Book Review: One Enchanted Eve by Melissa Tagg

A delightful Christmas romance about finding the perfect recipe for love.

After years of mistakes and regret, Colin Renwycke finally has a plan: Hone his baking talent at the Denver Culinary Institute and embark on a new career as a pastry chef. If he’s lucky, he might even manage to earn back his family’s respect. But despite his skills in the kitchen, Colin’s a mess in the classroom and his ongoing disasters are proving too much for his prickly instructor. If he loses his spot at the school, he’s out of backup plans.

Culinary school instructor Rylan Jefferson has the chance to reclaim her dream of running her own bakery. But she only has until Christmas Eve to come up with the perfect recipe to impress an eccentric investor. She has no time for holiday parties or family plans . . . and especially not for the unruly student baker who couldn’t follow a recipe if his life depended on it.

But Colin has the one ingredient Rylan needs most—talent. Lots of it. And when he makes a proposal that just might solve both their problems, Rylan can’t say no—even if it does mean traveling all the way to Iowa. It just might be that the snow-covered plains and a charming small town full of postcard Christmas cheer are exactly what her hungry heart needs . . . along with a man who is much more than he seems.

What I Loved: First of all, I loved the fact that I could count on Tagg to deliver a novella that I would enjoy. Novellas for me are so hit or miss, but I knew I was in safe hands here. And she didn’t disappoint.
One Enchanted Eve is the redemption story of bad boy Colin from last year’s release, One Enchanted Christmas. It was delightful from beginning to end. With a little humor, friction, romance, and classic small town charm, Tagg crafted a new Christmas favorite. I’m looking forward to the third story in the series already.

Rating and Recommendation: I’m giving it 5 stars and recommending it to anyone who enjoys a Christmas novella.