This was very cute!
My first Denver Shaw romance, and I'm already pretty sure it won't be my last.
I'm not big on Christmas romances, apart from a few select authors, but the blurb on this one appealed so much I couldn't pass on it: single widower Dad, a pining (ex) best friend, years of absence, of yearning, of grief? The angst potential already had me clutching my heart in preparation.

I ended up enjoying this romance. Unfortunately it didn't totally work for me, so I'm sticking with this rating. I'm glad I read it though! It's a sweet romance, packed with a boatload of emotional hurt/comfort and lots of bittersweet, atmospheric Christmas vibes. Taran, one of the MCs, stole my heart: he was a fabulous protagonist, and I loved how devoted he was to his son, Rory. And Rory! Such a sweet, lovely kid. I haven't got a maternal instinct in my body, but I could change my mind if I had a child like Rory. 
Wynter, on the other hand... I wasn't wholly sold. He's great with Taran and Rory, and I loved seeing them re-create their little family of three, but in other ways, I wasn't sold. I didn't like the way he handled the whole Lisa situation (she's your wife for years; how is it he could forget about the supposed love between them in half a second? Also, yeah, okay, she cheated on you; she's still the person you married; I was expecting a bit more of thought through conversation and dynamic between them), and his POV chapters could be a little repetitive.

The romance was pretty cute, and I loved the initial build-up especially. The "will-they-won't-they", "this is wrong but I fancy you so much" phase of a relationship will always be my favourite. I admit, I was expecting a smidge more angst in some ways, but this is a short novel, so it couldn't have everything.
All in all, I enjoyed myself. I'll definitely be looking into Denver Shaw's backlist!