TITLE: A Very Vintage Christmas
SERIES #: An Unforgettable Christmas #1
CHARACTERS: Dodie & Edward
AUTHOR: Tilly Tennant
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The fairy lights are up and shoppers are flooding the snowy seaside promenade. It’s going to be a busy month at Forget-Me-Not Vintage, a magical shop with a warm heart where every item has a story to be told.
With bright red hair and an infectious smile, Dodie is a hopeless romantic and absolutely one of a kind, just like the pieces in her shop.
When Dodie finds a love letter in the pocket of an old woollen coat, she makes it her mission to deliver it to its rightful owner. Following the address, she manages to persuade the handsome but reluctant new tenant, Edward, to help her with her search.
As the story of the letter unfolds, Dodie is there, as always, to pick up the pieces and make things right. But who will be there for her when her own love story needs a helping hand?
Is it too much to dream of a happy ending like the ones in the black and white movies she adores?
REVIEW:
Dodie is true to herself when it comes to her personality. She is the epitome of vintage. She loves everything old so it makes sense she will open up her own vintage shop. Dodie is “dating” someone but her heart isn’t into it. But once she finds the war-time love letter she knows the owner would want it and needs to track down the owner.
This is a sweet story. It doesn’t have a lot of Christmas feel, I guess more of a winter feel, until the end but that doesn’t take away from the charm of the story. Dodie is an adorable character with so much charm it is hard not to like her. Great background characters like Gran as well.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Tomorrow The Glory
CHARACTERS: Kendall & Brent
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A historical romance by Heather Graham, writing as Shannon Drake.
THE WOMAN
She is Kendall Moore—a spirited southern belle as proud as she is beautiful, driven by a cruel marriage-bed betrayal to risk her life in a dangerous gamble for freedom . . .
THE MAN
He is Brent McClain—the Confederate agent who meets Kendall aboard the warship Jenni-Lyn, and loses his heart in a single, searing night of passion . . .
THE GLORY
But war and treachery soon tear them apart—Brent into raging battle, Kendall into desperate flight from a scorned husband’s white-hot vengeance. They live only for the promise of tomorrow—and a love that will burn forever in both their hearts.
REVIEW:
Re-release from under the name Shannon Drake. This is a historical civil war romance. Graham/Drake has an unbelievable way of writing that pulls you right in. You want to crawl into the book and visit the location she is writing about.
The tension between the couple is wonderful and difficult at the same time. I picked the story because of the author being Graham but I truly enjoyed this story. I am not a huge civil war romance fan but this was a great story.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Vampire Fight Club
SERIES #: Demonica #6.5
CHARACTERS: Vladlena & Nathan
AUTHOR: Larissa Ione
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Previously published in Supernatural
New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione tempts you into the darkly irresistible world of Demonica, populated by angels and demons, shifters and humans, all with a thirst that must be quenched . . .
When a wave of violence that hits too close to home forces shapeshifter and underworld nurse Vladlena Paskelkov to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge . . .
Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. But Nathan, a rare daywalker, possesses other, even more explosive secrets, as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. The one thing they can’t conceal is the lust that simmers between them . . .
Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender . . .
REVIEW:
I picked this up because the moment I see Larissa Ione’s name I request the story. But this is one of those times that I had already read the story when it was part of the anthology. This story is about Lena. And her desire to find her brother’s killer.
This is a short story and is a quick read. The characters are interesting and the story is written with Ione’s exquisite form.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Wagging Through The Snow
SERIES #: Melanie Travis Mystery #21
CHARACTERS: Melanie Travis
AUTHOR: Laurien Berenson
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/26/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Melanie Travis needs a little peace from her busy life this Christmas. But the usual holiday hubbub is a joy compared to the killer surprise she finds tucked underneath the tree . . .
With a demanding teaching job at Connecticut’s elite Howard Academy and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. But she unwraps an unexpected challenge when her brother and ex-husband, elated by the recent success of their country café, make a spontaneous bid on a dilapidated pine tree farm. Although the ten-acre lot had been a popular seasonal destination while the original owner was still alive, it’ll take some sprucing up—and a small miracle or two—before the neglected place is in shape for December.
Unfortunately, the impromptu business venture goes cold when the group discovers a purebred Maltese whimpering in the snow-covered grove—right beside a dead body. Pete, a squatter who camped out on the land, apparently met his end after a fallen fir tree branch knocked him on the head. But as Melanie and Aunt Peg investigate Pete’s history and the terrible habit that cost him everything, it’s clear his death was no accident. Now, Melanie must run through a flurry of likely suspects and muzzle a dogged murderer in time—or she’ll be next on someone’s deadly list.
REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts So this story is really cute. It is a short read of only about 100 pages so I wouldn’t say it will put you in a holiday mood because about the time you get into it it’s over.
