Category: Winter Romance Wednesday

TITLE: Under The Mistletoe
CHARACTERS: Laurel & Grady
AUTHOR: Sue Moorcroft
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When Laurel returns to the village of Middledip, she’s looking for a quiet life. Adjusting to her recent divorce, she’s ready to spend some time getting back on her feet amidst the glorious snow-dusted countryside.

Yet, life in Middledip is far from straightforward. Coming to the aid of her sister, Rea, as she navigates her own troubles, Laurel barely has a moment to think about where her own life is going.

However, time stands still when she sees her old flame, Grady Cassidy – and it’s soon as if they’ve never been apart. But through her happiness, Laurel remembers why she left the village all those years ago, as she recalls a dark night and Grady’s once-wayward brother, Mac…

Can Laurel learn to forgive and forget? Or will her chances of Christmas under the mistletoe with Grady remain a dream?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is a very deep book. This is not a lighthearted holiday story that puts you into the Christmas spirit. This really makes you think and feel.

Laurel returns to her hometown because of her sister and niece but she has been avoiding this place because the past is still there. Laurel is great with her family. I loved the relationship they have.

I also enjoyed the relationship that was reestablished with Grady. What is that old saying “History has a way of repeating itself.”?

This is a well written story that has a lot of emotion.

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

TITLE: A Yuletide Kiss
SERIES #: Duke Dynasty #4.5
CHARACTERS: Varies
AUTHOR: Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries & Mary Jo Putney
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The reigning queens of Regency Romance return with another delightful Christmas collection of three sparkling holiday romances, as stranded travelers find merriment, mistletoe, and holiday romance awaiting at a quaint country inn…

An Unexpected Christmas Gift by Madeline Hunter
Jenna Waverly has closed her inn, anticipating a blissfully quiet Christmas, until a snowstorm brings the first of several strangers to her property. Lucas Avonwood, as charming as he is secretive, is on a mission to track down a scoundrel, but the inn’s lovely owner is giving him a more compelling reason to stay…

When We Finally Kiss Good-Night by Sabrina Jeffries
When Flora Younger first met Konrad Juncker, she thought she’d found her match, only to have her hopes dashed. Konrad is now a famous playwright whose plays Flora has secretly panned in reviews. But a chance meeting in a secluded inn may help them rewrite this star-crossed romance…

When Strangers Meet by Mary Jo Putney
Kate McLeod is shocked to find that a fellow guest in the snowbound inn is the dashing sea captain who may or may not be her husband. Captain Ramesh Langdon barely remembers that night in Bombay, but the desire they discover now will be impossible to forget, or to ignore…

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts As a fan of all three of these authors I was excited to receive this book. I have been a fan of Sabrina Jeffries for a long time so When We Finally Kiss Good-Night was my favorite of the three stories.

Honestly, I can say these books are great. I enjoyed catching up with all of the series. Each author brings something of her own to this book and each character is written so well. The romances are perfect for the holidays.

These authors are some of the best in the romance genre. If you have not picked up one of these authors before you are missing out and this is a great way to get to know them.

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

TITLE: A Little Christmas Spirit
CHARACTERS: Lexie & Stanley
AUTHOR: Sheila Roberts
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Single mom Lexie Bell hopes to make this first Christmas in their new home special for her six-year-old son, Brock. Festive lights and homemade fudge, check. Friendly neighbors? Uh, no. The reclusive widower next door is more grinchy than nice. But maybe he just needs a reminder of what matters most. At least sharing some holiday cheer with him will distract her from her own lack of romance…

Stanley Mann lost his Christmas spirit when he lost his wife and he sees no point in looking for it. Until she shows up in his dreams and informs him it’s time to ditch his scroogey attitude. Stanley digs in his heels, but she’s determined to haunt him until he wakes up and rediscovers the joys of the season. He can start by being a little more neighborly to the single mom next door. In spite of his protests, he’s soon making snowmen and decorating Christmas trees. How will it all end?

Merrily, of course. A certain Christmas ghost is going to make sure of that!

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts I am not sure why but Sheila Roberts books should be watched by Lifetime or Hallmark and her books should be THE holiday movie of the year. And this book is no exception.

