Thursday, December 27, 2018

Marrying a Spy


Marrying a Spy (A Fake Marriage Series Book 5) by [Meyer, Anne-Marie]

Lots of emotional struggle in this book. The characters are so conflicted they can hardly see straight. Talk about baggage!

And yet, the characters were relateable and the reader could emote along with them.

Well told, clean, and with an element of suspense. We are talking about crime lords here.

I fine wrap up to the series.

Amazon

She's protecting her heart. He's protecting her. Their old feelings weren't supposed to reignite.

Sophia feels as if she's finally been able to put her past behind her. Her father left, Noah left, and her mother and brother passed away from a suspicious car accident ten years ago. Even though she is an orphan, she has her town and her perfectly predictable life as a dentist to keep her company. That is, until Noah shows up with secrets of his own.

Noah's back after leaving Sophia and the suffocating small town. Even though he joined the military, became a pararescueman, and was recruited by the CIA, nothing seemed to blot out the memory of the only woman he's ever loved, Sophia. When his boss proposes the plan of a fake marriage to snuff out Sophia's father, he jumps at the opportunity. After all, he would only trust the job of her safety to himself—even if he is pretty sure his heart is in jeopardy of breaking. 

Old feelings bubble to the surface and Sophia and Noah struggle to interpret each others actions as the lines between acting and truth become blurred. Just when they decide to be honest with each other, Sophia's father shows up and informs them, they've been compromised. Now both must decide if loving each other is worth the risks.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Rule #4: You Can't Misinterpret a Mistletoe Kiss


Rule #4: You Can't Misinterpret a Mistletoe Kiss (The Rules of Love) by [Meyer, Anne-Marie]

A cute romp through the teenage world of angst and crushes.

Two competitive families go on holiday together in a cabin in the woods. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, and there is plenty of that.

All the parents are over the top.

There are secrets and deep misunderstandings. And the kids eventually call the parents to correct their foolish ways.

If you're looking for a romantic comedy holiday style, then you have the right book.

Amazon

A mistletoe kiss is just a simple kiss, right? Wrong.

All I want to do during this Christmas break is survive. A week at the cabin with our family’s friends/rivals, the Stephensons, every yuletide activity is turned into a competition where my family must win. Every. One. 

Yep. Lots of Christmas spirit around here. 

But, I've survived past holidays, there's no reason why I can't survive this one. 

Until Mom informs me that Jacob Stephenson, my brother's ex-best friend and resident bad boy, is back from his grandmothers after having been gone for the semester. I guess, after you find out your son robbed a gas station, you banish him to the most southern state. 

Now my ridiculous crush is back in full force and I’m trying really hard to stay away from him. My brother is frustrated that Jacob is home and I'm supposed to put my family above boys. Right?

Maybe… 

I was attempting to be loyal until Jacob and I kiss. Sure, it was a forced one brought on by mistletoe tradition, but there was something in the way he held me and pressed his lips to mine that told me, he just might be feeling something more. 

But when he keeps pulling away and acting like the bad boy I'm pretty sure is fake, I begin to realize that there's more at stake here then just my heart. A truth that is eating away at him. I just hope I can unearth it before Christmas is over and any chance that I have at discovering the real Jacob disappears.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Love, Snow, & Mistletoe


Love, Snow and Mistletoe: Four Sweet Christmas Romance Novellas by [Lieske, Victorine E., Pennington, Michelle, Dearen, Tamie, Houston, Annie]

This four story anthology is perfect holiday reading.

Each other brings her own unique voice and tale to the holiday season. Each has it's own imaginative twist. All have wonderful characters, solid writing, and sweet kisses.

Grab a cup of cocoa and curl up by the fire for a satisfying read.

Amazon

Her Fake Christmas Date

BY VICTORINE LIESKE

Jennifer uses an old friend as an excuse for why she can’t go on a blind date. She doesn’t know he’s been secretly in love with her since grade school.

A Holiday Rescue

BY TAMIE DEAREN

Despite her fame as an author, Amy is all alone at Christmas. Stranded in a snowstorm, she's rescued by a handsome stranger. Can shared cocoa lead to love?

 A Second Chance for Christmas

BY MICHELLE PENNINGTON

Grace planned to spend December moving into her new apartment and getting ready for Christmas with her daughter, not falling for her neighbor, Sam--whose heart she broke years ago.

 The Billionaire’s Perfect Match

BY ANNIE HOUSTON

Heading up large corporations is tough on your love life. A trip home throws high school friends Aurelia and Lander together and sparks fly. They each have everything, except love.


Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Gift of a Child


The Gift of a Child by [Weaver, Donna K.]

This is a short, simple, and mighty tale with lots of heart.

We follow two single parents navigating the difficult waters of providing temporally and emotionally for their littles. Holidays can be especially tough when missing loved ones are on their minds. Still this mom and uncle find their way to peace through their friendship.

