The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (Pine Hollow #1) by Lizzie Shane ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

A delightful holiday romance about a small-town single dad and an animal rescue owner as they try to find forever homes for a dozen lovable pups before Christmas.

Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family's rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he's far more reasonable — and handsome — than she ever expected.

As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn't have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town's gossip is spreading faster than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays... and the whole year through. 

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Contemporary romance author Lizzie Shane was born in Alaska and still calls the frozen north home, though she can frequently be found indulging her travel addiction. Thankfully, her laptop travels with her and she has written her way through all fifty states and over fifty countries.

Lizzie has been honored to win the Golden Heart Award and HOLT Medallion, and has been named a finalist three times for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA Award®, but her main claim to fame is that she lost on Jeopardy!

Author's Website.

Review: 

I love a good sweet holiday romance and this hit the spot. Add in a dog rescue with lots of cute puppies and I just couldn't put this book down. Pine Hollow is a small village where everyone knows each other. When Ally comes from the big city to help her Grandparents run the dog shelter she never thought it would lose its town funding and have to close by the end of the year. Ally also didn't expect to fall in love. The characters are very well developed and I just love them all. I felt like I was actually along for the ride with Ally as she navigates through Pine Hollow to help save the dog shelter. This is an amazing little town that I would just love to live in. I can't wait to read book two! I have three rescue dogs and understand the hard work that goes into finding the right furever home for each puppy. This was a truly great little Holiday read that I definitely could find myself reading over and over again.

If you are a dog lover, want a little Holiday romance then this is the book for you! I give a 5 star!

~*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own. *~

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One Upon a One Night Stand by Dori Hoxa ~ Book Review

Book description:

Five friends. Five stories.

Welcome to The LOVER Show. Let's begin with L:

Have you ever tried not liking a guy when your best friends decide you should like him? How about if that guy had the sexiest ass on the planet, and was your birthday-cake one-night-stand with icing on top? 

London Reeves agrees that three years is a long time to live without sex, but one steamy hot night could never last longer than the morning after. Yet her four lunatic best friends disagree on that last one. The voices in her head disagree, too, and even her mother seems to think she's crazy. And sexyass will not take a goddamn no for an answer. Now what exactly is a girl to do against that?

Author bio:

Dori Hoxa is a translator with a law degree, who works in marketing, and writes. She's also married, and since her plate wasn't full enough, she decided to get a dog recently, and named him Happy. Her biggest influence is Harry Potter, and she still expects her Hogwarts letter to arrive in the mail every day. 

She writes at all times, during lunch breaks and morning coffees, and right after she gets home from work. She begins to write the moment she imagines her main character, without knowing anything about the story first; says her words like to surprise her, so she can surprise her readers. 

Dori currently lives in Pristina with her husband and little Happy. 

If her coffee mug is still half filled by the time she goes to bed, she knows she wrote something good. Her mug is her husband's worst nightmare ever since he found it next to his pillow one morning, staring at him while he slept. Dori still claims to have no idea how it ended up there.

Connect with Dori on her website or Twitter.

Buy a copy of her novel on Amazon.

Review: 

4 and 1/2 stars !

I love love LOVED every minute of this book !

On her 27th birthday London goes out with her best friends Olivia, Valery, Eden and Ronnie (together their names make the 'LOVER' show). That night, she does something she's never done before, she takes a guy home for a one night stand. The sex was a mind-blowing 10 she tells her friends later.

I've said it before, I'm not a big fan of sex in novels but here it was entirely permitted (it was also only one time in the beginning of the book). There was one big loooong excruciating build-up towards the act itself and one of the best, if not the best, that I've ever read in a book. Absolutely swoon-worthy. And Liam, oh Liam, he is one hot piece of man candy ! He has the most delicious brownies (London's words), and he's got that V that I find such a turn-on, but he's not only the best God made on earth to look at, he's also attentive and considerate, he's funny and patient, he likes playing scrabble and adores brownies. You simply can't not fall for him.

London doesn't even know his name and she doesn't expect to ever see him again, but of course Murphy has something to do with it. She tries to resist the attraction though and although he keeps looking her up and they have the best time together, she does everything she can to keep him at arm's length. Their attraction was so sweet and they are so cute together. Her friends could see it, I could see it, only London doesn't want to admit it.

The writing is just so good and funny, and I was also a fan of the different little me's (angry me, horny me, happy me and smart me) that are present in London's head and pop out and made comments from time to time. If I were to borrow her internal voices, then ANGRY ME would say: I can't believe this novel only counted 174 pages, it was so much fun it should have been longer; SMART ME would say: the story was perfect the way it was but it's far from being over, there's still several other stories to read of the LOVER show, next up is Olivia and it seems she doesn't have such a light-hearted story; HAPPY ME would say: it was so good, maybe I should read it again; and finally HORNY ME would say: Liam was divine, I want to lick his brownies too!

