Tag: Christmas Romance

A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnn McLane

Posted October 16, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

A Royal Christmas GiftTitle:  A Royal Christmas Gift
Series:  Happily Ever After
Author:  LuAnn mcLane
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  October 12, 2015
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington is devastated when he learns that his monarchy is being used as a tax haven for the wealthy and drug runners. To protect his people, he flees to Alabama and poses as Nick Worth, an inspector for the National Historical Society.

Anna Lee is floored when Nick Worth shows up on her doorstep to give her grant money to restore her home. She’s charmed by the handsome inspector with his European accent and takes him up on his offer. The two week restoration project turns into something much more, but Nick fears that his presence could put his southern beauty in danger.

As Christmas Eve approaches Nicholas must decide if he can put the woman he loves at risk or disappear from her life forever…

Read on for my thoughts on A Royal Christmas Gift.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Christmas at Evergreen Inn by Donna Alward

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Christmas at Evergreen InnTitle:  Christmas at Evergreen Inn
Series:  Jewell Cove #3.5
Author:  Donna Alward
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  October 13, 2015
Publisher:  St. Martin’s Paperbacks
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

When a December Nor’easter roars up the eastern seaboard, Jewell Cove cop Todd Ricker spends his day off being a Good Samaritan to stranded holiday travelers. But when the roads close and Todd can’t make his way home, he discovers that the Evergreen Inn is full up. Until another Good Samaritan opens her doors and offers him a place to stay…

Lainey Price is not looking forward to Christmas, but just because she’s not filled with the holiday spirit doesn’t mean she’s going to turn Todd out into the stormy night. Even if it means offering the handsome police officer the couch in her tiny cottage. But when the weather takes a turn for the worse, the two are snowed in for a wintry evening by the fire. With Christmas only a few days away, can Todd convince Lainey to open her heart to the season…and love?

Read on for my thoughts on Christmas at Evergreen Inn.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Merry Mistletoe by Emma Davies

Posted October 15, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Merry MistletoeTitle:  Merry Mistletoe
Series:
Author:  Emma Davies
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  October 15, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Sherbourne Mistletoe has been prized and sold at the annual Mistletoe Fair for over a hundred years; but could this year possibly be the last? With her father’s sudden death and debts mounting up it looks as though Freya’s only hope for the future is to sell her beloved family home. And to make matters worse, the only contenders to buy Appleyard Farm, are the people she’d least like to sell it to – the dreaded Henderson brothers who seem always to make life so difficult.

It’s magical stuff though, mistletoe, and the arrival of the mysterious Amos Fry brings a glimmer of hope that just maybe Freya can fall in love with Christmas all over again.

Read on for my thoughts on Merry Mistletoe.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Four Weddings and a White Christmas by Jenny Oliver

Posted October 8, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Four Weddings and a White ChristmasTitle:  Four Weddings and a White Christmas
Series:  Cherry Pie Island #5
Author:  Jenny Oliver
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  October 8, 2015
Publisher:  Carina UK
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

It’s Christmas! And this year Cherry Pie Island is covered with confetti as well as snow – as the island gets set to celebrate four weddings, as well as the most picturesque Christmas in memory. Nowhere does a deliciously warm and wonderfully festive Christmas as Cherry Pie Island!

Welcome back to Cherry Pie Island…the most delicious place to spend Christmas!

Hannah’s holidays are normally spent nibbling chocolate coins with her daughter and arguing with her sister about whether they’re too old for stockings on Christmas morning. But this year, she’s been offered the dressmaker’s job of a lifetime: creating a one-of-a-kind a dress for her school friend Annie’s Christmas wedding on the picture-perfect Cherry Pie Island.

Many mince pies and one hot-pink organza dress later, Hannah is set to snuggle back into her old routine…until she discovers that there are three more weddings this winter – and not a dress in sight!

Four very different themes, four demanding brides and four parties spent avoiding chef Harry Fontaine, whose cynicism is as much a wedding day guarantee as confetti and cake. Hannah has her work cut out for her! Yet, with a sprinkling of snowflakes and Christmas magic, it could be that this is the year when miracles really do happen…if Hannah will let them.

Read on for my thoughts on Four Weddings and a White Christmas.  No true spoilers, promise.

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All Is Calm, All Is Bright by Colleen Coble

Posted October 7, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

All Is Calm All Is BrightTitle:  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.

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Home For Christmas by Lily Everett

Posted October 6, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Home For ChristmasTitle:  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.

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The Christmas Cottage & Ever After by Samantha Chase

Posted October 6, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

The Christmas Cottage & Ever AfterTitle:  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.

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Wish Upon A Christmas Cake by Darcie Boleyn

Posted October 5, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

Wish Upon a Christmas CakeTitle:  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.

