Category: Winter Romance Wednesday

TITLE: Mistletoe In Juneau
CHARACTERS: Danni & Declan
AUTHOR: Dahlia Rose
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/19/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A heartwarming holiday romance from Hallmark and USA Today bestselling author Dahlia Rose that’s perfect for fans of Rochelle Alers and Debbie Macomber.

Danni’s a social media influencer who’s way out of her element. She sort-of broke up with her boyfriend-slash-manager, and she escaped her fast-paced life in New York to spend Christmas with an old friend in Juneau, Alaska. Danni takes in the beauty of the scenery and the warmth of the community…and she’s drawn to the local sheriff.

Before Declan was the sheriff, he was in the Army. An IED explosion cost him his leg…and his fiancée, who couldn’t deal with the injury. He knows Danni’s a city girl, while he loves the Alaskan wilderness. Could two very different people find what their hearts are looking for?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I couldn’t wait to read this book for the holidays. I lived in Alaska, though a different city, so I felt I already had a connection but I really had to force myself to get into this story. When I did I enjoyed it.

The story is one we have heard a million times. She needs a break from a crazy life. He has been burned before so has no desire to fall from another outsider. But sparks fly anyway.

Once I got into the story it was much better. There is good and bad in this story but romance is like that.

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

TITLE: Dear Santa
CHARACTERS: Lindy & Carmichael
AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/19/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A special holiday wish list brings about hope, love, and second chances in this nostalgic novel from the queen of Christmas stories, #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Lindy Carmichael isn’t feeling particularly joyful when she returns home to Wenatchee, Washington, for Christmas. The man she thought was “the one” has cheated on her with her best friend, and she feels completely devoid of creativity in her graphic-design job. Not even carolers or Christmas cookies can cheer her up–but Lindy’s mother, Ellen, remembers an old tradition that might lift her daughter’s spirits.

Reading through a box of childhood letters to Santa and reminiscing about what she’d wished for as a young girl may be just the inspiration Lindy needs. With Ellen’s encouragement, she decides to write a new letter to Santa, one that will encourage her to have faith and believe just as she’d done all those years ago. Little does Lindy know that this exercise in gratitude will cause her wishes to unfold before her in miraculous ways. And, thanks to some fateful twists of Christmas magic–especially an unexpected connection with a handsome former classmate–Lindy ultimately realizes that there is truly no place like home for the holidays.

In Dear Santa, Debbie Macomber celebrates the joys of Christmas blessings, old and new.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts I picked this up from NetGalley from their “Christmas In July” release and I am sad that I did. Why? Because I read it in July too. And Debbie Macomber makes the holidays come to life and I kept looking around wondering where my tree and decorations were. As with ALL of Macomber’s Christmas novels this one needs to be turned into a Hallmark or Lifetime Christmas movie.

In this story Lindy returns home for the holidays. Her man and best friend were cheating on Lindy and her job just wasn’t doing it for her anymore so she now has two weeks to get some love from home and reset her mind. While home she finds some old letters she wrote to Santa and it makes her take a look inside her heart. And now all these years later it is time to write to Santa again.

And of course we can’t forget that this is Debbie Macomber that is telling the story so while Dear Santa has a lesson in it that we all need to take to heart it also has romance. And Macomber tells a great romance.

Another great story perfect for the season.

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

TITLE: The Christmas Village
SERIES #: Somerset Lake #2
CHARACTERS: Lucy & Miles
AUTHOR: Annie Rians
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/12/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains delivers a tender trade paperback romance that will appeal to readers with its warmth and bestselling themes!

Lucy Hannigan has inherited her mother’s bulldog, Bella, and her childhood home, the only pink house on Gingerbread Lane. With the holidays coming up, the pressure is on to decorate the house for the annual lights competition and maintain her parent’s winning streak. But Lucy already has her hands full as a midwife and a new landlord-to her ex-fiance.

When Miles Bruno is suddenly asked to move out of his rental home, he’s grateful to Lucy for taking him on as a tenant. But their broken-off engagement doesn’t make it easy to live next door. Sparks still fly between them, and he’d give anything to get back in Lucy’s good graces. But to do that will take much more than just tree trimming and house decorating and contest winning. Will one wildly grand romantic gesture on Christmas Eve finally soften her heart?

REVIEW:
Lucy comes back to Somerset Lake when her mom gets sick and passes away. She needs to get things in order and wants to get a tenant to help with some of the medical bills left by her mother. But of course it can’t just be a stranger that moves in. It’s her ex, Miles. And the sparks all these years later are still embers waiting to be ignited.

This is a sweet holiday romance by Rains. I have not read the first in the series and didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read it.

The town of Somerset Lake is so welcoming and perfect for a holiday romance. The festivities of the town make you wish you could join in.

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

TITLE: A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale
CHARACTERS: Kaylie & Alexander
AUTHOR: Karen Schaler
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/05/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From “A holiday publishing darling” (Entertainment Weekly) and Emmy Award-winning writer of Netflix’s hit rom-com A Christmas Prince comes this heartwarming, feel-good Christmas romance about the power of believing in yourself to find your happily ever after…

A charming Christmas village, a storybook castle, a royal ball, and a gorgeous prince are the last things New York City reporter Kaylie Karlyle expects to find on her holiday freelance assignment to Europe. But when the family she’s interviewing turns out to be the royal family of Tolvania, Kaylie has a meltdown when the quirky queen wants her to write a Christmas fairy tale for the spunky, young princess. Kaylie must battle the princess’s father, who doesn’t trust the media, and her own insecurities about writing anything beyond the news.

To spark inspiration for the fairy tale, the queen recruits the prickly Prince Alexander to show Kaylie the family’s most spectacular royal holiday traditions. And sparks definitely fly when the only thing Kaylie and the prince agree on is that they’re both more “bah humbug” than “ho, ho, ho.”

But somewhere between sleigh rides and snow angels, merrymaking and mistletoe, upside-down Christmas trees, and a legendary Christmas crown, Kaylie and the prince open their hearts to Christmas and start believing in themselves and each other. It’s a real-life fairy tale in the making until Kaylie discovers a secret about a royal Christmas heirloom that jeopardizes everyone’s happily ever after. Can the magic of the season save this holiday happy ending?

Bonus Content: Includes delicious royal Christmas recipes and holiday activities.

A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale is an uplifting, inspiring Christmas romance that’s filled with heart and hope and will appeal to fans of Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, and RaeAnne Thayne.

REVIEW:
As the holiday season comes into bloom don’t we all wish about getting away to a beautiful snow covered fairy tale castle complete with a royal family? Ok maybe we do not go that into depth but doesn’t it sound great?

Kaylie is a journalist but loses her job and is invited to write a fairy tale about a royal family. While she doesn’t really fall into “holiday spirits” she figures “Why not?”. So off she goes.

This is a delightful read that really will put you into the holiday spirit. The description of the castle puts you right into the middle of the family home.

I love reading holiday/Christmas romance’s and when I read “will appeal to fans of Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, and RaeAnne Thayne” I grabbed the title since all three are high on my fav authors list (Mallery being at the top) and I agree. This story really does beg you to pull up a cozy blanket, a cup of hot cocoa and a fireplace surrounded by twinkling lights lighting the pages.

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

TITLE: A Lot Like Christmas
SERIES #: Blue Moon #2
CHARACTERS: Jessica & Mitch
AUTHOR: Jennifer Snow
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
This Christmas season, love comes where you least expect it.

For Jessica Connolly, there is no better place than her coastal hometown of Blue Moon Bay. She has a wonderful family, supportive best friends, and a successful bakery on Main Street. Unfortunately, every time she designs one of her ex-boyfriends’ wedding cakes, she’s reminded just how unlucky she is with love…and that she’s a good luck charm for men to find their happily ever after. With someone else. The minute they break up. So she’s decided to be done with love.

Dr. Mitch Jameson is more comfortable traveling the world with Doctors Without Borders than staying in one place. He just needs to survive the holidays in his small hometown before he can leave again. The beautiful, intriguing bakery owner with an aversion to dating might be just who he needs to occupy his restless heart.

From sipping hot chocolates at the local festival of lights to early morning dessert deliveries, Jessica and Mitch rediscover the spirit of the holidays. But when the 25 days of Christmas are over, will their romance be over, too?

Each book in the Blue Moon Bay series is STANDALONE:
* A Lot Like Love
* A Lot Like Christmas

REVIEW:
4.75 Hearts What if you were a good luck charm… In love… For others.. Not yourself… Well that is what Jessica is known for. She has dated men who find their real loves right after dating her. And to make matters worse they all want Jessica to make their wedding cakes. Hooked yet? You should be.

Not hooked yet? Ok what if you are a doctor who is on a break from Doctors Without Borders and is forced to go home to your family and are counting down the days until you can go back to Cambodia and then you meet an adorable baker and suddenly one month isn’t long enough since there is a deadline until you head back to where you are most needed. Hooked now?

What if I said all of this happens during the merriest time of the year. Now you are hooked! Jessica and Mitch are delightful together. I loved all the emotions they went through and including family issues, PTSD and self awareness.

I read this is July but part of me wished I had waited until the Christmas season when I could have sat under a cozy blanket with a cup of hot cocoa and had some me time because this is a great story to get you into the mood for romance and the holidays.

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

TITLE: Santa’s Sweetheart
SERIES: The Christmas Tree Ranch #4
CHARACTERS: Grace & Sam
AUTHOR: Janet Dailey
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The delightful and entertaining new holiday novel from the legendary author of dozens of treasured romances! This Christmas, visit the small town of Branding Iron, Texas, where it’s time for the Cowboy Christmas Ball and one irritable sheriff is about to get in the spirit of the season…and find love along the way.

Sheriff Sam Delaney is shouldering a lot as the lone lawman in the small Texas town of Branding Iron—and the widowed single father of six-year-old Maggie. Especially since Maggie’s determined that what her daddy needs this holiday season is a girlfriend. Suddenly Sam is hustled off to a meeting with Maggie’s schoolteacher—and surprised to discover the demure Grace Chapman is unexpectedly alluring. Then he’s roped into playing Santa at the annual Christmas ball, with the pretty Miss Grace by his side. It’s enough to make Sam even grumpier than usual—if not for the feelings sweet Grace stirs up inside . . .

Grace only wants to heal after her broken engagement. So why is she so charmed by the slow smile—and the surprising tenderness—of the town’s sheriff? Maybe because Grace is discovering that beneath Sam’s gruff exterior lies a heart as big as Texas, especially when it comes to the women in his life—like little Maggie. And now her… Which only has Grace hoping she’ll be Santa’s sweetheart for many seasons to come . . .

REVIEW:
Janet Dailey doesn’t write sappy, she writes emotional and that is what she did in this book as well. We meet Maggie who lost her mom and wants to be sure her daddy is happy for the holidays and she loves her new teacher so why shouldn’t six-year-old Maggie believe they would be perfect together?

Sam is the widower sheriff and Grace has recently had her engagement broken. Both aren’t thinking love is in their immediate future but with Maggie having her way these two are bound to become a family.

I really enjoyed all the characters. I thought Maggie was adorable, even though I think sometimes Dailey forgot she was only six. This story is a deep emotional read for the holidays and will make you fall in love all over again.

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