REVIEW: One Hundred Lights by Chrissy Hopewell

Title: One Hundred Lights
Author: Chrissy Hopewell
Publisher: Fox Hollow Publishing LLC
Publication Date: November 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: One school dance. Two single parents who should stay away from each other. A magical holiday hunt for one hundred boxes of fairy lights for their kids’ school dance that makes falling in love inevitable.

Britt
There are few worse things than developing feelings for your best friend’s husband. I tried to do the right thing and step away from both of them, but they got divorced anyway. That’s definitely one of those worse things. And now Adrian’s at my front door, insisting on helping me decorate for the kids’ holiday dance. And I still want him. I also still want to make up with my best friend, but I’m afraid it’s all unforgivable.

Adrian
I know I should stay away from my ex-wife’s ex-best friend. Britt doesn’t want to see me. She pushed us away six months ago, but things still ended in divorce. Now I’m trying to get it together as a single dad, and I keep running into Britt at school events. I want to smooth things over with her. Britt won’t talk to me, but she needs help with the school dance, so if I just show up at the planning meeting, she won’t be able to say no. What could go wrong with this plan?

This is a prequel novella to the completed Hart Sisters If We Pretend, Unless It's You, and Since We're Here. If you read One Hundred Lights first, prepare yourself to despise Britt & Adrian in If We Pretend!

My Thoughts: I didn’t realize that this story is part of the author’s Hart Sisters series, which I have not read any of. Normally, this would put me off reading this book because I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m coming into the story where previous events from the other books are alluded to. Though this does happen in this story, I decided to overlook it and I’m glad I did because the story was enjoyable and learning that I might actually hate Britt and Adrian if I read the other stories, I probably won’t read them because I actually liked Britt and Adrian a lot.

I don’t think developing feelings for your best friend’s husband is ever a good idea but the way Britt and Adrian dealt with it was likely the only way, however, their feelings ran so much deeper and even though Britt tried to do the admirable thing and stay away from them, Adrian and his wife got divorced anyway. My only issue with this story was Britt’s desire to get her friendship with Adrian’s ex-wife back. I think Britt is asking for the impossible, especially when Reese finds out that Britt and Adrian do get together.

This book moves pretty fast with each chapter alternating between Britt and Adrian’s perception, which I really enjoy. I thought the characters were easy to relate to and it was easy to see how their friendship could begin to blossom into something more and it was quite sweet to witness.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story is a good addition to the Christmas reading list. I recommend it to readers who enjoy Christmas themes, forbidden love and second chance tropes.

Thank you to the publisher, Fox Hollow Publishing LLC, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

Title: All by My Elf (Under The Mistletoe Collection #3)
Author: Olivia Dade
Narrator: Andi Arndt
Publisher: Amazon
Publication Date: November 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance

Description: Secret crushes, spicy Christmas treats, heinous holiday traffic, and a fateful snowstorm bring good friends together in a funny, heartfelt short story by bestselling author Olivia Dade.

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

Olivia Dade’s All by My Elf is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

My Thoughts: Another disappointing offering in this series that I thought would deliver more Christmas whimsy, charm and humor. Instead, this story brings us Nina and William, two professors moonlighting when they get stuck in a blizzard. Nina has been attracted to William since he began working with her but Nina thinks he and her best friend are a thing. Unbeknownst to Nina, William is attracted to her, but neither one has the courage to speak up. Then in the blink of an eye, they are all over each other. It felt forced and unrealistic, no relationship or character development.

My Final Verdict: A lot of miscommunication and assumptions and misunderstandings make this a book I cannot fully recommend. The plot dragged and the characters felt like cardboard. The narration by Andi Arndt was good but not even she could turn it around for me.

REVEW: Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

Title: Merry Ever After (Under The Mistletoe Collection #2)
Author: Tessa Bailey
Narrator: Summer Morton, Connor Crais
Publisher: Amazon
Publication Date: November 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance

Description: A single mother working in a thrift store. A gentle giant farmer who can’t find jeans that fit. When opposites attract, they find themselves making alterations in more ways than one in this smoking-hot short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey.

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Tessa Bailey’s Merry Ever After is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

My Thoughts: Though the cover is absolutely adorable, this was just an OK read for me, it was too explicit and not funny enough. I liked Evie and Luke and their introductory scenes about him not being able to find a pair of jeans that fit his hulking frame were amusing but the story just never maintained any of the humor I am looking for in this series. This author is new to me but I have a couple of her other titles waiting on my shelf to be read. Due to the explicit content, go with the e-book or make sure you have earbuds on if you choose to listen to this.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this book had some amusing and sweet moments, but not enough for me to fully recommend this book.

REVIEW: Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Cruel Winter with You (Under the Mistletoe Collection #1)
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Narrator: Vivienne LaRue
Publisher: Brilliance Publishing
Publication Date: November 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightful short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.

Ali Hazelwood’s Cruel Winter with You is part of Under the Mistletoe, a stirring collection of December romances that thrill and tingle all the way. They can be read or listened to in one swoony sitting.

My Thoughts: This is a great choice to add to the Christmas reading list this year if you are looking for more spice and less whimsy. Cruel Winter with You by new to me author Ali Hazelwood is a short story but packs a lot of pizazz. This is the first book in a series but each book can be read as a standalone. The audio performance by Vivienne LaRue was fantastic.

Jamie and Marc have known each other all their lives. Jamie is Marc’s sister’s best friend and Marc has been in love with her since he was fifteen. When Marc decided the time was right to declare his feelings, Jamie shot him down and wasn’t very gentle or kind about it. Now, months later, Jamie is at his parent’s front door to borrow a copper pan for her Dad’s Christmas ham. A very timely blizzard traps her there with Marc and they have nothing but time between them to clear the air and start asking and answering some long awaited questions.

I really liked Jamie and Marc and though their conflict boiled down to a stupid misunderstanding, I liked that they were willing to address it before years and years went by like so many stories with this plot device do. This story switches between the past and present flawlessly to give the reader a close up view of what transpired throughout their lives, which I really enjoyed.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was really good. This entire series offers up the heated side of Christmas instead of the cute and whimsical so the mandatory hot chocolate may need to be iced when reading. I highly recommend this book to readers who love Christmas themes and spicy romance.

REVIEW: The Plight Before Christmas by Kate Stewart

Title: The Plight Before Christmas
Author: Kate Stewart
Narrator: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
Publisher: Podium Audio
Publication Date: October 2022
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy
Buy The Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Clark Griswold was onto something, at least with his annual holiday meltdown. And since the last three weeks of my life have been riddled with humbug—another breakup, a broken toe, an office promotion I deserved and didn’t get—I’m not at all in the mood to celebrate nor have the happ, happ, happiest Christmas EVER.

When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.

Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.

Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.

I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog.

I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart.

I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.

I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.

I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.

Fa la la la la, la FML.

My Thoughts: OK, here’s the thing. The description of this book would lead one, OK me, to believe this story is a hilarious, laugh until you cry book and it is. It’s also sad, tragic and sentimental. First of all, I loved the entire Collins family and I seriously want to do Christmas with them, in the snow with all the trimmings. I was easily able to grasp how close knit this family is, but also how dysfunctional they are as individuals. You know, normal people.

Our protagonist, Whitney, is the youngest of three and adored aunt to her nieces and nephews. She has a close bond with her siblings and their spouses and has a good relationship with her parents who are a riot. She never married or had children and never followed the dreams she had or tackled her birthday bucket list. Prior to arriving at the cabin, Whitney has had one mishap after another, so she’s running really low on Christmas cheer.

Eli is Whitney’s college sweetheart. They dated for eight months over seventeen years ago and Eli abruptly ended it without any valid reason and broke Whitney’s heart. It’s a safe assumption to say she never really got over it, so imagine her shock, dismay and horror when Eli shows up for the family Christmas with her brother and his family!

The shenanigans that ensue throughout this book were fantastic, not just for Whitney and Eli, but for the rest of the family. These secondary characters quickly worked their way into the story so fully that I sometimes forgot this was supposed to be about Whitney and Eli.