I think one of the problems was I have never read one from this author or series before. I didn’t know this was #21 in the series and I think it would have been a bit better if I knew the characters from before. Now that being said the mystery is good and the story is very well written.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: The Scot Beds His Wife
SERIES #: Victorian Rebels #5
CHARACTERS: Gavin & Samantha
AUTHOR: Kerrigan Byrne
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/03/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Scot Beds His Wife is the next lush, captivating Victorian romance in the Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne.
They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster.
Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, is a notorious Highlander and an unrelenting Lothario who uses his slightly menacing charm to get what he wants—including too many women married to other men. But now, Gavin wants to put his shady past behind him…more or less. When a fiery lass who is the heiress to the land he wishes to possess drops into his lap, he sees a perfectly delicious opportunity…
A marriage most convenient
Samantha Masters has come back to Scotland, in a pair of trousers, and with a whole world of dangerous secrets from her time spent in the Wild West trailing behind her. Her only hope of protection is to marry—and to do so quickly. Gavin is only too willing to provide that service for someone he finds so disturbingly irresistible. But even as danger approaches, what begins as a scandalous proposition slowly turns into an all-consuming passion. And Gavin discovers that he will do whatever is necessary to keep the woman he has claimed as his own…
REVIEW:
The Scot Beds His Wife by Kerrigan Byrne is the highly original, romantic and tumultuous tale of a brawny Scottish Highlander and a sharp-shooting American outlaw. I’ve never read anything remotely similar and, after being at first astonished at the inherent dichotomies, I found myself utterly mesmerized. This is the first book I’ve ever read by Kerrigan Byrne. Even though it is the fifth installment in the author’s Victorian Rebels series, it works quite well as a stand alone read.
The Scot Beds His Wife is the story of Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, and Samantha “Sam” Masters. The story opens literally with a bang amidst a train robbery in the American Wild West. Sam is on that train and working as an accomplice to an outlaw gang consisting of her husband and his brothers. She has been in conversation with and befriended a woman, Alison Ross, in her rail car. Something goes terribly wrong and gunshots ring out. The next thing Sam knows is that her husband is holding a gun to her new friend’s head saying that she must die. Something in Sam rebels and she kills him instead, saving Alison’s life.
Grateful to Sam for saving her life, Alison offers Sam sanctuary in Scotland at an estate that Alison inherited but that she doesn’t want. To make this work, Sam will need to assume Alison’s identity. Given that Sam’s looking at either hanging from a noose or being captured and tortured by her husband’s brothers for her complicity, she acquiesces. Alison has only one condition: that Sam keep her Scotland inheritance from falling into the hands of the MacKenzie clan.
Brawny Highlander Gavin Thorne has fostered a womanizing reputation as a coping mechanism for his dark childhood as demonic Hamish MacKenzie’s middle son. He wants nothing more than to sever his connection with the MacKenzies. To that end, he covets Scottish heiress Alison Ross’ lands as they would give him the financial means to cut his MacKenzie ties once and for all. When he learns that the heiress is arriving in Scotland to finally claim her inheritance, he devises a plan to coax her into accepting his generous offer for her lands by sweeping her off her feet with his manly wiles. To his surprise, he finds that Sam is impervious to his charms.
Sam’s childhood was no cakewalk. The upside of Sam’s hard upbringing was that Sam became talented with animal husbandry and the myriad other skills needed to operate a ranch – talents which come in mighty handy as she takes control of Alison Ross’s estate. Sam is deceitful and a part of me wanted to penalize her for lying especially when she continues her subterfuge even as she develops feelings for Gavin. But, I could not.
At first, the two main characters seem to be polar opposites albeit with strong chemistry. But, as the story progresses, it soon becomes apparent to everyone but them that they actually had much in common and, indeed, they bring out the best in each other. Would betrayals and deceit circumvent any chance they have to find long-lasting happiness? You’ll have to read this lively tale to find out!
This action-packed romance is painted with gloriously vivid imagery and packed with passion, danger and humor. Nail-biting suspenseful moments abound! While the plausibility of a sexy Highlander and an Annie Oakley American meeting and falling in love seems ludicrous, the author makes their story conceivable. If you enjoy well-plotted historical romances that will give your heart-strings a major workout, I’d encourage you to check out The Scot Beds His Wife!
Disclaimer:
The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I received this book free as part of the blog tour.