Stanley has become a recluse after the death of his wife, Carol. But after three years Carol feels it is time for Stanley to get back into the world. And she is going to haunt him until he does exactly that. And first thing Carol wants him to do is take care of the single mom next door.

Lexie just moved into her home with her son Brock and she is determined to make this Christmas one to remember. When Stanley starts to become part of the family she is appreciative and relieved but when things take a turn it is Brock who shows the true meaning of Christmas.

Another great book by Roberts who brings the Christmas spirit straight from her pages to your heart.

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

TITLE: The Santa Suit
CHARACTERS: Ivy & Ezra
AUTHOR: Mary Kay Andrews
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/01/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From May Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of Hello, Summer, comes a novella celebrating the magic of Christmas and second chances in The Santa Suit.

When newly-divorced Ivy Perkins buys an old farmhouse sight unseen, she is definitely looking for a change in her life. The Four Roses, as the farmhouse is called, is a labor of love–but Ivy didn’t bargain on just how much labor. The previous family left so much furniture and so much junk, that it’s a full-time job sorting through all of it.

At the top of a closet, Ivy finds an old Santa suit–beautifully made and decades old. In the pocket of a suit she finds a note written in a childish hand: it’s from a little girl who has one Christmas wish, and that is for her father to return home from the war. This discovery sets Ivy off on a mission. Who wrote the note? Did the man ever come home? What mysteries did the Rose family hold?

Ivy’s quest brings her into the community, at a time when all she wanted to do was be left alone and nurse her wounds. But the magic of Christmas makes miracles happen, and Ivy just might find more than she ever thought possible: a welcoming town, a family reunited, a mystery solved, and a second chance at love.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Oh this is a great story. Absolutely needs to be made into a Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie.

When Ivy buys a new farmhouse she finds an old Santa suit in the closet. Which, of course, leads her to an advantage to find out the ending to the story started by a letter in the suit. The best part for Ivy is actually becoming part of her new town.

I could perfectly see this as a TV movie. I could see every scene as it would play out on scene.

This is a great story to curl up under a comfy blanket with a glass of wine in front of the Christmas tree because there is no way you will not be in the holiday spirit after this book.

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

TITLE: Kissing Under The Mistletoe
SERIES #: Wild WIcked Highlanders #3.5
CHARACTERS: Varies
AUTHOR: Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey & Anna Bennett
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In GREAT SCOT by Suzanne Enoch, Jane Bansil knows she will never have a fairy-tale life. But even at three-and-thirty and well past marriageable age, though, she has to admit that the architect the MacTaggerts have hired could turn even a confirmed spinster’s head.

In CHRISTMAS AT DEWBERRY HOLLOW by Amelia Grey, Isabelle Reed has no plans to ever fall in love. Certainly not with Gate, a man who doesn’t live in Dewberry Hollow. She will fulfill her duty and help him keep his promise to have his ill grandfather back in London in time for Christmas dinner. The last thing Isabelle wants is for Gate to take her heart with him when he goes.

In MY MISTLETOE BEAU by Anna Bennett, Miss Eva Tiding is determined to cheer her widowed father with the perfect Christmas gift. Even if it means breaking into the home of the rakish earl who swindled Papa out of his pocket watch and pretending to date the earl for the Christmas season.

REVIEW:
This is a collaboration of three Christmas novella’s by Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Grey and Anna Bennett. I planned on writing a separate review for each but I give each of the stories 3 hearts so I will combine the review.

I found the stories well written and perfect for the holiday season. I liked that I could read each novella between reading novels. I can not recall if I have read any of each series but if I have it has been a while. That left me a bit lost with some of the background characters.

But these stories were sweet throw ins for the holidays.

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

TITLE: The Christmas Bookshop
CHARACTERS: Carmen, Blair & Oke
AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/16/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel.

When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.

At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is a very sweet story with a bit of romance but more about the story of two sisters finding their way back to each other.

Carmen has been set to the task of saving an old bookstore after her sister has found her the job. Carmen also has two men wooing her. How will Carmen choose between the good boy and the bad boy?

I really enjoyed the children in this book. So many times the children are written either too old or too young for the ages but not in this book. The kids are a great addition.

A charming book to sit by the fire with a cup of cocoa and enjoy during the holidays.

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

TITLE: The Christmas Dress
CHARACTERS: Meg & Ellie
AUTHOR: Courtney Cole
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An enchanted Christmas dress brings two generations of women together for the magic of the season in this delightful holiday story from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole.