The story moves at a wonderful pace and I was on pins and needles at what would happen next. I loved Whitney and Eli as a couple as well as individually and though I knew these two would find their way back together, I was shocked when Eli finally confesses to Whitney why he broke her heart. This story will make you feel all the feels so keep a box of tissues handy. The author does a brilliant job of creating a story that pulls the reader into the lives of these amazing characters and I hope she writes more Christmas themed stories, especially involving these characters. The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell. They brought not only the personalities of the characters to life but their feelings and emotions were performed so expertly, I felt like I was in the room with them.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a wonderful addition to the Christmas reading list for this year. The joy of the season and love this family has for one another is keenly felt in this story despite the baggage these characters are carrying. I highly recommend this story to readers who love stories with a Christmas theme complete with lots of snow, forgiveness and second chances. Prop those fuzzy socked feet up, grab some nog and celebrate the season with this book.

REVIEW: Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews

Title: Holiday Hideaway
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date: October 2024
Genre: Christmas Holiday / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life. The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.

George Holloway is here to sell his granduncle’s house—and to reconsider whether he and his fiancée are right for each other. Amid home repairs, George notices strange noises and missing food, but as much as he gets his rental agent on the phone, Tilly dodges every invitation to meet. He’s sure that someone’s here with him, and it’s certainly not the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, or Future.

As Tilly and George circle each other, they both wonder where their lives are headed and if, maybe, meeting each other is just the Christmas miracle they need.

My Thoughts: The Christmas Season is so busy that it’s the only time of the year that I don’t mind short stories. In fact, I make a point of looking for the shorter Christmas themes. They are wonderful for adding festive cheer to what can be a very stressful and anxiety ridden time. Holiday Hideaway by the very talented Mary Kay Andrews hits the mark for readers looking for a little escape from the frenzy of holiday.

Tilly and George were wonderful characters and Tilly’s dog, Smoosh, was a little bit of a scene stealer, but I love stories that feature dogs or cats prominently so even better. Tilly has been evicted from her apartment because of Smoosh (what a Scrooge!) and her new apartment won’t be ready until after the holiday. With absolutely nowhere else to go and no money for a hotel because of the deposits she had to pay on her new place, Tilly is squatting in one of the vacant properties her employer manages. No big deal, right? It won’t hurt anyone.

George and his siblings and cousin have inherited this house from their Great-Uncle Gus who is not so great and probably knew Tilly’s landlord on a first name basis. George arrives from Boston to assess the house and what needs to be done to make it sale ready, unaware that Tilly is hiding out in the attic. What ensues is so much fun and I thought these two were a hoot. The awesome thing is that they already know each other from high school but don’t realize right away. Unforeseen events force Tilly out of hiding and she’s worried that George will have her arrested for squatting and she will be fired and homeless for real, but I absolutely loved how this all played out.

This story is really short and can be read in a couple of hours. The pace is pretty fast but the reader will have no problem keeping up and will likely be surprised when it’s all over. I would love to see this author revisit Tilly, George and Smoosh in the future.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I highly recommend this book to readers who love Christmas themes, lots of snow, festive cheer and dogs. Squatting in vacant houses is not recommended but putting on fuzzy socks and sipping eggnog by the fireplace while reading this book is a must.

Thank you to the publisher, Amazon Original Stories, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Married by Midnight by Talli Roland

Title: Married by Midnight
Author: Talli Roland
Publisher: Notting Hill Press
Publication Date: November 2014
Genre: Chick Lit / Christmas Holiday / Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: Christmas is coming . . . and so is the biggest day of Kate’s life.

While choosing a vintage dress for her Christmas Eve wedding, Kate finds a cryptic note pinned to the inside of a 1930s gown. As doubts about her own ceremony loom, Kate is determined to track down the dress’ owner and determine what became of her – and the marriage.

Will Kate find the answers she’s seeking to propel her down the aisle, or will her discovery prompt her to call off the wedding for good?

