Book Review: Holiday Hostilities (Cyclones Christmas #2) by Katie Bailey

January 11, 2025December 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Christmas Sports Romance
Length: 332 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: November 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s the most hateful time of the year…

There’s only one thing Olivia Griswold hates more than her brother’s best friend, Aaron Marino.

The NHL’s favorite playboy has hordes of adoring fans, but to her, he’s still the cocky jerk she’s loathed since high school.

But when Aaron hears Olivia’s spending the holidays with her roommates from hell, he offers her a place to escape to.

His place, to be exact.

In return, all she has to do is be his date to his hockey team’s Christmas gala. It seems simple enough, but Olivia soon discovers that sleeping behind enemy lines is a dangerous game—especially when the enemy looks like that.

Olivia knows she’s playing with fire, but she won’t let herself get burned again.

And they do say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer…

Get ready for delicious enemies-to-lovers banter and tension with tons of festive cheer in this charming hockey rom com. Holiday Hostilities is a closed door/fade to black romance that includes mild language, innuendo, and suggestive humor.

DID YOU SURVIVE THAT KISS?

Everyone kept mentioning this one kissing scene in Holiday Hostilities and hot DANG. They were RIGHT. Deliver me a swoony, sexy (but not open door) kissing scene and I am a goner. Praise be.

ANYWAYS. This book was great. I loved it. I had such a great time with the dynamic and banter between Olivia and Aaron. Call me smitten. I loved all of the nuanced details that showcased just how gone these two were for each other and the passion speaks for itself.

There was a small sub plot involving an obsessed and delusional side chick that I didn’t love. Just not my cup of tea for the drama of choice buuut it didn’t ruin the book for me. I was a still a goner for these two. Plenty of hockey action, some good holiday moments and now I have become a Katie Bailey fan.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Christmas Sports Romance
Language: low
Romance: closed door

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Book Review: Five Gold Rings by Kristen Bailey

January 6, 2025November 28, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 317 pages
Author: Kristen Bailey
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: October 30th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

What does Christmas look like to you? A tree rammed with homemade decorations, a mantelpiece weighed down with cards, Mum telling Dad not to put the chocolate wrappers back in the tin, a festive film on television…

It should definitely not look like a naked woman on her knees noshing off your boyfriend of three years in the shower.

It’s Christmas Eve eve, and the holidays are not off to a good start for, er, Eve.

After the surprise and shock of catching her boyfriend cheating, Eve – totally devastated – reacts by throwing the gifts she’s selflessly bought and wrapped for HIS family out of the window. But while doing so she discovers her own present from Chris under the Christmas tree: an engagement ring, bought at the jeweller’s where she works. What the jingle bells is going on? And what was he thinking?

Confused and with her Christmas plans in tatters, Eve rocks up at the jeweller’s for some tea and sympathy with her lovely employers, Mr and Mrs Caspar, who quietly put in a distress call to her colleague, Joe. Eve doesn’t know that Joe is secretly in love with her, but her bosses do, and they know he’s just the person Eve needs to comfort her in a crisis.

Joe gets the call while moonlighting as a buff butler at a Christmas-themed hen do and races across town to help console Eve. But as he learns about her heartbreak, the Caspars realise a crucial delivery has gone astray: five gold rings destined for Christmas proposals and weddings have been sent to the wrong address.

Can Eve and Joe retrieve the rings and get them to their rightful owners in time?

As they set off in Joe’s ancient mini – Joe still dressed as a sexy elf and Eve just a liiiittle bit tipsy – their adventure begins. With three proposals and two weddings to get to, it’s up to Eve and Joe to save Christmas.

An utterly hilarious novel for anyone looking for festive romance with all the feels. If you have a hot date with Love Actually every Christmas you will adore this gloriously funny and unmissable festive read.

HUMOROUS.

This was such a whacky plot idea that actually really worked in the holiday romance section. It’ll make you laugh and cringe, but ultimately enjoy the journey and all of the love that was found through returning those five rings.

