I've read most of her books and each one manages to evoke emotional responses from me. At the very least, I tear up during some part of the novel. Her characters are believable and realistically written. She touches on topics that are sensitive but she writes them with class and respect.

Victoria's writing is phenomenal. Her characters, the plot, themes, drama, and passion pull the reader in and keeps them engaged. There is true emotion that can be felt by those readers who become one with the books they read (like I do). I am able to get lost in the novels and put myself right into the middle of them. I feel for the characters and drawing on my emotions is what makes a book worth 5 stars for me. If I hurt with them, cry with/for them, laugh, or get angry, then the author did a fantastic job and has written the perfect book for me.

I was very curious to read Finn's story and the wait was worth it; I think this is a great heartwarming holiday story that has relatable and likable characters and a very sweet romance.
Both Melody and Finn have gone through some hard experiences recently in their life (while also carring some baggage from their pasts), and are looking for an escape and time alone, they're definitely not in the mood to act all excited about the Holidays and yet they'll find themselves stuck together and having to act like they're well on their way to recovery. But what neither expect is to find comfort in each other and you'll soon find yourself rooting for them, because they there's definitely a connection between Melody and Finn and it's very sweet to read how their relationship develops.
It's emotional but also hopeful and romantic, a very enjoyable read.

Melody and Finn are both taking time away from their jobs and end up together at the cabin belonging to her sister and his brother (who are married) a few days before Christmas. The reasons they need time off are pretty heavy/tragic, so the book already has an undercurrent of sadness. Melody and Finn spend time together and develop feelings for each other as they open up. It's a clean book and a fairly quick read, but it just didn't feel very happy and festive, except for some holiday errands and tasks.
I didn't realize this is the seventh book in a series. Books 5 and 6 are about Melody's sisters and especially book 5 would be good background since it focuses on the couple that owns the cabin. There are tons of references throughout to things that Melody's sister Molly went through, and without having read her book I felt like it detracts from Melody and Finn's story because things aren't fully explained. I feel like it only works as a standalone if you are able to ignore/not wonder about Molly's backstory.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing like starting a series on book #7, but this one was a great one to introduce me to this group. There were obviously things that happened in the previous books that I was not privy to, but the author gave enough hints that I feel like I figured it out. For that reason, I believe this book COULD be read as a standalone book, but now that I've read this one, I'm going to immediately go read the first six. Yes, I liked this book that much.

This is the story of Melody and Finn. Melody is the middle child of three girls - Molly is the "perfect" child that their mother always compared everyone else to. Addie, the younger daughter, really didn't care to get caught in the competition so she always just did her own thing. But Melody was always in Molly's shadow - even though sweet Molly never realized it. Molly became a doctor - so Melody became a doctor. Before she knew it, Melody wasn't living life for herself - instead she was always trying to keep up with Molly.

Finn is a firefighter - just like his brother, Ben, and their dad. Their father had been killed in a fire and just last year Finn was injured so bad that no one knew if he would survive. But he did survive - even though it was taking him close to a year for his leg to heal properly. But would it ever heal to a point that he could be comfortable risking someone else's life in a routine fire rescue?

Finn slipped away for months at a time to Molly & Ben's cabin in the woods. He enjoyed the solitude while he tried to regain his strength. Melody had a traumatic event happen at the hospital so she needed to take a break (her first break ever) so she went to the cabin thinking she would be all alone. They were both shocked to find each other there. Can two restless hearts find comfort in each other over Christmas break? Read this book to enjoy their journey - I know I did.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated above are mine without biases.

Short and sweet. This is the seventh book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series and can be read as a stand-alone.
Dr. Melody Mayberry is heading to her sister's remote mountain cabin to hideout. A tough case at work has her questioning her career choice. And the cabin is the perfect place to recharge. But she wasn't expecting to find her hunky, broody brother in law there as well.

Finn Matthews suffered an injury while firefighting and hasn't left the cabin as he tries to figure out what to do next. He doesn't really want the company but gets her to stay. Now they're getting texts at the same time letting them know that the whole family is coming up for Christmas.

Now they're setting up Christmas decorations for when the family arrives, They'll pretend to be happy people for the family's sake and even pretend their scheme to get them together worked.

Thanks to Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC for review.

I haven't always read Christmas novels, but I was really intrigued with this one, and it definitely wasn't a disappointment!

Granted, I did not read the other books in this series, but it did not deter from me reading this book and enjoying the characters of Melody and Finn.

This book actually got me out of a reading funk as it's a feel-good romance, that will make you smile as you read along.

