Tag: contemporary romance

Book Review: Single All the Way by Portia MacIntosh

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 267 pages
Author: Portia MacIntosh
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: August 18th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Will Dani find love this Christmas? Or will she be Single All The Way…?

When Dani’s boyfriend (and boss!) dumps her for a younger model, the only silver lining she can see is to be able to spend Christmas at home with her family after years away.

Determined to surprise them, Dani turns up unannounced in her hometown, excited to see that the festive season in Marram Bay is in full swing with Christmas lights twinkling on every corner. But disaster strikes when she finds her parents’ house is empty and they appear to have gone away on holiday!

Christmas alone and single is not ideal, and when Dani starts bumping into old friends, neighbours and potential love interests, she can’t face telling them the truth. So in a panic she claims to be home to throw a Christmas party for the whole town – easier said than done with 12 days to go before Christmas…

As the fake party approaches, little does Dani know that there may be someone there under the mistletoe for her, if she can just let her guard down and see them…

A laugh-out-loud festive romantic comedy from top 10 bestseller Portia MacIntosh, guaranteed to put a smile on your face this Christmas.

A FUN HOLIDAY READ.

This one was a quick, light, good holiday time. I love finding great holiday books for the season and I’d easily add this to my recommendations list. The audio was a good listen and gave the edge to British humor that I got a laugh out of.

I wasn’t sure initially how I felt about the romance. The hero isn’t exactly charming or endearing, BUT he really grew on me. I ended up thinking he was sweet and I thought the chemistry between Dani and him was endearing.

The plot is exactly what you expect of a Christmastime read. A cobbled together holiday party set in a small town. I have no qualms over this because I feel like it’s the spirit of the season for these reads.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: closed door

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Book Review: Mistle Text (An Accidentally in Love Story #5) by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 302 pages
Author: Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers
Publisher: 33 Partners & Indigo Group
Release Date: September 19th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Twas the text before Christmas…

Twenty-eight-year-old Holly Snow is the only mother her four-year-old niece remembers. Three years earlier, when her sister and brother-in-law were killed, Holly’s dream of becoming an international flight attendant was put on hold so she could be home for baby Faith. Holly is doing everything she can to keep the rent paid, including working as an online travel agent, filing medical claims, and cleaning apartments in her building. When her friend Maggie tells her that her boss needs someone to buy his Christmas gifts, she leaps at the opportunity.

Tall, dark and Scroogy, investment banker, Archibald Harrington is too busy to do his own Christmas shopping. When his assistant tells him she knows of a professional shopper, he happily checks another dreaded task off his holiday list. The last thing Archie is expecting is for his hired elf to text him insistently to find out more about the people on list. The last thing Holly expects is to develop feelings for grumpy man who’s stealing her Christmas spirit.

Will there be a Holiday miracle, or will Holly and Archie miss their chance at love? Find out in the fifth installment of the Accidentally in Love Series.

HOLIDAY CHEER.

We have found another win for the holiday romance books column.

I do admit you do have to let go of some drama aspects for this one (as you do with holiday books), but I thought it was overall really charming!! The romance got off to a nice meet-cute and I liked the banter between Holly and Archie. They had some sweet moments that built the relationship well.

The plot had those billionaire romance aspects that I know many will love and worked for me most of the time too. I loved the personal shopper side of it too. The combination just worked so well for me.

Faith was a cute addition that only increased the charm on this book. I loved the new family they were creating together and it had me showcasing a huge smile. Faith was cheeky and landed the anecdotes at the right moment.

It’s a lighthearted and quick holiday read that I think will bring the best kind of feels for the season.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: orphaned child (death of parents mentioned; off-page), a mother with dementia

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: November 2022

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BIRTHDAY MONTH & HOLIDAY BOOKS. It was a good November.

