Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan
Series: From Manhattan with Love, #3
Contemporary Romance
Released: November 29, 2016
HQN Books

Reviewed by Sheena

Favorite Quote: “I don’t want to marry you. I just want you to give me an orgasm.”
“Just the one? You have low expectations.”

Tis’ the season for holiday romance- and Miracle on 5th Avenue is Christmas romance perfection.  It is  simply delightful! The perfect holiday romance to take your mind away from the snow and into the fire of desire! I so love when I stumble upon awesomely sweet romances and this definitely fits the bill. *sips cocoa*

Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. She might be spending the holidays alone this year, but when she’s given an opportunity to house-sit a spectacular penthouse on Fifth Avenue, she leaps at the chance. What better place to celebrate than in snow-kissed Manhattan? What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous—and mysterious—owner.  When the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

Eva and Lucas are polar opposites.  She is the eternal optimist, open-hearted, trusting event planner to his surly, cynical, and repressed crime novelist.  Thrown together during a Manhattan snow storm, their romance is smoldering-  primarily because they danced around their attraction, creating a palatable romantic tension that breathed life into this lovely winter blustery tale.

The evolution of Lucas was perhaps my favorite aspect of reading this novel.   I loved seeing him thaw and live up to his hero potential.  When we first meet Lucas he is closed off, grumpy and brutally rebuffing Eva’s holiday cheer and Christmas decor she was hired (by his adorably meddlesome grandmother) to complete. Lucas was my very own  hot, muscled, Scrooge- and I loved it!

“Decorate the apartment if you must.  Tie bows on the stairs, hang mistletoe from the light fixtures.  I don’t care.”  He knew he was being ungracious, but he couldn’t help it.  He felt trapped , cornered, even though she could hardly be held responsible for the weather…”I’m going to work.  Do what the hell you like, but don’t disturb me.”

Eva felt about as welcome as a rat in a restaurant.

….

“You don’t want friendship and love? Well, of course you don’t, because those two things are pretty horrible. Having someone who cares about you and brings out the best in you? Yuck.”
“Much better to be lonely and unloved, that way you know for sure you’re never going to get hurt.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”
“No? I thought it was the perfect accessory for your scowly face.”
“Scowly isn’t a word.”
“Well, it should be.”

Eva is hands down one of my favorite heroines, she was such a sweet, confident, understanding and optimistic woman that I wanted her to win more than anything.  She was so honest and without guile, she chipped away at Lucas’ defenses and before long, intrigued him so much that she became his muse, each interaction connecting them deeper, as her mere presence helped him break the chains of his writers block.

Despite their completely opposites-attract chemistry, Eva fit Lucas like a puzzle piece.  They were both lonely and nursing pain related to the deaths of loved ones.  Though they dealt with their grief in vastly differently ways, it was beautiful to see that they were truly opposite sides of the same coin.

“That girl,” he [Tom] said, “is special.”

Lucas wasn’t about to argue with that, even though agreeing was bound to get him into deeper trouble. “She is.”
Tom eased out of his chair. “It’s easy to develop attachments when you’re lonely. Easy to misinterpret feelings.”
“That’s true, but although Eva is a romantic, she’s actually pretty levelheaded and sensible about relationships.”

Tom gave him a long look. “I was talking about you.”

There is nothing overly complicated about Miracle on 5th Avenue.  It is a beautifully executed, romance that I know I will re-read my favorite parts again and again.  There is no filler, each chapter, every scene propels the plot further, and I fell so very deeply in love with Eva and Lucas’ relationship.  I had a huge smile plastered on my face the entire time.  No games, no ridiculous and distracting plot devices.  Just two people who fell in love when love was the hardest and most honest emotion for them to reconcile. Lucas reveals his truth and is such a good man that he refuses to play on Eva’s heart pulsating boldly on her sleeve.  As imperfect and bah-humbug as he was, Lucas was just trying to survive his own personal, live altering tragedy.  He was unprepared for Eva, yet instinctively knew he could not let her go.

“You matter to me. But you want the fairy tale. I could never give you that.”
“Oh, Lucas.” She felt a rush of sadness and mixed in with the sadness was frustration that he still didn’t get it. “The fairy tale isn’t Prince Charming or magical unicorns. It’s love. What I want is to love someone, and for them to love me back. For me, that’s the fairy tale.”
“Love isn’t what you think it is.”
“It isn’t what you think it is. Love isn’t a curse, Lucas, it’s a gift.”

*sigh*  The scenery, the sweetness, the supporting characters (Eva has some seriously awesome friends, ranging from prickly to hilarious) and the love declarations work so well.  My sole complaint is that it ended too soon and I feel a little robbed of an epilogue.  I could easily settle in and read more about Eva and Lucas.  As this novel stands alone within the From Manhattan, With Love series, I will have to settle for checking out books one and two and enjoying my new love affair with Sarah Morgan’s wonderfully delightful writing.  She manages the skillful balance of a sweet, enchanting narrative without any cheesy, saccharine-overloaded prose.  Miracle on 5th Avenue is a definite  pleasure read and is sure to please even the frostiest of hearts!

Grade: A

Previous Sarah Morgan reviews: Maybe This Christmas, First Time in Forever, Christmas Ever After

Goodreads I Author Website  I Series
 Kindle I Nook