Category: Winter Romance Wednesday

TITLE: Unleashed
SERIES #: Hamilton Christmas #1
CHARACTERS: Emma & Trevor
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/25/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A raging winter storm and a holiday spent pet-sitting reveals there’s more than one kind of animal in the house . . .

When Emma Lafferty is hired by a billionaire CEO to watch his pets over the holidays, she expects to enjoy a quiet Christmas in opulent surroundings. What she doesn’t expect is to spend the week trapped in the mansion with Trevor Hamilton, the CEO’s sexy great-nephew—and heir—whose motives are as shady as his desire is crystal clear . . .

Originally in the To All a Good Night anthology

REVIEW:
This is a cute Christmas novella of a bit over 100 pages. And the beginning of a series of holiday novellas that she has released this season. Also it was originally in an anthology.

The story moves very fast especially since it is a short story. There are a couple of things that I hope are answered in the upcoming additional novellas because it seemed to leave some information out but maybe the other stories will fill the holes.

Kauffman is always a worthy read.

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

TITLE: Rocky Mountain Cowboy Christmas
SERIES #: Rocky Mountain Cowboy #1
CHARACTERS: Steve & Camille
AUTHOR: Katie Ruggle
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/25/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In the heart of the Rockies
In the arms of a cowboy
One white Christmas can change everything.

When firefighter and single dad Steve Springfield moved his four kids to a Colorado Christmas tree ranch, he intended for it to be a safe haven. But he never expected danger to follow them to his childhood home…

Or that he would come face-to-face with the one girl he could never forget.

Folk artist Camille Brandt lives a quiet life. As the town’s resident eccentric, she’s used to being lonely–until Steve freaking Springfield changes everything. Brave and kind, he’s always had a piece of her heart, and it doesn’t take long before she’s in danger of falling for him and his rambunctious kids. But as mysterious fires break out across the sleepy Colorado town, Steve and Camille will have to fight if they want their happy family to survive until Christmas…

REVIEW:
3.25 Hearts Ok who doesn’t like a cowboy romance? And who doesn’t like a holiday romance? So lets put them together and it should be explosive right? Well not exactly. I liked this book but not as much as I hoped.

The characters were a bit all over the place. Or we get to know them and then they are gone. The kids are cute and the main characters really had a lot of potential. But I found the story a bit slow going.

It wasn’t that it is a bad story it just didn’t rock my jingle bells.

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

TITLE: Mutts And Mistletoe
CHARACTERS: Charlie & Cal
AUTHOR: Natalie Cox
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/09/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Thirty-one-year-old Charlie isn’t in the mood for Christmas cheer.

Her boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, her mother has absconded with her latest husband for the holidays, and–adding insult to (literal) injury–her London apartment has just been destroyed by a gas leak. Single, mildly concussed and temporarily homeless, Charlie realizes there’s only one place to go: Cozy Canine Cottages, where she’ll spend the season looking after her cousin Jez’s doggy day care center. And if she’s not exactly a dog person, well, no one has to know…

But her plans for a quiet Christmas in a quaint country village are quickly dashed. Peggy the pregnant beagle and Malcolm the anxious Great Dane seem determined to keep her up all night. A strange man has been casing her cousin’s house. And where is Cal, the unbearably patronizing but disturbingly handsome local vet, when she needs him?

As the days tick down to Christmas, Charlie’s life has never felt so out of control–but with some help from her new four-legged friends, she just might learn a thing or two about living in the moment, embracing the unexpected and opening herself up to love…

REVIEW:
What do you get when you put adorable dogs in to a holiday story? This book!

Give it time though. I wasn’t too thrilled with Charlie. She seemed a bit of a, well, you know. I just thought her too harsh. But then if you had everything happen to you that she had to her you may be a bit bitchy too. But then I warmed up to her and the romance ended up being really sweet and puts the reader into the holiday spirit.

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

TITLE: Naughty But Nice
SERIES #: A Hamilton Christmas Novella #3
CHARACTERS: Griffin & Melody
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/30/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
ʼTis the season for sweet surprises . . .

Businessman Griffin’s never believed in luck . . . until sassy-sweet small-town baker Melody turns his world around. Except there’s a catch: There’s no way he’ll be able to build his empire and hold on to her. This new love could destroy all his dreams—or make this Christmas better than he ever imagined possible . . .

Originally in the The Naughty List anthology

REVIEW:
This is the third installment of the novella trilogy. This is a re-release. The story is a great way to start off the holiday season and put you in the holiday mood.

Donna Kauffman has been around for a while but the more you read of her the more you want to.

You do need to read Unleashed and Lock, Stock and Jingle Bells before reading this story.

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

TITLE: A Season To Celebrate
CHARACTERS: Varies
AUTHOR: Fern Michaels; Kate Pearce; Donna Kauffman; Priscilla Oliveras
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/30/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Make it a merry Christmas with four stories of the special way the holidays warm our hearts…

CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING * Fern Michaels
Former Air Force Pararescueman Kevin Matthews is back home in Texas, working at his family’s Christmas tree farm while deciding his next move. Or maybe he won’t move at all, if sparks keep flying with the town’s new surgeon, Kate Stafford . . .

AN UNEXPECTED GIFT * Kate Pearce
Widower Billy Morgan wishes his grown children still needed him. Good thing his longtime friend, Bella, does. She’s planning her son’s Christmas wedding and Billy is happy to help. Along the way they just might discover their own occasion to celebrate . . .

CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother’s Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn’t expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef–or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas . . .

HOLIDAY HOMERUN * Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like–and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . .

REVIEW:
I was going to review each of these stories separately but to be honest they would all have the same review. They are 4 stars. The characters are all wonderful to read about. The romances are sweet.

The stories are short and quick reads. And are great to have around to pick up when you want to put yourself into the Christmas spirit or take a break from the Christmas craziness.

Donna Kauffman is one of my favorites and having read the other books set in Blue Hollow this one was of course my favorite of all.

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

TITLE: The Christmas Sisters
CHARACTERS: Suzanne, Hannah, Beth & Posy
AUTHOR: Sarah Morgan
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/25/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In the snowy Highlands of Scotland, Suzanne McBride is dreaming of the perfect cozy Christmas. Her three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays and she can’t wait to see them. But tensions are running high…

Workaholic Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her—it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. Stay-at-home mom Beth is having a personal crisis. All she wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work—seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky. But not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke…

As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together. But will this new togetherness teach the sisters that their close-knit bond is strong enough to withstand anything—including a family Christmas?

REVIEW:
What a charming Christmas/Holiday story. This is about family and the bond that never goes away even if the family falls apart for a while.

I really started to believe these characters could be real. They were so well written and such an honest story. Sarah Morgan just captures the family dynamic.

While this is set at the holidays it really is a story about what the holidays mean. Which is love and family.

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

TITLE: Season Of Wonder
SERIES #: Haven Point #9
CHARACTERS: Dani & Ruben
AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/01/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He’s giving her children a season of wonder…

Dani Capelli seized a chance to start over in a small town with her daughters. Now, facing her first Christmas in Haven Point, she wonders if leaving New York was a mistake. Dani loves working alongside veterinarian Dr. Morales, but her two children aren’t adjusting to small-town life. And then there’s Dr. Morales’s son, Ruben—Dani’s next-door neighbor. Gorgeous, muscled and dependable, the deputy sheriff is everything she secretly craves and can’t bear to risk loving…and losing.

Ruben never pictured himself falling for a big-city woman like Dani. But beneath her prickly facade, she’s caring and softhearted and she needs all the love and protection he can give. When Dani’s teenage daughter starts acting out, Ruben draws on family traditions to show the girls just how magical a Haven Point Christmas can be. But can he convince Dani that she’s found a home for the holidays—and forever—in his arms?

REVIEW:
Thayne is quickly becoming one of my go to authors. I love the way she writes. Her stories are so sweet and heartfelt.

This is Dani and Ruben’s story. And they are really great together but the two daughters are my downfall. They are so sweet and real. I just wanted to bring Mia home with me. Silver took a bit but I finally enjoyed her too. But the older ones are always the harder ones to enjoy.

Great book to have ready on hand for your next read.

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

TITLE: We’ll Always Have Christmas
CHARACTERS: Noelle & Alexander
AUTHOR: Jenny Hale
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An enchanting story about the magic of Christmas, the importance of family, and the joy of falling in love during the most romantic season of the year…

Christmas has always been a special time for Noelle Parker. Winter evenings spent with family and friends, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies at her family’s cozy bakery have shaped her love for all things festive. But this year everything is changing…

The beloved bakery is facing closure and Noelle needs a miracle to save Christmas.

Determined to raise funds for the family business, Noelle sets about revamping the bakery while juggling a surprise new job, caring for the elderly and cantankerous William Harrington in his luxurious, sprawling mansion.

As Noelle melts the frostiness of the house with cake baking, snowball fights and glittering decorations, she helps William to reconnect with a romance that has spanned decades and unexpectedly finds herself falling for his grandson – the gorgeous but mysterious Alexander Harrington…

In the countdown to Christmas, can Noelle save the bakery, reunite a family and create some magical memories of her own along the way?

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Ooooooh this story just gets to the heart. I just loved William. Yes he is a cranky old man but he is also sweet and I would love to sit with him listening to his stories. I can just see sitting in front of a Christmas tree and having his eyes glaze over with memories of the past.

Alexander is an interesting character who has his own issues but somehow worms his way into your heart and Noelle is just wonderful. I enjoyed all the parts of this story. It is perfect as a holiday tale. I can actually see it as a made for tv movie.

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

TITLE: A Second Christmas Wish
CHARACTERS: Melissa & Daniel
AUTHOR: Kathryn Freeman
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/07/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Do you believe in Father Christmas?

For Melissa, Christmas has always been overrated. From her cold, distant parents to her manipulative ex-husband, Lawrence, she’s never experienced the warmth and contentment of the festive season with a big, happy family sitting around the table.
And Melissa has learned to live with it, but it breaks her heart that her seven-year-old son, William, has had to live with it too. Whilst most little boys wait with excitement for the big day, William finds it difficult to believe that Father Christmas even exists.
But then Daniel McCormick comes into their lives. And with his help, Melissa and William might just be able to find their festive spirit, and finally have a Christmas where all of their wishes come true …

REVIEW:
I have not read a book by Freeman before but this will not be my last one. This is a sweet holiday story about finding the Christmas spirit and gaining faith in Santa.

When William, a 5 year old, is told by her own father at that Santa isn’t real the life of William and his mom, Melissa, is turned upside down. Jump two years later and William is starting to blossom after the devastation of his parents divorce.

Then Daniel comes onto the scene and not only falls for William but Melissa. When William writes to Santa asking for two things but will only discuss one the life of the three of them in again turned upside down… or is that right side up?

Great story with a great message. William breaks my heart but also makes me fall in love with Christmas all over again.

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