Such a beautiful, well-crafted love story! I loved the way Gabriel's family took in Zoe as one of their own. The relationship between the family members was honest and realistic. Zoe and Gabriel built a beautiful love story from their time together. They shared and were open and honest about their struggles, dreams and desires.

I loved absolutely everything about this book!!! From the buildup of the characters to having just enough spice to go with the story. Their love story was heartfelt and welcoming. Both main characters were soo selfless and loving. They took their time within the relationship for what was suited for them and nobody else. I loved how no outside influences could manipulate what they were building with each other. Especially when she held her ground about the race issue and he backed her up ten toes down. THAT IS HOW YOU SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER NO MATTER WHAT!!!! Did I miss something in why they talk about adopting children and not having some of their own??? I'm not sure but that was the only thing i was left wondering about. Overall, this was a great read and my very first book by this author.

Tropes: Mental Health Issues, Proximity, Attractions at First Sight, Politics, Slow Burn

Campaigning For Her Heart by Zahra Woods is the first book I have read by this author, but I am working on a second one, Faking for the Holidays. Campaigning For Her Heart was an extremely easy to read book, featuring two likable, mature main characters, with lovely families. Naomi has worked long and hard as a PR specialist, curating the images of the rich and famous. She escapes to an estate in Vermont when making other people look good becomes a burden. She is worn out! Wyatt and his family visit this bucolic estate in Vermont often; Wyatt especially needs relaxation now as his bid to become the governor of Vermont goes into full swing. What Wyatt was not expecting was to meet Naomi and almost immediately fall head over heels. Naomi is not looking for romance, she needs that other r-word, REST. But the heart is on its own time schedule, and they slowly find that love will make a path. But what will happen when they leave the shelter of the estate and the real world intrudes? Her high-pressure job? The voters and meetings and the optics of an interracial romance?

Conclusion:

As noted, this was an easy book to read. Naomi was a delightful heroine, smart, grounded and strong enough to realize when she needed to stop and put herself first. Wyatt was a lovely man who presented the selfless values we would want in a politician. Ms. Woods made his family and Naomi’s mother into people we would want to be around. As Naomi and Wyatt deepened their relationship under the scrutiny of voters and media, they had conflict based on optics, but Wyatt didn’t falter in his support and love for Naomi. The governorship was a goal, but she was the real prize. Final words, this book was NICE and I don’t mean that in a dismissive way. I enjoyed the decency of the characters, their care for each other, and once they connected in the natural way….the heat and spice were top tier😊.

Tropes: Found Family, Fake Relationship, Secret Identity, Holiday Romance

Faking for the Holidays by Zahra Woods is the second book that I have read by this truly promising new author. In this book and the previous book, I read, Campaigning for Her Heart, Ms. Woods creates such beautifully rendered families that they become a focal part of the romance also😊.

Businessman Gabriel Winters is estranged from his family and dreads going home for the holidays, especially alone. Reluctantly, he decides to contract with an agency and take a “fake girlfriend” home with him. Graphic artist Zoe Carter thinks she is meeting a client when she has an encounter with Gabriel in a coffee shop. Before she can set him straight, he is rude and dismissive. Having no family to visit for the holidays, Zoe makes the ill-conceived decision to go with Gabriel to his family’s holiday celebration, revenge adjacent. After all, what could possibly go awry? Soon Zoe has fallen for both Gabriel AND his family; Gabriel finds himself growing closer to his family and wishes that Zoe was really his girlfriend. Who will tell the truth first and how will TRUTH affect the love they are growing?

Conclusion:

As noted, I love how Ms. Woods incorporates families and their dynamics in her narratives. Gabriel was blessed to have a wonderful family while Zoe was without family support. In a short time, the already bubbly Zoe blossomed and grew as she became close to the Winters family. A portion of the guilt she felt at her role in Gabriel’s subterfuge came from her part in fooling this lovely family. As readers we watched and winced waiting for the fallout and it was massive and timed for maximum damage. I thought that Zoe, unfairly, agonized MORE than Gabriel, the author of the hoax. He reacted as if Zoe concocted the plan in a vacuum and frankly, Zoe deserved more groveling than he produced😊. Final words, Ms. Woods has given us another sweet story made more poignant by the holidays and Zoe’s orphan state. Gabriel was a good man, but I think he had a bit of tunnel vision when looking at the optics of Zoe’s actions against his own. And it was lovely to see them down the road in a beautiful epilogue!