Eight Winter Nights 

by Liz Maverick

Synopsis: 

Last year, Rachel Bacharach met the man of her dreams at a Hanukkah party — and then her outgoing best friend Tamara swooped in and “called” Oz Caplan for herself. It’s a typical outcome for the dependable, bookish Rachel, who is never able to extinguish the spark she immediately felt for Oz. But being secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend all year hasn’t been easy.

As this year’s party approaches, Oz and Tamara break up. It’s a worst-case scenario when Oz asks Rachel to help him write Tamara love letters to win her back in time for their Hanukkah anniversary. Rachel’s been writing love letters to Oz in her journals for a year; she knows all the words he would need. But will Rachel be able to hide her true feelings from Oz any longer? And might this year’s party finally be Rachel’s chance to trust her heart and put everything on the line for love?

My Take:

This was such a cute read! I'm not Jewish but I'm always interested in learning about other cultures, religions and so forth. Plus there just isn't enough holiday novels out there! This was such a great listen on Audible! At first I thought maybe it had the same plot as Something Borrowed, but it pretty quickly changes and I was so very grateful for that. It was super fun and engaging and will probably read it again in the future!

 

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

 

Royal Holiday 

by Jasmine Guillory

Synopsis:

Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.

Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.

Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they? 

 

My Thoughts:

This was my first Jasmine Guillory novel and I wasn’t really sure what to expect, at least not entirely.  I was lucky in that I had a chance to read an excerpt of The Wedding Date and even though I haven’t read that full book, it gave me a pretty good idea as to what I might find in Jasmine’s books. Witty banter. Relatable characters. A fun time!

It was extremely refreshing to read a story from another’s perspective. Just little things that different people of different walks of life deal with for the day today. I felt like though Vivian was a mother of an adult child already, she was still a little too old for me. I actually haven’t read that many stories where the mc is more than 5 years older than myself and I’m 34. Hopefully, I will read more like this and it won’t seem strange at some point.  I really did enjoy Vivian’s honestly both with Malcolm and herself. I loved watching her character grow but even more, I enjoyed watching Malcolm grow both with his family and with Vivian. The last two things I wasn’t necessarily expecting and didn’t care too much for were the sex scenes and the foul language in the book. I am no saint by any means, but I’m just not a fan of specific curse words or terms for the body part. Yeah, I’m a clean romance kind of gal.

I thoroughly enjoyed this international affair and am excited to read more of Jasmine’s books!

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

 

Letters to the Lost

by Brigid Kemmerer 

Synopsis: 

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope.

Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.

When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

My Thoughts:

Oh.My.God. This book is phenomenal. This is one of those contemporaries that every teen, young adult and older adult should read. I know Brigid's writing was incredible because I've previously read Call it What You Want her newest YA contemporary and I've read the CurseBreakers series to date but this book STILL blew me away!

I want to jump into this story and not only bear hug Declan but I want to squeeze Juliet too! So much emotion in book. The real, raw emotion in this story speaks right to your soul. The side characters (which Brigid excels at writing also) Rev and Rowan are exceptional characters. The mc parents. Everything about this story is fantastic. The drama is real life drama and even if we have never lost someone in our own lives, we can relate to these characters. Their feelings are so palpable that they can't be ignored in any way. I listened to and read this book.  The narrators are phenomenal. I mean, seriously, just everything.  Brigid is my favorite!

Review of Let it Snow by John Green Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances

By John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Synopsis:

Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.

Thanks to three of today’s best-selling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

My thoughts: 

The first story with Jubilee and Stewart was absolutely gorgeous and gave me all the feels that I wanted to feel this November as I prepare for the upcoming winter season. I could super relate to Jubilee's character as I had been in a relationship where I was taken granted for also but the other person was too scared to just break up with me and just strung me along.  I think Johnson knows how a broken heart feels because he totally explained how I had felt. I'm so glad that I finally found my own Stewart. It's important to note that I'm listening to this book on audio so I may misspell character names here because the names aren't in the synopsis provided by Goodreads, my go to source ;) 

Green's story is not my favorite out of the first two. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the name J.P. and or Carla, really, hey, that's a real thing to note! Character names can really help me bond with the character.  Ok, maybe I'm a bit dramatic. I did love all the James Bond references throughout the story. I definitely got some winter vibes from this one though, probably a little more than the first one. 

While the last story's mc annoyed me a little bit, I really enjoyed her growth throughout the story and loved the ending.  I'd have to say this one was super warming to listen to and Jeb has become a new #bookboyfriend for sure! 

Point of Danger by Irene Hannon

Point of Danger

Irene Hannon

Synopsis: 

Radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring on-air commentary and interviews, but now it seems a disgruntled listener is resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for help.

Police detective Brent Lange can't find any evidence to link the string of unsettling incidents that follows, but he's convinced they're connected. As the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve's voice silenced--permanently.

But unless he can track down her foe, fast, the gutsy woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes--and who is swiftly winning his heart--may not survive.

Bestselling author and three-time RITA Award winner Irene Hannon is back with a heart-stopping new series that will have you turning pages well into the night.

My Thoughts: 

Irene Hannon never ceases to amaze me! Especially with a new series in the making, I am a Hannon groupie for life! 

I love when romantic suspense has author names that I adore and I do adore the names Brent and Eve for sure! Really this one read like a suspenseful Hallmark movie to me and I couldn't be happier with that feeling. Once I picked up this book it was super hard to set it down, to even take a drink of water! I absolutely loved these characters and the relationships that Hannon built between them. 

The Price of Valor by Susan May Warren

The Price of Valor

Susan May Warren

Synopsis:

Former Navy SEAL Hamilton Jones thought that the love of his life was dead. But when a girl claiming to be his daughter shows up with a dire message from his wife, Ham knows he will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home.

Kidnapped by rebels while serving as an interpreter in Ukraine, Signe Kincaid has spent the past decade secreting out valuable information about Russian assets in the US to her CIA handler. Fearing for her daughter after being discovered as an operative, Signe sends her to Ham for safekeeping. She's ready to give her life for her country, and she can hardly expect Ham to rescue her after breaking his heart over and over.

When Ham discovers the reason Signe has kept her distance, he must choose between love for his wife and love for the nation he has vowed to protect. Will he save the many? Or the few?

USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren takes you on a global search and rescue mission where the stakes are higher than ever in this final installment of her popular series.

My Thoughts:

Susan May Warren never fails to please my Christian romantic suspense loving heart. Every single one of her books has fed my appetite and this one is no different. I love how Warren ties all of her characters together and weaves them in and out of each other's lives. I truly feel like I'm included in part of a circle of fictional friends that I am so grateful for! 

Warren stayed true to her writing and filled The Price of Valor with so much entertainment that I couldn't have been more please if I had tried. I can truly imagine everything unfolding in my mind as I read through the book. Warren will forever be an autobuy author for me!

Nine by Rachelle Dekker

Synopsis:

Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn't seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.

Award-winning author Rachelle Dekker throws you into the middle of the action and keeps the pressure on in this page-turning story that, asks Are we who the world says we are--or can we change our story and be something more?

My Thoughts:

Action packed!  A must read!  Sometimes I hesitate on reading some Christian fiction because its just too fluffy! I need a dose of reality.  I mean sure, God performs miracles all the time, but sometimes it really has to hurt before we feel the joy. Also, there’s violence in the world. When a book bypasses that reality it just feels so fake to me and I lose interest.  Not with Rachelle’s books though. She is her own person and earned her following. This book, like Rachelle’s others definitely held my attention from beginning to end. I’d love to see more of this world in the future. Dekker is phenomenal at writing a series.