Looking forward to the next installment of this story.

Amazon

Recently widowed Rae Cavanaugh just survived the worst birthday of her life. She and her two young children must now face a holiday season filled with so many reminders of what they've lost. But when a coworker who’s raising his young nephew moves next door, Rae discovers that the support of a good friend, and the gift of a child, can bring back some of the joy of the season.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Match Me by Christmas

Match Me by Christmas (No Match for Love Book 8) by [Armstrong, Lindzee]

What a fun beginning, middle, and end. The story starts with spilled food and ends with a HEA. What else does a reader need?

Both characters are well fleshed out and relateable. There's multiple hurdles for Natalie and Shawn to cross, issues to work through, and lots of sigh worthy moments to enjoy before the inevitable swoony end.

Wonderful appearances from some of the Tujour crew and of characters from other books in this series, but if you read this as a stand alone you won't feel in the dark.

Another success from Ms. Armstrong.


Amazon

A reporter running from love. A cruise ship director longing for home. Can a Christmas miracle help them build a relationship before the ship docks for the last time?

Natalie James will do anything to land a journalist job with her favorite travel magazine—even report on Toujour’s first ever singles cruise. After a string of one-sided relationships, she longs for the escape of vacationing around the globe. Even if that means watching professional matchmakers help naïve couples fall in love.

Shawn Erickson has spent a decade wasting away as a specialty cruise director while coming to terms with the accident that cost him his military ambitions. But he’s done running. Now he has a new dream—to open his own travel agency with the bonus he’ll get from hosting Toujour. After so long spent adrift, he longs for the stability of a permanent address and family.

When Natalie crashes into Shawn in the buffet line, their spark of attraction is undeniable. But as the cruise draws to a close, their tangled emotions reveal hidden wounds. Can a Christmas miracle help them build a real relationship before the ship docks for the last time?

This is a full-length sweet/clean contemporary romantic comedy that will delight readers who love Hallmark movies. Each book in this series by USA Today bestselling author Lindzee Armstrong can be read as a stand-alone.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Second Chance Mistletoe Kisses


Second Chance Mistletoe Kisses (Love Tries Again Book 1) by [Meyer, Anne-Marie]

Ms. Meyer does it again. I think her writing gets stronger with each story.

My favorite character was Macie. This story needed a child's perspective to really make it sparkle and shine.

Great history and chemistry between the love interests. Hurdles, emotional angst, and meddling grandmother's make this a charming story for the holidays.

Amazon

Two broken hearts plus one meddling grandmother equals a Christmas to remember.

Quinn is a single mom who's down on her luck. It's a few days before Christmas and despite the fact that she's desperately trying to keep her world from crumbling down, fate isn't on her side. Just as she wrangles her five-year-old daughter into her truck, the wind picks up and scratches the Jaguar next to her. Dollar signs flash through her eyes, but it's nothing compared to the fact that the car belongs to Collin Stewart—the boy who broke her heart so many years ago. 

Collin is back in his sleepy home town to spend the holidays with his sick grandmother. While out on an errand for her, he discovers that the girl he's never really been able to forget about has scratched his car. His thoughts keep returning to her and at the prompting of his grandmother, he calls her to inquire about her plans for the holidays. He soon discovers that there's been a fire at Quinn's house and the only plausible thing to do is ask her to stay with him. 

It's difficult enough living in close quarters with a person you once loved, but add in Collin's sneaky grandmother or Quinn's precocious daughter and feelings become hard to ignore. Both want to protect themselves, and before they can fully trust one another, they need to decide if they can overcome their fears.

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Mistletoe Mayhem


Mistletoe Mayhem (Twickenham Time Travel Romance Book 4) by [Noelle, Jo]

I love the Twickenham series and this holiday tale didn't disappoint!

The mayhem is real. A mixed up love potion, what a brilliant idea to add into this charming tale.

Loved the characters, their journeys to HEA, and the setting.

Lots of emotion and good clean writing.

Bring on the next one, please!


Amazon


Two couples. One love potion. And a whole lot of mayhem.



Henry Stoepel, Earl of Saalfeld has loved Lady May Cottrell since they were children. He’s proposed three times. She hasn’t said no, but she hasn’t said yes. He decides to give it one more try at his friend’s Christmas ball, knowing this time he might get the answer he dreads.

Mr. Everett Hawley and Lady Lucy Radnor have been engaged for several months. The banns have been read, but her parents invent flimsy excuses postponing the wedding date. Everett is determined to force her parents to fulfill the marriage contract at the Christmas ball.

When a little faerie magic gets mixed with mistletoe, both couples are plunged into mischief and mayhem. Will either get a happily ever after?


Mistletoe Mayhem begins where P.S. I Love You, Twickenham Time Travel Romance Book 1, ended.