Blame It on the Mistletoe by Nicole Michaels – a Review

Blame It on the Mistletoe by Nicole Michaels – a Review

 

Blame it on the Mistletoe

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

 

Description:
Sometimes all it takes is a leap of faith…’Tis the season for small-town Missouri boutique owner Brooke Abbott to get crafty. Much as she adores making art for art’s sake—decorating windows, designing ornaments, crafting the perfect present for under the tree—this Christmas she needs the gift of good customers. Lots of them. Sweet Opal Studios will go under if she can’t do some serious business before the New Year…and she has no time to lose. What Brooke needs is an honest-to-goodness miracle. Instead, she finds a burglar lurking in the back room of her shop. And here she thought the holidays couldn’t get any worse! For Christmas to work its own magic… Or maybe things just got a lot better. Turns out the burglar is none other than Alex Coleman—local bad boy slash legendary heartthrob, childhood best friend to Brooke’s older brother, and…future landlord? That is the question. He’s come home for the holidays to see his grandmother, make peace with his distant mother, and settle his grandfather’s estate, an estate that includes the building that houses Sweet Opal. What he never expected was to bump into a grown-up Brooke, whose spirit, charm, and irresistible good looks give him pause. Should he go back to Oregon as planned, or give small-town life a chance? The only thing Alex knows for sure is that before he walks out that door, he’s going to get Brooke beneath the mistletoe, where anything can happen…

 

 

Review:

Blame It on the Mistletoe by Nicole Michaels is a very sweet and charming romance that takes place close to Christmas time. This is the first book I have read by Michaels, and I enjoyed it very much. Brooke Abbott is our heroine, and she runs a small boutique in this small town of Preston, Missouri. Brooke rents her boutique called, Sweet Opal Studios, where she designs and makes her own jewelry, as other wonderful unique trinkets. She is having trouble making ends meet, especially with construction being done by her store, blocking people from noticing her. She meets some of her local store owners, who go out of their way to help spread word of mouth.

Brooke has been staying in the apartment upstairs from the store, to save money, and does not tell the landlord. One day while working, she hears noise upstairs and litteraly runs into Alex Coleman, our hero. Alex is the grandson of the woman who owns the store. He has just come back for a visit and was planning to stay in the apartment. Brooke is shaken, but Alex tells her to stay, and he will go to a hotel. They are friends from childhood, with Alex being Brooke’s brother’s best friend.

What follows is slow build relationship that has Brooke gun shy, as she came off an abusive relationship. Alex at first distances himself, having been threatened by Brooke’s brother to stay away from her. But he is determined to learn more about the now grown up and beautiful Brooke. Their romance was very well done, as I really enjoyed them together. Alex is faced with making a decision in life that will create hardship for Brooke, but make him a very rich man. What will he do, as he sees himself falling in love with Brooke? Will Brooke be able to trust that Alex is not her Ex, and allow herself to follow her heart?

Blame it on the Mistletoe was a very nice storyline, with some great secondary characters. A pure romance during the Christmas holiday, a great couple, and a happy ever after. What more could you want..

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Holiday Magic (Second Chance #1) by Susanne Matthews-a review

Holiday Magic (Second Chance #1) by Susanne Matthews-a review

Holiday Magic

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 28, 2013

How would you react if you found your fiancé in bed with one of your bridesmaids?

Weeks before their Christmas Eve wedding, Georgia Baxter canceled everything and fled to New York, immersing herself in her jewelry design business. Three years later, unable to move on, she agrees to come home to help Eleni. What her twin fails to mention is that Georgia’s help will include working with the man who broke her heart.

Mark Anderson would do anything to undo the night of his bachelor party when he unwittingly destroyed his future with the woman he still loves. When he learns that Georgia is returning to manage Holiday Magic for the winter months, he is excited. This may be his chance to convince her that it was all a big mistake.

Will there be enough magic in the air this season to give their love a second chance?

•••••••••••••••••••••

Susanne Matthews has done it again, and just in time for Christmas!!

Ms. Matthews has creatively sculpted a wonderful story of star-crossed lovers that truly belong together but were pulled apart by jealous and devious friends. Fortunately, they were pulled back together by a loving sister and fate.

Georgia Baxter and Mark Anderson were engaged, three weeks before the wedding an awful prank or perhaps worse, a jealous plan; pulled them apart. Three years later, Eleni Baxter, Georgia’s sister (and Mark’s business partner) prevailed upon Georgia to return home to help her with her business while she began a very lucrative new contract.

To do this, Georgia would have to work with Mark a bit. Only for her sister would she do this…or so she told herself. While home, both she and Mark began to find answers to what happened three years ago that really caused the breakup. Old jokes, or plots come to the surface and love, still in both hearts, blooms anew.

That’s the set-up, and I won’t spoil this wonderful story by giving out all the juicy details. Let’s just say I found it heart poundingly romantic. Oh to find your one true love and have it go bad….oops…almost spilling more beans! LOL! It’s a wonderfully engaging story that you’ll love to curl up around with a glass of wine or eggnog. It’s just the HEA you’re looking for at this time of year! Enjoy it, I certainly did!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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A Vampire’s Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden-Review, Blog Tour and Giveaway

A Vampire’s Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden-Review, Blog Tour and Giveaway

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A Vampire’s Christmas Carol
by Cynthia Eden
Release Date: November 17, 2013
Genre: paranormal, adult, romance

A vampire's Christmas Carol Nov 13

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 11, 2013

This holiday season has bite.

Ben Prescott hates Christmas—he’s a vampire, and to him, there’s certainly nothing jolly about the holiday season. While the humans are running around being merry, he’s hunting in the shadows. Ben plans to spend the holidays his way…by stalking deadly prey.

But fate has other plans for Ben.

Three visitors are coming Ben’s way…A demon who will force Ben to face his past, a ghost who will show Ben the present he could have, and a shifter who will reveal the darkness that waits in Ben’s future. Unless Ben can change his ways, he may just turn into a real monster, one who can’t be saved by anyone or anything.

’Tis the season…to be undead.

Ben’s redemption rests in the hands of the one woman he loved and lost—Simone Laurent. If Ben is going to have a chance at being more than just the beast in the darkness, he has to prove himself to the lovely Simone. A very hard task, considering that, once upon a Christmas Eve, Simone died in Ben’s arms…

••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: A VAMPIRE’S CHRISTMAS CAROL is a twist on the Dicken’s classic with a little bit of The Gift of the Magi thrown in for good measure.

The storyline focuses on vampire Ben Prescott and the three visitors who are about to open his eyes to the possibility of a future with the woman he lost ten years before.

Like the original Dickens’s classic, our ‘hero’ is on a destructive path and no one is safe when Ben needs to feed. Ben is a vampire who justifies his kills attacking the criminal element and those who have killed or attacked someone else. But Ben has made an error in judgment and his latest target is an innocent. What transpires is the ‘what if’ of one vampire’s actions on Christmas Eve. Three visits in three hours will put everything into perspective for a reluctant vampire who has lost the only woman he has ever loved.

Cynthia Eden’s re-telling of the Dickens’s Christmas Carol will tug at your heart when sacrifices are made to ensure our vampire heads down a different path.

A Vampire’s Christmas Carol is darker than normal holiday story but one that will end with a happily ever after.There is a little bit of romance, a little bit of heartbreak and a whole lot of Christmas spirit.

*whispering* and YES that is Francesco J. Cura on the cover 😉

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

About the author


Cynthia EdenNew York Times and USA Today best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over thirty novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters-vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters who populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people). Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

Author Links:

Website/Blog:  http://www.cynthiaeden.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynthiaeden
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage?fref=ts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/153738.Cynthia_Eden

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The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown-a review

The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown-a review

The Cowboy's Christmas Baby

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 24, 2013

‘Tis the season for…

A pistol-totin’ woman who’s no angel
A tough rancher who doesn’t believe in miracles
Love that warms the coldest nights

After a year in Kuwait, Lucas Allen can’t wait to get back to his ranch for Christmas and meet his gorgeous Internet pal in person.

When he pulls in, there’s Natalie Clark right in his front yard with a pink pistol in her hand and a dead coyote at her feet.

Lucas is unfazed. But wait…is that a BABY in her arms?

REVIEW

4 out of 5 for this reader folks!

Ah … what a beautiful story this was. The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown is exactly as the title suggests. One cowboy, one baby and one heck of a Christmas. A contemporary love story, with some hot scenes, amazing comedy and a list of secondary characters that make you want to read more.

What would you do if you were our main man Lucas?? He comes home to his ranch after serving overseas for the past year, all he wants is a good home cooked meal and to anticipate the arrival of a lady (this is our main lady Natalie) that he has been cyber dating during that year away. What he gets and what meets him at his front door is not only Natalie with a pink pistol in her hands, dead coyote at her feet, but a BABY on her hip. WHAT?? A BABY???

Yah that kinda got my attention too! LOL Turns out Natalie was preggers when they were cyber dating (most def it is deceitful, but she is easy to forgive) and she had wanted to show up a few days early to surprise Lucas. Lucas is, rightfully so, SHOCKED. He is okay with her being there early .. but a BABY?? After the initial shock and a few chapters, there is an acceptance (didn’t hurt that the family was completely, excuse the pun, gaga over lil man, and the fact that Natalie grew up on a ranch) Lucas and Natalie settle into really getting to know each other in person. Turns out the chemistry they had over the internet, is doubled face to face. As they ease into a romance, each also deal with the loss of a close friend (you have to read for more on that), and Lucas has trouble with PTSD and reintegrating into his “normal life”.

Natalie is a spitfire and one strong woman. Despite her deceit, she is perfect in all ways. She is so strong and such an asset to Lucas and his family and I couldn’t help but admire her a little. Add in a few more sexy cowboys (this is the second book of this series), some amazing laugh out loud moments and the magic of the Christmas holiday, I found myself feeling so much warmth and love towards these people and anxious to read more!

An absolute great read, but I never felt that WOW factor that I feel with my 5 out of 5 ratings. That will be my only negative (if that can even be considered negative) comment, as it’s a Christmas story and it just doesn’t feel right to nitpick anything Christmas. LOL

If you love some hunky cowboys, one liners, lots of teasing, a romance that comes together against most odds and lots of Christmas love then this book is for you. It’s not a heavy read but one you can enjoy curled up by the fire with the snow falling outside. You do not have to read the first book to appreciate this book, but if you like visits by past characters of a series, then you may want to read the first one before you tackle this one!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Rachel T.

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