My Thoughts: If you are looking for a short but heartwarming Christmas story, then look no further! Married by Midnight by Talli Roland gave me all the feels! Getting married is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. One should always learn to listen to their instincts and trust their gut and not place their fate and future in the hands of fortune tellers or astrology charts. Everyone, including her mother, is telling Kate that marrying Tim is the right thing to do, that he’s perfect for her, but Kate is wondering if that’s true. She’s experiencing major doubts but really wants to believe the opinions of others.

While wedding dress shopping, Kate finds a vintage 1930’s wedding dress that fits her perfectly and appears to have been waiting just for her. After she gets the dress home, Kate discovers a handwritten note attached to the dress wishing her the best of luck. This compels Kate on a journey to track down the writer of the note and learn of that woman’s journey because Kate thinks if that woman had a long and happy marriage, then Kate will too. I know, it doesn’t make sense to put the fate of one’s life in the hands of a woman who previously owned a wedding dress and assuming that if her life turned out beautifully, so will Kate’s. Like Kate, I was completely enthralled by the dress and had to know about the woman who owned it all those years ago.

The result is so much more than I was expecting and it completely blew me away. I liked Kate and admired her courage to ask the tough questions instead of going through blindly hoping that she’s making the right decision. I wish the book had been a little bit longer because I would love to know what happens next, but the author leaves it open ended so the reader can draw their own conclusions.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I loved this story and though it was very short, it packed quite a punch in the emotions. I highly recommend this book to fans of Christmas themed stories that are brimming with romance, second chances and forgiveness.

REVIEW: A Holiday to Remember by Susanne O'Leary

Title: A Holiday to Remember (Maddy and Leanne #2)
Author: Susanne O’Leary
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A side-splittingly funny summer read about two best friends who decide to take a chance and travel the world, finding themselves – and finding love – along the way!

Until a few weeks ago, Leanne was a thirty-something who lived with her mother. And yes, she still slept under her Barbie bedspread.

Until recently, Maddy was married to a man whose golf club got more action than she did.

But not anymore.

Leanne and Maddy (and their miniature poodle Bridget) have packed their suitcases and bid goodbye to their dreary lives for the summer. After winding along Italy’s sun-dappled Adriatic Coast in a shiny red convertible, sailing around Croatia’s gorgeous Dalmatian Islands awaits them.

Days splashing around in sparkling turquoise waters and wine-fueled nights under the stars are every girl’s dream. But with a devilishly handsome Italian on board, old flames to get over and holiday flings to contend with, there’s plenty of drama ahoy. One thing’s for certain, Leanne and Maddy’s trip promises to be a holiday to remember…

My Thoughts: When we said goodbye to Maddy and Leanne at the end of The Road Trip, they were preparing for their next leg of their summer adventure, cruising the Dalmatian Islands. This story picks up practically right after the last book ends, so I recommend you read the first book before this one as you don’t want to miss the excitement of not only winning the lottery but the fun they have.

This story introduces new characters who bring some interesting depth to the story and though I was curious about all of these people going on the cruise with our lottery winners, I was more interested in what would happen between Maddy and Leanne when their holiday was over and it was time to go home. What would they do? Maddy and Leanne’s father, Erik, were in the start of something resembling a relationship in the last book and I was curious about whether that would continue and if Leanne would take her father up on his offer to take over his perfume company and whether there was love on the horizon for her. This book ties up all the loose threads for me and then some.

I loved the detail and the obvious research the author did on the various locales Maddy and Leanne visit in this book. I have never been to Florence or Croatia, but thanks to the author, the reader will feel like they are there. I think I gained ten pounds visualizing all of the succulent food they consume on this holiday as well. I don’t know if there will be another book in this series but it would be wonderful to tag along with Maddy to Australia to visit her daughter.

I really enjoyed getting to know Maddy and Leanne better. These characters were very easy to relate to and like and it was nice to see that winning a bunch of money didn’t change who they were at their core.

My Final Verdict: Living vicariously through Maddy and Leanne while they are on their lottery financed holiday has been a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this book to readers who like exotic locales and stories that feature characters who aren’t afraid to live their best life.

Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.