FAVORITES

LEAST FAVORITES

  • Holiday Romance
  • Fake Santa Apology Tour
  • Spells for Lost Things
  • The Eradic
  • The Belle of Belgrave Square
  • Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD
  • Heart of the Sun Warrior
  • Bloodmarked
  • The Holiduel
  • The Lost Metal
  • The Two Bells of Christmas
  • Cabin Mate
  • Morrighan
  • My Knight Before Christmas
  • Built to Last
  • The Cloisters
  • A Billionaire Inventor for Christmas
  • Talk Santa to Me
  • House of Eclipses
  • [Novella] My Knight Before Christmas (Christmas in Connecticut #1) by Amanda P. Jones
  • Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh
  • [ARC] Scrooge and the Girls Next Door (Creekville Kisses) by Melanie Jacobson
  • Dance of a Burning Sea (Moussai #2) by E.J. Mellow
  • [Novella] The Fake Santa Apology Tour by Julie Olivia
  • The Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof
  • [ARC] Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Song o the Last Kingdom #1) by Amelie Wen Zhao
  • [Novella] Mishaps & Mistletoe (When in West Virginia #1.5) by Lindsey Jesionowski
  • Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
  • Built to Last by Erin Hahn
  • Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch
  • [ARC] The Eradic (The Eradic #1) by S. Goodey
  • A Newport Christmess (Christmas Escapes #4) by Jess Heileman
  • [Novella] Holly Jolly Christmas Derailed by Emily Bradford
  • Cursed (Gilded #2) by Marissa Meyer
  • A Memory of Light (Until the Stars Are Dead #1) by Allyson S. Barkley
  • The Belle of Belgrave Square (Belles of London #2) by Mimi Matthrews
  • [Novella] Christmas Crasher by Ash Keller
  • [Non-Fiction] Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD
  • Heart of the Sun Warrior (The Celestial Kingdom Duology #2) by Sue Lynn Tan
  • [Non-Fiction] Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
  • [ARC] Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano
  • [ARC] Saint (The Narrows #0) by Adrienne Young
  • A Not-So Holiday Paradise (Christmas Escapes #5) by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
  • Bloodmarked (Legendborn #2) by Tracey Deonn
  • [Novella] The Holiduel (Falling for Franklin #0.5) by Hailey Gardiner
  • The Cloisters by Katy Hays
  • Prince of Song & Sea (Princes #1) by Linsey Miller
  • How the Grump Saved Christmas by Claire Kingsley
  • Later On We’ll Conspire (Christmas Escapes #6) by Kourtney Keisel
  • The Lost Metal (Mistborn Era 2 #7) by Brandon Sanderson
  • [ARC/Novella] The Two Bells of Christmas by Joanna Barker
  • [ARC] Cabin Mate (Under Kansas Skies #4) by Leah Brunner
  • Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales #1) by Olivia Atwater
  • A Billionaire Inventor for Christmas (Dexington Christmas Billionaires #1) by Dobi Daniels
  • [Novella] Christmas at Engine 17 by Ash Keller
  • [ARC] Morrighan (The Remnant Chronicles #0.5) by Mary E. Pearson
  • Talk Santa to Me by Linda Urban
  • [Novella] Holiday Hang-Ups by Elle Anne Brown
  • House of Eclipses (House of Eclipses #2) by Casey L. Bond
  • [Novella] The Naughty, the Nice, and the Nanny (Holiday Brothers #1) by Willa Nash
  • Christmas After All by Cece Louise
  • Keeper of the Lost Cities: Unlocked (KOTLC #8.5) by Shannon Messenger

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Book Review: Christmas Baggage (Christmas Escape #1) by Deborah M. Hathaway

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 302 pages
Author: Deborah M. Hathaway
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 19th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

If there is one thing she has learned in England, it’s that not all Englishmen are created equal.
Because this guy was turning out to be a real pill.

Tired of spending the holidays throwing up on cruises with her parents and, you know, being dumped by ex-boyfriends, Claire Frost is determined to change her luck this Christmas. Taking time off from her flower shop, she follows her friend to London, ready to enjoy all-things England. And boy, does she. The frost-covered flowers. The frozen green hills. The bright red telephone boxes. The festive Christmas markets.

Also the men. Definitely the men.

Except, of course, her friend’s cousin. Liam Everhart is super attractive, super swoony, and super English. Too bad he’s also a super jerk. A super jerk whom she now has to spend every minute with. What a blessed, blessed relief that his Darcy/Poldark looks are overshadowed by his Darth Vader/Malfoy personality. She had enough Christmas baggage to deal with, so why would she ever add a swoony Englishman to the mix?

This is a clean, sweet, wholesome romance set in present-day London, England that features the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes, with a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

SO SWEET.

I have been waiting for this series for months and the first book started things off fantastically. I adored it. Suuuper sweet and cuddly and makes me want to fly to London ASAP.

For a very (I’m talking a week) fast paced romance, I was pretty charmed by the connection between Claire and Liam. They met on a rocky playing field and found common ground wandering London together. Occasionally things read a bit too much like a travel blog, but when this duo would banter back and forth I was HERE FOR IT.

The kissing scenes were absolutely swoooooony. Good heavens. I love well placed heat in sweet romances. This one knocked it out of the park. I felt the tension and desire easily.

Pleasantly satisfied with no ridiculous third actness. It all fit into the story well and made sense for the characters at the time. I thought the ending was delightful and gave the resolutions needed for both characters to be together and get what they needed from outside their relationship too.

All sorts of holiday cheer abound (which is something I look for when picking one of these romances up). You won’t regret diving into this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: emotionally negligent parents, loss of a parent (off-page prior to book)

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