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Nowhere But Home by Liza Palmer ~ Book Review

Book Synopsis:

After Queenie Wake is dismissed from her restaurant job, she returns to North Star to cook meals for death row inmates. Hopeful that the bad memories of her late mother and promiscuous sister (now the mother of the captain of the high school football team) have been forgotten by the locals, Queenie discovers that some people can’t be forgotten—heartbreaker Everett Coburn—her old high-school sweetheart. When secrets from the past emerge, will Queenie be able to stick by her family or will she leave home again?

Purchase a copy from Amazon. 

About Author Liza Palmer:

Liza Palmer is the internationally bestselling author of Conversations with the Fat Girl which Booklist says, "...manages to infuse a message of self--acceptance that isn't heavy-handed or cloying. This quick-witted author is sure to develop a following." Conversations with the Fat Girl became an international bestseller its first week in publication, being named a Target Breakout book, as well as hitting Number 1 on the Fiction Heatseekers List in the UK the week before the book debuted. Conversations with the Fat Girl has been optioned for series by HBO by the producers of Rome, Band of Brothers and Generation Kill. 

Book Review:

Queen Elizabeth Wake, a.k.a. Queenie, is running from her family’s haunting legacy that can be describe in many ways but only in hushed tones and definitely not in church. After roaming from city to city across the country, Queenie finds herself back in her small hometown of North Star, Texas, cooking last meals for death row inmates. 

After all her travels, college education and attempts to be an established chef, fate leads her back to a place where she is held responsible for choices she didn’t make; a life she never lived; and a town that never forgives or forgets. But, Queenie discovers she must first forgive her family’s past before other people can forget her kins’ transgressions. 

“For someone who struggles with faith, I base a lot of my life on things I can’t see. All these years looking for the answer and it comes down to the simplest question... Do I want to go backward or forward?” - Queenie

Queenie is witty, and a firecracker with a strong resolve. Nowhere But Home delivers a dialogue of hilarious quips followed by striking epiphanies and profound self realizations. What a read! This one earns a 4.5- to 5-star rating from me!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Andrea'. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~ 

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47 Sweet Street by Lena North ~ Book Review

Book Description:  

Louise loves her life. She married her high school sweetheart, stayed in her small home town, and has what she always wanted - a good life on 47 Sweet Street, with Dan, their daughter Nin and their two big dogs. Except, Nin is going away to college after summer and Louise just can’t seem to find the right words to talk to her daughter anymore. And what about Dan, what if they don’t have anything left to talk about either?

Nin hates her life. College can’t start fast enough, and she’s ready to start her life as an adult, to leave the boring little town and the street with the silliest name in the whole county. Probably in the whole world. Sweet Street – who the heck came up with a name like that? Except, Nin’s nervous about leaving her safe home, and what if her mom and dad won’t understand that she’s so not interested in getting a business degree?

Then Dan has to leave and things take a turn for the worse as the two women struggle to find their way back to each other, or maybe forward together?

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

The proper way to put it here would probably be to describe how I love to play with our two big dogs, how much I adore my fantastic daughters and how much I love to read.

Another way would be to use my imagination and then I would be a super powerful warrior woman, think Xena the warrior princess (though with less tacky clothes). Or when I think of it, maybe I’m actually more of a Hercule Poirot (sans the suit and moustache). Or maybe I’m like Aragorn, strong and cool and then I might get to meet Gandalf! Or I could be Bella’s pretty cousin and snap Jacob up in a second (yeah, I’m so not team Edward), or wait, maybe I could be like one of them heroines in historical novels who swoon all the time. I’ve always wanted to swoon…

Well, I guess you get how my mind is working (or not working, some say).

Anyways, I like to write. Stories, adventures, romantic and happy stuff mixed up with sorrow and hardship, and bit of laughter here and there because the way I see it – life is way too short to go around feeling grumpy.

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | 

Review:

***** 5 stars

This could very well become one of my new favourite authors in this genre, right between Carole Matthews, Lucy Dillon, Cecilia Ahern and the likes. It's just such a relatable story, if you are not a mum and you don't have teenagers yet, you will in any case remember how it was to be one. Didn't we all feel that the communication with our parents at the time was difficult to say the least? They did not understand what we were saying and vice versa. Well that's exactly what's happening with Nin and her mother Louise. The story is told from each person's perspective and lets us in on the difficulties of their communication. What they say and what the other person hears is not exactly the same and this certainly doesn't benefit their bond, they even seem to drift apart because of it. With her husband gone for six weeks, Louise feels lonely and when she tries to spend some time with her daughter, she's only to be ignored. Caroline aka Nin then inadvertently scoffs her mother when she sees her message on Facebook and it gets even worse when she laughs while she finds her mother in a struggle with the dogs in the bathroom. Both sides are so understandable and we can only hope they will find each other again. The story was sweet and touching and even though it is a rather short story, not even 60 pages, the story feels complete and it was truly a joy to read.

Reviewed by Inge

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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In Her Presence: A Husband's Dirty Secret by Nancy Weaver ~ Book Review

Book Description:



Dedicated to mothers, daughters and sons whose lives have been shattered by the man you most loved and trusted. Like the Potter with the clay, your life can be made whole again.

