REVIEW: Holiday Kisses by Anna J. Stewart

In Holiday Kisses by Anna J. Stewart, Xander Costas is in Butterfly Harbor to design their new butterfly sanctuary, with the hopes that it will save the family’s architectural firm. Calliope Jones, an organic farmer who has a special relationship with the butterflies, is tasked by the mayor to work with Xander since she hated the original design he presented, which had been drawn by his brother. Calliope challenges Xander to listen to the sounds of nature and come up with a more eco-friendly design. Xander, used to selling and not designing, takes up the challenge, but will his new design be enough to win Calliope over?

I liked Calliope and Xander together. She helps open up his eyes and his mind to truly appreciate Butterfly Harbor. He helps her realize that taking a chance on love, even when you’re afraid it will end in heartbreak, is worth a shot.

Their banter is sometimes borderline hostile, and at other times it’s witty. While it comes across to Xander that she doesn’t like him, the truth was that she liked him too much and used her attitude to try to push him away. He doesn’t give up easily and gives it back as much as he takes it.

Calliope has a tendency to be a support system to everyone else but seems to not lean on other people. I liked how Xander is able to break that for her, being there to support her with everything that was going on with her mother.

It was interesting to see how Calliope’s little sister, Stella, bonds with Xander and helps use the butterflies to get him to return to them. Calliope and Stella have a special relationship, both with each other and with the butterflies, and it was great to see how much they care about one another. Calliope, in many ways, acts more like a mother to the young girl, as their own mother has psychological issues.

My only complaint would be that Xander was trying so hard to save the family firm, but it was clear his brother and father weren’t really interested in it. He takes the responsibility of saving it all on his own shoulders instead of sitting down with them and working out a solution that would make them all happy.

Holiday Kisses is charming, whimsical, and will have readers wishing they could live in Butterfly Harbor to experience the magic of it all.

Book Info:

Publication: April 1, 2019 | Harlequin Heartwarming | Butterfly Harbor #5

Calliope Jones, Butterfly Harbor’s free-spirited organic farmer, is the most vocal objector to Xander Costas and his design for the butterfly sanctuary that he hopes will save his family’s architectural firm. Strangely, it’s Calliope who shows him what the town, and he, really need. Calliope makes Xander listen with his heart. And soon his heart may be telling him to stay with this extraordinary woman!