Novella #2 for Elisabeth Barrett's West Coast Holiday Series

Last December 16, I reviewed Christmas in Tahoe, 1 of 3 novellas in Elisabeth Barrett's West Coast Holiday Series.  I told you that I liked it well enough to write a review of just one novella.  I also said that I didn't know if I would like the other 2 enough to write separate reviews.  Well, that question has been half-answered.  Rendezvous in Point Reyes is definitely worth its own review.  And why did I read it now?  Because it's about Valentine's Day.  And lest we forget, Valentine's Day was Tuesday.  So I started it on VDay and finished it 1 day later.  That's how much I enjoyed it (plus I had some extra reading time!).

P.S.  I already missed out on the timing for the 3rd novella, New Year's in Napa.  I very much doubt that I will wait until next New Year's to read it. But back to RiPR.  Here's the blurb:

Shy, quiet Stella Flynn escapes to Point Reyes to wallow after a rough divorce, but little does she know that sexy, free-spirited Jason Roberts has other plans.  Jason has secretly been in love with Stella for years.  Unfortunately, she's his best friend's younger sister, and Stella's brother would kill him if he ever broke her heart.  Over a long, romantic Valentine's Day weekend, Stella and Jace discover that seduction is a game that's easy to lose...and that the path from friends to lovesr is never as smooth as it seems.

I will try not to repeat all of the things I said about the 1st novella.  But I can't avoid some comparisons:

1.  An immediate connection with the 2 protagonists.  Why yes in some books and not in others?  I don't know.  I only know what I know and feel.  And Elisabeth is 2 for 2.
2.  Lots of tears, chills, tears, smiles, tears, raised eyebrows, and more tears.
3.  And I did have an"episode" near the end of the book in which I had blurred eyes, falling tears, and a certain amount of light blubbering (can blubbering be light?)

But this novella had a few attributes of its own:

1.  The 1st half of page 1 is extremely clever.  In fact, it's one of my very favorite book openings.
2.  I had a moment, besides all of those listed above, where I really almost cheered.  I didn't because I always have complete control of my emotions (yeah, right).  But I wanted to.
3.  I appreciated learning a lot about the cheese industry.  I'll have to ask Elisabeth how she learned so much about the inner workings of making, distributing, and selling cheese.

And no review would be complete without my personal connections. Don't worry, I've only got 2:

1.  They talk about the Oxbow shopping center in Napa.  Joni and I visited that location about 7 months ago and thought it was very cool.
2   The Flynn's not only took very good care of Stella and her brother, but also basically raised Jason. This reminded me of the Maverick Billionaires series, by Jennifer Skully and Bella Andre.  Those parents also took care of kids that weren't biologically their own.  In both cases, I liked those parents - a lot.

It's really a pleasure being able to read Elisabeth's stories.  But, as I mentioned in my 1st review, this is her only book in print.  It almost makes me want to read her other books in e form - but not quite. ELISABETH, HOW 'BOUT MORE PRINT BOOKS?