A friend (MH) sent me this book in a box of books. I accidentally read book #13 in the series first (because both books had a publication date of 2015) and didn't realize this one came before until I was already partway through book #13. I'm not sure if reading the later book first contributed to my DNF or rating of this book. Much as I liked book #13 of the series, it did spoil "The Christmas Bouquet" because I already knew what happened between Noah and Caitlyn. And for some reason, I did not want to read "Bayside Retreat"--perhaps I am tired of Mick O'Brien's protectiveness or methods by this point. ( )

If it wasn’t for Noah and Mick this book would get 0-1 star. Enjoyed grandpa Mick and his meddling old-fashioned ways of believing a pregnant girl should be married. Noah was over the top patient with Cait and like how he could accept another plan for his life. Caitlyn’s stubbornness that her dream of helping people in Africa was the only important thing of life got very irritating. If it wasn’t for Dr. Davis and her foundation to build medical clinics, Cait would have been worthless. Cait’s idea to use a nanny instead of family actually made me hate her by the end. ( )

The Christmas Bouquet
Have read other works by the author and have enjoyed them.
Kaitlyn Winters caught the bouquet at the wedding of a friend but she's fallen in love with Noah,
Noah MacInroy, the O'Biens are trying to convince her to take a chance on love. Noah is on board with marriage and a child but she's not totally sure of it all.
Love catching up with the other O'Birens and what they are up to. Kaitlyn thinks the family will want to kill Noah but they've agreed to sit down and have a meal with him and not pester him to death.
So many choices they could make as others push them to work/live in town...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )

Caitlyn Winters has her life planned out – she is in medical school and when she finishes her internship and residency she's going to Africa to help the people there who don't have adequate medical care. Nowhere in her plans was falling in love but she has indeed fallen in love with fellow medical student Noah McIlroy. Not only that but she's pregnant? Caitlyn feels like all her dreams are crumbling around her are they?

“The Christmas Bouquet” is another cute book in Sherryl Woods’ Chesapeake Shores series. This is a different type of romance novel because caitlyn and Noah are already a couple - the big conflict in this book is whether they should get married. This does drag on a bit - the strongest part of this book is when Woods shows Caitlyn at work which shows how good she is as a doctor and how much it means to her. The book could have used more seems like that and less talk about what Caitlyn should do (don’t get me wrong – Caitlyn’s dilemma is a very real one for any woman, I just think it could have been more deeply plotted. For example, what did Caitlyn think she was going to do with the baby if she decided to work in Africa instead of marry Noah?) Compared to Caitlyn Noah is a saint - he has to be the most patient man on the planet as he waits for Caitlyn to make her decision. These differences aside, Caitlyn and Noah really make a cute couple and with the O'Brien family figuring predominately in the story (especially Mick O'Brien) this is a light yet delightful romance.

“The Christmas Bouquet” is a cute romance - perfect to read during the holiday season. ( )

Very good book. Caitlyn is the twin who knows exactly what she wants and when she wants it. Shortly after catching the bridal bouquet at a family wedding she met and fell in love with Noah, a medical resident at the hospital where she's studying. Her studies are going well and her relationship with Noah is great - until she discovers she's pregnant. She is stunned and none too happy about the crimp it puts in her plans. Noah is just as stunned, but he doesn't mind at all. He wants to marry Caitlyn and have that happily-ever-after he pictures.

I liked Caitlyn. She's independent and determined and has her eyes set firmly on her goal of being able to help the people in an African village she's been to before. She's also very much in love with Noah, who shares many of her ideals. But when she discovers she's pregnant she's terrified that she will have to give up her dreams. As much as she loves him, having Noah immediately propose marriage just adds to her fears. When her family gets involved, the pressure just increases.

Noah loves Caitlyn. He is surprised by the pregnancy, but happy about it. He has no trouble picturing himself as a father. His plans for after his residency are to find a rural area in need of a doctor and set up a practice. After he finds out about the baby he knows some things will have to change, but he's pretty flexible. He's able to make some adaptations to those dreams that allow him to fulfill his desire to help while still remaining close. He is dismayed by Caitlyn's refusal of his proposal, but understands her fears. He has the patience to wait for Caitlyn to work through them.

I have to say that I loved Noah. He is supportive of her and her goals. He steps right up when she gets pregnant and is looking forward to being a father. He doesn't quite understand her reservations about telling her family until he meets them. I loved that first meeting and how well he did with the family. It helped that he wants to marry Caitlyn. I really enjoyed seeing him try to reign in Mick, the patriarch of the family, and the one most notorious for interfering. Noah really wants her to marry him before the baby comes, but he knows her well enough to know that she can't be pushed. He gets into trouble a couple times, but recovers well. I loved the gift he had for her at the end.

Caitlyn was having a hard time and she really didn't have to. She was so focused on how the baby was going to impact her plans that she nearly missed out on having it all. I understood her fears about having to give up her dreams, but she wasn't looking at the possibilities. It didn't help that she kept getting pressured by her family, especially her grandfather. I liked the fact that she never doubted Noah's love for her. I got a bit frustrated with her when she was avoiding home like it was the source of all her problems. It took awhile, and some advice from her mother and her mentor, before she finally started to look at the big picture. I loved her arrival at Noah's and how they worked things out. I loved the epilogue. ( )