Category: Holiday Romance

TITLE: Jingle All The Way
CHARACTERS: Everly & Asher
AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/13/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Love can transform even the best-laid plans in this heartfelt Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Trapped in the middle of five siblings, Everly Lancaster always had big dreams. Now a top real-estate executive, Everly finds her work is her life, leaving no space for anything (or anyone) else. Sensing her stress, Everly’s boss insists she take December off. At first, a month away seems crazy–how will the company survive without her? But Everly’s mother convinces her otherwise. She deserves a vacation–plus, when she returns, she’ll have no excuse to skip family Christmas like she did last year.

But after her vengeful assistant books a guided cruise in the Amazon instead of the luxury beach vacation she expected, Everly is horrified to realize that she’s about to spend the next two weeks trapped–with no Wi-Fi!–in the rain forest. Not even Asher Adams, the ship’s charming naturalist, can convince Everly that the trip will be unforgettable. Slowly but surely, she realizes he is right: the sights are spectacular. And with each passing day, Everly’s relationship with Asher deepens, forcing her to take a long, hard look at her priorities.

Everly and Asher begin to see magic in the possibility of a life together. But as the cruise nears its end, and Everly’s family Christmas approaches, both must decide if love is worth the risk. A merry surprise may be in store in Debbie Macomber’s newest holiday delight.

REVIEW:
Would it even be the holidays without a Christmas book from Debbie Macomber? Not to me….

Everly is “accidentally” booked on an Amazon cruise by her assistant but sometimes we are put into a place because that is exactly where we are supposed to be.

Everly meets Asher on the cruise and they both feel that falling feeling quickly but aren’t sure what they feel is “love”. But the sweet romance is exactly what these two deserve. I loved the Christmas scenes and the fudge recipe made me think of when my Granny made fudge for the holidays and that memory alone was worth the read to me.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: In A Holidaze
CHARACTERS: Mae & Andrew
AUTHOR: Christina Lauren
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/06/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is Groundhog day meets Christmas. Every year Mae and her family head to Utah but this year with her parents divorced and her mom remarried they do not attend but Theo and Andrew do. After leaving the cabin for what she believes is the last time she wakes up after an accident heading TO Utah not home.

And with this weird timeloop continuing she Mae has a chance to get what she has always wanted and with who she always wanted it.

Great story to get you into the holiday/Christmas spirit. Grab your fuzzy slippers, your cozy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy this wonderful story.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: Candy Cane Crime
SERIES #: Amish Candy Shop Mystery #5.5
CHARACTERS: Charlotte & Luke
AUTHOR: Amanda Flower
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/06/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A candy-striped caper . . .

Christmas is coming all too quickly for Harvest, Ohio’s famous chocolatier, Bailey King. Thanks to her new cable TV show, her shop has more candy orders than she can handle this holiday season. Fortunately, her beloved Cousin Charlotte is happy to take the Candy Cane Exchange off Bailey’s to-do list. After all, Charlotte has come to Harvest from her conservative home district to find her future outside of her family’s influence. What better way than by taking on the English task of pairing the sweet notes everyone is exchanging with a peppermint treat, just in time for Christmas Eve delivery? But when Charlotte discovers some of those delicious missives are for her, suddenly she’s staking out the festive postbox, hoping to catch her secret admirer in his intriguing tracks . . .

When Charlotte sees something underhanded going on beneath the merrymaking, she enlists the help of Sheriff Deputy Luke Little to find out if her unknown correspondent is none other than the town’s biggest suspect. And the surprising truth about her suitor’s identity has her contemplating leaving her Amish roots behind forever . . .

REVIEW:
Ok I will be honest, I grabbed this book because of the adorable pig on the cover. I mean it’s a piglet!! But I am really glad I did.

The story is very sweet. The “mystery” isn’t a who-dun-it type mystery. This is part of the Amish Candy Shop series so there is a sweet romance but nothing that goes too far beyond the sweetness of the candy shop.

Sweet story wrapped around the holiday.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: One Charmed Christmas
CHARACTERS: Catherine & Rudy
AUTHOR: Sheila Roberts
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An enchanting new Christmas novel from USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts, brimming with hope, love and humor.