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Do You Believe In Santa? by Sierra Donovan

Posted October 3, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Series / 0 Comments

Do you believe in ChristmasTitle:  Do You Believe In Santa?
Series:  Evergreen Lane #1
Author:  Sierra Donovan
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  September 29, 2015
Publisher:  Kensington Books, Zebra
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Miracles don’t just happen on 34th Street. They can happen right in your living room—if you’re willing to believe…

What grown woman claims to have seen Santa Claus? Mandy Reese, for one—on a very special Christmas Eve when she was eight years old. These days, Mandy works at a year-round Christmas store in Tall Pine, California, where customers love to hear about her childhood encounter with Saint Nick. But when Jake Wyndham arrives in town—charming, gorgeous, extremely practical—Mandy faces a dilemma. Deny what she saw, or let Jake think she’s sugar plum crazy?

Jake scouts hotel locations all over the country, but he’s never met anyone quite like Mandy before. Her warmth and sparkle are irresistible, but…meeting Santa? Really? Jake’s no Scrooge but he’s definitely skeptical. Then again, there are all kinds of things Jake never experienced until he came to Tall Pine. Like autumn snow. Mind blowing kisses. And the magic of falling head-over-heels, madly in love.

Read on for my thoughts on Do You Believe In Santa?  No true spoilers, promise.

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One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot

Posted October 2, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance / 0 Comments

One Wish In manhattanTitle:  One Wish in Manhattan
Series:
Author:  Mandy Baggot
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Christmas Romance
Published:  October 2, 2015
Publisher:  Bookouture
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to fall in love

The temperature is dropping, snow is on its way and Hayley Walker is heading for New York with one wish on her mind…to start over.

With her nine year-old daughter Angel, Hayley is ready for an adventure. From hot chocolates and horse-drawn carriage rides in Central Park, to ice-skating at the Rockefeller Centre, and Christmas shopping on 5th Avenue – they soon fall in love with the city that never sleeps.

But there’s more to New York than the bright twinkly lights and breathtaking skyscrapers. Angel has a Christmas wish of her own – to find her real dad.

While Hayley tries to fulfil her daughter’s wish, she crosses paths with Billionaire Oliver Drummond. Restless and bored with fast living, there’s something intriguing about him that has Hayley hooked.

Determined to make her daughter’s dream come true, can Hayley dare to think her own dreams might turn into reality – could A New York Christmas turn into a New York Forever?

Travel to the Big Apple this Christmas and join Hayley and Oliver as they both realise that life isn’t just about filling the minutes…it’s about making every moment count.

Read on for my thoughts on One Wish in Manhattan.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Long, Tall Christmas by Janet Dailey

Posted September 26, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

Long, Tall ChristmasTitle:  Long, Tall Christmas
Series:
Author:  Janet Dailey
Genre:  Christmas Romance
Published:  September 29, 2015
Publisher:  Kensington Books
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Facing foreclosure on her California home, widowed Kylie Wayne is grateful to accept her aging aunt Muriel’s offer to come back to small-town Branding Iron, Texas, and help out on the ranch. But when an early storm rolls in, Kylie’s dream of a perfect Christmas for her kids is blown away with the unexpected snow. Comfort and joy seem unlikely, unless a certain long, tall Texan with a bad boy’s charm can rope some holiday cheer…

No one imagined restless, independent Shane Taggart would work his parents’ ranch all these years. But with his father gone, Shane is ready to sell his land and see the world—until sweet, sexy Kylie shows up. The dutiful good girl he remembers has turned into a spirited woman, and Shane wants to give her the warm family future she longs for, puppy and all. One kiss under the mistletoe may not convince her, but Shane knows that love is a gift that will last forever.

Read on for my thoughts on Long, Tall Christmas.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Review: The 12 Brides of Christmas Collection

Posted July 19, 2015 by Marsha in Christmas Romance / 0 Comments

12 Brides of Christmas CollectionTitle:  The 12 Brides of Christmas Collectio
Series:
Author:  Various
Genre:  Christmas Historical Romance
Published:  October 1, 2015
Publisher:  Barbour Books
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley

Cover Description:

Christmas is the time for love—and weddings—and twelve historical women are on their way to the altar, whether they know it or not. In Nineteenth Century settings across the heartland of America, readers will experience heartfelt gifts, old-fashioned Christmas traditions, sweet romance, and inspiring faith from twelve acclaimed Christian authors, including Mary Connealy, Margaret Brownley, Pam Hillman, Maureen Lang, Michele Ule, Amy Lillard, Miralee Ferrell, Susan Page Davis, Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, Amanda Cabot, Davalynn Spencer, and Vickie McDonough.

