Book Review: Christmas Cliche by Tara Sivec

July 7, 2021November 30, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 159 pages
Author: Tara Sivec
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: November 19th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

‘Twas the week before Christmas
and all through L.A.,
Allie Parker’s famous twin sisters
were driving her cray.
She fled to the mountains
with a hostage in tow,
hoping to sleep through the holidays,
which were a sh*t-show.
A crash in a blizzard,
and a hot mountain man,
definitely wasn’t part
of her evacuation plan.
Santas, and stockings,
and creepy nutcrackers too,
everywhere she looks,
it’s a crazy Christmas zoo.
But there are hugs, and smiles,
and a beautiful view,
kisses and laughter,
and no time to be blue.
Maybe this family,
with their hot mountain man,
will make this a Christmas
Allie can actually stand.

CHRISTMASY & SWEET.

A hidden gem I found on Kindle Unlimited! I really like this y’all. Super quick read. Sweet romance that for someone picky about insta-love enjoyed the way it was portrayed (it was more insta-attraction and it worked well!).

Allie has a ridiculous best friend who made me laugh out loud multiple times. This book has an air of ridiculousness to it that fit into the story. I found myself wrapped up and charmed by the whole plot.

The romance was precious. Jason was this rugged mountain man that was incredibly kind and truly listened to what Allie had to say. I love all the little things he did for her to help her have a nice holiday away from her family.

It was a group of lovable characters working through family ideals. What they want to do, should be doing, and what’s best for all. These scenarios woven in to this Christmas read set a mood that had me not wanting to put this down.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: Kisses, make-outs; a few mild detailed open love scenes
Violence: car wreck (nobody injured)
Content warnings: drug use

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Book Review: Snow Angel Cove (Haven Point #1) by RaeAnne Thayne

July 5, 2021November 29, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 378 pages
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date: October 28th, 2014
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne welcomes you to a small town full of big surprises that are both merry and bright…

Nothing short of a miracle can restore Eliza Hayward’s Christmas cheer. The job she pinned her dreams on has gone up in smoke—literally—and now she’s stuck in an unfamiliar, if breathtaking, small town. Precariously close to being destitute, Eliza needs a helping hand…for her sick young daughter’s sake as well as her own. But she’s not expecting her holiday hero to almost run her down with his car!

Rescuing Eliza is pure instinct for tech genius Aidan Caine. At first, putting the renovation of his lakeside guest lodge in Eliza’s hands assuages his guilt—until he sees how quickly he could fall for her. Having focused solely on his business for years, he never knew that what his life was missing was Eliza and her little girl. But is he willing to risk hoping for a yuletide romance that could lead to forever?

A MIXED BAG.

To break this down, what I enjoyed was the romance. I thought the chemistry and relationship between Eliza and Aiden was sweet. It moved well for the short time-period and I was invested. The banter, passionate kisses and everything was great.

I also really enjoyed the setting. The small town, holiday/Christmas vibes was perfect for the season. With an awkward meet cute and lovable family members it made for a good started book for the series.

What I struggled with was the tragedy that enveloped every single person. Each one of them (as in, each character) had a backstory that was intense and took away from the story. It was then repeated way too often and sentiments were added every time they looked at another character. Repeat this scenario every few pages and I was exhausted from it all.

A bit good, a bit eh. It was a nice quick read though. I flew through it and it was overall enjoyable to check this off of my holiday TBR read.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: very little
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: main character with cancer, loss of a loved one(s), a child with a life-threatening condition, getting hit by a car

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Book Review: A Timeless Christmas by Alexi Stanton

July 2, 2021November 20, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 296 pages
Author: Alexis Stanton
Publisher: Hallmark Publishing
Release Date: October 23rd, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They’re from two different centuries,
but they’re perfect for each other.

Megan Turner is in love with the past. As a tour guide at a beautiful historic mansion, she tells visitors about its original owner, Charles Whitley. An inventor and businessman in the early 1900s, he rose from poverty to wealth…only to disappear without a trace.
Charles was always intrigued by the future. He just never expected to go there. But when he repairs a mysterious clock he bought on his travels, he’s transported to the twenty-first century, with his home decorated for Christmas and overrun by strangers.
Charles is determined to find a way back to his own era, especially when he learns about what happened after he left. But as Megan introduces him to the wonders of smartphones, pizza, and modern holiday traditions, they both feel a once-in-a-lifetime connection. Could it be that, somewhere in time, they belong together?

MAYBE THE MOVIE IS BETTER.

Went into this knowing exactly what was being laid out, a Hallmark movie as a book (or was it the other way around? I don’t know which came first for this novel).

And it may have been laid on a bit too thick for me.

I don’t mind cheesiness (when expected) and a fast-paced romance, but this was like whoa. Can we back up and add some more plot here? The book took place in less over a time span of what I gathered to be less than a week and I wasn’t even feeling the connection between the main characters. I think some further development was needed.

The concept was there and the writing was pleasant . It was easy for me to fly through it and appreciate the aspects presented. There’s some sweet moments and a connection to letting people who care about you in and coping with issues that have crept up from the past.

Maybe I’ll try watching the movie and see what I think of it compared to this!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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Book Review: All is Mary and Bright (Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair #2) by Kasey Stockton

June 28, 2021November 20, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Regency romance
Length: 243 pages
Author: Kasey Stockton
Publisher: Golden Owl Press
Release Date: October 24th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He’s found the woman he wants to marry—it’s a shame she is already engaged to someone else.

Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair

Sweet, Regency Christmas Romances

Five Christmas romances and the Frost Fair that started them all

This is the second book in the clean and sweet Regency romance Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair series. Although this forbidden love romance is a stand-alone novel, the books are best enjoyed when read in order.

HAD ITS MOMENTS.

This was cute, but definitely didn’t love it as much as the first in this series (and I have now put together that each book is by a different author too). There was charm here, I was hoping for a bit more though.

The plot dragged throughout. There were continual tangents about Pride & Prejudice. And I didn’t feel like it even fit in the story? I get where some allusions were made between the two novels, but it took me out of the book each time it talked about P&P.

I enjoyed Andrew so much. He was an amiable and alluring love interest who really seemed to mesh well with Mary. I liked how they bounced off each other and were able to communicate about there pasts and the things they struggled with. I don’t think it needed the extra fiance (not a love triangle, it was a contract of marriage for convenience) to make things come together.

The atmosphere is incredibly Christmas and holiday. I love that and it has me wanting to continue this series. Quick romances with a lot of pleasing aspects overall. Can’t wait to continue!

Overall audience notes: