Author Archives: Barb

Only Cold Depths by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review

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Only Cold Depths (Galactic Bonds 4) by Jennifer Estep – Dual Review

 

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Description:
A WOMAN WHO CAN’T CONTROL HER POWER . . .
Everyone knows the name Vesper Quill. I used to be a lowly lab rat working in a Regal-owned corporation, but thanks to my truebond with Kyrion Caldaren, I’m now one of the most wanted fugitives in the Archipelago Galaxy.

Kyrion and I have spent the last few weeks avoiding bounty hunters, along with the Arrows, the elite Imperium warriors tasked with capturing us. Now we’ve journeyed to a distant planet that’s supposed to be a refuge for truebonded couples, but when new enemies appear, we’re once again in grave danger.

As a seer, inventor, and engineer, I’m skilled at figuring out how things work, but I can’t quite understand my growing magic and newfound psionic abilities. The clock is ticking, and if I don’t figure out how to tap into my power, I’ll doom myself to a gruesome fate, along with Kyrion.

A MAN WHO CAN’T LET GO OF HIS FEAR . . .
As Kyrion Caldaren, I’m used to being respected and feared, especially given my telekinesis, telepathy, telempathy, and other powerful psionic abilities. What I’m not used to is being on the run, but as a rogue Arrow, I’ll do anything to protect Vesper.

Just when I think we’ve finally reached a safe haven, trouble finds us again, reigniting all my fears about losing Vesper.

When the cold depths of our enemies’ plan are finally revealed, the truth is more terrifying than anything I could imagine. Soon Vesper and I are fighting for our lives again, but even with our growing truebond power, this is one battle we might not survive.

 

Barb’s Review:  Only Cold Depths by Jennifer Estep is the 4th book in her Galactic Bonds Sc-Fi/Fantasy series. As noted, many times, I am a big fan of Jennifer Estep, having enjoyed all her fantastic series.  I was thrilled to learn that she was starting a different kind of new series, and after reading this second book, I can’t wait for more.

Vesper Quill, our heroine, is on the run with her truebond, Kyrion Caldaren; with both of them being the most wanted fugitives.  Always avoiding Bounty Hunters, Arrows, Psionics, and Imperium warriors determined to capturing them. They are now journeying to a different planet that welcomes truebond couples.

Vesper is a seer, as well as being a successful inventor/ engineer: but she still needs to increase her powers to use her magic or psionic abilities. Kyrion is also very powerful, maybe more so with his Psionic Arrow abilities; he is determined to protect Vesper at any cost.  Together their truebond continues to grow.

Vesper and Kyrion arrive at House Collier, who are accepted as they are truebond; the family allows them to live in their House.  Siya, one of the daughters, is in charge of the security, with her team using Hammers as vicious weapons.  Asterin, one of the other daughters, is friends with Vesper, and she helped solve some problems in past attacks in the Imperium. To Vesper and Kyrion’s surprise, they are invited to a ball, and they are shocked that House Zimmer was invited, bringing along Zane, Wendall and Beatrice. Vesper is not happy, as the Zimmer family have always ignored her as part of their family; but their appearance forces her to listen to some truths, which they want to bring her back into the family.  Of course, Vesper hates Zane, but by the end, she will begin to accept both Zane and Wendall. 

Vesper is early at meeting with Asterin, and notices someone is trying to steal equipment; which leads her to Esmine and Pollux, with their team.  Throughout most of the book, both Esmine and Pollux are determined to kidnap either Vesper or Kyrion, which will lead into and exciting, wild, suspenseful threat against Vesper, Kyrion, Zane and Asterin.  Will they survive?

What follows is an exciting, non-stop suspenseful, intriguing, violent captivating story that kept me unable to put the book down. Vesper continued improve her magic powers, as well as being mentally able to reach out to Kyrion. She was a fantastic heroine, smart, savvy, with amazing abilities. I loved seeing Vesper & Kyrion work together to fight against their enemies, with their truebond romance continuing to increase. The last half of the book was extremely tense and exciting, with some twists and surprises along the way.

Only Cold Depths was a terrific intriguing Space/Sci-Fi adventure filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, magic, elemental, tense and danger.   Only Cold Depths was very well written by Jennifer Estep.  I can’t wait to see what Jennifer has in story of us.

