Title: Dark Within
Series: Mythical Knights #1
Author: Candice Gilmer
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Title: Brightest Shadows
Series: Mystical Knights #0.5 prequel
Author: Candice Gilmer
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: September 15, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:
Losing a father is always hard, losing a father who’s a pillar of the community is harder.
Losing a father who’s the alpha of your werewolf pack is harder still, yet that’s exactly where David Drigan finds himself–lost and rudderless after the death of his father. Nonetheless, the final transformation to turn David into the leader has yet to come to him, leaving him and his family wondering, will he ever be strong enough to lead his pack?
Trying to step into his place in society, David meets Kelsey. Blonde. Curvy. Attitude. And a little dark.
There’s just something about her that makes David’s beastly desires surface unlike ever before. The need to take her and protect her, if only from herself, overwhelms him. Not that Kelsey would let him. She doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. Never has. An absentee family taught her one thing–take care of yourself, because no one’s going to do it for you. But this David guy? There’s just something different about him. At first, she thought it was because his family actually likes each other–a foreign concept for sure.
One night at her favorite decrepit amusement park, she learns there’s a lot more to David than she ever expected. There’s a lot hidden in the shadows. Can they find the light, lost in the dark?
Read on for my thoughts on Brightest Shadow. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: All Is Calm & All Is Bright
Series:
Author: Colleen Coble
Genre: Christmas Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Thomas Nelson – Fiction
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
ALL IS CALM
Brendan Waddell needs a place to recuperate. Lauren Everman needs a place to hide. It’s going to be an unexpectedly romantic Christmas at Bluebird Ranch.
Brendan Waddell has always considered Bluebird Ranch a little piece of heaven: an idyllic ranch that pairs abused children with abused horses, run by one of his old Marine buddies. Now, recovering from an on-the-job injury, Brendan thinks the ranch is the perfect place to spend Christmas healing up.
When Lauren Everman was a seventeen-year-old foster kid, Bluebird Ranch was the safest place she knew. Now it’s the perfect hideout for a woman on the run. As the witness to a murder, Lauren needs somewhere to lie low, and her skill with horses means she’ll be able to lend a hand with the troubled kids at Bluebird—without answering too many questions.
Lauren’s rich hair, high cheekbones, and dark eyes immediately get Brendan’s attention—but so does her secretive behavior. This Special Ops Intel man knows a woman on the run when he sees one, and he’s not about to let her put Bluebird Ranch at risk.
But as Brendan and Lauren get to know each other, their suspicions evaporate and romance starts to sizzle. But this would-be couple has more to worry about than each other—there’s a killer on the loose who wants Lauren kept quiet.
ALL IS BRIGHT
A romantic, Christmas wedding at her seaside hotel gives Delilah a chance to shine with her unique gifts. But will her light be snuffed out before the bride and groom say “I do”?
As manager of the Tidewater Inn, Delilah Carter has been planning a spectacular Christmas wedding for her friends at the grand hotel overlooking the ocean. While picking up still more twinkly lights and some last-minute groceries for the reception dinner, a huge truck runs her off the freezing, wet roads into the dark night. Her car stops just short of an enormous tree and the truck speeds off into the night. Delilah escapes with her life and has almost convinced herself the whole thing was an accident, but then she begins to receive threatening phone calls. With the wedding just hours away, she’s distracted and anxious. Then Sheriff Tom Bourne stops by the inn and volunteers to help.
Tom has always had a soft spot for Delilah, and he’s determined to protect her. But he is pulled away by a bizarre Christmas stunt that has the neighborhood reeling, and Delilah is attacked again.
Will Delilah have to cancel the Christmas wedding at Tidewater Inn? And will Tom’s protection be enough to save Delilah from the shadowy figure looming in the background?
Read on for my thoughts on All Is Calm & All Is Bright. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: A Silver Wolf Christmas
Series: Heart of the Wolf #17
Author: Terry Spear
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
C.J. Silver is eager to help the new she-wolves in town renovate the old hotel in time for the holidays, especially if it means spending time under the mistletoe with the alluring Laurel MacTire.
The bustle in the long abandoned hotel attracts the attention of human ghosthunters out to prove the place haunted, but the bigger problem is keeping them from discovering the werewolves in Silver Town. CJ and Laurel have to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. Working together is a surprisingly hot holiday treat for two attractive and clever wolf shifters.
Read on for my thoughts on A Silver Wolf Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: Home For Christmas
Series: Sanctuary Island #4
Author: Lily Everett
Genre: Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Magazine columnist Libby Leeds has made a name for herself sharing heartwarming stories from her perfect life on Sanctuary Island. There’s just one minor detail she’s left out: she hasn’t set foot on the island since her childhood. Orphaned and heartbroken, she departed years ago and never looked back-except in her fictional columns. Now a wounded war hero is returning to Sanctuary Island, and Libby’s editor insists she cover the story by taking the long road back…
HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Army Ranger Owen Shepard is a tall, handsome single father, and now a media sensation. He wants to reconnect with his daughter, Caitlin, and make up for lost time by giving her a Christmas to remember. When “America’s Favorite Homemaker” Libby Leeds offers her help, he jumps at the chance. But the sweet, reclusive writer is more intriguing, and more tempting, than Owen could have imagined. Soon, Owen and Caitlin are spending their holiday with Libby, decorating trees, making gingerbread houses, and warming up by the fire. It’s the closest Libby has come to love and family since she was a child-but until she and Owen admit what is in their hearts, the home they are creating together will be only in their dreams.
Read on for my thoughts on Home for Christmas. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: Good Earl Gone Bad
Series: Lords of Anarchy #2
Author: Manda Collins
Genre: Regency Romance
Published: October 6, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
TEMPTING FATE
Marriage? To a gambler? You must be joking! Yet Lady Hermione Upperton has never backed down from a challenge. When her spendthrift father offers her at the gaming tables, she is given a difficult choice—wed the Earl of Mainwaring, an infamous gamester with no respect for her skills with the reins, or face charges for the murder of a member of the infamous Lords of Anarchy. Either way she’ll have to clear her name. Can she count on her husband’s help the way she has begun to count on his kisses?
RISKING ROMANCE
All Jasper Fawley, the Earl of Mainwaring, wanted was a night of cards. But by the end of the evening he’s walked away with a fortune—and a bride who’s suspected of murder. Jasper knows Hermione is passionate about her unorthodox membership in the Lords of Anarchy, but he’s certain she would never kill to keep it. Can he protect his headstrong wife from prosecution and a ruthless killer without endangering both their hearts in the process?
Read on for my thoughts on Good Earl Gone Bad. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: The Christmas Cottage & Ever After
Series: The Christmas Cottage #1 & #2
Author: Samantha Chase
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published: combined reissue October 6, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
An exciting reissue of both books in the beloved Christmas Cottage series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Samantha Chase, just in time for the holidays .
Legend has it that any couple who spends the night in the Christmas Cottage shall have love everlasting…
THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE
Lacey Quinn does not believe in happily-ever-after or the legend of the Christmas Cottage. But her best friend does, and she’s the one getting married. It’s Lacey’s job to make sure everything at the cottage is perfect for the newlyweds. Instead, she finds herself snowed in with the best man, and she begins to wonder if fairy tales really can come true.
EVER AFTER
Ava Callahan wants desperately to believe in love everlasting. But when Brian McCabe walks back into her life and upsets her carefully organized world, her commitment to perfection makes it hard to accept the love that’s right in front of her. Will it take a night in the Christmas Cottage for Ava and Brian to find their happy ending?
Read on for my thoughts on the reissue of The Christmas Cottage & Ever After. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: The Promise of Provence
Series: Love in Provence #1
Author: Patricia Sands
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: October 6, 2015 (first pub. March 2013)
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
On the evening of her twenty-second wedding anniversary, Katherine Price can’t wait to celebrate. But instead of receiving an anniversary card from her husband, she finds a note asking for a divorce.
Fifty-five and suddenly alone, Katherine begins the daunting task of starting over. She has her friends, her aging mother, and her career to occupy her, but the future seems to hold little promise—until, after a winter of heartbreak, Katherine is persuaded to try a home exchange holiday in the South of France.
In Provence, bright fields of flowers bloom below medieval hilltop villages with winding cobblestone streets. Charmed by the picturesque countryside, the breathtaking Côte d’Azur, and the enchantment-filled boulevards of Paris, Katherine feels life opening up once again. Lavender perfumes the air, and chance encounters hint at romance and passion. But memories of heartbreak and betrayal linger—and her former life waits for her back home. Can she find the courage to begin again?
Read on for my thoughts on The Promise of Provence. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: Healing Karma
Series: Karma’s Witches #5
Author: Hope Welsh
Genre: Halloween Romance, Paranormal Romance
Published: July 28, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 spooky stars
Source: Borrowed, Kindle Unlimited
Cover Description:
Amethyst has been single, content and working as a nurse. All that changes on the night of the eclipse when she comes home only to find a book–a Book of Shadows–and a letter explaining that she’s not only got two sisters that she doesn’t know–but that she’s also a hereditary witch!
Things really start to change once she meets her sisters, Amber and Topaz. Someone is after Karma’s Newest Witches
When she meets the handsome Shawn the last thing she expected was to need him far more for his witch abilities than for his capability as a police officer and the new love of her life.
Sometimes, Love’s just a Witch. But, Healing Karma is also very important!
Read on for my thoughts on Healing Karma. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: Keep Me, Cowboy
Series: Montana Born Rodeo 2015 #3
Author: Nicole helm
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 2, 2015
Publisher: Tule Publishing
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Rodeo cowboy Cole McArthur has spent the last ten years running from Marietta, Montana, from his father’s expectations, and from the only woman he’s ever loved. But now his past is at his front door, begging for his help.
