Tag: holiday romance

Book Review: All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Holiday Romance
Length: 256 pages
Author: Falon Ballard
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Bitter exes. Professional rivals. Just one bed.
What could go wrong?

Jessica Carrington always wanted her own happily ever after. But, until that happens, she spends her days as a small-time romance writer, penning satisfying Happily Ever Afters to soothe the heartache left by her ex-boyfriend Nick Matthews, a fellow romance writer and now her biggest rival, who has found success writing love stories without happy endings. It’s clearly what he’s good at, after all . . .

So, when their professional obligations find them snowed in – and forced to share a room! – at the same remote inn a few days before Christmas, Jess and Nick are both fuming. But what’s more fitting for two romantic writers in a slump? And when they realise the friction between them might be the only cure for their writer’s block, they decide to turn their frustration into fiction . . . and the pages start flying.

Jess can’t shake the feeling that Nick is the last guy on earth she should be falling for (again), but, as they both finally get back in their flow, is he actually all she wants for Christmas?

VERY FRUSTRATING.

This book made me angry. Anger inducing books get two stars.

So let’s see. The entire book is about the physicality of their relationship. It was practically the only thing they could talk about and it was not endearing in any way, shape, or form. I was tired of hearing about it and the book is less than 300 pages.

And the reason he broke up with her?! DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED. If I could have thrown a book I would have.

I enjoyed Lease on Love and everything after that has been downhill. I am calling it on reading anymore books by Falon Ballard.

Overall audience notes:

  • Holiday Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 4+ open door

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Book Review: Kiss Me at Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Holiday Fiction
Length: 397 pages
Author: Jenny Bayliss
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

White Christmas meets Nora Ephron in Jenny Bayliss’ latest wholehearted, ensemble-cast holiday extravaganza.

Christmas can officially get stuffed because Harriet Smith is not feeling bright and merry this year. She hasn’t for a while. So when her college-aged daughter opts for Manhattan’s winter wonderland instead of Christmas at home, Harriet finds herself seeking solace in a wine-soaked one-night stand.  

But how Harriet will spend the holidays is swiftly decided for her after she takes the fall for some students who break into the town’s old Winter Theater. To get the students off the hook, the theater’s elderly owner requests that Harriet direct the washed-out stage’s final Christmas performance. And Harriet will do anything to help the kids . . . even work with the owner’s lawyer who, as it turns out, is her less than impressed one-night stand.

Directing the play with him won’t exactly change her life. But it might just reignite the Christmas spirit and remind her what makes life merry and bright again.

WHERE?

For a book called Kiss Me at Christmas. I felt there a distinct lack of romance. My ruined expectations made this hard to read and I struggled through the audiobook. The audio narration was perfectly fine, the book itself was not.

I didn’t care much for the heroine either. Most of the book felt frustrating. I think there were some good growth moments by the end and some of the themes were enjoyable to be touched on because I don’t see them often.

Ultimately I needed and wanted more romance. And I didn’t like the casual nature of most of the relationship (started off with a one night stand). I was very much over hearing about the play.

Overall audience notes:

  • Holiday Fiction
  • Language: low – moderate
  • Romance: closed door

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

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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

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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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