••••••••••

Sandy’s Review: ONLY COLD DEPTHS is the fourth instalment in Jennifer Estep’s adult GALACTIC BONDS sci-fi, fantasy , space-opera-esque series focusing on the former leader of the Arrows Kyrion Caldaren,and thirty-seven year old R&D tech specialist / seer Vesper Quill. ONLY COLD DEPTHS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events of book three ONLY HARD PROBLEMS.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kyrion and Vesper) ONLY COLD DEPTHS continues to focus on the truebond relationship between our story line couple, a bond both are having difficulty accepting as true in the face of the unknown. A bounty has been placed focusing on our story line couple who seek respite and refuge on a distant planet but another betrayal threatens the lives of Kyrion and Vesper, who find themselves battling the enemy and the instability of their truebonded power.

Meanwhile, a marriage mart for the hand of Lady Asterin Armas, once again, brings Vesper’s half brother out of hiding, a brother she has never trusted, a man she believes is targeting our story line couple.

ONLY COLD DEPTHS is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and magic, greed and obsession, dysfunctional family values and deception. The premise is detailed, dramatic and inviting; the characters are animated and energetic; the romance is fated and seductive. ONLY COLD DEPTHS ends on a HEA for now-there is more story to be told.

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Made for Mistletoe by Nan Reinhardt – a Review

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Made for Mistletoe by Nan Reinhardt – a Review

 

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Description:
This Christmas he has big plans until he meets a beautiful distraction….

Army reservist Cameron Walker loves everything about the holidays in River’s Edge—celebrating with his big family and carving out more time to work on his custom design furniture in his studio. But when he meets a visiting artist and niece of a family friend, he’s eager to break his work plans for play. He knows first-hand life’s short.

Teacher and artist Harper Gaines is bowled over by the handsome and friendly finish carpenter she meets during her vacation. His admiration for her art and his enthusiasm for life light her up, and remind her of how much she’s been missing since her soldier husband’s death. But when she discovers Cam’s also a soldier, she retreats, unable to risk another loss.

Cam has never felt such a strong connection, and he won’t give up without a fight. But will Cam’s persistence and the magic of Christmas be enough to convince Harper to take a chance on them?

 

 

Review:

Made for Mistletoe by Nan Reinhardt is the 3rd book of The Walkers of River’s Edge series.  We meet Harper Gaines, who lost her husband, stationed in Kuwait, in a truck accident caused by a major sandstorm.  Harper is still grieving almost 2 years later, and decides to leave her home town to drive away, and ends up in River’s Edge, where her two Aunt’s live.  Mary and Dot Higgins are happy to see Harper, and they offer her to stay at their place; though she is close to her aunts, all she wants is to be left alone to continue to grieve. Mary and Dot are determined to help her overcome her intense grief and learn to live her life again.

Cameron Walker loves everything about River’s Edge, always celebrating with his huge big family, as well as carving more of his custom design furniture at his studio. Cameron wants to find someone who can paint a chest for his mother for Christmas, and when he meets Harper, who is the niece of a family friend; he is determined to convince her to help him paint the chest. At first, Harper refuses to paint a chest, as she is not really familiar working on furniture. In a short time, Harper agrees to help, and they become fast friends.

As their friendship grew, Cam made it his goal to help Harper learn to live life again, and remind her what she is missing.  Cam knew he was falling hard for Harper, and hoped she would overcome her grief.  Cam was the prefect one for her, always happy with his life, and eventually winning her over with his kindness and heart. The people in River’s Edge were great, and slowly Harper began to feel accepted; meeting new women friends, such as Jazz, Anna, meeting all of the Walker family, getting an apartment over Mac and Carly place (giving her a place to sketch and paint). I loved seeing Harper begin to blossom and slowly find love with Cam, and making many new friends in River’s Edge. 