TITLE: Christmas In Icicle Falls
SERIES #: Life In Icicle Falls #11
CHARACTERS: Muriel/Sienna/Olivia
AUTHOR: Sheila Roberts
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/24/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Join USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts this Christmas as she returns for the final installment in her treasured Icicle Falls series When Muriel Sterling released her new book, A Guide to Happy Holidays, she felt like the queen of Christmas. She’s thrilled when the new tree she ordered online arrives and is eager to show it off–until she gets it out of the box and realizes it’s a mangy dud. But rather than give up on the ugly tree, Muriel decides to make a project out of it. As she pretties up her tree, she realizes there’s a lesson to be learned: everything and everyone has potential. Maybe even her old friend Arnie, who’s loved her for years. Except, she’s not the only one seeing Arnie’s potential… Meanwhile, Muriel’s ugly-tree project has also inspired her friends. Sienna Moreno is trying to bring out the best in the grouchy man next door, who hates noise, hates kids and hates his new neighbors. And while Olivia Claussen would love to send her obnoxious new daughter-in-law packing, she’s adjusting her attitude and trying to discover what her son sees in the girl. If these women can learn to see the beauty in the “ugly trees” in their lives, perhaps this might turn out to be the happiest holiday yet.
REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Sheila Roberts is well known for her romance novels but even more so for her Christmas romances. And this book is why. The emotions in this book are just all over the place. And the Christmas spirit is on every page.
The “Ugly Tree” project is really a different spin and makes a person think. The characters are well written and the town is a great fictional location.
This is a don’t miss for the Christmas season. It will get you in the spirit but will also bring some perspective to what the season is all about.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: The Wardrobe
CHARACTERS: Rebecca & Greg
AUTHOR: Deryn Lake
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/05/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It was the flat Rebecca and Greg had dreamed of finding; a beautiful conversion in a big Victorian house. The huge mirrored wardrobe that the builders couldn’t shift only seemed to add to its charms…
But soon their dream turns into a terrifying nightmare. As Rebecca delves into the dark circumstances surrounding the mysterious murder of George Carthew in the same house a hundred years before, she finds herself surrounded by echoes of the crime. Carthew was victim to slow arsenic poisoning, and now Greg is struck with a horrible wasting illness. Carthew’s beautiful widow, Charlotte, was suspected of the gruesome crime but never convicted, and now Rebecca wakes in terror to find reflection of strange women in the wardrobe doors…
That old wardrobe, a relic of the Victorian days, seems to be the only remaining witness to the crime and Rebecca becomes convinced that all these years later, it could still hold the key to the murder.
Another classic of love, loss and the past manifesting in the present from master Deryn Lake, this story of murder unsolved will have you gripped from beginning to end.
REVIEW:
This is a very short story of about 50 pages. It is a quick read and yet very interesting. The wardrobe is a relic with much mystery surrounding it. When Rebecca starts looking into the history of it there is way more than she would expect and it begins affecting her and Greg.
For such a small story it really pulls a punch. Great book!
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: The Inn At Blue Hollow Falls
SERIES #: Blue Hollow Falls 1.5
CHARACTERS: Stevie & Noah
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/31/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Stevie Franklin is ready to go all-out Grinch on Christmas this year, but a snowy trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains could provide some unexpected gifts…
Stevie is thrilled to help her best friend Sunny launch her new greenhouse business in Blue Hollow Falls. Not only does it give her a chance to visit the quaint location, but it’s a welcome distraction from Stevie’s recent bad luck with men. Just one catch: since Sunny’s home is under renovation, Stevie must stay at the local inn, whose amenities feature hunky innkeeper, Noah Tyler.
Noah may be as tempting as her grandmother’s famous sweet potato pie, but city-girl Stevie isn’t sticking around—and she doesn’t do flings. Yet when Noah’s chef gets stranded in a Christmas Eve snowstorm, Stevie can’t resist pitching in and serving up some of her family’s favorite recipes. The magic of a Blue Ridge Christmas is already rekindling Stevie’s holiday spirit and making her wonder what else she might be missing out on. Now can Noah restore Stevie’s belief in love?
REVIEW:
Adorable story by Donna Kauffman. We met Stevie in the previous book but now she gets her turn at romance when she comes to Blue Hollow to help Sunny with her new greenhouse.
Stevie and Noah are a cute couple that really seem to fit together. Stevie is quirky and Noah is down to earth and yet they mesh perfectly.
Donna Kauffman is one of my go to authors and she should be one of yours too. Starting with this story would be a great start if you have not read her before.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: A Cosy Candlelit Christmas
SERIES #: An Unforgettable Christmas #2
CHARACTERS: Isla & Justin/Sebastian
AUTHOR: Tilly Tennant
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All Isla wants for Christmas is to be left in peace, but in the Alps there’s potential for romance in every snowflake that falls…
It’s the week before Christmas and Isla McCoy has just received an unexpected gift: a letter announcing she is due a life-changing inheritance, but only if she’s willing to make peace with the father who abandoned her.
She has absolutely no intention of making amends, but who could resist an all-expenses-paid trip to the French resort of St Martin-de-Belleville?
There she meets smooth-talking Justin and nerdy glaciologist Sebastian; two very different men, with two very different agendas. Torn between her head and her heart, Isla finds herself utterly lost in a winter wonderland of her own feelings.
Surrounded by twinkling candles and roaring log-fires, Isla’s resolve finally begins to melt. But will she learn how to reconnect, not only with a whole new family, but with herself and her heart?
REVIEW:
First let me say that I recommend you reading A Very Vintage Christmas before reading this one. The books are set at the same time and run parallel.
It is hard to explain this book without giving too much away from this book or A Very Vintage Christmas. But the characters are great and the stories while simultaneous and some scenes intersect the story is a great read.
Great for a quick Brit-lit Christmas tale.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Leopard’s Blood
SERIES #: Leopard People #10
CHARACTERS: Joshua & Sonia
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/24/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan cuts straight to the heart of a man who stalks the shadows in an intoxicating Leopard novel.
Though born into a leopard’s lair in the bayou, Joshua Tregre’s fighting skills were honed in the rainforests of Borneo. Sleek and deadly, he’s the perfect man to take over a crime syndicate back home in Louisiana’s lush swamplands. His razor sharp instincts give him an edge in the violent underworld he knows so well, but even the watchful leopard inside him isn’t prepared for the danger that comes from the girl next door…
She is a woman who can create beauty out of thin air—and out of the ruins of her own life. The games that dangerous men play have taken their toll on her, but she is bent, not broken. And it’s her fierce spirit that’s like a lure to Joshua, a temptation he can’t resist—even if it means bringing his true nature into the light…
REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Holy Hot Leopards! Feehan is one of the queens of shifter romance. And also one of the queens of hot love scenes. This book has everything a hot romance should have. Hot alpha male, strong female, bad guys, suspense and romance.
I loved the relationship between Sonya and her cat. And the relationship between Sonya and Joshua.
This series has been great. I haven’t read all of them and they can be read out of order or as a stand alone but those I missed will be picked up at some point because well Feehan should not be missed!
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Totally His
SERIES #: Opposites Attract #3
CHARACTERS: Sophie & Finn
AUTHOR: Erin Nicholas
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/31/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Actress Sophie Birch is used to having to look out for herself. So when her theater catches fire and a big guy scoops her up into his arms to save her, she’s going to fight every step of the way. Even if he’s a cop. And really sexy. And his arms feel oh-so-good.
Finn Kelly can’t help but appreciate how good the woman in his arms looks in her sexy pink lingerie. Even if she’s currently resisting arrest.
But as the two get to know each other, they’re both surprised by the things Finn is willing to do to get closer to her. And when Sophie’s estranged father arrives in town and starts causing trouble, the stage is set for disaster…unless Finn can convince her that, for once in her life, she has someone to lean on.
REVIEW:
This is the third in the series but each book can be read as a stand alone. Each story is so adorable.
Sophie is a complicated character. She has been through a lot and still has a sense of humor and a sweetness that while I had a bit of a hard time sometimes getting to know her but she is worth the hard work.
But oh how I adored Finn. There is just something so alpha and yet diamond in the rough for this character.
But together this couple is just too adorable for words. They are truly meant for each other and the author did a great job connecting them.
A story not to be missed!
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Christmas At Mistletoe Cove
CHARACTERS: Eden & Dougie
AUTHOR: Holly Martin
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/22/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Growing up on Hope Island, Eden Lancaster always believed that if you wished hard enough for something, dreams really could come true. But Eden’s greatest wish is also her biggest secret: she has been completely in love with her childhood friend, the charming and attractive Dougie Harrison, for as long as she can remember. And he has no idea.
When Dougie leaves his successful life in New York to return home to Hope Island for good, Eden can’t escape her feelings. Her heart is full of hope that her romantic dreams are finally, at long last, going to come true…
This Christmas could change everything. But can a lifelong friendship really turn into the perfect romance? And will Eden get the happily ever after she’s always wished for?
REVIEW:
What a sweet holiday story. I loved that even though Eden has loved Dougie for as long as she can remember when he comes back to the island she makes him work for it. The scene is set perfectly for a Christmas story and while it is not really a second chance at love story it is a friend to lovers story.
This will put you in the holiday mood so grab a hot tea, start a fire and wrap up in a warm blanket…. And enjoy.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: A Very Vintage Christmas
TITLE: Tomorrow The Glory
TITLE: Vampire Fight Club
TITLE: Wagging Through The Snow
TITLE: The Scot Beds His Wife
TITLE: Christmas In Icicle Falls
TITLE: The Wardrobe
TITLE: The Inn At Blue Hollow Falls
TITLE: A Cosy Candlelit Christmas
TITLE: Leopard’s Blood
TITLE: Totally His
TITLE: Christmas At Mistletoe Cove