Category: book review

A wallflower determined to fulfill a dying promise, the rogue she jilted years ago, and an orphaned baby are all brought together amidst the magic of Christmas in this new novella from Manda Collins, With This Christmas Ring.

About With This Christmas Ring

Miss Merry Parks makes a deathbed promise to a school friend that her infant daughter will be taken to her absent father. There’s only one problem—to find the baby’s father, she’ll have to consult his cousin, Viscount Wrotham, the man she jilted five years ago. The man she couldn’t forget.

Alex Ponsonby, Viscount Wrotham, is stunned to find Merry Parks—looking more lovely than ever–on his doorstep with an infant in her arms. His shock soon turns to dismay when he learns his own cousin William is the man who abandoned his wife and child. As head of the family he’s duty bound to see right is done. But he can’t let this opportunity pass. He’ll take Merry and the baby to his cousin, but he’ll woo her back in the process.

Merry agrees to travel with Alex and the baby to Wrotham Castle, where the entire Ponsonby family has gathered for Christmas, but her plans to see the baby settled then leave are ruined by a snowstorm. After five years apart, Alex and Merry will spend the week getting re-acquainted. Perhaps it’s the spirit of the holiday, or the magic of the season, but there could be something else in the air this Yuletide…A Christmas Reunion.

My Thoughts

This was an excellent historical romance novella with an exciting (yet different for this time period) plot. In this novel, we have a couple who were previously engaged but Merry had broken off their engagement without any rhyme or reason. To escape everything, Alex went overseas and in the process found his birth Mother and learned quite a bit of information about his family, his abusive Father and Grandmother.

He never expects to see Merry again so you can imagine his shock when she shows up at his door! Especially when she comes bearing an infant. We find out that his cousin had fathered a child and then left mother and child alone in the world. Together they travel to his family home (well a castle really!) to ensure that his cousin does the right thing by the child.

Quite quickly the sparks start to fly! The author is able to pack a lot in this novel and I expect it is because of the previous history this couple has shared. As they begin to get to know each other all over again, we find out the true reason that Merry had left. It leaves you feeling angry and resentful at his Grandmother. Then the plot begins to unfold even more and you understand her true motives.

This was a sweet story of lost love, hope and forgiveness. A great holiday time period romance!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and SMP Romance.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Manda Collins is the author of the Studies in Scandal series, The Lords of Anarchy series, The Ugly Duckling series and the Wicked Widows series as well as several other Regency-set romances. She spent her teen years wishing she’d been born a couple of centuries earlier, preferably in the English countryside. Time travel being what it is, she resigned herself to life with electricity and indoor plumbing, and read lots of books. When she’s not writing, she’s helping other people use books, as an academic librarian.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In A Season of You, it’s Christmastime in the quaint island town of Cloud Bay, where love is always in season…

About A Season of You

Will has believed in love at first sight since the day he first laid eyes on Mina Harper five years ago.
There was only one problem: She was happily married. Then, when Mina’s husband was killed by a
drunk driver, Will figured she’d want nothing to do with a guy who owns a whiskey distillery. So
he’s kept his feelings locked away, knowing that not even a Christmas miracle would be enough to
melt Mina’s heart.

Mina believes her days of true love are behind her. Since losing her husband she has kept to herself, content to do her own painting and stay out of the limelight that comes with her famous family. But when, after a freak accident, Will comes to her rescue, Mina can’t quite get him out of her mind. As curiosity turns into a fling during the first Christmas Festival, she finds it harder to convince herself that her feelings for Will are just mistletoe inspired.

Could Mina be ready to lay the past to rest and finally admit that what she really wants for Christmas and forever is Will?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this novel from the start! We have Mina Harper, who is the daughter of rock legend. You would think this would make her eccentric, entitled (or worse) but she is kind-hearted, loving and selfless. She is also broken over the loss of her husband, who was killed by a drunk driver. She is still so young but she allows her husband’s death to stop her from fully living. The only times she seems to come alive again is in her art.

Will is a quiet, reserved but gentle soul. He has always loved Mina but has put his feelings on the back burner in order to give her the time and space she needed. When he rescues her, he falls in love all over again and he knows that he needs to take this chance.

The pair take a short leap of faith – saying that they will give this relationship thing a short fling (they even set a deadline!) but they find that this is more difficult than they planned. They begin to develop stronger feelings for each other. Feelings that Mina is not yet ready to feel and she really struggles with this throughout the novel. A huge part of her is not ready to put her trust in another person if there is a chance she can lose them.

This was an excellent story from start to finish. It was full of hope, learning to trust again and taking that leap of faith regardless of how scared we are. It is a definite must ready novel!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and SMP Romance.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Emma Douglas would love to live in a world where professional napping was a thing. But until then, she thinks writing books is a pretty awesome alternative. When not writing about imaginary
people, she can be found reading, doing something crafty, binge-watching TV, playing her latest
song crush on repeat, or singing badly in her car. She lives in Melbourne, Australia in a tiny house
stuffed full of books, too many craft supplies and two cats who take up more space than you would expect. Find out more about Emma at www.emmadouglasbooks.com.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In Deck the Halls, one man must face his past to find his future this Christmas.