Made for Mistletoe was a wonderful addition to this wonderful The Walkers of River’s Edge series. Made for Mistletoe was a sweet romance, wonderful couple, fun, great secondary characters, and learning to move on from intense grief.  Once again, Nan Reinhardt gives us another wonderful story in River’s Edge, which was so very well written.  No surprise, as I love all of her previous books.  If you enjoy romance, great couple, wonderful secondary characters, and fantastic small town, I suggest you read this book.  Can’t wait to see what is next.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

 

 

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Her Deadly Rose by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

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Her Deadly Rose by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

 

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Description:
The girl’s lifeless body lies next to a scattered bouquet of crimson roses, the petals around her head like tiny pools of blood. Gripped in her hand is the note that came with the flowers, sent by someone who wanted her dead.

When champion figure skater Michaela Glover returns to her hometown of Woodbridge for a special performance, Detective Amanda Steele is part of the cheering crowds. But when Michaela is discovered dead in her dressing room after the show, Amanda is the first to investigate the shocking scene.

There is no sign of foul play, and the room is overflowing with flowers from Michaela’s adoring fans. But Amanda’s heart stops at the sight of a few roses tied with black ribbon and a note that reads “You’ll be sorry”. And when forensic tests reveal the ribbon was laced in something Michaela was deathly allergic to, Amanda is certain this is cold-blooded murder.

Desperate for a lead, Amanda dives into Michaela’s life to find out who could possibly want this sweet girl dead. She soon discovers that despite having a glittering future ahead of her, Michaela had a troubled past, and was surrounded by people jealous of her success.

When someone close to Michaela is discovered brutally murdered, Amanda is terrified there could be yet more innocent victims to follow. Can she uncover the twisted killer’s identity before they strike again?

 

 

Review:

Her Deadly Rose by Carolyn Arnold is the 12th book in her Detective Amanda Steele series. As I have noted previously, I am a big fan of Arnold, having read most of her books, and I love this series, which continues with another great addition.  Amanda Steele, our heroine, is a homicide detective in Prince William County, Virginia. Amanda is enjoying an ice-skating show with her daughter, Zoey, and her friend Patty; who is the aunt of local ice-skating celebrity Michaela Glover. After the show, they head to visit Michaela, and when no on opens the door, Amanda steps in to discover that she has been murdered.

There is no sign of foul play, but Amanda notices a bunch of roses, tied with a black ribbon and a note saying “You’ll Be Sorry”. Amanda calls her partner, Trent to come to the rink, and together they begin to dig into Michaela’s life, and who would murder her. Forensics discovers that Michaela was allergic to peanuts, which caused her death; someone added the nuts into her drink, and watched her die.

Amanda and Trent become buried in a complicated case with multiple suspects; as they learn more about Michaela’s trouble past. The further they investigate, there are themes of jealousy, manipulations, anger, grief, money and death. A short time after, Michaela’s agent was also found murdered.  Amanda and Trent find information on the agent’s phone about being blackmailed. The deeper they follow the suspects and clues; it becomes apparent that Michaela was not close to her family, other than her aunt Patty.  Amanda begins to put pressure on members of Michaela’s family to find the truths.

Amanda and Trent are a great team, and I like them together. Amanda is a great detective, very strong, independent, and always able to solve any case. Amanda worries about her daughter, Zoey, because she always busy on a case.  Her relationship with Logan, begins to cause problems, especially with her always busy solving crimes.  I also enjoy the various police team that we get to see in coming up with important clues.

What follows is an exciting, suspenseful, intriguing, tense mystery, that kept me unable to put the book down, as this was a fantastic thriller. To say too much more would be spoilers.  Her Deadly Rose was a fantastic crime thriller, that was another gripping addition to the Detective Amanda Steele series. It was a compelling, engrossing, intricate suspenseful plot. Another wonderful police procedural, with great characters, edge of your seat thriller, with some twists and surprises at the end.  Her Deadly Rose was once again so very well written by Carolyn Arnold, which is the norm for this author; as I am loving this series. If you like mystery thrillers, police procedural, then you need to be reading this series.

Reviewed  by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Lightning in her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland-Review

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Lightning in her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland-Review

 

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Description:
Teal Flores is desperate for two things—control over her gift of weather, and a date to her ex’s wedding. The first isn’t possible until she finds her long-lost mother, but the second has a very handsome last-ditch solution: Carter Velasquez.

Carter needs Teal too. His chance at receiving an inheritance is dependent on him being married by age thirty (blame his traditional Cuban grandmother), so who better to pose as his wife than Teal? But fake marriage and cohabitation prove tricky when mutual attraction charges the atmosphere—quite literally for Teal, whose volatile emotions cause lightning strikes.

Together, Teal and Carter embark on a quest to find her mother and the answers she’s searching for. But along the way, they’ll discover something even better: a love that can weather any storm.

 

 

 

Review:

Lightning in her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is the 2nd book in her Wild Magic series.   Having read the first book in this series, I looked forward to Teal’s story.  Teal was only 4 years old when her mother left the family, and she was the only one who saw her leave. Each of the sisters have their own magical gift, with Sage (the oldest) having an affinity for plants; Sky (the youngest) has an affinity for animals; and Teal’s gift is the weather.  Teal has no full control over her gift, which responds to her emotions; but she learns many years later, that her mother took something from her the night she left; which causes her to feel unworthy; Teal also has a bipolar issue.

Teal has been best friends with Carter Velasquez most of her life, and when she moved on with a new boyfriend, their friendship fell apart. Now that Teal is no longer with her ex, she tries to convince Carter to go with her to her ex’s wedding, as she wants to resume their friendship. At first, he says no, but a short time later, he agrees to go to the wedding, if she will help him gain access to his inheritance.  Carter needs a marriage of convenience, and after some thought, she agrees to the fake marriage with Carter, especially with both gaining some money.  When they get married, both Carter and Teal begin to feel strong feelings for each other (as Carter has always loved her). Teal moves in with Carter in his gorgeous house. Along the way, the sex scenes between Teal and Carter are very hot and spicy; they were great together. 

Teal knows she lost something all those years ago, which causes her gift to not be where it should be. Teal, Carter, Sage and Sky embark on trying find her mother, to get her power in full control.  I was happy that Teal slowly knew she needed to improve herself, as well as being less selfish.  If they can find the missing mother, Teal will fully restore her ability.  The three sisters will find their mother, and they will need to get Teal’s full power back from the mother. 

Lightning in her Hands was an intriguing, fun, emotional, romantic and sexy story. Lightning in her Hands was very well written by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. If you enjoy a paranormal fantasy, with terrific characters, I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber – a Review

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A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber – a Review

 

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Description:
Halley Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother’s meddling questions about her love life.

When Halley’s close friend offers her the use of her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Halley finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help.

Soon Halley and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Halley to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.

 

 

Review:

A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber is a sweet wonderful heartwarming Christmas holiday story. We meet Halley Morgan, who has always dreamed of becoming a professional song writer, but she currently is an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. Halley isn’t happy to join her family on Christmas, since her mother keeps pushing Halley’s ex-boyfriend to attend Christmas. Her BFF, Katherine are both happy for the holiday break, and when Halley talks about her ex planning to come to their house, she is desperate.  Katherine suggests to her to use the family cabin in the small town of Podunk; enabling her to concentrate on creating her music.  Halley decides to take up Katherine offer and escape having to go to her family’s Christmas celebration, with her ex planning to attend.

 When Halley arrives at the cabin, she senses the feel of her journey in creating her music; but she also discovers some animals that seem to visit the cabin. When shopping at the town’s main store, the owner sends her son, Jay to help rid the animals; and Halley finds him to be charming and handsome, not to mention he too is a former musician. Both Halley & Jay play the guitar and are very passionate about creating music; though she loves writing songs, he is currently working on building his own company.  In a short time, both begin to feel sparks between them, with lots of delightful banter and their love of music.  Jay gives Halley encouragement inspiring her that she can be a successful songwriter, especially when she sang her song at the bar/restaurant, which became so popular, with videos opening up a possible career. Halley and Jay become inseparable, spending fun time together as well as playing music together.

I will say, I really did not like Halley’s mother, who was obsessive and determined to bring the ex-back into the picture. When the video of her song escalated, her parents found out where she was staying, comes to visit; of course, the mother lets the ex-know.   It will take Halley to tell the ex she does not want anything to do with him; especially since she finds herself caring about Jay. I really loved Hailey and Jay together. I liked Halley’s sister, Daisy, who had who came earlier, concerned about her own boyfriend being serious. 

A Christmas Duet was a heartwarming, charming, sweet, cozy romantic story filled with music and love.  It was really nice to see both sisters have their own HEA. A Christmas Duet was so very well written by Debbie Macomber.  I suggest you read A Christmas Duet, as you can n ever go wrong with anything by Debbie Macomber.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle-a Review

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Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle-a Review

 

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Description:
In the enchanting mountain town of Chestnut Ridge, where tree farms blanket the hillsides and the promise of a white Christmas is ever-present, a heartwarming holiday romance is about to blossom. When Sheila’s best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery, all wrapped in the cozy embrace of a tight-knit community. As she immerses herself in the joy of twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and the camaraderie of the townsfolk, Sheila’s world begins to transform, and she finds the sense of belonging she never knew she needed.

Meanwhile, Tucker, the town’s reliable fire captain, is gathering volunteers to help a family with four young children who have just lost their home to a devastating fire weeks before Christmas. Sheila offers her helping hand, and as the town rallies to support the family in their time of need, sparks of love begin to flicker between her and Tucker.

In this charming town where dreams come true, and Christmas magic is everywhere, come along for a tale of love, community, and the true spirit of the season.

 

 

Review:

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle is the 2nd book in her wonderful Chestnut Ridge series. The story revolves around Sheila, who owns her own business in Richmond, as a successful realtor.  Natalie (book one heroine), moved to a small town in The Blue Ridge Mountains, in Chestnut Ridge.  With Christmas near, Sheila agrees to return for a few weeks in Chestnut Ridge, to help her bff, Natalie, in the town’s annual decorating contest, The Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser.

Sheila decides to move in with Orene, a sweet older lady, who always welcomes her when she visits Chestnut Ridge; as well as the community welcoming her.  Natalie and her friend, Amanda begin to work with Sheila on the decorative trees for the contest; and the fun begins.  Chestnut Ridge is a close-knit town, priding themselves to go above and beyond throughout the community.  For example, when a home is destroyed in a fire, the town will rally around the family, helping the family (4 young children), find a temporary home, with everyone helping. Sheila is so moved by the residents helping, as she too will get gifts, as well as help the family in the future.

We meet Tucker, the towns Fire Chief, who is very good at his job, with everyone loving the how he gets his volunteers to do help with various things.  When the fire brought about home destruction, they did manage to stop the fire before it got totally destroyed.  When Tucker meets Sheila, he finds himself attracted to her, as they both felt the sparks between them.  Sheila always steps up to help others, including Tucker; slowly the romance between Tucker and Shelia escalates.  I did love Sheila and Tucker together, hope in the long run, they will find love.

Natalie, Amanda and Sheila are determined to win the contest, as Tucker’s volunteers are also determined to win. I love the camaraderie within the town, with Sheila enjoying the Christmas spirit; with all the residents always helping one another. All the fantastic secondary characters, made this a fabulous town to be part of.

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge was a sweet delightful story of friendship, love, heartwarming, wonderful neighbors and a terrific small-town romance. I loved the Christmas spirit, with all the decorations being done as they lead to Christmas, as well as The Christmas Tree Stroll contest.  Christmas in Chestnut Ridge was so very well written by Nancy Naigle. I wholly suggest you read this book, as it was a great read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Snowy Mountain Christmas by Sharon Sala – a Review

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Snowy Mountain Christmas by Sharon Sala – a Review

 

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Description:
Christmas is a great time to be snowed in with the woman who saved your life in this heartwarming, small town holiday romance from New York Times bestselling author Sharon Sala.

One minute, Trey Austin is driving through torrential rain; the next, he’s being rescued from a car wreck by an angelic woman with the courage to brave the storm. Her face was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness. No one got her name—but she lost one shoe stuck in the mud. It’s Trey’s only clue, so he takes to the internet, hoping against hope that he’ll find his angel.

Just when he’s almost given up, Trey gets a message from Marley Corbett, owner of a cozy bed and breakfast in Colorado, and he instantly knows he’s found her. Without hesitation, Trey heads to the mountains to meet Marley just in time to spend an unforgettable Christmas snowed in with his dream girl, who, when finally in front of him, is even more special than he remembers.

