She’s his hero…

But they’re rescuing each other!

When Christopher Fox’s house goes up in flames, there’s one shining light in the darkness—firefighter Penny Cuthbert.

His hero may look like an angel, but the widowed father of two has no time for a romantic distraction.

Still, as this strong, bright woman helps him and the kids enjoy the holidays despite all they’ve lost, he wonders—can love grow out of the ashes?

Titles in the Matchmaker at Work series include — A Hero for the Holidays —♥— The Bad Boy Redemption —♥— A Merry Christmas Date —♥—

This is a romance that includes no swearing, no violence, and no sexual content (beyond a few light kisses).

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Title:  A Hero for the Holidays
Series:  Matchmaker at Work #1
Author:  Syndi Powell
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  October 1, 2020
Publisher:  Harlequin Heartwarming
My Rating:  4 stars

A Hero for the Holidays began the Matchmaker at Work series with a romance between two sorts of unlikely people, certainly one who doesn’t trust easily anymore, and one who is on their own career path in an, at times, dangerous job and isn’t looking for love.  That’s the funny thing about love, it comes along when you least expect it – as Christopher and Penny will soon discover.

When Christopher’s home suffers from a bad fire, he and his children were thankfully not at home.  But they are now homeless while repairs to their damaged home get underway.  Thankfully, the family dog was rescued and is safe at a neighbor’s home… a woman who will open her home to this family, and perhaps change the course of four lives with her kind heart and gentle wisdom (along with a bit of matchmaking).  Penny was one of the firefighters who battled this blaze, and she’s not quite sure about her great-aunt bringing the Fox family into her home for the unforeseen future.  But no one argues with her great-aunt and wins.

The spark of attraction is there between Penny and Christopher from the start, a spark that neither wants to acknowledge for their own reasons.  Christopher has dedicated himself to his children and has no plans to ever re-marry.  Penny is coming out of a bad relationship that went sour, and she’s not about to fall for yet another single father.  But life often has different plans for us, doesn’t it?

I enjoyed A Hero for the Holidays.  It’s a slow burn in more ways than just the relationship between the main characters.  Christopher’s two children have differing reactions to Penny’s involvement in their lives, so that’s an issue that must be treated tenderly.  As the timeline takes us from Thanksgiving through Christmas, we have time to get to know everyone, see how they each grow a bit, learn to let go of the past, and take a risk on a future that isn’t always guaranteed but worth every moment granted.  I loved the reversal of gender roles in many forms, as Penny has the more dangerous, career-driven mindset while Christopher’s job is a bit safer.  It’s not an “in your face” women can do anything kind of trope, but a realistic situation where this woman has found her career passion and isn’t afraid to follow through on it in spite of the possible risks.  There are realistic, believable issues for this couple to face, and to decide if they can overcome them and find a happy, new future for themselves and the children.

If you love a well-written, heartfelt romance with believable characters and realistic issues to be faced, then you’ll want to get started on the Matchmaker at Work series.  Yes, it’s been out for a while now, but any book is brand-new when it’s the first time you’ve read it.  One of the reasons I love romance… it never goes out of fashion.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

Available in print or e-book