Being the second book in the series I did have to go to Amazon to read book number one. You may be able to understand what is happening without reading book one but I would recommend starting there. It is a cute book to put you in a Christmas mood for the season. These characters come with a lot of baggage from their past that just seems to keep getting in the way of their relationship. With help from two teenagers, these two finally are able to get a good push in the right direction. I do believe that this book does have some realistic views on single women in their 30s wanting to start a family and get married. This story delivers the punch that you need to find that happily ever after. I give this book four stars for the good read but it is not a five-star book because it is not something I will be reading twice. This book will be recommended to my followers on Instagram.

The Christmas Sneak is the second book in the Hope's Turn Holidays series by Marie Harte. While returning readers will be far more invest in the characters, both primary and secondary, those new to the series will be able to catch up quickly and enjoy the story.

Ex-NFL star Deacon Flashman had the perfect woman in the palm of his hands, and dropped the ball. Considering Deacon’s past performances, that isn’t news. An injury cut short his football career, and then he got taken for millions by a greedy ex-wife. But Deacon’s luck has changed. He’s got a great job, and he’s recently become an uncle again. With the holidays close, he’s getting a second chance. Nora Nielson, the woman who got away, is back. Now he needs to figure out a way to get into her good graces. A relationship with Nora is everything he wants, and everything that scares him. But to let the past go, he’ll have to go big or go home. And the stakes have never been higher

The Christmas Sneak is a fun read with good characters. I liked both Deacon and Nora. I liked their dynamic, their give and take of snark and sweet. I loved the secondary characters and the story of the bigger picture of family and friends around them. I just could not love the read, as much as I wanted to. I remember when I first read this author, I was heavily invested in every series, because she does the community, family, and town connections so very well. All of that was on point here as well. I just felt like the main couple had things a little too perfect. Yes, they each had issues to work out, and they had to get better at communication, but Deacon seem to be way too perfect- his issues kind of stemmed in part from being too nice a guy- and he just kept rolling in that direction. Their individual issues seemed to line up too well, and it felt like some never really got handle, just acknowledge as a reason for certain reactions or behaviors and then the moved it on along. Honestly, I did enjoy the book as I was reading it, there was just so much potential for it to be even better that I felt was missed.

The Christmas Sneak is a good romance, with good characters. It just did not grab me the way the first books I read from this author.

Nora's cousin / sister married Deacon's younger brother and has been the happiest she's been since the death of her husband. Deacon and Nora went on one date months ago - Deacon stated he would call Nora again - but ghosted her. Since that date neither one is really happy being in the same room.

With the addition of a new baby to the family - both must face the music and get along with each other. Deacon went through a rough patch after his wife divorced him and he could no longer play professional football - his wife called him a has been and was not happy not being the spotlight anymore., His ex-wife took him for most of his money. Since then, he has been insecure with having a long-term relationship with any woman. He has always liked / loved the way Nora gives him a bad time - sharp wit and does not hold back her opinion on anything.

Norm has secretly wanted Deacon - but after he ghosted her, she has been cautions around him,

Their nephew has made it his mission to get the two together and to realize that they were made for each other.

I don't want to give the story away - a cute read.

The Christmas Sneak is actually book number two from the ‘Hope’s Turn Holiday’s’ romance series but can very easily be read as a standalone without any problems at all.
It tells an enemies to lovers trope between Deacon and Nora and was a fun, spicy romance and I really enjoyed it.
This book was such an easy read and I found myself reading it very quickly as I needed to find out what was going to happen next.
It definitely gave me the wonderful vibes of an Hallmark movie, where all the loose ends get tied up and there is a wonderful happy ever after!
All in all it was a wonderful, romantic read and i was left with the most wonderful heartwarming feeling…..

Book provided by netgalley for honest review.

This was a super cute book that was a quick read. Marie Harte is one of my go to authors. Her stories are cute and fun.

the Christmas Sneak is a love story between ex-NFL player Deacon and Nora. The story was ok but I didn't love it. Nora was not my favorite character, Deacon was decent but everything about how they got together is like watching a really bad film.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Deacon is an ex-NFL quarterback who went through a rough divorce a few years ago. After his ex-wife cleared his accounts, he started casual dating, changing partners frequently. Eventually he and a friend buy a brewery. With his life becoming stable, his thoughts turn often to Nora, the girl that got away.

Nora is unhappily single, but is excited for the upcoming birth of her cousin Becca’s baby. Unfortunately, she has to share the event with Deacon, whose brother Mitch is married to Becca. After a single, disastrous date with Deacon shortly after his divorce, Nora wants nothing to do with Deacon.

Meanwhile, Nora’s nephew and his girlfriend decide to play matchmaker to Deacon and Nora, thus hatching Operation Sneak….

This story is so good and ticks all the boxes I love. I highly, highly recommend reading this!

This is a nice short Christmas read. I liked that the enemies didn't drag out and that Nora and Deacon hate each other

As per usual the spicy parts were hot hot hot - Loved it

Nora is a single woman at her rope end for the things she wants in life meanwhile the last person to ghost her is her cousin husbands brother - they have to constantly see each other meanwhile she hates his guts
with some intervention, they finally work it out but not before some adventures along the way

At the start of the book Deacon clearly has a lot of grovelling to do after ghosting Nora the year before. She is hesitant to give him another chance after making bad choices in the past and so the stage is set for a will they / won’t they romance, with some matchmaking from her teenage son. There is a lot of chemistry between Deacon and Nora and the witty banter between the two is fun to read. I loved the involvement of their families and friends which all add to the fun, cosy atmosphere of the book. My only issue is that I hadn’t realised that this book was part of a series, so felt like I had missed the start of Deacon and Nora’s romance.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are likable and you want them to take a chance on a relationship. They both have fears of being hurt. This is very believable. I can see this becoming a Hallmark or Lifetime movie. I will be reading the book about Becca and Mitch too.