I enjoyed this book and would read more from this author

Snowed in with the Firefighter is the seventh book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series by Victoria James. A lovely Christmas romance that pulls you in and warms your heart from the beginning. James has written a romance that is easy to get lost in. I can't wait to read the next book in the Shadow Creek, Montana series.

This arc copy was provided free of charge for an honest review for netgalley.
This was a very sweet romantic read. What made it the most enjoyable read was no sloppy sex descriptions which can be cringetastic.
Mel is a doctor who has come to her sister and brother in laws cabin for a mental health break.
From the start she has been set up by her sisters and brother in law with a Firefighter Finn who is recuperating at the gorgeous winter cabin.

It’s a lovely story and I encourage anyone to read it.

While this book is part of a larger series, you *do not* have to read those to enjoy this one. That said, a working knowledge of the other Shadow Creek books definitely enhances the story. If you haven't read them, you can absolutely dive in here without missing anything, but know that it will spoil the stories of the previous books/characters.

Victoria James is one of those authors who I always know is going to deliver a great book because her writing style is so solid and so enjoyable. Her storytelling ability combined with her writing style never fail to keep me interested in the story to the point where I don't want to stop reading. I always wind up devouring her books and then kicking myself for reading it so fast. When you purchase a Victoria James story you are guaranteed a feel good story that will deal with serious issues without being too heavy or depressing. Ms. James balances on that edge perfectly, easing the really serious issues with humor and heartwarming scenes.

Although Melody and Finn together are incredible together, the moments between Ben and Finn are some of my favorite. Their brotherly love relationship is one of my favorite things about their books.

If you're looking for a well-written story about two likable Grinches who find happiness and family during the holiday season, you will definitely want to read this book.

If you are looking for a sweet, feel good story full of redemption then this is it.
Melody and Finn are both hiding out at the cabin owned by their siblings. Unbeknownst to them, there is some match making going on behind the goodwill/hope you get your act together sharing.

I found myself liking both characters and rooting for them to sort themselves out so they could give a relationship a fair shot. It was fun to watch them go from awkward semi friends to a full fledge budding romance.

Both Melody and Finn have baggage to unpack and I appreciated the emotional growth both characters experienced. Reading this made me very curious about reading the first 2 books in the series.

If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, Snowed in with the Firefighter is the perfect book for you. This was exactly what I needed right now - a warm, cozy, sweet romance. Both main characters are at a crossroads in life and they are struggling to find their way. The way they support each other through this time is really beautiful. The setting of a cozy cottage at Christmas with snow falling outside and a fire lit inside adds so well to the atmosphere of the story.

Melody is really struggling with her relationship with her mother, dealing with a traumatic event at work and trying to get over past behaviors while Finn is dealing with an injury that could change his path forever. However, the story feels hopeful instead of sad. The characters are all really interesting and well written. I felt like I knew them at the end of the story and I was sad to say goodbye.

It's a feel good book, with love, support and acceptance throughout. I always want an epilogue in any romance book I read and this delivers, thankfully. I can say that I haven't read any others in this series but I definitely plan to. This was a quick, one-day read for me and I really enjoyed it. It's a great book to add to your TBR!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Changing their lives and falling in love!

Obstetrician Dr. Melody Mayberry needs to take a break from the hospital after a bad delivery when her sister volunteered her family’s cabin in the mountains so she can have a pity party all by herself. Melody can’t have the pity party because the cabin isn’t empty, firefighter Finn Matthews is staying there while he recovered from injuries received during a fire.

Finn needs to decide what he wants to do in the future because he doesn’t think he can pass the physical to return to firefighting and Melody needs to deal with the emotions deciding if she wanted to return to her job but delivering her niece helps her make that decision.

Snowed in with the Firefighter is all about healing of Finn and Melody and the meddling of their families trying to get them together which succeeds because it is a Christmas romance!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“If you asked me now to prom, I’d say yes. If you asked me for anything right now, I’d say yes.”

I’m always charmed by Victoria James’ books, and this one is no exception. A sweet, smoldering Christmas read, it was just the right amount of family, feels, and feel good to help me escape from real life for a few hours.

Both of these characters—Finn and Melody—have damaged pasts, and it’s easy to see how they relate to one another, how they use that as a cornerstone for their relationship. It was rewarding to get to the HEA in this story; these characters have appeared in previous books by Ms. James, so it felt like a full circle moment.

Not that you have to have read those previous books to enjoy this one. Sure, it would help get you familiar with the family that’s engaging in some good ol’ fashioned meddling, but even without that familiarity, this is cute, flirty, holiday fun with a genuine message—and definitely worth popping on your Christmas list.