Same Time Next Year, a New Year’s Eve Novella-
My rating is 5 stars.
Who would have thought that a short, little novella would evoke tears AND a five star rating out of me??! Surely, not I. Novella’s typically are quick reads that are too short to really leave much of an impact. That’s just not the case with this story…
This was a short, very quick but intense read, for me. It was plot driven and paced adequately, for a novella. Tessa was able to write this story to evolve over a one year timeline and it hit the points that it needed to, to drive the story.
Britta and Sumner come together through a marriage of convenience. To avoid returning to Canada, Britta marries Sumner so that he can continue to play hockey in the United States, something he needs to do to make his goal and dreams of playing in the NHL. They’ve always been friends and they come to a business arrangement, an expirationship and they marry on New Year’s Eve.
Britta was a great FMC. She was fiercely independent and loved by everyone that knew her. She didn’t put up with anyone’s crap yet was still able to relate to people in a way that isn’t easily achieved. She had been hurt badly by her father, as a young girl and it made her incredibly tough but also terrified of relationships and commitment. She didn’t believe that everyone got a love story. She wasn’t willing to take a chance on anyone because she believed that everyone will eventually leave, nothing lasts forever.
I absolutely fell in love with Sumner. Tessa Bailey wrote him to be the most perfect husband possible. He was so incredibly loyal to Britta and committed to breaking down her sky-high walls that she’s hidden behind for her entire life. He understood her aversion to commitment so well that he was able to reel himself in (for the most part,) and give her the time she needed to figure out that he would only ever need her, that he would always choose her.
There were moments with Sumner that brought tears to my eyes:
“Can you not see that I’m starving to death for you? Can’t you tell that I missed you so horribly that my family couldn’t even make me smile?”
“Sumner, what did you do? He has the never to look proud of himself. Made you off limits, Britta. It’s a rule that is rarely invoked among the group. But once it’s done, it’s ******* done. He leans over until our foreheads are a breath apart. If you don’t like it, then stop being my dream girl.”
“You don’t have to stop me from looking at anyone but you, because I don’t want to look in the first place. Put parental controls on my phone, my laptop, block porn sites. Track my location. Lock my dick in a cage. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you realize I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here. I’ll make you feel secure until you realize it’s only ever going to be you.”
I mean, who wouldn’t want to have someone feel like this about them?!
Sumner and Britta had so much chemistry, it was fiery, passionate and they had a difficult time controlling themselves around each other. They had some incredibly tender moments together but, the spice was definitely spicin’!
There weren’t a ton of support characters in this short read but I really loved the dynamic and relationship between Britta and her half-brother Bryce. That “Come to Jesus” talk that he had with her was pretty powerful.
I loved how Britta stood up and faced her fears, at the end. She put her big girl pants on and realized that living without Sumner just wasn’t an option and, I was so proud of her. Sumner got what he wanted all along and Britta gets to experience a mad, passionate, soul engulfing love with him. A perfect HEA.
I think it’s safe to say that I really loved this novella. I wasn’t expecting much from this book and I certainly wasn’t expecting to have it hit me so hard in the feels. If you’re looking for a powerful novella, this is the book for you.
Same Time Next Year: A Novella
3.8 | 32,600 ratings
Price: 0.99
Last update: 01-10-2025
About this item
From the Publisher
Top reviews from the United States
Cara
What A Way To Bring In The New Year!
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023
Natasha Michael
Very cute and Spicy
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2024
Karley Sloma
Fake Marriage. Forced Proximity. He Falls First
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023KRS
"... things aren't on my timeline. They're on ours."
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2024