Catherine Pine is hoping her Christmas is a bit more jolly than last year’s. That one was her first without her husband, and with her kids and their families absent this year, she’s worried. But things change when her good friend invites her on a Christmas cruise to lift her spirits. Suddenly every day is an adventure and she’s making a bunch of new friends, including the lovable Sophie Miles.

It’s like a gift from Santa when Sophie and Catherine meet the charming Dr. Rudy Nichols, a perfect match for hypochondriac Sophie. But he comes with a two-legged lump of coal, his guard-dog daughter. And then there’s chocolatier Trevor March, who’s also interested in the scrumptious Sophie. Can he convince her that chocolate is the perfect cure for what ails her? Who knows what Santa has in store for these holiday travelers? Anything could happen this charmed Christmas!

REVIEW:
Another great holiday read by Roberts. The thing I enjoyed was all the different romances happening but not only a lot of romances but a lot of age ranges too. Young to old fall in love or fall in love again and this brings that to light.

I enjoyed the characters very much and enjoyed learning who and why each character was the way they were and why they deserved to fall in love during the holiday season.

A great story to put you into the Christmas spirit. Grab a warm blanket, a cup of cocoa and this book and your holiday season will have begun.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: Holding Out For Christmas
CHARACTERS: Conner & Megan
AUTHOR: Janet Dailey
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Janet Dailey combines the beloved holiday traditions of small-town Branding Iron, Texas, with sparkling romance . . .

She’s all he wants for Christmas. Maybe even forever . . .

Conner Branch still hasn’t stopped thinking about the sultry singer he spotted on stage during last year’s Cowboy Christmas Ball. So imagine his surprise when he discovers the demure kindergarten teacher who comes home for the holidays to Branding Iron, Texas, is the very same woman. And once he’s up close and personal with the mesmerizing Megan, he’s downright determined to keep her by his side for good . . .

If only Conner Branch were simply the star struck cowboy she once believed him to be, Megan wouldn’t have to worry about losing everything to the rugged–and wildly romantic–rancher. With Christmas in the air, it’s a little too easy to imagine spending the holidays, not to mention her whole life, wrapped in Conner’s loving arms. But this songstress has hopes for a big career back in Nashville. And no little holiday romance will ever get in the way of that. So what’s a woman to do when she finds herself facing down a love as bold and exciting as Texas itself?

REVIEW:
Ok so the bad first… Where are the puppies from the cover? Ok I got that off my chest….

Janet Dailey is one of the best for romance but when you add the Christmas/Holiday season she becomes a Queen.

In this story we meet Conner and Megan. Last year Conner saw a woman sing and knew she was supposed to be his. So he is off to find her. But when he finds Megan is a “humble” school teacher and not the sultry singer he has to think about it.

But I liked that Conner liked both sides of Megan. He wanted all of her, not just the sultry singer he saw last year.

This is another great holiday story by Dailey. Dailey has a way of writing that draws you into the story from the first page. Grab a hot cocoa, a comfy blanket and enjoy because the season has begun.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: Christmas On Reindeer Road
SERIES #: Highland Falls #2
CHARACTERS: Mallory & Gabriel
AUTHOR: Debbie Mason
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Fans of RaeAnne Thayne and Debbie Macomber will love this USA Today bestselling author’s latest holiday romance about two single parents whose holiday wishes come true in the small town of Highland Falls.

Can the magic of mistletoe bring together two busy single parents?
Mallory Maitland knows all too well what it’s like to feel abandoned, which is why she’s sworn never to give up on her two stepsons – her late husband’s children. But when the teens land in hot water, she’s got a whole new problem: how to resist the caring and incredibly hot Chief of Police Gabriel Buchanan. All Mallory wants is to give the boys a magical holiday. She doesn’t need the distraction of wondering what it would be like to kiss Gabriel under the mistletoe.

