He hates Christmas.   She lives for it.   Falling in love was never part of the plan…

Ben Carter has no time for holiday cheer.  As a big-city lawyer with a demanding career—and painful memories tied to Christmas—he’s only in Haden Creek for one reason: work.  Then his rental car breaks down during the town’s Christmas parade.  And suddenly… he’s stuck.

Holly Winters loves everything about the season.  As Haden Creek’s event planner, she’s determined to make this year’s festival unforgettable—and she refuses to let one grumpy outsider ruin it.  Especially not Ben Carter.  But when he ends up staying in the room above her office, avoiding him becomes impossible.

So Holly makes it her mission:  Show him that Christmas magic is real.  Between late-night planning, festive traditions, and moments neither of them expected, Ben begins to see Haden Creek—and Holly—differently. 

Because behind her bright smile is a woman carrying her own loneliness.  And for the first time in years… Christmas doesn’t feel so empty.  But when Holly discovers the real reason Ben came to town—and what his work could cost the community she loves—everything between them shatters.

Now Ben must choose:  The life he built… Or the one he never knew he needed.

Titles in the Haden Creek Hearts series include:  The Rancher’s Second Chance ~ The Doctor’s Second Chance ~ The Firefighter’s Unexpected Love ~ The Sheriff’s Snowed-In Temptation ~ The Bartender’s Fake Girlfriend ~ The Chef’s Unexpected Love ~ The Cowboy’s Second Chance ~ The Lodge Boss’s Secret Heart ~ The Rescuer’s Unexpected Love ~ The Rancher’s Secret Child ~ The Bookseller’s Convenient Marriage ~ The Grumpy Lawyer’s Christmas Romance ~ The Sheriff’s Forever Love ~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  The Grumpy Lawyer’s Christmas Romance
Series:  Haden Creek Hearts #12
Author:  Davina Harrison
Published:  April 29, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Grumpy Lawyer’s Christmas Romance is the twelfth title in the Haden Creek Hearts series, bringing a very grumpy lawyer, Ben, to town without knowing the underlying threat his client intended, and Holly, a woman who falls more in love with the Christmas season each year.  A definite grumpy/sunshine trope with some holiday magic mixed in.  I haven’t read the earlier books in this series, but I intend to go back to the beginning.  So, walking into this series “cold,” I didn’t feel lost or confused about the situations.  Of course, I would have understood some of the town’s background better, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Holly and Ben’s romance.

Ben has his reasons for being basically a Scrooge around the holidays.  He has a job to do, and he’s beginning to realize his client wasn’t as truthful as Ben had believed.  Now he’s met an amazing (if totally Christmas-obsessed) woman, a town full of interesting people who are welcoming and who, for the most part, trust him… and he has to decide whether to follow his client’s requests or do the right thing for this town and for the developing relationship with Holly.

I really enjoyed The Grumpy Lawyer’s Christmas Romance.  It’s a well-written, emotional romance with enough tension to keep me on edge and invested in this couple’s outcome.  Holly and Ben simply work as a couple; they counter-balance each other, and it’s easy to see Ben’s glacier walls beginning to melt.  If that sounds like your kind of Christmas Romance, then you’d enjoy this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. I chose to leave a review with my personal opinion of this book.*

**I’m grateful to authors who put their work into Kindle Unlimited (no matter how long that run may be).  My book budget only stretches so far, and KU lets me read more of the amazing stories these authors offer.

This title is available on Amazon