One Dress. Two Women. The Magic of the Holiday Season.

When hopeful fashionista Meg Julliard must return to her hometown of Chicago to manage her late father’s apartment building, she thinks her dreams of making it in the fashion business are over. Add in her father’s eclectic roster of tenants who all need Meg’s attention (ASAP!), a host of building related disasters, and a handsome handyman she keeps embarrassing herself in front of, and this has all the makings for the worst Christmas she’s ever had.

Ellie Wade, one of the building’s longtime residents, is also not feeling the Christmas Joy this year. She is preparing to move into a nursing home (reluctantly), and is in the process of sorting through her belongings to downsize. Every corner of her apartment holds memories, some good, some bad. But there’s one dress she hesitates to pack up as it represents both the best and worst night of her life.

Ellie and Meg strike up an unlikely friendship and the story of Ellie’s dress comes out. Ellie gifts the gorgeous dress to Meg, hoping that it will bring her more luck, on the condition that she wear it to the building’s Christmas party.

The dress magically fits, and while it eventually leads to the best night of Meg’s life, it also acts as inspiration for Meg to follow a life-long dream of her own, a dream that will help save the crumbling Parkview West, and restore it to its former glory, and keep it as a safe home for all of the current tenants.

The dress and the magic of the holiday season helps both Meg and Ellie find their own happy endings.

REVIEW:
I got an ARC from NetGalley in August and wish I had waited to read it until the holiday time. This is an adorable book that is perfect to begin the holidays and get you into the Christmas spirit.

Meg heads to Chicago to deal with her father’s affairs after his death. One of the things to deal with is his condo that is really not her favorite place to be but something changes when she meets the people of the building and Logan who comes to help with what Meg can’t deal with (which is a lot).

But Meg decides she is going to enter a contest for the winnings to help get the condo building back in shape. And to do that she needs to design a dress. The dress itself has so much character if that doesn’t sound nuts to say.

I hope Hallmark or Lifetime hears about this story. It is perfect for the season.

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

TITLE: The Christmas Escape
CHARACTERS: Christy & Alix
AUTHOR: Sarah Morgan
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
This Christmas, be whisked away by USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan in this uplifting novel of friendship, the festive season, and risking everything for the biggest gift of all…

It was supposed to be Christy Sullivan’s perfect Christmas getaway—a trip to Lapland with her family and best friend, Alix. But facing a make-or-break marriage crisis, Christy desperately needs time alone with her husband. Her solution? Alix can take Christy’s little daughter to Lapland, and they will reunite there for Christmas Day. It’s a big ask, but what else are friends for?

There’s nothing Alix won’t do for Christy. But Christy’s request to save Christmas is giving Alix sleepless nights. She knows something is wrong, but for the first time ever, Christy isn’t talking. And even the Arctic temperatures in Lapland aren’t enough to dampen the seriously inconvenient sizzle Alix is developing for Zac, a fellow guest and nemesis from her past.

As secrets unravel and unexpected romance shines under the northern lights, can Christy and Alix’s Christmas escape give them the courage to fight for the relationships they really want, and save the precious gift of each other’s friendship?

REVIEW:
Ok first off I had no idea Lapland was such an interesting place. I really want to head there now. Maybe one day.

I had a bit of a time getting into this book. There were just so many characters. I was trying to keep track of everyone but had some problems but eventually I settled into the book and enjoyed it.

Alix and Zac are a wonderful couple. They have a bit of a past so we get to see them move beyond the coldness towards each other to their relationship heating up. Christy and Erik are going through marriage issues that Christy wants to keep quiet. And that is what this story is truly about. Friendship and can the relationship between women continue through decades.

Christy and Alix have been friends for so long that they almost take the other for granted. They have stopped communicating and having that special bond that grows to bring two girls from friends to women as “unbiological sisters”. They need to get that back and Sarah Morgan is just the woman to write their story.

Holly is just adorable. Many times an author has a hard time writing what an actual child would say. They make them too old for their age or too young but Holly is written really well. So many cute little sayings that made me long for the days of my son being little.

Another great book by Sarah Morgan set perfectly at the holidays in a place I never knew I wanted to go to but now can’t wait.

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