Jess Clark doesn’t want to face the only man who’s ever claimed enough of her heart to break it, but her foster family needs their prodigal son home, and she owes them too much to not make that happen. Seeing Cole for the first time in a decade unlocks the kind of desire she’s only ever felt for him, and never acted on with anyone.
Back in Marietta facing family betrayal and family secrets, heat explodes between them, and feelings buried long ago rise to the surface. But can Jess convince this wandering cowboy that his home is with her?
Read on for my thoughts on Keep Me, Cowboy. No true spoilers, promise.
Title: The Guardian of Blackbird Inn
Series: Wicked Tales
Author: Kerry Adrienne
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: October 1, 2015
Publisher: OmniLit / All Romance eBooks
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
Saving the inn might mean losing her life.
Sophia Yates travels to the famed and haunted Blackbird Inn to help its mysterious owner, Garren Amsel, research its history. The state wants to claim eminent domain and take the property, but the historical inn has been in Garren’s family for generations and he can’t bear to lose it.
After learning the truth behind the inn’s biggest mystery, and why Garren stays, saving Blackbird Inn may cost Sophia her life. How far will she go to protect him?
Read on for my thoughts on The Guardian of Blackbird Inn. No true spoilers, promise.
Musing Monday is hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm.
Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:
My prompt for this week is: I bought the following book(s) in the past week – and…
THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: Do you make a seasonal reading list? How do you choose what goes on it?
I have a real bookshelf (two actually) full of Christmas novels that I’ve loved from past years. I’ll add to that again, as well as my Kindle’s bulk again this year. I do not have a written in stone seasonal reading list. I have favorites that I know I’ll re-read like Debbie Macomber’s angels who get into so much delightful, well intended trouble each Christmas. Aside from that one must read every Christmas series, I simply go to my shelves and pick up something that speaks to me at that moment. And I know that I’ll be adding to that list again this year – I always do.
Because of NetGalley review due dates, I’ve actually begun my Christmas reading very early this year. Plus taking part in Anna’s and Kimberly’s Blog Ahead October 2015 challenge using my Christmas shelf as plan ahead for December reviews is adding to the constant snowflakes and egg nog feeling around my reading area right now. I submerge myself in all the reading of Christmas wonder and magic as much as I possibly can… and if I’m still reading right up to the end of the twelve days of Christmas – so be it. 🙂
This week I picked up Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas, Lori Foster’s Yule Be Mine, and the newest Krewe of Hunters from Heather Graham, The Hidden. Plus more 1-clicks from Amazon than I want to admit to 🙂
Hope your Monday is getting off to a good start.
Title: Wish Upon a Christmas Cake
Series:
Author: Darcie Boleyn
Genre: Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance
Published: October 2, 2015
Publisher: Carina UK
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
The most wonderful time of the year?
Katie Warham has just one wish this year…to have the best Christmas ever!
If only she could lock herself away in a cloud of flour and sugar at her cosy little tearoom, Crumbtious Cakes, instead of spending the festive season trapped with her judgemental mother, crazy Aunt Gina and loved-up celebrity brother Carl…
But Katie never expected her ex-boyfriend, widower Sam – and his two adorable children – to turn up on her doorstep. She didn’t think that any man could tempt her under the mistletoe this year, but Sam might just prove the exception! And as the snow begins to fall and Katie puts the final touches to her famous Christmas cake, she begins to wonder, could her Christmas wish actually come true?
Read on for my thoughts on Wish Upon A Christmas Cake. No true spoilers, promise.
Rhiannon. I have adored this character (sorry, goddess) since the first time I read about her. Wings in the Night, both series, have a special shelf on my bookcase all to themselves. A place of honor if you will.
Now, I can’t wait for Halloween Eve when the newest adventure will hit my Kindle.
You should discover these amazing stories for yourself – I’m betting you’ll never look at vampires quite the same again.
https://youtu.be/-9R4b6KVUwg
Title: The Engagement Game
Series: 49th Floor #3
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 5, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Indulgence
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:
The black sheep of the old-money Rosemanns, advertising executive Marcus has made his own way in the world—and done extremely well for himself—but his family is still pressuring him to join their investment firm and settle down with a quiet, unobjectionable girl.
Which is why the sexy Rose Verma is the perfect date for his family’s charity ball. A bleeding-heart lefty from the wrong side of the tracks, Rose has never met a stray dog she didn’t love or a polka-dotted mini-dress she couldn’t rock. Marcus has enough dirt on Rose to “convince” her to play along. And if he lets it slip that they’re engaged, all the better.
But all’s fair in love and blackmail, and Rose is ready to play a few cards of her own.
Read on for my thoughts on The Engagement Game. No true spoilers, promise.