The true story: The surreal, gripping saga of a young, desperate, rich African American mother and her children, and her courageous teenage daughter in the south in the 1950s is inspired by real life events.

Maebelle Hawkins, a young, pretty divorcee, moves to Derriene Crossing with her heart set on finding the perfect husband. When Rufus Poygoode, a well-to-do-, good-looking farmer enraptures her heart with a proposal of marriage, she feels her life has come full circle.

But it is a marriage awash in deception. A few weeks after their union, her fantasy word crashes and burns. She shivers when Rufus Poygoode places the cold black metal gun against her nose and calls her Olga Berry, the name of his surrogate mother, for whom he carries a vendetta. No amount of defense convinces him she is not the estranged daughter of his surrogate mother. Crushed by cruel and unusual hatred, Maebelle Hawkins resigns herself to a mere state of simply existing. Then their daughter Tara Poygoode grows up.

Tara Poygoode is pleased that she has her mother and father's good looks. But she hates him for the humiliation, cruelty, and power he wields over her large family. When she learns her father won't allow her to attend college, that he is intent on tying her life to the land forever, she vows to take control over her destiny, and rescue her family.
Purchase a copy on Amazon. 


About the Author: 

Nancy Weaver grew up in a small town in Mississippi. In the third grade she became close friends with a girl her age, a girl whose life in later years would inspire Nancy Weaver’s writing of In Her Presence: A Husband’s Dirty Secret. At age eighteen, Nancy Weaver left the south and moved to New York City where she spent most of her adult life. She was graduated from NYS Empire College. Still haunted by the stories of her close friend’s childhood, Nancy Weaver decided it was time to put her friends story in print for all the educators who had been aware of her friend’s plight and had remained silent, to now read about it. Nancy Weaver took a writing course with Reader’s Digest School for Writers. Soon thereafter she founded her own publishing company Time and Chance Publishing and published In Her Presence: A Husband’s Dirty Secret. In the same year she received the Blackrefer.com Reader’s Choice annual award for her book. The milestone achievement for Nancy Weaver inspired her to publisher her second novel Gaming for Love. Upon retiring from a 30-year career in city government, Nancy Weaver relocated to a quiet community in Anderson County, South Carolina with her husband. It’s sort of like sliding back in time a little bit in terms of serene, spacious living, as they reside on five rolling acres surrounded mostly by pines and oak trees. She is currently working on her third novel. 

Connect: Twitter | Goodreads | 

Review:

This story is not for the light/faint hearted. Understand it is a story of incest and rape, many times. It will sicken you and make you extremely upset and angry. This is one of those books where it is really hard to like the main characters until Tara comes along. Maebelle and Rufus are nasty characters especially Rufus as he is the "stepfather/husband/daddy" in the novel. It is one twisted story and I will try not to give much away in my review. Maebelle wants to be with Rufus as he has land and money and could easily take care of her and her children. Maebelle doesn't care that Rufus has a wife and will do anything she needs to to get into his house. Without listening to warns from her friends Maebelle helps to break up Rufus' marriage and moves into the house with her four girls. Rufus just wants revenge on Maebelle as he feels she is related to his aunt. He starts raping the girls and making sure they have babies to help him on the farm.

The whole story is about Maebelle's selfish decisions and Rufus' nasty incest and revenge, until Tara one of their daughters grows up and vows to get everyone out of the hell that they are living in. Rufus is a dirty dog. I would be lying if I said I didn't throw down the book at one point and curse the dirty SOB, my husband then needed to be filled in on the story to understand why I was so mad at the characters.

There are some editing errors in this novel but it didn't take away from the story. What I did find hard was at the beginning learning who was who and what their skin colour was. I also found there are a few spots that seem to jump in time, not sure if that was meant to be like that or it was an error not caught.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of the above book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Winter Wedding Bells by Karen Rock, Kristin Rolofson & Jennifer Snow ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

But guests are expecting a Christmas Eve wedding…!

What could be more romantic than a Christmas wedding at a ski lodge in Lake Placid? Well, if there actually was a wedding, for one thing! Three stories about getting love right over the holidays by USA TODAY bestselling author Kristine Rolofson and award-winners Karen Rock and Jennifer Snow.

The Kiss: A bride runs into her ex…and takes the ultimate gamble!

The Wish: An event planner sprains her ankle…and the chef asserts control.

The Promise: A maid of honor dodges an ex-boyfriend out to right a past wrong…

Purchase a copy on Amazon. Add to your Goodreads shelf.

About the Author: 

Karen Rock - Since Karen Rock’s grandmother passed her shopping bagfuls of Harlequin Presents as a teen, it’s been her dream to add her voice to the Romance genre. Now an author of YA contemporary romance, such as the CAMP BOYFRIEND series and Adult contemporary romance for Harlequin’s latest contemporary line, Heartwarming as well as Harlequin Blaze, Karen is thrilled to pen deeply romantic stories that all can relate to. When she’s not busy writing, Karen enjoys watching anything starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, cooking her Nona’s family Italian recipes, and occasionally rescuing local wildlife from neighborhood cats. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, her very appreciated beta-reader daughter and two King Charles Cavalier cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch,” though they know a lot about love. 

Connect: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter |

Review:

I really enjoyed this anthology. I believe this is the first book I have read that was written by more than one author and all the stories intertwined with one another. I have a hard time picking my favourite but I would say the first two The Kiss and The Wish were my faves.

The Kiss - I loved the characters in it. The author did a great job with giving us enough backdrop from eight years before when Julie and Austin were together to be able to feel like we know the characters. In short books this can be hard sometimes to have great character development but I feel that Karen did a great job. It wasn't a sappy romance but it was a clean romance with a happy ever ending.

The Wish - I love Chef Nico. There is just something about his character, the kind nice and how gentle he is. Taking care of Noelle after she fell in his kitchen. Another great sweet romance that is tied to the first story but with different characters.

The Promise - was also a good story but I think my thing was it was pretty similar to the first story and I didn't feel connected with the characters as I did in the first two stories.

Overall? I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and would definitely read more Harlequin Heartwarming novels in the future.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. I received a copy of the above book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Christmas Ever After by Sarah Morgan ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

Skylar Tempest has never understood Alec Hunter’s appeal. So what if he’s a world-renowned historian? He’s also cynical, aloof and determined to think the worst of her. So when a twist of fate finds her spending the lead-up to Christmas with Alec and his family, she’s not expecting the season to be either merry or bright.

Alec has learned the hard way not to trust beautiful women—and Skylar is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. But as he watches her throw herself into his family’s festive chaos, Alec realizes there is far more to this blonde bombshell than meets the eye.

With Christmas around the corner, Alec and Skylar return to Puffin Island, a tentative bond forged between them. Neither intends to fall in love but as the nights become darker, and the fire between them grows hotter, could this be the chance for Alec and Skylar to find their own happy ending?

Purchase a copy on Amazon.  

About the Author: 

USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated four years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. She also won the RT Reviewers' Choice Award in 2012 and has made numerous appearances in their 'Top Pick' slot.

Sarah lives near London, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying. 

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook |

Review: 

This novel was fun, and flirty.

 

I understand this is the third book of the Puffin Island series. I have not read the previous two. I imagine if I would have I would have seen more of the already obvious 'I love to hate you' attitude the characters Alec and Skylar both posses.

 

This novel was perfectly set during the Christmas season and Sarah writes abouts two characters who seem to have no interest in one another with the exception of mutual respect and friendship. 

By the time you're hooked on the plot it's too late and you find yourself entangled in their unknown love for one another, and can only sit patiently cheering the relationship on to develop into something more.

 

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Winter's Fairytale by Maxine Morrey ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

Step into a winter wonderland and fall in love in the snow this Christmas…
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

A few weeks before Christmas and a sudden blanketing of snow has closed the roads and brought public transport grinding to a halt, stranding Izzy miles from home and in desperate need of rescuing.

That doesn’t mean she’s looking to bump into Rob and spend a cosy weekend holed up in his swanky flat watching London become a winter wonderland! Because Izzy and Rob have history…

Six months ago, they were standing in the vestry of a beautiful country church, while best man Rob delivered the news that every bride dreads on their big day.

But at the time of year when anything is possible, can Rob and Izzy let go of the past and let Christmas work its magic? Or will this be one holiday wish that Izzy lets walk right out of her life…

Winner of the Carina UK #WriteChristmas competition

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author:

Maxine Morrey has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten. Coming in first she won a handful of book tokens – perfect for a young bookworm!

As years went by, she continued to write, but ‘normal’ work often got in the way. Finally, she really decided to go for it, and wrote. Really wrote. And after a while she had a bunch of articles, and a non fiction book to her name. But her real love is writing novels and the magical escapism it affords – for both writer and reader. After self publishing her first novel when a contract fell through as the publishers succumbed to the recession, she continued to look for opportunities.

In August 2015, she won Carina UK’s #WriteChristmas competition. Her first romantic comedy, Winter’s Fairytale!

Maxine lives in Sussex, England with her husband and when not wrangling with words, can be found adding to her To Be Read pile, sewing, walking and wondering when they are going to invent a robot for ironing.

Connect: Goodreads | Facebook | 

Review: 

If you enjoy a cutesy romance, this is the novel for you.

It doesn't start off with the best of mood as unfortunately Izzy is left at the altar minutes before her wedding and Rob the best man is not only apologetic he's sympathetic, and he takes care of the guests for Izzy even if she does punch him.

Izzy resumes to her busy life where she designs wedding dresses.

It's been several months since Rob has seen Izzy, and even if she did punch him the last time he saw her, he still insistent to check in on her at her business.

A snow storm arrives and Izzy can't get home safely, so naturally Rob offers her a place to stay while the storm passes.Stormed in together, with not much to do to pass time, they talk, and while they talk their relationship mends, and who knew how sweet, sincere, and affectionate this man could be. Maybe being left at the altar was meant to be, as it seems true love hadn't really found her yet.

The title is so fitting, as this is definitely a fairytale romance, and I really enjoyed it!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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The Little Shop of Hopes and Dreams by Fiona Harper ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

Nicole Harrison is planning the proposal of the century. Too bad its not her own…

Nicole, a born organiser and true romantic, has created her dream job when she sets up the Hopes & Dreams proposal agency – staging YouTube worthy proposals…until she’s hired to plan a proposal by gorgeous photographer Alex Black’s girlfriend.

Alex is the New Year’s kiss that Nicole hasn’t been able to forget – and now she’s planning his wedding to someone else! But if she lets herself fall for Alex’s charms, her reputation and business will be ruined before it’s even got off the ground! Suddenly the girl whose always prepared is at a loss…and falling head over heels.

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

As a child, I was constantly told off for two things: having my nose in a book and living in a dream world.  Things haven't changed much since then, but at least in writing I've found a use for my runaway imagination. 

I started writing fiction in 2004 after finding a few scribbled scenes I had written more than a decade ago. I had expected to cringe as I read it, but instead I was pleasantly surprised.  A short while later I had an idea for a story, and since my youngest had just started pre-school and I was desperate to do something creative beyond making happy faces with the kids' dinner ingredients, I decided to unearth a long-buried passion and try to write a novel. I quickly became totally addicted.

I joined the RNA in 2005 and submitted my first polished and completed manuscript to their New Writers' Scheme and nervously awaited the verdict. Much to my delight, they liked it and decided to send it on to Mills & Boon, and by November 2005 I had sold my first book. 

Since then, things have been going rather well. In 2006 I received the RNA's Joan Hessayan New Writers' Award for my first book, Blind-Date Marriage, which was also nominated in two categories, Best First Book and Best Traditional Romance for the presitgious RITA award in 2007.  See here for details of further awards.

I've now completed 17 novels for Harlequin/Mills & Boon and my books have been translated into 24 languages and sold in 30 different countries across the world! Ssh... I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but my favourite foreign editions are the Japanese manga books!

I still live in London, but my other favourite places to be are the highlands of Scotland and the English countryside on a summer's afternoon.  I love cooking, good food and anything cinnamon-flavoured.  Of course, I still can't keep away from a good book, or a good movie—especially romances—but only if I'm stocked up with tissues, because I know I'll need them before the end, whether it's happy or sad.

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Facebook |  

Review:

Fiona has written a flawless read, one I very much enjoyed. Nicole is a romantic, she loves love. So it's fitting that she owns a unique business; she plans wedding proposals, and she's very good at it. 

Nicole once met the man named Alex who made her think about her very own happily ever after, but she let him get away. What will happen now that Alex has returned into her life, but for business not pleasure...

All the characters were so well developed, and with just the right amount of ups and downs, and complications this novel was read in no time!

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Four Weddings and a White Christmas Jenny Oliver ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

Welcome back to Cherry Pie Island…the most delicious place to spend Christmas!

Hannah’s holidays are normally spent nibbling chocolate coins with her daughter and praying she’s not too old for a stocking on Christmas morning. But this year, she’s been offered the dressmaker’s job of a lifetime: creating a one-of-a-kind a gown for her friend Annie’s Christmas wedding on the picture-perfect Cherry Pie Island.

Many mince pies and one hot-pink organza dress later, Hannah is set to snuggle back into her old routine…until she discovers that there are three more weddings to come – and not a dress in sight!

Four themes, four brides and four parties spent avoiding chef Harry Fontaine, whose cynicism is as much a wedding day guarantee as confetti and cake. Hannah has her work cut out for her! Yet, with a sprinkling of snowflakes and Christmas magic, it could be that this is the year when miracles really do happen…if Hannah will let them.

Celebrate four very special weddings with Jenny Oliver in the soon-to-be Christmas classic: Four Weddings and a White Christmas. Four very good reasons to get out in the snow and fall in love!

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Jenny Oliver wrote her first book on holiday when she was ten years old. Illustrated with cut-out supermodels from her sister’s Vogue, it was an epic, sweeping love story not so loosely based on Dynasty. 

Since then Jenny has gone on to get an English degree, a Masters, and a job in publishing that’s taught her what it takes to write a novel (without the help of the supermodels). She wrote The Parisian Christmas Bake Off on the beach in a sea-soaked, sand-covered notebook. This time the inspiration was her addiction to macaroons, the belief she can cook them and an all-consuming love of Christmas. When the decorations go up in October, that’s fine with her! 

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Goodreads |


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Mince Pie Mix-Up by Jennifer Joyce ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

‘I wish I could live your life. I’d happily swap lives with you.’

’Tis the season to be jolly but for Calvin and Judy the usual festive bickering has already begun! Judy’s convinced that her husband has it easy – no glittery wrapping paper, no playground gossip and absolutely no Christmas baking.

Calvin wishes he could trade in his obnoxious boss and dull nine-to-five job to spend more time kicking back with his kids – how hard can Judy’s life really be?

But after a magical mince pie mix-up, one thing’s for certain – by Christmas Day, life for Judy and Calvin will never be the same again. Perhaps the grass isn’t always greener after all…

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

I'm a writer of romantic comedies who lives in Manchester with my husband and our two daughters. I've been scribbling down bits of stories for as long as I can remember, graduating from a pen to a typewriter and then an electronic typewriter. And I felt like the bee's knees typing on THAT. I now write my books on a laptop (which has a proper delete button and everything).

My novels A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO SALAD and EVERYTHING CHANGES BUT YOU are out now. 

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | 


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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What Happens at Christmas by TA Williams ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

For the perfect Christmas…

When career-girl Holly Brice learns that her estranged father has died, she decides to take a trip down memory lane and find out about the man she never knew.

Arriving in the sleepy little Dartmoor village, she’s shocked to discover that she’s inherited the cosy little cottage she remembers so fondly, a whole load of money – and her father’s adorable dog, too!

Head to snow-covered Devon!

And as the first snowflakes begin to fall and Holly bumps into her gorgeous neighbour, Jack Nelson, life gets even more complicated! Men have always been off the cards for high-flying Holly, but there’s something about mysterious writer Jack that has her re-thinking her three-date rule…

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Firstly, my name isn't T A. It's Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, "Dirty Minds" one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn't possibly comment. Ask my wife...

I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.
I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador. 

I've been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she's right.

Connect: Website | Twitter | Goodreads |


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Parisian Christmas Bake Off by Jenny Oliver ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

Welcome to the most celebrated patisserie competition in Paris – ready, steady, bake!
Watching snowflakes settle on the Eiffel Tower, Rachel Smithson’s cosy English village feels very far way – as, thankfully, does her commitment-phobic ex, probably already kissing someone else under the mistletoe. But Rachel hasn’t come to Paris to mope she’s come to bake. Hard.

Because the search for Paris’s next patisserie apprentice is about to begin! And super-chef judge Henri Salernes is an infamously tough cookie. But Rachel isn’t about to let her confidence (or pastry) crumble. She’s got one week, mounds of melt-in-the-mouth macaroons and towers of perfect profiteroles to prove that she really is a star baker.

As well as clouds of flour, and wafts of chocolate and cinnamon, there’s definitely a touch of Christmas magic in the air… Rachel hasn’t come to Paris looking for a fairy-tale romance, but the city of love might gift-wrap her one anyway…

Not even a dusting of icing sugar could make The Parisian Christmas Bake-Off a more perfect Christmas treat!

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author:  

Jenny Oliver wrote her first book on holiday when she was ten years old. Illustrated with cut-out supermodels from her sister’s Vogue, it was an epic, sweeping love story not so loosely based on Dynasty. 

Since then Jenny has gone on to get an English degree, a Masters, and a job in publishing that’s taught her what it takes to write a novel (without the help of the supermodels). She wrote The Parisian Christmas Bake Off on the beach in a sea-soaked, sand-covered notebook. This time the inspiration was her addiction to macaroons, the belief she can cook them and an all-consuming love of Christmas. When the decorations go up in October, that’s fine with her! 

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Goodreads |


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Wish Upon a Christmas Cake by Darcie Bolen ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

The most wonderful time of the year?

Katie Warham has just one wish this year…to have the best Christmas ever!

If only she could lock herself away in a cloud of flour and sugar at her cosy little tearoom, Crumbtious Cakes, instead of spending the festive season trapped with her judgemental mother, crazy Aunt Gina and loved-up celebrity brother Carl…

But Katie never expected her ex-boyfriend, widower Sam – and his two adorable children – to turn up on her doorstep. She didn’t think that any man could tempt her under the mistletoe this year, but Sam might just prove the exception! And as the snow begins to fall and Katie puts the final touches to her famous Christmas cake, she begins to wonder, could her Christmas wish actually come true?

This holiday season, snuggle up by a roaring fire with a mulled wine and enjoy Darcie Boleyn’s festive winter warmer!

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. She loves to travel and is happiest in the snow with a pair of skies strapped to her feet. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. She always wanted to be a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.

Connect: Goodreads |


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Mistletoe Mansion by Samantha Tonge ~ Book Review

Book Description: 

Kimmy Jones has three loves: cupcakes, gossip magazines and dreaming of getting fit just by owning celeb workouts.

When Kimmy's Sensible Boyfriend told her he didn't approve of her longing for the high life or her dream of starting a cupcake company Kimmy thought she could compromise – after all, she did return those five-inch Paris Hilton heels! But asking her to trade in cake-making for a job sorting potatoes is a step too far.

So, newly single - and newly homeless – Kimmy needs a dusting of Christmas luck. And, masquerading as a professional house sitter, her new temporary home is the stunning Mistletoe Mansion. Soon she’s best buds with glamorous next door golf WAG Melissa, and orders are pouring in for her fabulous Merry Berry cupcakes! The only thorn in her side is handsome handyman Luke, a distraction she definitely doesn't need. And talking of distractions, something very odd is going on at night…

Kimmy is finally living the life she’s always wanted. But will her glimpse into the glittering lifestyle of the rich and famous be as glamorous as she’s always imagined?

Purchase a copy on Amazon.

About the Author: 
Samantha lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and two cats who think they are dogs. Along with writing, her days are spent cycling, willing cakes to rise and avoiding housework. A love of fiction developed as a child, when she was known for reading Enid Blyton books in the bath. A desire to write bubbled away in the background whilst she pursued other careers, including a fun stint working at Disneyland Paris. Formally trained as a linguist, Samantha now likes nothing more than holing herself up in the spare room, in front of the keyboard. Writing romantic comedy novels and short stories for women's magazines is her passion. Her bestselling debut novel, "Doubting Abbey", from CarinaUK Harlequin, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award in 2014. Its fun standalone sequel is From Paris with Love. Mistletoe Mansion is a fun Christmas novel. Her fourth romantic comedy, Game of Scones, is out 2015.

Connect: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook |

Review: 

This book has it all! I love the promise of a multidimensional story, and this book delivers - Christmas, love, brake-ups, celebrity gossip, ghosts, comedy, mystery and cupcakes! Yes, folks, it’s all here. Oh, how I enjoyed this one!

If high expectations set the bar for success, then wanting the finer things in life should be motivation for running your own business, right? Well, that’s how our heroine, Kimmy Jones, justifies her materialistic pinch for life and celebrity gossip obsession.

Desperate to make her cupcake business a success among the elite, she will do anything to make the right connections for launching her business before the Christmas holiday. One of those connections just so happens to be of the ghostly world.

House sitting a haunted mansion, the holidays, celebrity neighbors, and an attractive handyman make Kimmy’s mission of starting her business and winning her ex-boyfriend back an exciting adventure.

Where I think there is room for improvement in Tonge’s writing, nobody can deny she is an excellent story teller! I give this one 4.25 stars!   

Posted by Andrea'

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Andrea'. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own*~

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The Little Christmas Kitchen by Jenny Oliver ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

The mince pies are cooling, the lights are twinkling, and just when you think you’re a roasted chestnut away from the perfect Christmas….along comes the new gift-wrapped treat of a book from Jenny Oliver. Enjoy!

Christmas at the Davenports’ house was always about one thing: food. But when sisters Ella and Maddy were split up, Ella to live in London with their Dad, and Maddy staying in Greece with their Mum, mince pies lost their magic.

Now, a cheating husband has thrown Ella a curved snowball…and for the first time in years, all she wants is her mum. So she heads back to Greece, where her family’s taverna holds all the promise of home. Meanwhile, waitress Maddy’s dreams of a white Christmas lead her back to London… and her Dad.

But a big fat festive life-swap isn’t as easy as it sounds! And as the sisters trade one kitchen for another, it suddenly seems that among the cinnamon, cranberries and icing sugar, their recipes for a perfect Christmas might be missing a crucial ingredient: each other.

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Jenny Oliver wrote her first book on holiday when she was ten years old. Illustrated with cut-out supermodels from her sister’s Vogue, it was an epic, sweeping love story not so loosely based on Dynasty. 

Since then Jenny has gone on to get an English degree, a Masters, and a job in publishing that’s taught her what it takes to write a novel (without the help of the supermodels). She wrote The Parisian Christmas Bake Off on the beach in a sea-soaked, sand-covered notebook. This time the inspiration was her addiction to macaroons, the belief she can cook them and an all-consuming love of Christmas. When the decorations go up in October, that’s fine with her! 

Connect: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Goodreads |



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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My Big Fat Christmas Wedding by Samantha Tonge ~ Book Promo

Book Description: 

Things don’t always run smoothly in the game of love…

As winter comes to her sleepy Greek island, former hot shot city girl Pippa Pattinson loves her new life of rustic simplicity, running a quaint teashop with her hot fiancé, Niko. But it’s been a quick change to slow living – and you can’t blame a girl for wondering as Christmas approaches, ‘how did I get here?’

As her Christmas wedding approaches, a trip back to snowy England for her ex’s engagement party makes her wonder if those are wedding bells she’s hearing, or warning bells. She longs for the excitement of her old London life – the glamour, the regular pedicures. Can she really give that all up to be…a fishwife?

There’s nothing for it but to throw herself into bringing a little Christmas magic to the struggling village in the form of a Christmas fair. Somewhere in amidst the sparkly bauble cakes and stollen scones, she’s hoping she’ll come to the right decision about where she belongs…fingers crossed in time for the wedding!

My Big Fat Christmas Wedding is the standalone sequel to Game of Scones, perfect for fans of Lindsey Kelk and Debbie Johnson. Don’t miss the Christmas Wedding of the year!