The romance grew on me, but I wasn’t immediately sold. I think the timeline could have been stretched a little longer and I would have believed Eve’s turnaround a little more. Not to mention she was drunk for at least half the book and that was a little bit muddled for me too.

I loved the spirit of the season and the holiday moments. The ending was super sweet and it was just a enjoyable read. I’m glad I picked it up!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: strong
Romance: kisses; innuendo throughout
Trigger/Content Warnings: catching your boyfriend cheating, alcohol consumption

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Book Review: One Small Secret (Gift-Wrapped Romance) by Esther Hatch

December 30, 2024November 20, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 214 pages
Author: Esther Hatch
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 13th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ruben Palmer is on every woman’s Christmas wish list. Except mine.

I grew up with him and bested him in practically everything we did together–debate, grades, mini-golf, you name it. So I’ve built an immunity to his boy-next-door charm. Sure, sometimes I might accidentally type his name into my search engine, but his dimples, hotel empire and thirst-trap photos don’t tempt me. I’ve got my sights set on earning my way to the top of the Palmer Hotel empire, and nothing is going to get in my way.

Until my step-sister leaves her secret toddler with me before skipping town for three months. Now suddenly everyone thinks he’s mine, and instead of powering my way to the top, I’m struggling to not get fired. And instead of Ruben staying on the executive floor where he belongs, he’s invading my apartment, breaking dates with starlets, and looking disappointed that I decided to settle down with anyone except him.

But I know Ruben, and Ruben doesn’t settle down. So there’s no way I’m giving him my heart. Not even for Christmas.

WELL.

This wasn’t all bad, truly. I just feel like there was a whole lot going on for 200 pages and I think I got off on the wrong foot with the way the entire plot was set-up. It left me with more questions than answers.

There were a lot of good swoony moments and the kissing scenes were fantastic. I did like the second half more and I adored Ruben the most. He really did roll with the punches and had some of my favorite love confession scenes. I liked all of the holiday content and office place romance. There’s good banter and it’s witty. While things didn’t fully click for me, I look forward to more contemporaries from this author.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Holiday Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment

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Book Review: A Sugar Creek Christmas (Sugar Creek #1) by Jenny B. Jones

December 25, 2024November 17, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 196 pages
Author: Jenny B. Jones
Publisher: Sweet Pea Productions
Release Date: December 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sometimes all love needs is a second chance.

 Morning television show darling Emma Sutton has just been fired. The only way to get her job back is to find a holiday story to warm the coldest heart. So when her hometown of Sugar Creek, Arkansas, needs a Christmas event planner, Emma moves back, sure her story lies in the town’s desire to become a tourist’s holiday wonderland. The plan is perfect—until Emma meets her new boss.

Charming, handsome Noah Kincaid isn’t just Sugar Creek’s newest mayor. He’s also Emma’s ex-fiancé. Ten years ago Emma left Noah her ring and a goodbye note, but it’s haunted her ever since. The last thing Noah wants to do is work with the woman who broke his heart, but Emma’s desperate to prove to him that her bah-humbug ways won’t interfere with her work.

Emma finds it’s more than the mistletoe drawing her back to Noah. Whatever they had is clearly not over, but Noah’s kisses can’t protect Emma from a past that won’t leave her alone. As the snow falls and the trees glisten, love will come to Sugar Creek. But will it come in time to make all of Emma’s Christmas dreams come true?

TOO FAST.

I know this was a short book, but things can still be well paced. And this one left me reeling with how quickly things were moving. I don’t feel like the relationship had the necessary communication it needed before they got back together. Emma LEFT and Noah welcomed her back so dang quickly.

There’s lots of holiday cheer and a few quirky grandma’s to boot. If you’re looking for something quick, that has a light faith vein and a second chance romance, maaaybe this is for you!

Overall audience notes: