Book Review: Christmas After All by Cece Louise

December 4, 2023December 2, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 216 pages
Author: Cece Louise
Publisher: Jabberwocky Tales
Release Date: November 8th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As if ruining my life wasn’t enough, now he’s back to ruin my Christmas.

Melissa

The only thing I hate more than Christmas is Tucker James—the guy who wrote a song about me after I turned him down in high school.

He became famous. I became infamous.

With Tucker back in town to play at the annual winter festival, this Christmas is shaping up to be one of the worst. Everyone in Halften loves the hometown country music star who put our town on the map.

Everyone except me.

Tucker

Years ago, I wrote a not-so-flattering song about the girl I had a crush on in high school.

It became my first number-one hit. And made her the laughingstock of our hometown.

Now I’m back in Halften, and it’s pretty clear the only thing Melissa Ellis wants for Christmas is me out of her life.

But in a town this small, it’s going to take a miracle for either of us to make it through this holiday season unscathed.

STARTED STRONG.

I was enjoying a lot of this for a long time. I liked the second chance dynamics and the love interest was really sweet. And I noticed some character growth from the FMC and those are all things I look for in a great read.

Enter in some miscommunication that just brought this down for me. I know that doesn’t bother everyone but to me, I get easily frustrated by this.

Otherwise, I thought this was a good holiday romance. And I’d still recommend giving it a go even if I thought a little differently because of personal preference. There’s some good forced proximity, taking care of someone when they’re sick, and cute holiday activities.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: child abuse (physically recounted), a parent with alcoholism (off-page), loss of parents, bullying

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Book Review: Well of Dreams (The Runic Saga #1) by Kayla Ann

December 3, 2023November 27, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 408 pages
Author: Kayla Ann
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 7th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The gods predicted the end, but they never counted on mankind’s will to survive…

After an apocalyptic event that left the world in ruin, the surviving nation of Evrópa returns to the reverence of ancestral magic and mystic runes. Seventeen-year-old Larissa Daldóttir has little time to dwell on such folklore—not with a monthly produce quota to meet and an illegal second-born sister to hide. Enslavement, if not death at the hands of the Empress, awaits her family should Halla be discovered.

When Larissa is mistaken to be in league with the resistance against the Empress, she must flee with Halla. Wounded and hunted by agents of the Empress, Larissa’s survival relies on a mercurial shapeshifter and a mysteriously familiar young man from her forgotten past.

Running from both her past and the Empress, Larissa has no choice but to trust in the tenuous bonds built through heartache and tragedy. In a race to find the resistance before the Empress finds them, Larissa and Halla unintentionally unravel secrets of their history that not only unhinge the stability of the crown but their very lives.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy!

FANTASTIC DEBUT.

This is your sign to take a chance on debut indie authors. I loved this book y’all.

I’m not a big dystopian fan, but this felt different. It was a subtle dystopian vibe mixed with all things Norse mythology and I loved the combination. There’s intense moments, dark creatures and a past that’s trying to find it’s way to the present.

I love the multiple POV’s and how it kept the pace going. There’s a lot of flashbacks that helped build the story and once I started clicking pieces into place I became increasingly invested in knowing the full scope of what happened. I really like all of these characters too and can’t wait to see how the story continues to unfurl.

There’s a romance sub-plot I am absolutely here for. I loved the reveals and the writing was wonderful. The paperback edition I received had gorgeous art throughout too and I loved being able to get a better picture of the cast. I’m genuinely excited to see what’s next!

Overall audience notes:

YA Dystopian Fantasy
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, near death experiences, weapons violence

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Book Review: Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey

December 3, 2023October 9, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 286 pages
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Laurel Grant is playing house for the holidays–complete with a fake husband and kids–in this delightful, cozy rom-com by Kerry Winfrey.

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for Buckeye State of Mind, an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She is most definitely not an owner of a farm…but one tiny misunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twin sister Holly’s farm just outside of Columbus. Laurel only handles the social media for the farm, but she’s happy to keep her little white lie going if it means not getting fired.

And keep it going she must when Gilbert, recently dumped by his wife, invites himself over for the farm’s big holiday dinner (as advertised on Meadow Rise Farm’s Instagram, thanks to Laurel herself). Laurel immediately goes into panic mode to figure out how she can trick Gilbert into thinking she’s basically the Martha Stewart of rural Ohio and keep her job in the process.

Laurel and Holly come up with a plan–all Laurel has to do is pretend to own the farm for one dinner. But when Laurel shows up at the farm, an unwelcome guest is there: Max Beckett, her nemesis since Holly’s wedding. The annoyingly attractive man she hates will be posing as Laurel’s husband just for the evening, but when a snowstorm traps them all for the entire weekend, Laurel is going to have to figure out how to survive with her job and dignity intact. Whatever the case, this promises to be the most eventful Christmas in ages…

DIDN’T HOLD UP.

I know there’s some suspension of belief sometimes in a romance, but y’all. I just couldn’t get past this plot set up. With her boss coming over?? And faking who she was?? And then of course it snowed and they all had to stay together for multiple days?? I don’t know, the holiday magic wasn’t charming me this time.

Neither was the romance. For a short book I was hoping to see more connection, flirting, tension, something. That came in late in the second half when I was thinking these two were waaaay too different to ever find common ground and a love story.

It gets the three stars because I was never hate reading it, I just wasn’t that invested. A bit of a lackluster holiday read.

Overall audience notes:

Holiday Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: kissing

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ARC Book Review: The Christmas Letters by Jenny Proctor

December 2, 2023December 3, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance Novella
Length: 191 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 28th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can an old letter spark a new flame?

When Tess Ravenel gets herself stuck inside a bathroom stall in one of Charleston’s most historic buildings, she isn’t exactly thinking about her dating life. But then the paramedic who comes to her rescue has a voice that sounds like butter and enough charm to make her forget she’s seconds from having a panic attack.

If only he were interested.

Andrew McKay has a mysterious Christmas pen pal, a woman who replied to a newly found letter he sent to Santa back when he was a kid. After weeks of correspondence, it’s clear she’s funny, smart, interesting…and an awful lot like Tess Ravanel—the woman he’s already blown off twice for good reason.

Tess and Andrew couldn’t be more different, but when their worlds collide, fate (and a little Christmas magic) set them on a crash course for love.

The Christmas Letters is a closed door sweet holiday romance with lots of chemistry but no spice. This book was first published in 2019 but has been heavily revised and updated.

Thank you to Jenny Proctor for an eARC.

HOLLY JOLLY.

I thought this was a lot of fun. It’s fast paced with that instant connection kind of vibe that (if written well) works beautifully in a novella. And all of those things came together for me here. I adored Drew and Tess. Yay for dual POV’s that help give sides to both stories.

The letter writing was a cute quirk and I liked how it was approached vs. all the ways miscommunication could have ruined it. The grand gesture was wonderful. This was perfect for the season and just gave me all the best warm fuzzies.

Overall audience notes: