Thursday, April 14, 2022

Mistletoe Christmas: An Anthology by Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell, Janna MacGregor and Erica Ridley book review

Here I am again, reviewing my Christmas books in April. Argh!!! But it’s never too early to start building your holiday TBR pile ;) 

Mistletoe Christmas is an anthology of four short stories. All by some of my favorite historical romance writers. This entire anthology is set in the annual Revelry. A huge holiday party that takes all year to plan.

The first story is A Mistletoe Kiss by Eloisa James. The story centers of Lady Cressida, who is the organizer of the annual Revelry for her father the Duke. He likes to take credit for the Revelry. This reader did not like him for that :( Elias, Lord Darcy de Royleston, has known Cressida since he was 12, and never really noticed her. This year, he takes notice. 

Wishing Under the Mistletoe by Christi Caldwell Oh man. This second chance romance really got me. I found it to be so sad at the beginning, but I KNEW there had to be a HEA. Isabelle left Cyrus when she felt that he was too into his work. He was just focused on making money. She left and worked on writing plays. Ten years later, they meet again at The Revelry and are assigned to work together. Will they finally learn to communicate with each other? 

Compromise Under the Mistletoe by Janna MacGregor This story was about a marriage in crisis. Caroline left her husband for London because she didn’t feel appreciated. Now her trust fund is on the line and she has to convince the Duke that they are together. This story had quite a steamy scene. I mean, if you are snowed in with your husband at a party… 


Mischief and Mistletoe by Erica Ridley A wallflower poet with a mother determined to finally see her wed. However, Louisa is just interested in writing her poetry. Fortunately, the Revelry brought out some other poets and Louisa has some chemistry with fellow poet, Ewan. There were some secrets that took a while to come out, but guess what??? There was a happy ending. Overall, a fun and entertaining read. Love the christmas spirit. Love all the authors who contributed to this anthology. It’s a great way to find a new author to love. Put this on your list to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis book review


I admit, I love all things Jill Shalvis. I love all her books, I might be a bit biased. This one did not disappoint. This is a new series set in Sunrise Cove. Again, such a cute name for a place….just like all her other settings. Jane and Levi face a heart stopping ordeal and in the process, Levi makes Jane his fake girlfriend to make his family feel better. However, when everyone is safe, Levi’s family now wants to meet this girlfriend. Jane is not thrilled about the development but is willing to go along with the plan. Jane experiences family as she never has and feelings start to grow. 

This book incorporates friendship, family, romance and second chances. Jane and Charlotte’s friendship is as much a part of the story as the romance is. The characters are not perfect, but that is part of the charm. If you need a heartwarming story, pick up this book. This book would also make for a cozy read during a blizzard, but it’s April, so I think the blizzards are done. I also love the message about how family can be who you pick. Overall, a solid pick for your next contemporary romance and a fun start to a new series.

A Yuletide Kiss by Madeline Hunter, Sabrina Jeffries, Mary Jo Putney book review


Am I reading Christmas books in April? Yes. Did I mean to read them in December? Yes. But here we are. This book is a short story anthology by some of my favorite romance authors. If you are looking for a holiday romance or need a TBR pile for December, consider this book. I did love seeing secondary characters from other books pop up in this anthology. It’s always so fun to remember them. But it’s ok if you did not read the previous stories. 

The setting was at an inn run by Jenna Waverly. You will be able to tell right away that she was ready for a break and some unwinding from her job. However, a bad storm rolls in and some unexpected travelers show up at her place needing to stay there. There is a second chance romance, there is a romance between the innkeeper and an injured traveler, and finally, a couple who was pretend married…but were accidentally really married. 

The Christmas spirit comes through in all these stories. Since these are short stories, you can expect a quick read with a happy ending. The characters are likeable, the setting is different (not at a lavish residence) and the writing style of each author comes through in their
story. A thoroughly enjoyable read.