Purchase a copy on Amazon.

About the Author: 

Samantha lives in Cheshire with her lovely family and two cats who think they are dogs. Along with writing, her days are spent cycling, willing cakes to rise and avoiding housework. A love of fiction developed as a child, when she was known for reading Enid Blyton books in the bath. A desire to write bubbled away in the background whilst she pursued other careers, including a fun stint working at Disneyland Paris. Formally trained as a linguist, Samantha now likes nothing more than holing herself up in the spare room, in front of the keyboard. Writing romantic comedy novels and short stories for women's magazines is her passion. Her bestselling debut novel, "Doubting Abbey", from CarinaUK Harlequin, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction best Ebook award in 2014. Its fun standalone sequel is From Paris with Love. Mistletoe Mansion is a fun Christmas novel. Her fourth romantic comedy, Game of Scones, is out 2015.

Connect: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook |


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson ~ Book Review

Book Synopsis: 

Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that's exactly what she's getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix--in the dead of winter, no less--the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride--and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.

No one captures the heartwarming fun of the Christmas season quite like Melody Carlson. Fasten your seat belt, because it's going to be an exciting ride!

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author: 

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.

Connect: Website | Goodreads | 

Review:

This is a super cute Christmas story. It is a sweet romance but really the novel is mainly about an older lady, Joy, who is 85 years old. Joy wants to spread Christmas Joy on her way to live in the same city as her sons. She has decided to take a trip down Route 66 and has talked her younger neighbour, Miranda, into traveling with her to accomplish this task in a old huge RV decorated with tons of Christmas lights and decorations.  Miranda is now single and about to go through foreclosure with her home, Joy has some ideas of her own. I love that Joy is also a blogger. Joy hosted a contest on her blog to bring Christmas spirit to people who were really needing it this year.

A somewhat predictable story line, fun characters and a lot of Christmas spirit that makes this a very cute read for the holidays. I give this book a 3.5 stars out of 5.


~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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Christmas Wishes by Debbie Macomber ~ Book Promo

Book Description:

Katherine O'Connor (known as K.O.) adores her five-year-old twin nieces—and objects to her sister's plans to dispense with Christmas. Zelda is following the theories of child psychologist Wynn Jeffries, author of The Free Child (and, as it happens, K.O.'s neighbor). K.O. is particularly horrified by his edict to "bury Santa under the sleigh," and she's out to prove that Wynn and his ideas are full of…snow. He's not going to ruin her nieces' Christmas! Too bad the guy's so darned attractive…

Rainy Day Kisses is a delightful romantic comedy at Christmas—or any other time of the year!

Seventeen years ago, Susannah Simmons was a career girl who knew nothing about babies. But after babysitting her niece, Michelle, Susannah discovered that one determined—and screaming—infant can make the corporate world look like child's play! Thank goodness for Nate Townsend, her charming neighbor at the time. Now he's her charming husband, and Susannah is a mother as well as an aunt. And every Christmas Eve, Michelle tells her cousins how their mom met their dad… 

Purchase a copy on Amazon. 

About the Author:

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 750 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Eight of these novels hit the number one spot.

A devoted grandmother, Debbie and her husband Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington (the town on which her Cedar Cove novels are based) and winter in Florida. 

Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |



~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Genuine Jenn. All opinions are honest and my own.*~

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More Than Just Comics by Elizabeth Briggs - Book Review

Book Synopsis:

They're best friends online - but can they be more in real life? 

Writer Tara McFadden has been best friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV – yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on. 

Hector's secretly been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance – or if this will ruin their friendship forever. 

Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending. 

Purchase a copy from Amazon. 

Learn more about author, Elizabeth Briggs.

Book Review:

Honestly, the thing that drew me to this title was Comic-Con. (I’m letting my nerd show!) Not the romance or book buzz but Comic-Con. Sorry, fellow nerds, but Comic-Con does not hold a major theme in this book. So, if you are looking for nerd love, keep looking. 

However, the plausible, digital premise was also very appealing. Hector and Tara have been working together for years via Internet and video chat. They are finally able to meet face-to-face. (Image meeting your digital best friend, co-creator and go-to-person after three years!) Hector knows that he has fallen in love with Tara very early in this usual relationship, but Tara is completely oblivious to why her stomach has active butterflies during this meeting. See, very plausible.

My problem with book is that with such a great idea, the formula was the same - two predictable  misunderstandings/impediments preventing forward movement of the relationship. <Sad sigh.> Also, beware of four very explicit love scenes between our hero and heroine. Yes, explicit! The first one happening only within a few chapters in the book. I actually had to recheck the genre of the book! 

I hate giving a rating of below a three, but this one is 2.75. That rating doesn’t exist, so I’m saved from officially labeling this one! However, I think that it will be an enjoyable read for those who are prepared. Although I think the story could have used a little more thought, Briggs is a good writer, and the story will thaw Fall’s frost. 

~*Disclaimer: This post was written by Andrea'. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.*~ 

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