About Deck the Halls

In the last year, George’s life has drastically changed. The formerly homeless veteran now has a job he likes, a family in the residents of Darling, VT, and for the first time in years, a home. But while his present is good, he’s still haunted by the past, a past that appears shortly before Christmas when the older sister of his brother-in-arms hunts him down and finds him in Darling, working at the Ladybug Garden Center.

Amy’s looking for closure for her family after her brother’s death in the Middle East, but the serious man she finds working in Vermont doesn’t resemble the soldier she remembers from years before. This man is hardened and yet somehow fragile, too, and in her desire to find out what really happened to her brother, she learns more about George than she ever expected.

With a little Christmas magic and the whole town supporting them, can these two bruised hearts make a future together?

My Thoughts

Deck the Halls while a Christmas novel and a romance, it has some powerful moments throughout the story as it tells the story of George.

George is a veteran who suffers greatly with PTSD after he returns to America. He is haunted by his past and the death of his best friend. It forces him to turn to alcohol and he had eventually became homeless. Now living in Darling, he is given a second chance but at times he is still haunted by his past.

When Amy shows up, he is forced to deal with the past and her brother’s death. Amy can barely recognize the man in front of her. Gone is his light heartiness and in his place is a man who is hard on the outside but has this gentle core that could be broken at any time. It was interesting to note that there was some attraction between these two before George went away with the army.

As Amy helps him confront his path while giving her some closure, these two work through some very difficult moments. They both have had difficult pasts but in order to move forward, they need to confront their past, make peace with it and decide to move into the future with hope.

I loved every moment of this powerful and beautiful story. I cried, I laughed and I wanted nothing more than the best for these two. I am sure this is a story that so many individuals can relate to on some level. It is difficult to let go of our past, especially when it haunts us and we wonder if there is anything we could have done differently to change the outcome. This can lead to self hate which is just as destructive. This novel while full of raw, honest emotion gives hope and an important message of forgiveness, faith and love.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and SMP Romance.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

A busy wife and mother of three (two daughters plus the family dog), Donna Alward believes hers
is the best job in the world: a combination of stay-at- home mom and romance novelist. Donna loves being back on the East Coast of Canada after nearly twelve years in Alberta where her romance career began, writing about cowboys and the west. She is the author of Somebody Like
You, Somebody’s Baby, and Someone to Love.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

In Christmas at Two Love Lane, the best gift of all is the one you share with someone else.

About Christmas at Two Love Lane

From the moment he strode through the iron gate and into the offices of Two Love Lane on a crisp December day, it was obvious that Deacon Banks was something different. He wasn’t a Charleston native, not with that adorable Yankee accent. And unlike the usual client at the elegant matchmaking agency, he had no interest in finding a woman to marry―just a few no-strings dates while he was in town.

Macy Frost takes her professional services very seriously―how could she not, when she’s rumored to be a direct descendant of Cupid? Tech entrepreneur Deacon says he’s just trying to make his social-climbing aunt happy by being seen out and about with a few prominent beauties, but Macy insists she can make her client fall in love…for real. And Deacon can’t help but think she might be right. As charming as the palmetto trees and magnificent harbor may be, it’s the beautiful, breath-of-fresh-air Macy who’s become Deacon’s favorite part of the scenery. But can the hopelessly romantic Southern belle stop trying to fix him up and just let Cupid do his work on her own heart?

My Thoughts

Christmas at Two Love Lane follows the story of Macy (our legendary match maker) and the ultra sexy tech guy Deacon. These two are polar opposites in so many ways but sparks fly when these two meet!

Macy is a Southern Belle. She is in love with the concept of love and has this ultimate fairytale romance played out in her mind, which means that she has a hard time settling for anything else. She is also the town matchmaker (with a rough family history of being related to Cupid?!). She is one of the owners of the local matchmaking agency. I love her confidence, her strength and her desire to wait for the love of her life.

Deacon on the other hand seems to be running from love. To make his Aunt happy, he has agreed to go on a few staged dates (although his Aunt has no idea they are staged). He is happy being single and wants to keep it that way. He feels the strong attraction to Macy but is terrified of his feelings. We watch him struggle with his attraction throughout the novel.

Christmas at Two Love Lane is a fun, steamy novel that has a slow build but well worth it in the end. We watch our two main characters struggle to understand and deal with their attraction. Sometimes this lands them in the funniest of situations! You will find yourself laughing, shaking your head and wishing for more. I really hope there is a second installment as I would love to see what happens with this couple in the future (and all of our other amazing characters in this story).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and SMP Romance.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Kieran Kramer, author of the Impossible Bachelors series, was born in Washington, D.C. to an Air
Force pilot father and actress/singer mother. She grew up mainly on Johns Island, a rural sea island near Charleston, South Carolina, where she helped build her family’s log home. Having worked for the CIA and as journalist for The Charlotte Observer, Kieran is now a stay-at- home mom. She once won $34,000 on Wheel of Fortune, and also won on Family Feud. She’s been married to her naval officer husband, Chuck, for twenty-one years, and they have three children.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.