Trigger warning at the very end.

I knew I'd like this book because I've always enjoyed Marie Harte's writing. She has a gift for fun and snappy dialog and for writing protagonists who aren't too perfect (at least on the admittedly skewed romance-o-meter).

I didn't read the first novel in this series though, and I think it would've helped, at least with regard to deepening the characters a bit. In book 1, supposedly, this book's protagonists played a large part in getting that book's protagonists--her cousin Becca and his younger brother Mitch--together. Don't get me wrong; it can definitely be read as a standalone. But the root cause of the tension in this novel (Deacon ghosting Nora after one date) happened before this one starts. By the time we catch up with them in chapter 1, Deacon has already had a disastrous relationship (or two), and Nora has decided he's a total ass. A year has passed--one in which they've presumably been in each other's company due to the closeness of their two families--but we didn't get to see any of that tension. It's only the birth of Mitch and Becca's kid and subsequent (late) family Thanksgiving that brings them together in the context of this novel.

Phew, that's a whole lot of words from me to explain that I just felt like this book could have used a steeper story arc. There's a reason I read novels rather than write them.

All that aside, this book is really fun to read. Deacon and Nora match wits time and time again, and their mutual ability to zero in on each other's personality quirks clearly demonstrates that they really KNOW each other. Frequently, I'm frustrated by novels where the couple is deeply in love only because the author tells me they are (in spite of no visible chemistry). Not here. Deacon and Nora have chemistry in spades, and once they get past their respective denials (first Deacon's and then Nora's), they're all in.

The story is told in the third person, alternating between Deacon's and Nora's perspective, but we also get a third perspective from Simon, Becca's teenaged son from a previous marriage. He apparently played a role in getting his mom and Mitch together in book 1, so he (along with his girlfriend) tries his hand again here in book 2. It's an interesting choice, and I never mind getting a third eye, though I felt like Simon could have either had more of a presence or less of one. It's possible, though, that those who've read book 1 will appreciate the continuity, and it looks like Simon and Jenna will try matchmaking a third time in book 3 if the series. Cool with me.

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

Trigger warning: suicidal thoughts in character's past

This book was like a lot of holiday romances, slightly cheesy but heartwarming at the same time. Deacon and Nora are electric. They both have their issues but it is something that helps us to root for them even more. Loved it and will definitely be picking this up again closer to the holidays!

I'm starting to get in the Christmas mood! This was a cute but slightly frustrating Christmas love story. We've got a couple that have been burned badly in their past and that has come in between these two love birds. There was a lot of baggage to unload, but once it was, I enjoyed these two. I've not read the first book and I'm intrigued. I will definitely be checking that one out next.

What a cute story!
Deacon and Noras Story to read was much fun and I had some wonderful reading hours.

These two strong charakters know what they want, but both were hurt in the past and so Simon and his friend had the chance to play cupid again.

A short story with many things happening in it.

Have fun reading!

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me - I felt it had very little character development and the main characters unfortunately felt like they acted very immaturely for their age.

a good second chance story and I was interested in and really drew me in. Liked it alot. Will read more from Marie hart.

The Christmas Sneak is sort of a second chance romance novel. The second chance is given to Deacon whose brother married Nora's cousin. This is the second book in this series and I just purchased the first one so that I can see where it all started. Deacon is hoping Nora will give him a second chance after he totally ghosted her after they had one amazing date. He was burned badly by his ex-wife and isn't sure he wants to start a relationship, thus the ghosting. I totally understand why Nora took a while to thaw after the way Deacon treated her before. I really enjoyed this book and only had one part of the storyline that I thought added nothing to the book and that was the reflecting Nora did on the past secret relationship that she had. I know it was supposed to show why she didn't trust her judgment when dating men, but it felt pretty lame to me. Other than that one part of the book, the rest was excellent, thus my going and purchasing the first book after reading an advance review copy of this one. Strong 4 stars.

3.5 / 5

I enjoyed this book a lot. The main characters had great chemistry and the side characters were well written as well.

Marie Hart does a phenomenal job at writing sexual chemistry but one thing that took me out of the plot was how fast everything moved. The characters went from “hating” eachother to engaged in the manner of what? a month? I enjoyed the characters and their romance but the time frame took me out the story a little bit.

As unrealistic as the pacing of the story was, I still enjoyed it. This book was sexy, interesting and a great quick read!

Quick Summary: A hot and bothered romance

My Review: The Christmas Sneak by Marie Harte was an unexpected pseudo second chance love story.

The title of this book alone warranted a peek inside. Once I looked, I couldn't turn away. I loved Nora and Deacon's story. These two would be lovers supercharged each other up, despite having a rocky start. After an unplanned snow and a stranded by choice situation, neither could avoid dealing with the other. A hot and bothered romance unfolded in a big way.

My Final Say: I was completely captivated by this story. I could not help but like the main characters. The rest of the family - Mitch and Becca, Simon and Jenna, the parents - were all so endearing. Hope's Turn must be a magical place. I cannot wait to read more about its couples.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have not been influenced by the aforementioned in any way.

* A Goodreads post has been submitted.

This book held my attention from stat to finish, and kept me guessing. I could not put it down. I simply loved it!!! I highly recommend this book and author. A must read. I can’t wait to read the next book!