Read on for my thoughts on The 12 Brides of Christmas Collection.

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Review: A Christmas Wedding by Jennifer Lewis

Posted February 19, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

A Christmas Wedding Desert KingsTitle:  A Christmas Wedding
Series:  Desert Kings (novella)
Author:  Jennifer Lewis
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  December 9, 2014
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

In A Christmas Wedding, Sam Al Kilanjar attempts to negotiate her first holiday season in a country with different customs, a big fat Ubarite wedding and the arrival of her drama-loving family, all without losing her mind—or her beloved, who is called away to deal with a crisis on the eve of their wedding.

Veronica Baxter is excited about her wedding to Zadir Al Kilanjar, but worries that her estranged parents will ruin everything.

Can they find Christmas miracles among the madness and enjoy the weddings they’ve dreamed of?

Read on for my thoughts on  A Christmas Wedding (Desert Kings).  No true spoilers, promise.

I’m not even going to attempt to set up a teaser introduction to this review.  You have everything you need for the basics in the Story Blurb.  🙂

This novella was such a fun read.  I laughed until tears flowed – and that doesn’t happen often.  Try bringing Christmas traditions to a country that has none – add in a stress-out Queen who turns into a Bride-zilla or a Christmas-zilla, if you will – a bride’s parents who aren’t speaking to each other – a groom who refuses to not see his intended before the wedding – an eruption of butterflies – goats running rampant and two happily ever after couples finally united in an American style wedding.

Oh come on – how can you not chuckle just reading that?  😉

Please, please I beg you – when you need a good, fun, charming love story no matter the time of the year – when you just need to smile and laugh for a bit in a drudge of a day… turn to A Christmas Wedding (Desert Kings) and simply enjoy.  Then find the other books in the series and enjoy even more.

I have to give this one 5 outta 5 – it made me laugh and feel good and if that doesn’t deserve the highest rating, I don’t know what does.   This one goes in my Christmas reading collection because I intend to enjoy it again next year and beyond.

*I received an e-ARC of A Christmas Wedding (Desert Kings)  from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

 

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Review: A Matchmaker’s Christmas by Donna Lea Simpson

Posted February 19, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

A Matchmaker's ChristmasTitle:  A Matchmaker’s Christmas
Series:
Author:  Donna Lea Simpson
Genre:  Historical Romance, Christmas
Published:  December 17, 2014
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

Twenty years ago, Beatrice Copland committed a reckless and foolish act of deceit that she’s certain ruined the life of a man she’d fallen in love with and led to his wife’s death. Now serving as companion to the stern Lady Bournaud, she leads a quiet life and attends to her duties as a kind of penance. But Lady Bournaud, trying to make amends for her own selfish ways, is opening her country estate to a few select guests for the holidays—including the man Beatrice wronged so many years ago.

Sir David Chappell spent nearly two decades coming to terms with the haunting memory of his wife’s death. When he receives an invitation to Lady Bournaud’s for the Christmas season, he’s reluctant to go at first, but he’s sure the time away in Yorkshire will be a welcome change from London. Once there, he’s immediately captivated by the youthful beauty and genuine compassion of the lady’s companion, Beatrice Copland—all the while sensing that he’s met her before.

Even as David pursues her and Beatrice realizes she’s still powerfully attracted to the man, she must gently rebuff his advances for fear that her damning secret will come to light and reopen his old wounds. And while Lady Bournaud watches, happily scheming to make matches for all her guests, it may take more than a Christmas miracle for David to free Beatrice’s conscience, and her heart, at last.

Read on for my thoughts on A Matchmaker’s Christmas.  No true spoilers, promise.

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Review: Christmas With The Laird by Scarlet Wilson

Posted February 13, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

Christmas with the LairdTitle:  Christmas with the Laird
Series: Christmas Around the World
Author:  Scarlet Wilson
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  October 28, 2014
Source:  NetGalley

Story Blurb:

It’s official – for Juliette Connolly Christmas is a bust and she’s definitely not in the Christmas spirit. She’s been dumped by her boyfriend and replaced by a younger model. Then a clause in her contract means she and a mysterious colleague have to work over Christmas. But there’s much more to Andrew Campbell than meets the eye. Especially when it turns out he’s the Scottish Laird of the haunted house they’re filming in.

And it seems like there’s magic in the air in the remote snow-filled setting. The local village contains a cast of Christmas characters and even though the boiler in the drafty house is broken the temperature is definitely rising.

Maybe Andrew and Juliette are about to be sprinkled with a little Christmas fairy dust?

*I received an e-ARC of Christmas with the Laird from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Read on for my thoughts on Christmas with the Laird.  No true spoilers, promise.

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