 

 

Review:

Snowy Mountain Christmas by Sharon Sala is another wonderful story that takes place in the Colorado mountains. Trey Austin, is doing research for a book he is writing, and makes a wrong turn leading him into a torrential storm, causing a devasting car crash.  Trey loses conscious, and opens his eyes as he is close to drowning, but he is being rescued by a woman with filled with courage to try and save him; her face was the last thing he saw.

Marley Corbett was also heading into the same storm, and discovers Trey’s car wreck. This tiny woman was determined to rescue Trey and eventually she manages to pull him out, and waits for the help to arrive.  Marley is exhausted and drained, and once the ambulance arrives, she continues to her home in Colorado.

Marley owns a B&B, having grown up in a family with lots of love, enough money and hard work in her business.   Trey grew up in a house with nannies, tons of money and no parental love or attention. Where Marley is happy, with lots of friends, who also help run the B&B; Trey is bitter about his parents with no love.

When Trey begins to heal, he is determined to find his savior, with no clues who or where she is.  He decides to use social media in getting help to find his “Cinderella”.  When time has passed a bit, Marley will see an interview showing Trey looking for his Cinderella girl; she calls the number and introduces herself as the woman who saved his life.  Trey is thrilled and heads to the mountains to meet Marley.

Trey arrives and meets Marley, and with a major snow storm, they spend lots of time together.  Trey finds himself falling for his dream girl; Marley also falls hard for Trey, as they made a great couple.  She also learns about Trey’s parent’s not being around him during his childhood years; as well as him being a well-known anonymous author. In time, Trey will get his agent to reveal his real name, since his books will be become a series.  Trey and Marley open themselves up to the public, since she was indeed the Cinderella girl.  I really liked a number of secondary characters, which included Marley’s Inn friends, and of course Meridith (Trey’s agent).

Snowy Mountain Christmas was a delightful, heartwarming fun, and wonderful Christmas story.  I really loved Trey and Marley together.  There was so much fun throughout, with moments of emotions, love, laughter and heartfelt times in this modern Cinderella story. Snowy Mountain Christmas was so very well written by Sharon Sala.  I wholly suggest you read this book, as you can never go wrong reading anything by Sharon Sala.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne – a Review

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The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne – a Review

 

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Description:
The magic of Christmas—and a second shot at romance—is in the air in Shelter Springs this holiday season…

Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he’s just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.

As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.

 

 

Review:

The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne is a sweet romantic Christmas story that takes place in Shelter Springs. We meet Amanda Taylor, who owns the local soap shop, in the town of Shelter Springs, Idaho.  Amanda wasn’t always a fan of Christmas, due to the past in her childhood, especially with her bad father. She runs her store, The Lucky Goat, as well as being the head of the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market during the Christmas holidays.  Amanda keeps tabs on her grandmother Birdie, and goes out of her way to help the community of Shelter Springs. Amanda worries when she notices her grandmother has been hanging around a new resident in the Shelter Inn retirement village.

Rafe Arredondo, is the grandson of Birdie’s suitor, as he is somewhat concerned, though not as much as Amanda is worried.  Rafe has an adorable young son, Issac; as well as being the assistant fire chief and being a paramedic. After an accident on the job, Rafe is told to take a month off, with his broken arm; which finds himself becoming friends with Amanda; and young Isaac is so adorable, with Amanda totally loving him.  Both Rafe and Amanda have had heartaches in their past lives; Rafe having lost his wife due to a drug overdose, and Amanda losing a boyfriend due to a tragedy. 

In a short time, Rafe has strong feelings for Amanda, as they spent a lot of time at the Christmas market together; but Amanda refuses to admit that she is attracted to Rafe.  Both Amanda and Rafe have hard times with emotional issues in their lives, but their attraction continues to keep their paths intertwining.  Isaac was so cute, and he always invited Amanda to come to events, which brings Rafe too.  😊

The December Market was a wonderful, heartwarming romantic Christmas story.  I really like both Amanda and Rafe, and hoped that they would finally give into their love for each other.  The December Market was so very well written by RaeAnne Thayne.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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