Good conclusion to the series. When the three Kendall sisters' parents suddenly decided to go on a cruise rather than do the family's traditional Christmas, they were shocked and dismayed. But they rallied to support their parents' dream and challenged each other to do something different for the holiday. Each one spent two weeks in a surprise location picked by her other two sisters. Thea was sent to Japan.

Thea is an unrepentant workaholic, determined to become a partner in her law firm. She has put everything else aside—from social life to ideas of a family of her own. She is convinced that she doesn't have the temperament to handle a family. Even though she is half a world away from her office, she continues to devote time to work rather than the fun and relaxation her sisters intended. Even her venture onto a higher-level ski slope is motivated by the desire to impress a possible client.

Imagine Thea's surprise when she literally collides with her childhood friend, Zayne, on the ski slope. They were practically inseparable as children, with Thea spending a lot of time escaping her stressful home life by hanging out with his family. When they were teenagers and experimented with a kiss, their ease with each other changed, and things were never quite the same. They haven't seen each other since they went off to different colleges. Now, Thea is a successful lawyer, and Zayne made a name for himself with his tech-savvy businesses.

I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Those early sparks of attraction are still there, and the intensity freaks out Thea. The last thing she wants is anything distracting her from her goals. Zayne is also surprised by the resurgence of those sparks and wants to spend some time with Thea. Neither is looking for a relationship, but resuming their friendship is a possibility. But can they ignore the sparks?

I liked watching Thea and Zayne get to know each other again. Zayne looks at Thea and sees the beautiful woman she has become but doesn't understand her belief that she is too selfish to have a family. He thinks that all she needs is a better work-life balance to see that she can have it all. He offers to help her have the fun her sisters expect her to experience, as well as help her prepare for her upcoming client meeting. Thea is wary but can't resist spending time with him. Zayne is at a crossroads in his life. He sold his business for bunches of money and doesn't know what he wants to do next. He asks Thea to help him figure out his next steps so he can spend more time with her.

I liked seeing them get to know each other as adults. There are some terrific scenes of them opening up to each other about their fears and other issues that have haunted them. I ached for Zayne and the guilt he felt over his father's death. I liked how Thea helped him look at things from a different perspective. Thea has a few rough moments when Zayne calls her out on her tunnel vision about having a family. An unexpected blizzard throws a monkey wrench into Thea's work plans, and she doesn't react well, putting her new rapport with Zayne at risk. It takes some self-examination for each of them to realize love is the most important thing.

I enjoyed the glimpses of Japan and the Japanese culture the author included in this book. The descriptions were so vivid I felt as though I was there. ( )