Hold Her Again

by Shannon Stacey

A country-music star returns home to win back the woman he loves in this charming holiday novella from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey

Ava Wright isn’t happy to see her high school sweetheart rolling into their hometown a few weeks before Christmas. He’s only come back to bury his estranged father, but there’s no way she’ll be able to avoid him. No one can: he’s become a country-music superstar since going solo and leaving Ava behind.

Jace Morrow grew up believing “money can’t buy happiness” was something people said to make themselves feel better. But now he knows it’s the truth: no matter how many number-one hits he has, he’ll never recapture the magic of singing with Ava. Missing her—loving her—and living with making the wrong choice in life were what made him who he is.

When Jace is roped into being part of the town’s annual Christmas party, he only cares about earning Ava’s forgiveness. And though Ava’s heart has never healed, she loved Jace too much and for too long to shut him out when he’s hurting. As they fall in love all over again, they’re both faced with choices for their future…and this time Jace intends to make the right one.

I felt bad for both Jace and Ava, although I wanted to give Jace a little kick in the pants for waiting so long to come back.  Having his POV helped a lot because I don’t know that I would have been as quick to forgive him otherwise 🙂  Leaving Ava like he did, and staying away for so long, was a really crappy thing to do.  I know that he was young and I understand how his childhood turned him into that person, but 6 years is a long time and if he really felt the way he claimed he’d have manned up a bit earlier.  I get that he didn’t think that she’d have anything to do with him but he should have at least tried harder.  Good for him Ava’s a bit more tender hearted (or tender headed) than I am.  She does struggle a bit (as she should) but those old feelings that never really went away make it hard to fight him.  He will have to prove himself, and she’ll have to figure out how to let the past go, but they may just be able to work it out with a little luck and a whole lot of love.

With Hold Her Again Stacey delivers a wonderful second-chance romance, perfectly bringing the feeling of the holiday season.