After his wife died, Gabriel left his job as an adrenaline-chasing New York City homicide detective to focus on raising his three sons. But back in Highland Falls, he doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. It finds him – in the form of a beautiful neighbor and her troublemaking stepchildren. With Gabriel’s mother-in-law looking for any excuse to gain custody of his sons, Gabriel can’t risk getting involved with Mallory, even though she’s the only woman capable of making this Christmas – and all the rest to come – his best ever.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts What a sweet story. This is a complicated family drama set in a small town ready for Christmas.

Mallory has a lot in her past like the death of her mom, foster care, married an older man, and more. But now she is responsible for her two step-sons and decides to move them to her hometown but they are not happy with it.

Gabriel is a single dad of three boys, twins and a younger boy who wants Santa to bring him a mom.

This is a great romance to get you into the Christmas/Holiday spirit. Teddy is too adorable for words and makes me long for my teenager to be a little one again and see Christmas through his eyes.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: A Very Merry Match
SERIES #: Sunshine Valley #2
CHARACTERS: Mary Margaret Kevin
AUTHOR: Melinda Curtis
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Melinda Curtis brings the spice for the holidays with this small-town romance featuring a woman who must maintain a secret identity and the man who begins falling for her.
This holiday season, kindergarten teacher Mary Margaret Sneed never imagined she’d be unwrapping…herself. But a burlesque side gig is the young widow’s only hope of paying off her late husband’s substantial debt. With her reputation and career on the line, she performs in disguise, under the stage name Foxy Roxy. But her secret identity is threatened when Roxy’s biggest fan turns out to be Mary Margaret’s biggest crush — the handsome-as-sin mayor of Preston!

Newly divorced single dad Kevin Hadley is prepping to make the jump from mayor to state assemblyman. He knows he should be settling down with someone quiet and practical, someone like Mary Margaret Sneed. The last thing Kevin needs right now is a steamy scandal. But he just can’t stop thinking about Foxy Roxy…and if Preston’s matchmaking Widows Club has their way this Christmas, Kevin won’t have to…

Includes a bonus novella by Hope Ramsay!

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts Ok so this was not really for me. First there was not a lot of Christmas/Holiday so it didn’t set me into the spirit of the holidays. And honestly, I never really liked the characters. I mean seriously, how did Kevin not know Mary Margaret and Roxy were the same person? And how could MM/Roxy be willing to date a guy she knows is two-timing (yes both with her but still HE doesn’t know that).

This was just not for me!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

TITLE: Happily This Christmas
SERIES #: Happily Inc #6
CHARACTERS: Wynn & Garrick
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Susan Mallery, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances, proves there’s no place like Happily Inc for the holidays…

There’s no place like Happily Inc for the holidays…

Wynn Beauchene has a thriving business, a great kid and a mildly embarrassing crush on the guy next door—local cop Garrick McCabe. She’s a strong, independent woman who can’t help dreaming what-if about a man she barely knows. Until he needs her help…

Garrick’s pregnant daughter will be home for Christmas, and his house needs a woman’s touch. Garrick and his little girl were tight once and he’s hoping a small-town Christmas will bring her back to him. But thawing his daughter’s frosty attitude will take more than a few twinkle lights. Maybe sharing the holiday with Wynn and her son will remind her of the joy of family.

As the season works its magic on these wounded souls, Wynn realizes it’s time to stop punishing herself for a painful secret, while Garrick remains haunted by the ghosts of past mistakes. Will he allow Wynn to open the only gift she truly wants—his heart?

REVIEW:
4.75 Hearts Happily, Inc (and Fool’s Gold) are my favorite places to visit. Susan Mallery is honestly one of my favorite authors. She pulls me in before I have finished the first page. And this book is no different. Especially for the holidays!

Ok so let’s say it out right. This is a holiday romance so we know with the magic of the holidays Mallery will give us a HEA. But this isn’t about the ending but about the getting there. In this novel Wynn has been secretly in love with Garrick for a while. And now he could use his help when his daughter comes to town.

I really like all the characters in the story. Wynn and Garrick are so sweet together They both need each other but have no idea how or why. And then they both have a child and they need Wynn and Garrick too. And of course the people of the town make visiting Happily, Inc a great place to spend the holidays.

There is no way to read a Susan Mallery book and not love it. I could go into all the wonderful things in this book but there are too many.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.